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Can You Meet the Thurles Rotary Challenge?
On June 18th 2016, an expedition of ‘intrepid adventurers’ will attempt to walk up and down three hills in Co. Tipperary on the same day.
 Pictured L-R: Jean Forbes Cooke, Jonathan Gleeson, The Don, Michael Wright, Sean Spain and Barry Cagney on the top of Slievenamon, Co. Tipperary recently. Starting at the base of the 2,277 ft. high ‘Keeper Hill’ (Sliabh Coimeálta or The Mountain of Guarding), outside Newport, the team will take three hours to climb up and down. Then an hour long drive later on to Skeheenarinky (with a lunch stop at Kilcoran Lodge Hotel), when the team will take four hours to climb up and down the 3015 ft high ‘Galteemore’ (Cnoc Mór na nGaibhlte, or Big Hill of the Galtees). Finally, after a drive to Kilcash, take the two hour walk up and down the 2,365 ft Slievenamon (Sliabh na mBan, or Mountain of the Women). The team will then collapse into McCarthy’s Bar in Fethard for food and a bit of ‘craic’. (Sean could even be persuaded to drag along his guitar.)
The expedition is organised by the Rotary Club of Thurles and the objective, as well as completing the walk is to raise money for the Jack and Jill Foundation. Last year the Rotary Club of Thurles raised over €4000 for this charity.
This year the Rotary Club of Thurles is delighted to invite anyone with good fitness and who is interested in completing this expedition, to join this walk on June 18th next.
Walkers will be accompanied by an experienced mountain guide; with transport to and from Thurles to all three peaks above mentioned. There are no costs to joining the expedition, although it is essential that each walker must bring suitable clothing and walking boots, in order to take part. Each walker must also be able to effectively fund raise for the Jack and Jill Foundation, to secure a place on the team.
Information: For more details on competing in this most exciting of adventures, please contact Michael Wright on Mobile: (083) 3581304.
 For Sale – Ballykisteen Hotel & Golf Resort Yet another highly rated provincial Tipperary hotel and golf course is to be offered for immediate sale, with a guide price of €2 million.
The property in question, the four-star Ballykisteen Hotel and Golf Resort, sited opposite the Limerick Junction Racecourse, is situated on the busy Limerick to Waterford road; 6km from Tipperary town; 41km via the R661 from Thurles, (latter home of the GAA); just 2km from Limerick Junction Railway Station; 30 minute’s drive from Limerick city and one hour’s road journey from Cork city.
Set in the shadow of the Galtee Mountains and located on 114 acres surrounded by a rich farming hinterland, the Ballykisteen Hotel and Golf Resort attracts business from a broad area and is particularly well known as an attractive wedding venue. The family friendly hotel was recently voted as being amongst the top 10 of ‘Family Break Resorts’ in Ireland, offering through its ‘Ballyk Kidz Club’, a brilliant programme of fun activities for children aged 3 – 11, available free to all accommodated guests.
The four star Ballykisteen Hotel caters to 40 spacious bedrooms and suites, many of them with balconies which overlook the Des Smyth golf course. The ground floor reception area includes the ‘Junction One Bar’ and separate restaurant / dining area and the ‘Barna Room’, a boardroom style meeting room.
Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in every guest room and in all public areas of the resort.
A total of 14 hotel properties were sold in Ireland in the first three months of 2016, with a total value of some €47 million.
A 25 year old primary school teacher, Mr Kevin O’Riordan, from Killea, near Templemore, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, has taken on the challenge of kicking points at all 1,616 GAA clubs in the 32 counties of Ireland. His aim; to raise money for the children of Kolkata in India, where he will return again for five weeks during the summer of 2016.
Aided by the co-operation of GAA county boards and local clubs, Kevin begins his daily exercise at about 7.15am and ends at 6.30pm. He began his Kickathon on August 29th last, photographing his presence at every GAA club in which he records kicking a point.
