Discover Duhallow Issue 28

Issue 28: October 16, 2020

contact us at: info@discoverduhallow.com

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WALKING THE DUHALLOW WAY: SEE PAGES 12 &13

Bríd’s big break Duhallow star signed for Aussie Rules

Bríd Stack set for Australia

Our very own Bríd Stack, an 11-time All-Ireland winner with Cork, has been signed as an international rookie by Aussie Rules side Greater Western Sydney Giants.

The 34-year-old Rockchapel native – named Ireland’s 2016

Ladies Footballer of the Year – will be relocating to Australia to join fellow Irish players Cora Staunton and Yvonne Bonner at the Sydney-based club later this year. g

See page 3

WALLIS ARMS The Square, Drominahilla, Millstreet, Co. Cork, P51 D25W During the current restrictions Takeaway Service Operating Every: Friday & Saturday: 3 pm - 7pm Sunday: 12 pm - 7pm All Takeaway services available Large or Small Hotel Accommodation: Long Stay Accommodation available For all enquiries: Call: Nigel on (029) 71445 or Email: nigel.queens@gmail.com Also check out our Facebook page Wallis Arms Hotel We have gift vouchers available The perfect gift, please shop local Stay safe everyone

Gardening tips by Rachel Budd, Horticulturist at IRD Duhallow Community Garden

PRACTISING PRUNING Fruit bushes such as blackcurrants, red and white currants and gooseberries are great for practising your pruning technique.

People are often nervous about pruning as they don’t want to cause damage to a plant, but by following some simple rules and having hardy, resilient plants to practise on, you can become a master pruner in no time. Pruning reinvigorates the plant and redirects energy from old and tired stems to produce young productive ones. Pruning also allows for diseased and damaged stems to be removed, and increases ventilation around the plant to promote healthy growth.

Basic pruning rules Make sure you have the right tool for the job, it will damage both plant and tool to try to cut branches that are too big for the tool in hand. n Hand pruners/secateurs: These are one of the most used (and most lost) tools in the garden. Pruners are suitable for cuts up to 2.5cm; n Loppers: These are larger and have stronger blades, perfect for cuts up to 5cm; n Pruning saws: These are usually curved to easily fit between the branches. These should be used for cuts over 5cm.

No matter which tool you are using, keep all blades oiled, sharp and clean. Strong alcohol, such as surgical spirits is ideal for sterilising pruners. It is important to clean blades between plants to avoid the risk of spreading disease from one to another.

Don’t forget to wear gloves – some of these bushes fight back!

Remember the 3 D’s: Remove Dead, Diseased and Damaged wood first, then aim to open up the centre of the plant by removing inward growing stems. This increases air movement and maximum sunshine, you are trying to create an open cup shape.

You can also shorten the remaining branches and their side

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By practising on hardy plants, you can become a master pruner in no time

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You will be unlikely to damage a fruit bush whilst practising your pruning techniques, the very worst that would happen is that you get less fruit in the coming season

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shoots by a couple of buds, which will encourage the bush to produce better quality, larger fruit in slightly smaller quantities When pruning, make your cut just above and at a slant away from the bud you have selected. This will channel water away and avoid rotting the bud. Cut too close to the bud and it will die, leave too much wood above the bud and it will die back leading to possible infection.

Pruning gooseberries Gooseberries can become a tangled mess and susceptible to diseases if allowed to grow unchecked. The best fruit is produced on branches that are 2-3 years old, so the first step is always to take out old wood. Always

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cut right down to the base, which will encourage the bush to produce strong new fruiting stems from the bottom of the plant.

Pruning red and white currants Prune red and white currants as you would gooseberries, as they produce fruit on side-shoots made the previous year. Aim to create a well-branched, upright bush with fruiting spurs along the main stems.

In winter, shorten the side-shoots to one bud. Remove shoot tips and old, unproductive wood.

Pruning blackcurrants Currant stems naturally grow from the ground and form a low growing bush. Blackcurrants crop best on two-year-old stems so prune back one-year-old shoots to the next growing point to force branching.

Prune out old stems at the base – these will be thicker and darker in colour.

You would be unlikely to damage a fruit bush whilst practising your pruning techniques, the very worst that would happen is that you get less fruit in the coming season.

