COFFEE
MORNING
Dolores Kennedy would like
to thank everybody who supported her Coffee Morning on the
20th September. A sum of over £350 was raised for the Hospice.
RACE NIGHT
A Race Night organised by the
committees of Donadea Newtown and Staplestown Cooleragh
senior citizens groups will be held in Ballagh House, Donadea,
on Friday 19th October at 9.00 p.m. Your support for this
event will be appreciated.
DONADEA FOREST
A tour of Donadea Forest Park
by a group of senior citizens took place in glorious sunshine
on Tuesday 18th September. It was organised by Eithne Herbert
of the Allenwood Day Care Centre. Special permission was
obtained through Coillte which enabled the group to have
access to all the sites in the park. Sites visited included
the Castle, the lake, the Boat House, Ice House, Lime Avenue
and St. Peter's Church. Local historian Seamus Cullen was
on hand to give a history of the sites visited. A high point
of the tour was an unexpected meeting with local resident
and T.V. personality Dick Warner. The group finished their
visit with refreshments at the forest shop and all were
full of praise for the wheel chair friendly facilities in
the park.
BOG DAY
Our annual bog day took place
again this year, despite the confusion about the date, on
July 14th. As usual, the old reliables appeared including
past winners, Josh Rose, Charlie Tuite, Paidir McGuire plus
the Murphy's, both senior and junior version. Another reliable,
especially when it comes food was Dolores Kennedy, who was
well aided with help from Kay McGuire plus a few others.
The bank was in great condition, thanks to Noel Barrons
for cleaning and leveling it out. It made it very easy for
the Red Rose to put the finishing touches. Thanks you very
much lads.
But the business of finding a new slane's man was now at
hand and there was a lot of to-ing and frowing, snorting
and blowing by all and sundry. The judges Aiden Murphy and
Paidir McGuire were both scratching and banging heads in
an effort to find a winner. Their problem was nearly solved
when Liam Morrissey decided to throw a sod for Ireland.
But that was not to be so, for in the distance, in the glistening
evening sunshine, two brand new beautiful wheelbarrows were
to be seen, accompanied by two equally beautiful gentlemen.
It was curtains for Morrissey as these boys were born with
a slane in their fist.
The rest of us stood back to watch each batch size sod being
thrown out with the greatest of ease. The cup going to the
young Colm Harrigan of Allenwood, I heard someone shout
"Let's check out Dolores's scones" So they did, and washed
it down with the best of bog tea!!
After adjourning to Roches for some refreshments, (thanks
to Kay for organising it) the cup was presented to Colm,
which he filled with the best of Irish and we all did our
duty, and drank it.
It was decided Derry would field a team for next year at
Ticknevin and that training would begin on January 1st.
See ye then.
HERITAGE WEEK
Heritage Week was marked in
Donadea Forest Park by a series of talks and walks organised
by Friends of the Forest, Tir na Mona and Coillte. George
Hipwell, Coillte Forest Manager, was on hand to welcome
the participants and spoke of Coillte's ongoing work in
developing the park. The first part of the event saw talks
given by Sean Flannery and Seamus Cullen at the 16th century
Tower in the Castle enclosure, the farmyard nearby and the
entrance to the walled gardens.
The group then proceeded to St. Peter's church where the
rector, the Rev David Fraiser spoke on the aniquity and
religious significance of the site. The final tour of the
day saw Sean Flannery give his expert knowledge of horticulture
in the shrubbery which was planted by Sir Gerald George
Aylmer in 1850. Concluding the event, Liam Holton spoke
of the threat to the environment posed by a proposed super
dump in an area of bogland close to the Forest Park.
AIB Clane opening
hours
Mon 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tues 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Wed 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Thurs 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Fri 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.