Back in June 2014, Mr O’Riordan qualified volunteering to work with the Froebel/HOPE Partnership to help children in Kolkata, (meaning ‘Field of [the goddess] Kali’.) formerly Calcutta and capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Here exists areas of slum-like conditions similar to that experienced by Mother Teresa. Each evening Kevin watched the children being taught under his care, go back onto the streets begging, with every rupee they received being taken off them by supreme overlords skulking nearby.
Having returned to Ireland, Kevin decided to raise money for the HOPE Foundation. Last August he set off to “Kick a point on every GAA pitch over the 32 counties of Ireland”, as well as seek sponsorship from clubs, supporters and the general public.
As stated, Kevin will return to Kolkata in June and you can follow his progress on KickForKolkata Facebook page, while assisting him in his fund-raising efforts at www.gofundme.com/mgx2b8pm.
Glengoole Community Group Report:
A plaque, commemorating Tipperary athlete Patsy Fitzgerald, will to be unveiled in Glengoole on this coming Easter Sunday, 27th March 2016 at 12:00 noon. Many of our readers will remember that this event was postponed on December 27th last due to a local bereavement.
 L-R (Pic.1) Patsy Fitzgerald in earlier times. (Pic.2) Jim Fogarty (Coolcroo), Patsy Fitzgerald, Gerry Darmody (old colleague of Patsy) and Paddy Coman (Coolcroo) at Coolcroo AC “Gathering Night”. It is most appropriate that one of Tipperary’s greatest athletes should be honoured in his native village. Patsy was the star of cross-country and middle distance running in the 1940’s and ’50’s. His amazing success story commenced in the mid 1940’s, but it was the spring of 1947, at Mount Merrion in Dublin, when, as a 17-year-old youth, Patsy spread-eagled the field to win the NACA (I) All Ireland Senior Cross Country championship, over a then 9 miles course.
Patsy afterwards went on to win no less than thirty two All Ireland medals in his chosen sport, over a twenty year period; latter a record that surely will never be equalled or indeed surpassed.
The organisers, Glengoole Community Group, extend an open invitation and a ‘Cead Mile Failte’, to all who would wish to attend for this unveiling event; in particular all old athletes. It will be a great sporting occasion to honour this famous athlete, who made the leading athletic headlines all those years ago.
On Easter Sunday next, the unassuming Patsy will indeed relish this plaque which perpetuates his past victories, just on his doorstep, and will, no doubt, reminisce with many of his old colleagues and former adversaries in attendance from that Golden Age of Tipperary cross country running.
A special souvenir booklet will also be available to all on the day.
The game of hurling; considered to be the world’s fastest field sport, is a well known outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic and Irish origin, today administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.). The game has prehistoric origins and has been played for over 3,000 years.
 Gaile National School Hurling Team (Circa 1927-1930). Back Row: (L. to R.) John O’Meara, John Flanagan, (Galbertstown), Jim Sause, (Gaile), Teacher Mr. Matthew Kennedy, (Ballytarsna), Timmy Maher, (Killough), Willie Keogh, (Glenbane), Bill Dunne, (Gaile). Middle Row: Paddy Dunne, (Galbertstown), Jack Dunne, (Gaile), Pat O’Meara, (Killough), Dick Murphy, (Regaile), Mick Volkes, (Galbertstown). Front Row: Tommy Ryan, (Gaile) and Philly Ryan, (Peake). The Hurling team, (picture shown above), was taken at Gaile National School, situated close to the village of Holycross, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and possibly dates back to the end of the 1920’s. In or around this same time period the Victorian English illustrator, Fred R. Barnard was quoting the idiom “A picture is worth ten thousand words.” Barnard of course was referring to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still photographic image, or that a photograph / sketched / painted image of any subject can often convey its meaning much more effectively than any description written in the form of text.
Look at the picture above. Back then these children wore no protective padding, after all the plastic protective helmet, complete with facial safeguard; today mandatory, did not come in to being for all age groups, until 2010. Note and compare the assortment of Hurley sticks and their evolutionary process compared to what players use today. Note also the bare footed then pupil, seen on right of the back row.
Had this picture been used by outgoing Labour Party candidates in recent Irish General Election posters; it would have conveyed effectively, that Rural Ireland in 2016 is most definitely experiencing “Recovery.”
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