You will soon get the feel for which branches need to come out, and you can then prune away with confidence.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Duhallow news

Bríd’s Aussie Rules joy g

Continued from page 1

Australian Football League Women’s Competition (AFLW) coach Alan McConnell said he’s delighted to add a highly-rated defender, albeit from another sport.

“After three years of interest on our part, it’s really exciting to have Bríd Stack finally make the decision to come to Australia and be part of our list,” said McConnell.

“Bríd is a key defender with great speed, good agility, is very competitive and has a long history of having high-level success in women’s football in Ireland.

“This is a recruiting model that we’ve followed with our two other Irishwomen and have had great success with Cora and Yvonne in recent years and we hope to get the same outcome with Bríd.

“What an amazing thing for our footy club, that a young woman is willing to not just move herself here to play Aussie Rules but to bring her 12-month old son and her husband, as well, in the current Covid-19 environment.

“It’s an amazingly courageous thing to do. We’re grateful and hopefully we can make the best of the opportunity for all involved.”

Bríd Stack developed her love for Gaelic football at the local national school in Rockchapel, under the guidance of her father Michael.

This was fostered further by playing underage football with Rockchapel boys teams.

Managed by Mary and Jesse Collins, Bríd played adult football with Rockchapel Ladies from a young age and enjoyed many great years at Junior, Intermediate and Senior level. Most notable for the club were the All Ireland successes in 1999 and 2000.

Bríd went for her first trial for the Cork U-14 team and played on

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Bríd Stack is to play for Aussie Rules side Greater Western Sydney Giants every Cork underage team up to minor level. She captained the Cork minor team to All Ireland success in 2003.

She studied PE and Maths at the University of Limerick and as a first year student, won her first Senior All Ireland medal with Cork. During her time in UL, Bríd won four Senior All Ireland medals in a row from 2004 to 2007, travelling up and down to Cork weekly as well as playing and captaining the College team to O’Connor Cup success in 2007. In the space of 12 years from 2005 to 2016, the team won 11 Senior All Ireland titles. In that time, Bríd also won seven All Star awards, was named Munster Player of the Year in 2012 and Overall Ladies Football Player

of the Year in 2016. The team was awarded RTE Team of the Year by public vote in 2014.

After 17 years of playing senior inter-county football for Cork, Bríd announced her retirement in January 2019.

She has taught PE and Maths in Carrigaline Community School since she graduated in 2008, as well as running her own business with her husband Cárthach and brothers in law, Fiachra and Fionn.

Together they set up MyCore Supplements which is a sports and health supplements company that operates primarily online at www.mycoresupplements.ie.

Bríd and Cárthach welcomed their first baby in October 2019 and another adventure begins.

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Photo feature

TWOHIG’S SUPERVALU TURNS 65

The Twohig family marks 65 years of superb customer service at Twohig's SuperValu Kanturk. Included are Sheilanne, Michael, Noreen, Edel, Lisa, Michael Jnr., Carmel Twohig Jones and Fíadh Jones

Stacey Reen, Bernie Collins, Kevin Forde, Greg Muzyk and Kathleen O'Connell pictured with the birthday cake for the Twohig’s SuperValu 65th anniversary, also inset

Carmel Galvin and Maura Fallon are familiar faces here!

Neily McCarthy, John Lynch and James Murphy make sure all the best and freshest cuts are always available

Kathleen O' Connell, Kathleen Harrington and Margaret Moynihan look like they’re all set for the celebrations!

Imelda Vaughan and Shane O’Connor hard at work keeping the shelves stocked with top quality products

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Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Duhallow news

Appeal to aid children’s charity Duhallow women Breda Fleming and Cynthia Daly recently climbed Cardiac Hill for the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation.

Cynthia Daly and friends are asking you to support ‘Up The Hill 2020’, to give a push up that fundraising hill for Jack & Jill whose fundraising calendar has been severely flattened due to Covid-19 restrictions.

By donating as little as €16, you are very kindly funding the cost of one hour of home nursing care for a sick child and bridging the €250,000 funding gap which the charity is currently experiencing.

Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is a national charity providing vital home nursing and end of life support to 362 children across Ireland who have complex medical and life-threatening conditions.

