by Tom Aherne

West Limerick Resources recently launched its first in a series of
Community Information Points in Carrigkerry Community Centre. An
Information Assistant is available to assist people to access relevant
information on-line or in printed form, should they request it.
Literature on benefits and vital services is also available to view or take away. The free service is open four days a week from 9am to 2pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and no appointment is necessary. The list of information that can be sourced include the household charge, employment training, education opportunities, switch
to digital television, health services available, farming issues, MABS and coping with debt. The service will operate on a confidential and sensitive manner, and plenty of parking available, and all are welcome. This is a great service for the locality and people should avail of it where necessary. Our thanks to Ed O’Connor, and West Limerick Resources, for putting the service in place.
The following are the Lottery results from Peadar’s Bar Ardagh, on Monday 13th February. The numbers drawn were 11,12,28,30, and there was no Jackpot winner. Congratulations to the lucky dip winners.
€60 Noreen Murphy, Ardagh.
€60 Joan Corbett, Ardagh.
€60 Danielle Bennett, c/o Lyons.
€30 Breda Moran, Ardagh.
€30 John Keane, Old Mill.
€30 Una Mahon, c/o Bus Eireann.
Next week’s draw takes place at Reens Bar, Ardagh, and the Jackpot will be €14,800.
Congratulations to Mike Young and Mike O ‘Mahoney, and Mike Mc Quinn and Bill Downes, who were prize winners at the Flag Floor card game on Wednesday 8th February. Cards each Wednesday night at 9pm and all are welcome.
Carrig Celtic defeated Feenagh 2-1 at home in round 1 of the Desmond Cup on Sunday 12th February. Sean O’Connor, and John Doyle, scored their goals. Old Mill defeated Athea United 3-2 at home with goals from Brendan Hayes, 2 and James Morrisroe.  Carrig Celtic B lost 3-1 away to Shannonside FC, with Tony Doyle scoring their goal.
KilcolmanRovers play their Desmond Cup match next week. In Ladies
soccer Kilcolman Rovers lost 3-2 away to Newcastle West, in the semi-final of the Desmond League Cup. Ide Trant, and Marie Keating scored their goals. Carrig Celtic had no fixture.
Carrig Celtic are seeking support for their fundraising 300 Club Draw at present. Entry fee is €10 per month, or €50 for to cover the five month draw. Prices each month include €1,000, €250, and three prizes of €50. The fully paid up members will be included in a special €200
Shopping Voucher at Stevos.
Congratulations and best wishes in the future to all the local students, who have graduated from the various Colleges, and
Institutes, in recent times. We hope they can secure employment within the country and are not forced to emigrate.
Banogue Musical Society recently presented ‘’Annie Get Your Gun’’ to
packed attendances, over the five nights, and received great reviews. Congratulations to Ardagh native Mike Larkin who directed the Musical, and to all the others involved.
West Limerick Bowls Club meets every Thursday evening at 7.30pm in Halla Tadhg Gaelach in Tournafulla. The members have been busy in recent times holding their annual dinner at the Devon Inn Hotel, and participating in competition in Wilton Cork. New members are most welcome to join up and become involved in the sport.
Parents wishing to enroll their children in Ardagh National School for next September are asked to contact the School principal for an enrolment application form as soon as possible.
Parents wishing to enroll their children in Kilcolman National School for next September are asked to contact the School Principal on 069-60005.
The monthly Céilí organized by Athea Comhaltas, will be held at The Gables on this coming Friday 24th February with music by Jer Murphy. There will be one hour free tuition on céilí dances by Timmy Woulfe from 8.30 to 9.30 pm. The céilí starts at 9.30 and delicious hot food will be served at the interval.
The annual walk in aid of the Respite Care Centre, in Dromcollogher, takes place on Sunday 26th February. The five mile walk will commence from the Square, at 12 noon, and take in the surrounding countryside. Sponsorship Cards are available by calling 063-83934. Sister Bridie O’Sullivan from Carrigkerry West is involved in the Respite Care Centre.
