WEEKLY NEWS

DURROW PARISH NEWSLETTER: Please have all notices in to Mary Walsh by NEXT Thursday Evening at 7.00pm. Contact (057) 8736327 or (086) 3055157. You can email info@durrowvillage.com with your club notices or news. Any advertisements must be sent to Mary Walsh. We again appeal to all parents to consider giving one half hour to help sell the Newsletters either on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. All monies from the Newsletter go towards funds to help subsidise trips for all sections. The next issue will be on Sale on January 17th.

DURROWVILLAGE.COM WEBSITE: As and from February 1st 2010 all advertisements on this website will incur a charge, starting from €50 per annum. All enquiries to Jonathan on (087) 6408653.

DURROW MUSEUM GROUP FINISHS STUDIES WITH HERITAGE WEEK SPECIAL EXHIBITION:

The core group of Durrow students who undertook their course in Museum Development and Management for Voluntary Groups are putting the finishing touches to their Heritage Week Exhibition at the Courthouse Cultural Centre, Durrow. This exercise forms the final part of their course, which was funded by the Heritage Council. The exhibition, entitled Durrow of Yesteryears tells the story of life in the Laois village, through nostalgic artefacts and rare old photographs, at the turn of the last century .



The group members, Deirdre and Fergal Hassett, visited the Ordinance Survey Office and National Photographic Archive, Dublin, in search of materials to include in the exhibition. While Mary Dowling and Mary Walsh researched with local residents suitable materials for display.



The group have included a display of work by a forgotten local artist, Alice O’Rourke, who was a water colourist and illuminator in the early 1900’s. Sadly, very little is known about the artist, but the group may learn a little more about Miss O’Rourke through visitors to the exhibition. Brigid Conroy, group member, has facilitated the production of a sketch of the late artist representing her in the early 1960’s.

The exhibition starts on Wednesday 25th and will continue until Sunday the 29th August. For details on opening hours contact Mary Dowling at 087 2200199.

The course which was sponsored by Durrow Development Forum received grant assistance from the Irish Heritage Council and was developed as a special initiative in learning about the museum sector, running a small museum on a voluntary basis and developing the skills and knowledge of the volunteers involved in such a project.


DURROW DEVELOPMENT FORUM - HOWYA FESTIVAL: A HOWLING SUCCESS

If attendances are anything to go by then the Durrow Laois "Howya" Festival is rapidly becoming one of the top festival attractions in the country. With a strong emphasis on family entertainment, thousands of people young and old converged on this picturesque village to sample the atmosphere of a truly unique festival. All throughout this nine day festival hundreds of people left the comforts of the recently opened M8 motorway to soak up the atmosphere generated by the wonderful entertainment on offer, in this once familiar and popular village stop over. Chief among the many and varied family events was of course the inaugural All-Ireland Scarecrow Championships where locals and tourists jockeyed for position to capture a photograph of their favourites among the one hundred and fifty entries. Recession was an expression for another time, another event as people decended into "howls of laughter" at some of the entries. Other events that transformed Durrow into a mini Killarney during the Durrow "Howya" Festival was of course the Jarvey tour of the scarecrows where adults and children were taken on a tour of the highways and byways of the village on one of the beautifully presented horse and carriage rigs. A big Family Picnic on the Village Green, Wild West Night, hurling and soccer tournaments, a juvenile canoe regatta, table quiz, a nostalgia night for senior citizens and a captivating and energetic performance by the popular band Crystal Swing were other events that captured the imagination of an enchanted audience. Durrow has not seen anything like this since the halcyon days of the carnival in the 1950s and 60s and with plans already afloat for next years competition, the expectation is that tourists will flock to Durrow in large numbers during July/August 2011. When the credits for this outstanding display of festival organizing begin to roll, that hard working voluntary committee, Durrow Development Forum will be top of the list. However they will be followed closely by the many willing local volunteers and all the people who created those wonderful scarecrows. It is important too, to acknowledge the financial donations of several locals in our community and also the generous contributions of Laois Partnership and Laois Tourism.


Free Scarecrow Workshops with Mary Ryan continue on Thursday July 8th for Adults from 7pm to 9pm & Children on Saturdays July 3rd and 10th from 11am to 1pm in the CYMS Hall. Material supplied.