Despite Covid-19, the charity’s service marches on, as the nursing teams keep going just like the families they support.

Witnessing at first hand the vital support the charity provides in the home nursing care of her niece Olivia, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder, Cynthia climbed Cardiac Hill in an effort to say thank you and enable the charity to continue providing the service and support to many families who find themselves in a very challenging place. For these families, their Jack & Jill nurses are their backbone and lifeline.

The charity enables families and carers to do normal day to day things, knowing their child is in professional care.

You too can climb a hill for those that can’t, show your solidarity and ask your friends to support you.

You may donate online at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ Cynthia-Daly, to account IE90KIR099219301063740, or by placing a donation in one of the Jack & Jill collection boxes.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Breda Fleming and Cynthia Daly climbed Cardiac Hill in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation

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Community news

A walk on the wild side

Above, Cork Sports Partnership organised a walk on IRD Duhallow’s Clara Loop with a diversion up to the cross, as part of National Walking Day/Get Ireland Walking on Sunday 27th September. IRD Duhallow’s Nuala Riordan, pictured far right, led one of the four groups; below, all set for the Island Wood walk last weekend

Attention walkers: Following the resumption of our winter walks on the second Saturday of each month, the next walk will be in the Mullaghareirks.

The meeting point will be in the car park in Meelin on Saturday November 14th at 10.30am.

Due to Covid restrictions, booking is essential for this walk. g See also p12&13 6

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Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Community news

Members of Kanturk TT, Willie John Buckley, Eddie Walsh and Trish O’Neill meeting with Ian McGrigor of Gortbrack organic farm to discuss developing a biodiversity plan for our wildlife Greenane Park. We wish to say a huge thank you to IRD Duhallow who have helped us enormously and have funded this scheme.

Pictured at the launch of Kiskeam GAA club development draw are Shane Carroll (PRO); DJ O’Sullivan (Newmarket Motors); Marie Carroll (Club Secetery); Sean Meehan (Cork Senior Footballer); Billy Dennehy, Club Chairperson; Daniel Cronin (Vice Chairperson); Anthony Casey (Cork Senior Footballer); Mike Casey (Finance Committee); Diarmuid Fitzgerald (Finance Committee). To enter the draw, visit the club’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages or www.kiskeamgaadraw.ie.

Maria O'Donoghue of Rathmore District Credit Union handing over a donation to Mike O’Mahony PRO of East Kerry GAA Board for the East Kerry Team in the County Final recently. Congratulations to East Kerry team and Management from everyone in Rathmore District Credit Union.

Kanturk Golf Club Lady Captain Deirdre Sheehan making a presentation to Carmel Buckley, Boherbue, who recently won 1st Prize on Lady Captain's Day at the Club Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald Kiskeam GAA: the following won €100 each in the Cork GAA Club’s Incentive Draw: 1. Tom Culloty, Knockavoreen and England; 2. Helena Cronin, Glounreigh and Tralee; 3. James Murphy, Lisrobin West, Kiskeam; 4. Juliet, Oliver and Grace Scannell, Australia.

IN THE FRAME

Sunrise in Gneeveguilla Photo: Siobhain McCarthy

Readers are invited to share their photographs with us – the best will feature here. Be sure to caption your image and provide your full name and details of where the photo was taken. Email it to us at: info@discoverduhallow.com

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

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Crossword sponsored by Bob’s Bar & Restaurant, Kanturk

€20 voucher for use at Bob’s Bar & Restaurant, Kanturk

CALL (029) 50877

WIN!

To be in with a chance to win a €20 voucher from Bob’s Bar & Restaurant in Kanturk for food/drinks, complete the crossword below and post with your name & contact details to: Discover Duhallow Puzzle Competition, James O’Keeffe Institute, Newmarket, Co Cork Or simply scan completed puzzle or take a snap with your phone and email to:

Terms & Conditions: Deadline for submissions is noon on Friday, October 23rd, 2020. First correct entry drawn will win a €20 voucher, valid for three months from date of issue, to be redeemed for food / drinks from Bob’s Bar & Restaurant, Kanturk. No cash alternative. Winner will be named in subsequent issue of Discover Duhallow.