Carrigkerry Community Centre will host Sunday Afternoon Tea Dancing on
Sunday 26th February from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. Music by The Premier Blue
Boys, and tea and refreshments will be served and admission will be €5. All proceeds will go towards the upkeep and maintenance of the community centre, and support will be much appreciated for the fundraiser.
The 12th annual charity céilí in aid of Chernobyl Children International will take place in the Devon Inn Hotel Templeglantine, on Friday 2nd March at 9.30pm. Music by Taylor’s Cross Céilí Band, and numerous spot prizes, and admission €10. Mike Kiely a native of
Glensharrold is very involved in this fundraiser, and all support will be appreciated.
A fundraising horse and pony ride in aid of Limerick Mid-west Cancer Care and Limerick Mental Health will be held on 4th March at 12 noon, starting and finishing at The Thatch Bar Newbridge, Askeaton. Tina Scully from Askeaton is the proprietor of the bar, and one of the main people behind the fundraiser, along with her family and members of the
local hunts. The cost of entry is €50 per horse, and €25 per pony, and they hope to raise, €15,000 for the charities. To participate, contact Dympna O’Donnell at 085 703 5261.
West Limerick Community Radio is running confined members 6 month draw
at present, with €1,000 in prices, each month.  It costs €5 per month, and one draw has taken place to date.  People can call to the Station to enter the draw which has a top prize of €500 each month.
The Station depends on fundraising to continue on air, and all support for the above will be much appreciated. The local Station is a vital link for so many people, who may be living on their own, or feeling a little isolated in rural areas of West Limerick and beyond. The
Station offers, a great choice of programmes to suit all interests, and age groups, and is now a vital part of people’s lives.
We extend our sympathy to Donal and Mary Copse, 13 Sherwood, Newcastle
West, on the untimely death of their daughter Ann- Marie Copse on
Monday 13th February. Her remains reposed in Reidy’s Funeral Home on
Friday evening last from 5pm -8pm.  Burial took place in Calvary
Cemetery following 11.30am Requiem Mass in Newcastle West Church, on
Friday 17th February. Donal is a valued member of the Carrigkerry/Old Mill C.E. Scheme and the family has numerous relations around the parish. We extend sympathy also to Ann-Marie’s daughter Lauren, brother Daniel, boyfriend David, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins,
other relatives and friends. May she rest in Peace.
Congratulations to Tommy Kelly Fahard Kilcolman, who received the football Hall of Fame Award at The West Limerick G.A.A. All Star Award
Banquet at the Devon Inn Hotel Templeglantine, on Saturday 11th of
February. He enjoyed a long and successful football career, with his
native Kilcolman, Kilcolman/Ardagh, Carrigkerry Askeaton, and Western
Gaels, and he also hurled with Ardagh. Pound for pound he was one of the best players to don the Kilcolman jersey during the halcyon days of the fifties, when they contested five West Junior Finals, and were successful in two. What he lacked in physique, he made up for in
determination, and he was a skilful and crafty operator, be it in defence, middle of the field or in attack. The clean pure fresh air blowing in from the river Shannon, and the hard physical work around the farm had him well prepared for the rough and tumble of the game at
the time.Tommy won four West Junior Football medals with the club over three decades, 1956 Kilcolman/Ardagh defeated Castlemahon by 2-3 to 0-2. 1956 Kilcolman, Ardagh defeated Castlemahon by 1-6 to 2-2. 1970 Kilcolman defeated Saint Mary’s Rathkeale by 0-5 to 0-2. 1971 Carrigkerry defeated Ballingarry by 3-7 to 3-3.
He won a County Medal that year when he was introduced as a sub in the final win over Pallasgreen 2-8 to 1-5 at The Gaelic Grounds Limerick on 21st May of the following Year. Team Mike O’Connor, Haulie Foley, Moss O’Connor, Maurice Windle, Johnny Kennelly, (Captain) Tommy Cregan, Jack Windle, Paddy O’Connor, Stephen Kennelly, Aidan Murphy, Jim Burke, Tim Crowley, Tommy Greaney, John Hartnett, Tommy Upton.
