By Peg Prendeville

The parish of Loughill/Ballyhahill is almost in a depression after the high of the weekend with Strictly come Dancing. Almost all the parish attended and it proved to be just as enjoyable as had been anticipated. I am almost ashamed to say I was not there myself but I had committed to attending the Kilfenora Music Festival with family members. Well done to all the people who worked to put together such a successful and fun fundraiser for the Ladies football and the Men’s soccer. It was a great idea in every way as it brought the young and old together in good humour as well as raising much needed funds. Great credit is due to the dancers who put in so many hours of practice and did not let the side down. Congratulations to the winners Dymphna O’Brien and James Hynes but all are agreed that everybody was a winner. Well done to all.

It is sad to hear that Clann Lir Montessori School in Ballyhahill will close its doors on this Friday 29/04/2016 after 19 years of loyalty and dedication to the children and parents of Ballyhahill. Jacqueline wishes each and every one of those children continuous success in their lives and I am sure all those families send best wishes to Jacqueline too for her future.

Well done to the Knockdown Vintage who will be presenting the sum of €4085.76, from the recent Vintage Day, to the Jack and Jill foundation on this Saturday night in the Knockdown Arms. All welcome.

The Mary Immaculate College Final Year Visual Art Elective /Specialism Exhibition took place last Thursday night in the college. The diversity of art-works on display was testament to the creativity and imagination of the students among whom was Sarah Prendeville, Glenbawn. Sarah based her art project on her grandfather Paddy Faley which was a fitting tribute to him on what would have been his birthday last weekend. Huge congratulations to all the students involved on their very creative ideas. This exhibition is open to the public for a few weeks. It is in the Art Room in the college. My sister Bridie reminds me that, as children, the usual scene in our house at night was us settling down to homework and Dad getting out his copybook also to compose some new poem or play perhaps. She remembers the name he had scrawled on the cover of one of those copies was “Balderdash”. So we believe he would be so proud to discover that one of those very copybooks with the first poem he wrote is on display in a glass cabinet in Mary Immaculate Training college at the moment. Maybe it wasn’t balderdash after all?