No correspondence will be entered into. Voucher to be collected from Bob’s Bar & Restaurant, Kanturk.

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Across

Down

1. Large house (7) 5. Pieces of information (5) 8. Profits (5) 9. Gruesome (7) 10. Retaliated (7) 11. Form of transport (5) 12. Hostility (6) 14. Stick (6) 18. Permit (5) 20. SIncere (7) 22. Creatures (7) 23. Doctrine (5) 24. Ledge (5) 25. Sweet (7)

1. Tycoon (7) 2. Dissonance (5) 3. Perceptiveness (7) 4. Wanderers (6) 5. Aspect (5) 6. Vegetable (7) 7. Austere (5) 13. Discomfort (7) 15. Mocks (7) 16. Pull out (7) 17. Stopped (6) 18. Accumulate (5) 19. Dock (5) 21. Bird of prey (5)

Solution: Issue 27, October 2, 2020

Solution in Issue 29, October 30, 2020

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WINNER! Well done to Hannah Cahill, Tanyard Wood, Millstreet, Co Cork who wins a €20 voucher from Bob’s Bar & Restaurant, Kanturk!

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Artist in the frame

Postcard from the etch BRÍD MOYNIHAN: Artist, Newmarket, County Cork I have lived in Newmarket for my whole life. After graduating from the Crawford College of Fine Art I became a member of Cork Printmakers where I have been creating artwork since.

I’ve recently developed a home studio space also which allows me to produce work at home. I work primarily in etching, which is a process of drawing onto a metal plate which is then dipped in acid and later printed onto paper using ink. It’s a process which I fell in love with in my final year of college. I had been painting up until third year but found my way into the print room and never left it. I find printing appeals to my lifelong love of drawing.

My work is a slightly surreal exploration of narratives derived from personal life, fairy tales and conversations. It’s mostly figurative and it is of a small scale which creates a more intimate experience for the viewer and whilst the narrative may be personal to my own life, I would hope that the viewer would create their own.

In my home studio I also paint and repair statues and I still keep up my painting skills with the odd commissioned piece.

As my children are beginning to get a little bit older I have more time to dedicate to producing and exhibiting art and I am hoping to become even more productive over the next few years. I post images of my work on my Facebook page, Brid Moynahan Artist, and on Instagram.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Bríd working at Cork Printmakers, Wandesford Quay; below ‘Giant Duck’

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Job Centre

Online interview tips

By JACKIE KELLY During Covid, employers and jobseekers are having to adapt to a new way of doing things by going online for interviews. Here are some tips for an Online Interview process: n Testing technology: Check you have reliable internet connection, a working microphone and camera and the correct software program downloaded i.e. Zoom. n Practice: Be prepared by checking your technology a day before and 15 mins before the interview starts. Practice with friends or family on the software. n Set the scene: Use a neutral and tidy background. Place your computer on a stable surface, a

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Covid-19 has led to a rise in online interviews

table or desk instead of your lap or couch. Put your phone on silent with no interruptions or noise. n What to wear: Be sure to dress the same way you would in a face to face interview. No bright colours or stripes for the camera. n Be prepared: Research the company and know the role requirements. Anticipate the questions and prepare answers and

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show what value you can add to the company. Don’t forget to smile, relax and be natural!

To develop your skills and knowledge further on online interviews why not try our Online Workshop on Monday 2nd November from 2.453.45pm. For more details, contact Jackie Kelly on 029-60633 or email jackie.kelly@irdduhallow.com. g IRD Duhallow’s, SICAP funded, Job Centre supports and guides people in relation to CV preparation, the interview process, career guidance and job seeking. SICAP 2018-2022 is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development with co-funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

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Issue 28 October 16, 2020

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Feature Precautions: To ensure the continued enjoyment of these walks for other users, please observe these precautions and courtesies: n Guard against all risks of fire n Fasten all gates n Keep to assigned paths n Keep dogs under proper control at all times n Avoid damaging fences, hedges, and walls by using the stiles provided n Leave no litter n Respect the life of the countryside Acknowledgements: The walks were established

by IRD Duhallow with assistance from the EU LEADER Programme, with the cooperation of the people of Duhallow, COILLTE, Cork County Council , Faillte Ireland, and the Rural Social Scheme.

