Munster Express Online

Holy Cross Church

Mission Sunday, 19th October is the day each year when we pray for all who work on the Missions. Many Irish Priests, Sisters, Brothers and lay people are to be found far from home working to raise the standard of living of people in third world countries and to introduce them to Jesus Christ. There will be a second collection at each Mass this weekend (18th and 19th October) for the Missions. Please be as generous as you can.

Bereavements

Sincere sympathy in their sad loss is extended to the families, relatives and friends of the late Nathan Drohan, Manchester, England and Beech Park, Tramore; the late David Lennon, formerly of Tramore and Kildare;’ the late John Lee, Newport, Co. Tipperary, brother of Bishop Lee; the late Kitty Green; the late Jane Quinn; the late Pat Henry Power, Glengarriff, Co. Cork, formerly of Westown, Tramore. May they Rest In Peace.

Secular
Franciscan Order

Monthly meeting at 8p.m. on Wednesday, 15th October in Glor na Mara School, Convent Hill, Tramore.

Medjugorje

The group with travelled would like to thank Nicky Butler for organising and facilitating a wonderful seven day pilgrimage and to wish him every success in his future ventures.

Sancta Maria

All are welcome at Sr. Mary’s in Riverstown, where the drop in times are from 9.30to 11a.m. Monday to Friday.

New members are welcome to participate in the following: Tuesday nights at 7.30p.m. our ladies group meets; Wednesday nights at 7p.m. guided prayer sessions. From 7p.m. also that night spiritual direction available in one of the small rooms if required.

Thursday nights at 7.30p.m. our weekly prayer group meets.

Hospice Coffee Morning

The Tramore Support Group is holding their next coffee morning on Thursday the 23rd October in Connolly’s Seahorse Tavern, Strand Street, Tramore. The time as always 10.30a.m. to 12 noon. There are also some lovely raffle prizes donated once again by the generous businesses in Tramore.

Without your support and the support from the business and from the venues, these mornings would not happen. As Tramore has expanded so much it would be great to see some new younger faces joining in on our mornings of fun and chat. Looking forward also to seeing the regular supporters. Sincere thanks to you all for your continued support.

Also sincere thanks to
all at the Grand Hotel for their support on the Nationwide Coffee Morning.

Stagemad

Contact Garter Lane box office on 051-955038 to book your €10 ticket for the lunchtime fare presented by Stagemad Theatre Company as their most welcome contribution to Waterford Imagine Festival. At the Granary, Waterford (Museum of Treasures) on Thursday and Friday 30th and 31st October James Power directs ‘Catch The Wind’ written by Adam Wallace, who also stars on stage and on Saturday 1st November Anna Jordan’s ‘Misery’ will be directed by Peter McKenzie Brown. Starting time each day is 1p.m. and duration of plays is thirty five minutes approximately. Stagemad performances over the past three years have seen guaranteed sell out signs going on early so purchase your ticket now.

Pioneer Dinner Dance

Dunmore Pioneer Association Annual Dinner Dance will be held on Sunday, 19th October at the Woodlands Hotel, with music by Teddy Barry. Tickets available in Tramore from Joan at 381653.

Wedding Bells

Congratulations and best wishes for future happiness are extended to James Treacy and Marion Pierce, James Dunbar and Anne Murray, Camden John Fary and Emilie Farrell who were recently married.

Anniversaries

Congratulations on their recent wedding anniversaries to: Tommy and Kathleen Coady (nee Donnelly), Waterford; Michael Bernadette Butler, Waterford; Billy and Pam Collins, Tramore.

Birthdays

Many happy returns to Paul Dunne, Beechmount, Tramore who was ‘21 again’ last week, also to Sinead Hanway, Ben Cahill, Lorraine Carroll.

Tramore Coast Guard Station

The Art exhibition ‘Clear Day’ by Catherine Byron Low continues until Friday, 24th October with opening hours 10a.m. to 5p.m. Monday to Friday and 2 to 5p.m. Sunday.

The ‘Sense of Place’ talks continue every Tuesday night at 7.30p.m. until 18th November. For further information please telephone 051-391656.

Tramore of Yore

On a balmy July evening, about six decades ago, two locals hard at work at the pier, putting an engine into a fishing boat,
took a breather as boring a hole
for the shaft is hard graft. A strange glow on the horizon caught their attention and they climbed on a ledge for a better view. The saw a fully rigged
sailing ship with a large halo around it, as if the vessel was on
fire. The vessel travelled quickly and disappeared behind
Brownstown Head. The assumed the skipper was running it aground deliberately with the fire out of control. Hours later with their task on the fishing boat completed, they headed home for tea and
couldn’t wait to chat about the strange occurrence in their local that night. The couldn’t understand why the topic of conversation in the pub that night was the glut of mackerel off the Newtown Head with no talk of a ship in distress.