SCHOOL NEWS: Details of school events:
There was a GreenSchools ceremony to raise the schools third Green Flag for Water Conservation. There was a great turn out with all pupils and staff from our Lady's Meadow Primary school, parents, locals from the community including local librarian Catherine Hutchinson, Garda Eoin Behan, Mary Walsh from the Durrow Newsletter and some important guests : rev. Canon O Doherty, Lord Mayor of Durrow Seosamh Murphy, Cllr John Bonahm, Cllr Marty Phelan, Hugie Sheppard and the Development Forum of Durrow, Martina Bracken from Laois County Council, Lorraine Flannagan from An Táisce, ...

It was a beautiful morning and principal Helen Kelly opened the event, Miss Emma Kenneally GreenSchools Co-ordinator then gave a speech (see attached file) , i spoke about the importance of this event and invited some pupils from school to talk about the values of water conservation and what they have learned over the past 2 years.
Lorraine Flannagan, Environmental officer from An Táisce then gave a very personal speech of when she visited our school for our assessment and had high praise for the amount of work the pupils had covered. She highlighted - Junior Infants (experiment Floating and Sinking), Senior Infants (water rap) . After asking the committee questions she then asked each class. John Lapin and Joe Murphy from fifth class showed her around the school and showed her the Green Schools notice board, water butt we have for collecting rainwater to water plants and flowers and the gardens where we grow vegetables.

I then invited the committee members and Lorraine Flannagan to raise the flag with us. Each pupil held a piece of rope to raise it.
After the flag was raised, the school then sang ' We will conserve' composed by the school themselves with Peter playing on keyboard (peter also had a sound system and microphone installed for the day). After the song was over, Canon O' Doherty spoke. Eva Dunne (chairperson of the parents council) gave socks on behalf of the parents council to the Cumann na mBun Scoil Teams.
Everyone proceeded to the hall then where there were refreshments etc. Miss Kenneally then showed a powerpoint presentation of the work carried out in the school over the past 2 years.

A special thanks to all those who attended this event in particular : Lord Mayor Seosamh Murphy, Canon O' Doherty, John Bonahm, Hugie Sheppard and the Development Forum, Mary Walsh (Durrow website), Cllrs John Bonahm & Marty Phelan, Lorrain Flannagan from An Táisce, Martina Bracken from Laois County Council, Garda Eoin Behan.

To download pictures of this event please click here.

CAR WASH: Durrow Fire and Rescue Service in conjunction with Laois County Fire and Rescue Service are holding a Monster Car Wash on Saturday 10th July from 9.00am to 6.00pm. All proceeds will go to “Midlands Living Links” providing practical help, information and support to persons bereaved by suicide. The Car Wash will take place at the foreground of the Fire Station and the cost of getting your car washed is only €5. All proceeds will go to this very worthy charity. Every town area and parish in Laois have been touched by sudden death through suicide and this is a very worthy charity to support.

On Saturday 17th July there will be a Cabaret and Retirement Party to celebrate the retirement of Martin Lawlor from the Durrow Fire & Resuce Service after over 30 years of great and dedicated service. The party will be held in The Durrow Inn starting at 9.30pm and going on till late. Music will be provided by Soundz Country. Finger Food will be served. The Fire Service and the Lawlor Family invite everyone to celebrate with Martin his retirement and wonderful service to the people of Durrow. There will be a box at the door if you wish to donate a few Euro to Durrow Sevior Citizens Party Fund, a Fire Brigade charity for many years. Everyone is welcome so please come along and have a great night.

LAOIS DURROW SCOUTS: On Friday last Durrow Scouts held a very successful Fun Evening on the Green. Children aged 8 years to 14 years took part in fun races such as, Egg & Spoon Race, Sack Race, Wheelbarrow Race and the Three Legged Race. All winners of the races received Medals. We also had over 40 children taking part in the Penalty Shoot Out. Congratulations to all the children who took part and to all the winners. Congratulations also to Emer O’Brien who won first prize of a lovely hamper in our raffle and to Roisin Phelan who won the second prize. Guess the Name of the Doll was won by Corina Stokes and guess how many Sweets in the Jar was won by Evan Campion. We would like to thank all the parents and Leaders who donated cakes and buns for the Cake Stall. Everything was sold on the evening. We would like to thank all the parents and anyone who supported this event and we plan to make this an annual event to be held on the last Friday in June each year to mark the end of the Scout year for the children. Next year we hope all the children of the town and surrounding area will take part in the event. On Friday 16th July we are holding a Table Quiz in Peader’s Bar, Mary Street, and we would ask people to support this event and continue to give the children in Durrow the great opportunities they get through Scouting. We hope that our Scout troop have a great Summer Camp in Sealyhan Adventure Centre, Wales from July 25th to 31st. Bon Voyage to all 18 Scouts traveling with six Leaders.