For further information, please contact: IRD Duhallow, James O’Keeffe Institute, Newmarket, Co. Cork.

Call 029-60633. g

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WALKING: D Clonkeen to Bweeng / Bweeng to Clonkeen: The Slyggudal Pass (Road) was built by Kerry Co. Council in 1931 to replace an ancient track that took people from Clonkeen to an Cathair, once the site of fertility rituals.

On that road is the Bulls Track where a man and a bull perished according to local lore. Also on the road are the remains of an old Dancing Platform close by the lake. At the far side of the lake reputedly lies a hidden cave where many took shelter during the Troubles. Clonkeen Church was opened in 1958. On August 6th, 1831 a terrible bogburst hit the valley and nine people from the same household were swept away and smothered.

The author of Dineen’s Dictionary, Fr. Patrick S. Dineen (Irish: Padraig Ua Duinnin; 1860-1934) was born near Rathmore and educated at Shrone and Meentogues National Schools.

He was an Irish lexicographer and historian, and a leading figure in the Gaelic revival.

The Paps (Dha Chíoch Dhana): The Paps of Anu are a pair of breastshaped hills in the Derrynasaggart

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Mountain range. The eastern hill is 694m high and the western hill 690m high. Danú was the godess that gave her name not only to this place but to Denmark and the River Danube. The hills are named after Anu, believed to have been a mother goddess. Atop each hill is a prehistoric cairn, which may be miniature passage graves or house burial cists. The cairn on the eastern Pap is slightly larger, with a height of 4m and diameter of 16m.

They have been described as “stone nipples on the great breasts of the mother goddess”. A line of stones, known as Na Fiacla, connects the two tops and is believed to have been a processional route Shrone (The City – An Cathair) was the oldest lived-in ring fort in Europe.

People lived within its walls up to the 1950s. It is now a penitential station, the feast day of the Blessed Virgin is celebrated here on May Day. Tradition has it that it was set up by a Sister of St. Gobnait in the 5th Century. Prior to Christianity this place was a major place of worship for 500 years.

St John’s Well: St John’s Well was discovered in the early 1950s by a local man, Michael Buckley, who erected a simple wooden cross at the site of the well. A Grotto and Stations of the Cross are dedicated to St John.

The well is famed for yielding a cure for warts. Ther are two other wells on the mountain, one on the summit and the other near the Top of Togher, i.e. towards the pass on the Butter Road between Seefin and Musheramore.

The well south east of the peak of Musheramore within the Ballinagree area is said to yield healing cures for animals. St John’s feast day is June 24th and there are large attendances for prayer and devotion at this time.

People also attend the Holy Well on Good Friday. Traditionally, there was a pattern held on the Feast of St John down over the ‘Top of Máma’, half a mile from St John’s Well.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Feature

DUHALLOW WAY

The Butter Road: In 1748 the British Parliament passed an act for the construction of a turnpike road between Castleisland and Cork. This was to replace a mud cart track and become a road for larger landowners, rather than the smaller dairy farmers at the time. In the 1820s Richard Griffith – best known for his Tithe survey of Ireland though by profession an engineer and geologist – made improvements to the road and built many bridges, increasing both butter trade and tourist traffic as a result.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

The Kerryman’s Table is the halfway point between Cork and Castleisland, 25 miles each way. Highway bandits were always a danger in the upland areas of the road, and robberies were commonplace when people were travelling home from Cork. The Butter Road is also known as the Old Kerry Road, and may be easily identified on the map as it runs in a straight line.

Tens of thousands of Firkins of butter were exported all over the world. Firkin refers to the unit of measurement at the time (1 tonne = 39.36 Firkin).

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An Seisear (‘The Six’): Although one of its number is fallen this is still one of the best megalithic rows in the county. The site has not been excavated but it fits into the broad timeframe of Bronze Age ritual monuments that includes most stone circles.

Local Attractions: Ballyhass Lakes, Millstreet Country Park, ‘The City’ at Shrone, Knocknakilla Stone Circle, Tóg Go Bog é Eco-Friendly Camping Site, Bruach na Farraige and Teach Faillte Cultural Centres.