The asked around but apparently nobody had seen or heard anything about it. They were further surprised when two days later the local papers carried no mention of a shipwreck. They began to think that their eyes had been playing tricks on them as fatigue set in after a sustained period of work on the engine which required total concentration. On reflection, they thought the vessel had been moving too fast for a sailing ship and no smoke was visible. For a further week they quizzed local fishermen, regular strollers on Cliff Road, or the beach, but
drew a blank. They were, by
then, convinced that what they had seen was some type of ‘mirage’ brought about by a combination of fatigue and a trick of the light, and cast the incident out of their minds. Some weeks later, they went off on a fishing trip to Co. Wexford and as they enjoyed some food and refreshments, following the weigh-in, one of the Wexford anglers spoke of a strange sighting nearby some weeks before. As they listened enthralled to his description of a fast moving sailing ship blazing from stem to stern, it dovetailed perfectly with their own experience – with one glaring exception, as on this occasion they vessel was sailing on a stretch of water which was too shallow to support even a small rowing boat!

Action Line

Visitor numbers all summer long were understandably well down on previous years but those who holidayed in the resort spent days when the beach was ‘out of bounds’, due to inclement weather, visiting other areas of the resort.

They were full of praise for all responsible for the care of the grounds and
interiors of Holy Cross Church and Christ Church, Church Road. Deserved plaudits were also forthcoming for the willing volunteers who week in week out tend to the Marian Terrace / Otteran’s Terrace Grotto, Crobally Grotto beside the Main Road traffic lights and the Newtown Grotto.

They are true examples of a labour of love in sparkling action. Despite the ongoing deluge the floral displays in large planters, flower beds, window boxes under the aegis of Tramore Development Trust (Streetscape) were unanimously voted as the most brilliant yet. They provided most welcome splashes of colour to lighten the gloom and make up for the mysterious absence of rainbows out over the day which is still awaiting a definitive cause and effect.

The handful of people involved in the provision and regular care of the blooms displayed true professionalism in action under most difficult conditions indeed and their sterling work is greatly appreciated.

As the autumn leaves come tumbling down take care when driving or walking after any rainfall.

Paint and Donate

A miniature artwork exhibition will take place in Tramore Coastguard Station during January 2009. All artists are asked to paint and donate a piece of work. Proceeds go towards the provision of sheltered housing for the elderly in Tramore. Work must be on stretched canvas or mounted. Work in any media and any theme will be gratefully accepted.

Please include artists details, title and guide price of art work. Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, 21st November and entries can be left at Tramore Voluntary Hosing Association, Love Lane, Tramore.

Please Support

A coffee morning in aid of the Hospice will be held at the Star of the Sea Convent, Tramore on Friday, 24th October from 10.30a.m. to 1p.m. All are welcome.

Lady Luck

Helen Power, Tramore scooped the daily prize money of €300 in the Rehab Radio Bingo on W.L.R. The lucky book was purchased at the Arch Newsagents, Tramore.

Klub Muzik

Contact Kay at 087 9577661 to apply for adult guitar classes, beginners and inter level.

If you have drumming experience and wish to join thump-percussion group from 2.30 to 4.30p.m. each Saturday, please contact Simon 087 6630371 or Owen 087 9613308.

Beginner guitar classes start November. Contact Kay or David at 086 3180143 if you are interested in any other music classes or drama group, ten to fifteen years from 5 to 6.30p.m on Fridays.

Parent & Toddler Group

Tramore Youth and Family Project would like to invite you to our Parent and Toddler Group which runs on Mondays from 10.30a.m. to 12 noon at the Project on Main Street, Tramore.

All are welcome but, as places are limited, it will be on a first come basis.

For more information please contact Catherine on 051 338983 or 086 8544583.

Under 8
Football Blitz

Well done to all who took part in the under 8 blitz held in Tramore GAA Club on Sunday last. It was great to see a team entered from Fenor/Dunhill.

For a long time now the focus was mainly on Hurling as the football had a tendency to take
a back seat to it. It was nice to
see such a turnout from the children and trainers. Well done to all involved. A special mention to the Tramore club who did a great job in organising the Blitz with a goodie bag and medals for all who took part.

This was a great boost to all children especially those new to the game. Everyone was a winner!