DURROW COMMUNITY COUNCIL – SENIOR CITIZENS OUTING: Durrow Community Council are organizing a Day Tour for Senior Citizens to be held on Saturday 4th September. The tour will include a visit to Blarney Castle and Gardens, the Blarney Woolen Mills, a suitable venue for lunch followed by a visit to Cobh Heritage Centre. Anyone interested in this outing should give their name along with a €20 deposit to any of the names below or any member of the Community Council on or before Monday 28th June as places are limited. The remaining cost of the tour will be paid for by Durrow Community Council. Names taken on a first come first served basis. If interested please contact: Debbie Stapleton (087) 4192077, Mary Walsh (086) 3055157 or Michael Dunphy (087) 7573099.

LAOIS COUNTY CHILDCARE: The Laois Childminding Initiative are organising a Childminder’s trip to Emo Court on Thursday 8th July. This event will include games, story telling and refreshments. All Childminders/potential childminders and children are welcome. Pre-booking is essential, please phone the Childminder Advisory Officer on 057 9370631 or Laois County Childcare Committee on 057 8661029.

NINTH ANNUAL LAOIS WALKS FESTIVAL: July 4th to 30th: Sunday 4th July – Cullohill Mountain. Grade A/12km/2.5 hrs walk. Meet at the Community Centre, Cullohill at 2.00pm. This loop walk has been a popular feature of the Laois Walks Festival. It has stunning panoramic views across several counties. The walk takes you along old country lanes, forest tract and open countryside.Wed 7th July – Ballyroan Sli na Slainte. Grade CWY/7km/1.5 hrs walk. Meet at Ballyroan Community Ctr 7.30pm; Friday 9th July – Spink, Abbeyleix. Grade A/10km/2.5 hrs walk. Meet at Knock Church at 7pm; Sun 11th July – Brittas Lake, Clonaslee. Grade C/10km/2.5hrs walk. Meet at Heritage Ctr, Clonaslee at 11.00am; Tue 13th July – Emo Court Demesne. Grade C/6km/1.5hrs walk. Meet at Laois Craft Centre, Emo Gates at 7pm; Thu 15th July – Portarlington Bog Walk. Grade C/10km/2.5hrs walk. Meet at Edenderry/Bog Road at 7.30pm; Sat 17th July – Whitehorse, Mountrath. Grade B/7km/3hr walk. Meet at Cattle Mart, Mountrath at 5pm; Sun 18th July – Rossmore/Killeshin. Grade B/7km/2hr walk. Meet at Oisin Park at 2pm; Tue 20th July – Grand Canal, Fisherstown. Grade C/12km/2.5hrs walk. Meet at Fisherman’s Inn at 7.30pm; Thu 22nd July – Rickets Rocks, Clonaslee. Grade C/6km/2hr walk. Meet at Clonaslee Community Ctr at 7.30pm; Fri 23rd July – Dunmore Wood, Durrow. Grade CY/6km/1hr walk. Meet at Dunmore Wood Car Park at 7.30pm. Durrow town is surrounded by some fine woods, hilly forests and a maze of rivers, offering a pleasant one-hour walk for a Friday evening; Sun 25th July – Glenbarrow. Grade A/8km/3hrs walk. Meet at Rosenallis Church Car Park at 2pm; Mon 26th July – Oakvale Wood, Stradbally. Grade C/6km/2hr walk. Meet at Oakvale Wood at 2pm; Tue 27th July – Slieve Margy, Wolfhill. Grade B/8km/2hr walk. Meet at Wolfhill Church Car Park at 7pm; Thu 29th July – Fossey Mountain, Timahoe. Grade A/10km/2.5hrs walk. Meet at Village Green, Timahoe at 7pm; Fri 30th July – Durrow Leafy Loop. Grade A/10km/2.5hrs walk. Meet at Castle Arms Hotel, Durrow at 7.30pm. The Durrow Leafy Loop brings you through woodland, farmland and riverbanks with a delightfully rich abundance of flora and fauna. Grades of Walks: A = Strenous. B = Difficult. C = Moderate. Grade C walks are suitable for young families and buggies.

SPONSORED WALK: Durrow Community Council are holding a 7km Sponsored Walk on the Leafy Loop on Sunday 4th July commencing from the Church carpark at 6.00pm. All proceeds will go towards the Senior Citizens Outing. Please support the Community Council members taking part.