He also lined out in the County final defeat of 1957 when the team went under to Galtee Rovers by 2-3 to 0-1 at Kilmallock on 8th December. Tommy also played hurling for the club and he was a member of the Ardagh team that lost to Adare, in the 1964 West Junior Hurling Final. Tommy won two County Senior Football Titles with Western Gaels, in 1953 and in 1960. They defeated Treaty Sarsfields by 0-9 to 1-4 at Kilmallock on 25th October 1953 in a real cliff hanger. TEAM Tom
Hartnett, Joe O’Shaughnessy Tom Galvin, Tommy Kelly, Frank Neenan (Captain) Tom Frawley,  Darby Fitzgibbon, Pat Cahalane, Pakie Mulvihill, Brendan ‘’Bowen’’ Madigan, B Kearney, Eddie O’Sullivan, S
Guiltenane Tom Mc Namara, Gerry Fitzgerald,  SUBS Paddy Ryan, Bill Bradshaw. Tommy and Darby represented Kilcolman, and the other players were from Saint Senans, Ballyhahill, and Rathkeale. Western Gaels defeated Treaty Sarsfields again by 3-3 to 2-2 at Limerick Gaelic Grounds on 2nd October 1960 to take their second football title. TEAM Willie Kelly, Murt O’Connor, Jim Kelly, Bob O’Donnell, Tom Barrett, Timmy Woulfe, Mike Fitzsimons, Moss Hurley Tommy Kelly, Davy Cahill ,Jack Kelly,(Captain) Paddy O’Donnell, Donie Mullane, Tom Kelly, Tommy Carrig, SUB Paddy Sammon.  Tommy was joined on the team by some of his former team mates from Kilcolman now playing with Newcastle West because of the parish rule. Athea, Saint Senan’s, and Ballysteen supplied the other members of the team.
Tommy and John Hartnett also played with Askeaton senior footballers in the late sixties. I recall seeing him in action in Mulvihills field during the Carrigkerry Carnival matches. Askeaton played Finuge from North Kerry and it attracted a large crowd to watch two of the top clubs of the time, in action. The Tournament matches were great attractions all over the country during the sixties and seventies.
When his playing days ended he got involved with Saint Kieran’s founded in May 1972. The name brought Ardagh, Carrigkerry, Coolcappa  and Kilcolman together and this year the club celebrates their 40th anniversary. He was involved as an officer, advisor, mentor, selector and manager, during the golden years of the seventies, and eighties.
He was a selector on the Saint Kieran’s team that won their first County Senior Football Title in 1981, and he was manager of the 1990 team that brought the last County Senior Football Crown to the club. He also served as a Limerick Senior Football Selector in the seventies. He has been a great supporter of club and county over the years, and he is held in high esteem in football circles.
His late wife Mary was a sister to another outstanding Kilcolman player Tim Downey from Creeves, and his son Nicky gave great service to Saint Kieran’s over the years. Tommy played with and against the top exponents of the game, for well over 20 years, and now in retirement he enjoys the rich lush fairways of Newcastle West Golf Club in Rathgoonan Ardagh.  He has adapted well to the small ball and has won a number of senior prizes. Tommy has given a lifetime to Gaelic games, and he is a most deserving winner of the West Limerick G.A.A. Board Football Hall of Fame Award. Tommy is remembered in verse from the pen of the late John Carrig, and I quote the following lines.
“I remember Whitehead Connors, and Darby Fitz so fine,
Not forgetting Tommy Kelly the great one from the line”.
Saint Vincents Lisnagry Limerick  would like to thank everybody who supported their Church gate Collection in Ardagh and Carrigkerry on Saturday and Sunday 18th/19th February. Thanks to the volunteers who stood at the tables and collected a total of €590.00. The Ardagh total was €333, and the Carrigkerry total was €257.