Birthdays Galore

A ‘This is Your Life’ party
was organised for Tessie Dunne who celebrated her 70th
birthday with a party for family and friends in O’Sheas. Her son John also celebrated his 50th on the night – both were as surprised as each other when they got there! Over 400 attended on the night and a great night was had by all.

Thanks to all who helped and especially to O’ Sheas for a great night. Happy 60th birthday to Catherine Canty, Beech Park, who celebrated with family and friends in the GAA; music was provided by the popular John O’Shea.

Entertainment

The Grand Hotel was packed on Saturday night with the return of ‘Boxy’. Danny Tobin sends his apologies to all the people at The Ledger Bar for his no show on Sunday night, Danny had mistaken the date in his diary and thought he was playing there the following week.

Wedding Anniversary

Congratulations to Jack and Catherine O’Gorman who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at the weekend with a party for family and friends in the Grand Hotel. Everyone on the night enjoyed the band Paddy’s Pride and topped off with great DJ. A great night was had by all, and all your family and friends would like to wish you many more happy years to come.

Lucky Winners

All her bingo friends would like to wish a speedy recovery to Mary Power, Main Street, who is at present recovering in hospital at the moment. Lucky winners at the Tramore GAA bingo were Ann Fitzgerald, Mary O’Loughlin, Helen Power, Pauline Kiely, Ann Rowe and Kate Moore. Lucky winners at Pond Road were Jimmy Power, Mai Hunt, Tina Flannagan, Brenda Hutchinson. Free Book: Ted Hughes, Mary O’Rourke and Bridget Raye.

Tidy Towns

The Council is to arrange a public meeting to form a new Tidy Towns Committee following the disbandment of one which served the resort for many years.

Contact

Items intended for publication in this column should be dropped into the Arch Newsagents, Summerhill, by 12 noon on Sunday or into 1, market Street by 2p.m. on Sunday (12 noon please for items containing fifty words or more). Please include day and date in all items concerning meetings, closing day for applications, etc., to avoid confusion.

JPC for Tramore

The establishment of a Joint Policing Committee for Tramore, similar to one already working well in Waterford, is in train and Town Manager Brian White is to provide a progress report at the November meeting of the local Council. The subject was discussed at the Town Council’s October meeting, which was told by Mr. White that some money would be provided towards the project from central funds, but he did not yet know how much.

The committee will consist of all of the Council members, together with three Oireachtas members, gardai and three representatives from the voluntary sector.

Cllr Joe Conway said the committee would democratise the policing of the town which he hoped would now be a more secure place in which to live.

Amalgamated school

Mayor Raymond Hayden told the meeting he hoped to hear within a month that the town’s proposed amalgamated school, for which a site has been set aside, was included in the new tranche of public private school projects.

He was horrified by a suggestion from Cllr Joe Conway that there might be “horse-trading” going on in relation to various projects around the country and that Waterford’s government TDs should be to the forefront in ensuring Tramore did not miss out. Cllr Ann Marue Power made the point that such projects would boost the building trade in the current recessionary period.

Christmas lights

The Mayor read a letter from Eamon McCormack informing the Council that he could no longer take responsibility for Christmas lighting in the town, as he had done for the last ten years. The Mayor thanked him and voiced the hope, as did Cllr Lola O’Sullivan, that the business people of the town would take on the task… and the cost.

Jim’s expenses

Cllr Jim McCartan wants
his unpaid expenses as a councillor (amounting to about €200) to go towards the erection of a notice board at The Pier, on which information and historic details could be posted. The meeting agreed.

Burst water main

The same member enquired as to how long it took to repair a burst water main, at a time when various agencies were pleading for water conservation. He said one at Newtown Hill was left unattended for a week. The matter is to be investigated by Area Engineer Jane O’Neill.

The Doneraile

Cllr Blaise Hannigan asked local gardai to patrol The Doneraile regularly, especially at weekends. He said anti-social behaviour was rampant there and scattered cans and broken bottles were often to be seen strewn around the place.

The Council is working towards the provision of an €8,000 railing from The Doneraile to the Coastguard Station, with Town Clerk John O’Sullivan doing the background work. The Mayor is anxious that it be visually attractive.

Water feature

Cllr Hannigan also sought attention to a water feature in the Tramore House Gardens – he said it had fallen into disrepair.

Halloween appeal

The Mayor appealed for order over the Halloween period, like was the case last year after anti-social behaviour spoiled the party for some in previous years.

Town twinning

The possibility of Tramore twinning with an unidentified town outside Paris is to be investigated after Cllr Joe Conway made contact with the Spanish, Portuguese and French embassies and only the latter responded.

Ring Road

Cllr Conway called for levelling and seeding off Ring Road sections not attended by residents’ groups.