LIONS FC SUMMER SOCCER TOURNEMENT: Lions FC summer soccer tournement has started. To check out fixtures, results and league table please click here

OUR LADY’S MEADOW PRIMARY SCHOOL – THIRD GREEN FLAG: On Wednesday 30th June, Our Lady’s Meadow P.S. raised their Third Green Flag for Water Conservation. Miss Kineely welcomed everyone to the ceremony and told how delighted the teachers and children were to receive this prestigious award following two years of hard work and dedication. The flag was raised by Lorraine Flanagan, Environmental Officer from An Taisce. The Green Schools Programme teaches the fundamental lesson to pupils, parents and teachers alike, that the way we treat our environment today will affect future generations. This flag raised emphasizes environmental awareness and action to be a very important part of the life and ethos of the entire school community here in Durrow. Miss Kineely thanked all those involved in helping achieve this flag – the Parents Council who worked very hard to make the day a great success and to Seamus Phelan for his support. A special thank you was extended to Paddy Lee, Caretaker, whose hard work and dedication is very much appreciated by all the staff and pupils in the school. She thanked the Green Flag Committee, which was made up of two representatives from each class, and all the pupils for their dedicated work and their concern about our environment. They do want to make a difference. Presentations were made to Miss Helen Kelly from the Board of Management and the Parents Council on her up coming marriage. The Parents Council presented the Boys and Girls Cumman Na Munscoil teams with pairs of red and white team socks (the schools colours) and congratulated the girls team on winning the Cumman Na Munscoil competition.

INTER COMMUNITY LITTER CHALLENGE 2010: This year’s competition for the Inter community Litter Challenge continues and these are the results of our second survey: Mary Street: 14 Marks out of 20 received - Litter and Cigarette butts everywhere; Carrigan Street: 19 Marks out of 20 received - Cigarette butts outside shop; Tae Lane area: 15 Marks out of 15 received - Very well kept; Derrywood: 12 Marks out of 15 received - Some litter and a lot of cigarette butts; Abbeyleix Road: 9 Marks out of 10 received - Small pieces of litter found but well kept; Church of Ireland: 10 Marks out of 10 received - Very neat and tidy. The overall mark awarded for our second survey was 88%.

MULTI ACTIVITY SUMMER CAMP: A Multi Activity Summer Camp will be held in Our Lady’s Meadow School from July 5th to 9th inclusive and July 26th to 30th inclusive. Daily from 9.30am to 3pm. Open to all primary school children from Junior to Sixth Class. For more details please contact Sinead on (087) 2943889 or Claire on (087) 9229086.

SOCCER SUMMER SCHOOL: The Lion’s Soccer Club will host An Post Summer Soccer School 2010 from July 19th to July 23rd inclusive at the club grounds Cork Road, Durrow. The camps are open to girls and boys from 6 to 14 years old. There will be a girls only section at this camp. For more information contact www.summersoccerschools.ie or phone 1890 653653. The club will hold a free draw for two tickets to see Manchester United play at Old Trafford. The draw is open to anyone who participates in the FAI Sumer Soccer School held in Durrow. Flights and accommodation are not included in the prize.

FRIENDS OF FR. KEVIN DOHENY: A sponsored walk will be held on Friday 9th July at 6.30pm. Starting in Castlecomer going through Ballyragget, Ballyouskill, Ballinakill and finishing at Ballymartin Crossroads. For further information and/or sponsorship cards, please contact: Frank Brennan on (085) 7157694, Noel Cummins on (086) 8352698 or Kathleen Mooney on (087) 6928349. All are Welcome. Refreshments and “craic agus ceoil go leoir” at Ballymartin Crossroads after the walk. Please support.

CEMETERY MASS: Cemetery Mass will be held in Cullohill graveyard on Friday June 18th, Aughmacart Graveyard on Thursday June 24th and Kyleogue Graveyard on Friday July 9th. All masses will be celebrated at 8pm each night. Families are asked to have their graves clean and tidy for the night.

LAOIS COUNTY CHILDCARE: The Laois Childminding Initiative are organising a Childminder’s trip to Emo Court on Thursday 8th July. This event will include games, story telling and refreshments. All Childminders/potential childminders and children are welcome. Pre-booking is essential, please phone the Childminder Advisory Officer on 057 9370631 or Laois County Childcare Committee on 057 8661029.

STEPPING OUT WALKING AND SOCIAL PROGRAMME: Take your first steps to a healthier you and join us! Meeting on Tuesday & Thursday at 8.15pm at Heritage House, Abbeyleix and Portarlington Leisure Centre for 10 weeks. Registration fee is just €15 for ten weeks or €1.50 per week - great Value! For more information please contact Sports & Leisure Centre, Laois County Council, County Hall, Portlaoise. Phone number (057) 8664007 or Email sports@laoiscoco.ie anytime.

THE AM PLAYGROUP: The AM Playgroup is now enrolling children for September 2010. Your child might be entitled to a free playschool place from September 2010 to June 2011. We have limited places still available on the ECCE grant scheme. To book your child in or for further information, please contact Andrea or Mary on (087) 2127063.

WOODENBRIDGE PADDLERS SPONSORED MARATHON: The Woodenbridge Paddlers will hold their annual sponsored marathon on Sunday 11th July starting at Castletown weir and concluding at New York. Proceeds from this year’s event go to sports activities for people with physical disabilities in Laois. The event is open to all participants and sponsorship cards are available from (087) 2395357.

THE HOUR AND A HALF GANG: Please note that work nights have been changed to Wednesday nights. Why not do something positive for your community by given an hour and a half of your time to make Durrow a place young and old can be proud of.

SUMMER CAMPS: An Cnoc Bán, Spink, just outside Abbeyleix is getting ready for its unique children’s summer camps on a working organic family farm. According to the Fitzpatrick family who run the summer camps, “Following the success of last year's activities, this summer at An Cnoc Bán we are delighted to offer a range of outdoor farm fun for 4 to 8 and 9 to 12 year olds. Running during July and August the camps are different each week with Summer Baking; Nature Trails & Crafts; Green Wellies - Farming & Gardening; and Crafty Kids – design & make your own Soft Toys. The cost is €80 per week which includes all ingredients and materials”. Pre-booking is essential as numbers are limited to ensure hands-on participation under the supervision of trained staff. For more information and booking forms please contact (057) 8731838 or (086) 2779668 or email ancnocban@ireland.com. The Programme for the An Cnoc Bán Summer camps is: Fun in Nature, Crafts and Trails: Children can get close to wildlife creatures, have fun creating craft pieces based on inspiration gained on various nature trails around the farm. July 19th to 23rd from 10am to 12.30pm for four to eight year olds and 2pm to 4.30pm for nine to twelve year olds. August 16th to 20th from 10am to 12.30pm for four to eight year olds and 2pm to 4.30pm for nine to twelve year olds. Summer Baking: Children will participate in hands-on lessons in baking, learn about cookery terms, safety in the kitchen, appreciate local produce and bake dishes to bring home. At the end of the week we will prepare our picnic and enjoy it (and some games) on a nature trail on the farm. July 12th to 16th from 10am to 12.30pm for four to eight year olds and 2pm to 4.30pm for nine to twelve year olds. August 23rd to 27th from 10am to 12.30pm for four to eight year olds and 2pm to 4.30pm for nine to twelve year olds. Green Wellies: Children can become a farmer for the week helping to feed the calves, pigs, horse and hens, make hay (weather permitting). Children can also develop practical gardening skills, both outdoors and in our polytunnel, using natural systems to sow your own vegetables to bring home. July 26th to 30th between 11am and 1.30pm for children aged seven to twelve years. Crafty Kids: Children can have fun while learning basic skills in crochet, knitting & felting to make your own soft toys to bring home. August 9th to 13th between 11am and 1.30pm for children aged seven to twelve years.

INTER COMMUNITY LITTER CHALLENGE 2010: This year’s competition for the Inter community Litter Challenge continues. The overall mark awarded for our second survey was 88%. Please help improve our marks by keeping your area tidy.

MOSAIC CLASS IN DURROW AND/OR CULLOHILL: Anne Holland has just exhibited a selection of Mosaic Art pieces at the Durrow Arts Festival. Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of coloured ceramic tiles, glass, stone or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration. Anne has a Master of Arts Degree in Ceramic Design from the University of Cardiff, Wales, and is interested in running an adult evening class in conj unction with Laois VEC in the Mosaic Art form in Autumn 2010 in Durrow and/or Cullohill. If you are interested, contact Anne at irishannieo@gmail.com or call on (087) 9163160

INTER COMMUNITY LITTER CHALLENGE 2010: This competition is organized by the Tidy Towns Federation, Laois County Council. It will take place from Monday 26th April to Friday 16th July. Surveys will be conducted by two judges weekly and results will be issued every three weeks. We ask business people and the general public to please keep your area free of litter and cigarette butts. Help us get a top score in this competition.

OSSORY PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES 2010: Bookings are now invited for our Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes from May 22nd to May 27th 2010. The Cost is €720 p.p.s. All who are interested in traveling should contact Glenmore Parish Office on (051) 880414, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10.30am to 2.30pm or glenmore@ossory.ie by email.