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Agriculture by Michael Morrissey MSc Ag Sci Blue Dot Catchments & EIP Farm Planner

PROTECTING UPLANDS One of the primary initiators of European Union agri-environment policy development has been the loss and fragmentation of semi-natural habitats. The uplands provide Ireland’s largest area of semi-natural habitat, 19% of Ireland’s landmass supports this upland expanse.

Upland slopes and habitats consist of complex patterns of hummocks, hollows, rocky outcrops, flushes and terraces. Improved water quality, carbon storage, biodiversity conservation and prevention of erosion and flooding have been identified as the benefits of healthy uplands. Upland habitats include blanket bog, heaths, semi-natural grassland, montane streams and forestry. These habitats form mosaics throughout, indistinctly grading into drier mineral soils via transitional wet heaths or acid grassland.

Upland areas are characterised by blanket bog complexes with extensive tracts of bog containing patches of drier heath communities and scattered pools.

Heathland landscapes consist of both wet and dry heaths with tracts of acid grassland also present. As a result of a widespread decline in the traditional use of heath, such as rotational burning and livestock grazing there is susceptibility for heath to be lost through the natural succession to scrub and woodland.

Commonage is a widespread habitat type in the uplands, this is land held in common ownership where two or more farmers have grazing rights. Commonage accounts for approximately 241,000 ha of land in Ireland. Peatlands are a distinct ecosystem in the uplands of temperate zones, including Ireland.

These expansive ranges consist of heathland communities and mire or bog communities.

The loss of peatland habitats has been given international recognition by the inclusion of blanket bog, raised bog, wet heath and dry heath on Annex I of the European Union Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.

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Clockwise from top left: Cross leaved heath; excessive peat extraction; bog asphodel; scrub encroachment Source: Michael Morrissey According to the Corine Land Cover – Ireland data set 2006, peat bogs covered an estimated 15.78% of national land cover with 1,123,793 ha, while moors and heaths covered an estimated 0.78% with 55,822 ha.

Bogs are organic masses originating from living plants and their partially decayed remains and are defined as an extensive landscape on flat or sloping ground with poor surface drainage in oceanic climates with heavy rainfall. They have a vegetation diverse in herbaceous vascular plants and brown mosses. These habitats are extensive in Ireland, with upland blanket bog noted as a distinct landscape characteristic of Irish mountains over 150 m. In Ireland, blanket bogs cover approximately 13% of the national area and contain an estimated 45% of the national carbon stock.

One of the most distinctive and diverse habitats found in Europe is upland heather moorland, providing unique species and plant assemblages. Heathland is considered semi-natural, with plant composition made up of native species derived from scrub and woodland. These habitats are characterised by a ground layer of mosses and lichens with an understory of liverworts. Heathland

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is dominated by heather species with associated plant communities characterised by shrubs, grasses, sedges and bog mosses. Extensive areas of heathland in Europe have been subjected to degradation and loss, and as a result associated fauna have declined. Peatland and upland ecosystems are a unique habitat with a significant global conservation value. The conservation value of heath is high, particularly with respect to plants, invertebrates and birds which are habitual to these habitats.

While the productivity of peatlands may be considered low, these ecosystems are significant because they contain one third of the world’s estimated soil carbon. Peatlands provide habitats for a number of rare bird species listed as Annex I in the Birds Directive 79/409/EEC, including the curlew, hen harrier, and the red grouse. Under the current climate of increasing Green House Gas Emissions these upland habitats provide Ireland with a unique natural resource for carbon storage.

The adequate protection and management by farmers of these important habitats must be rewarded with sufficient and sustainable ecosystem services payments to ensure this natural resource exists for future generations to enjoy.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Feature

Not just water under the bridge The River Allow rises about eight miles northwest of Freemount at Mullaghareirk, flowing into the parish at Raheen bridge. It eventually meets the Blackwater River about 11 miles from Mallow.

There are varying translations of the name, from ‘echoing river’ to ‘Abhain eala’ (the river of the swans).

The river was undoubtedly an integral part of everyday life in the area through the centuries, being a valuable source of food and water for the population of the locality as well as a recourse for farming and industry.

The Allow is an extremely crooked river. In several places it flows in a northerly direction as it continues on its southwards journey, lending the phrase ‘As crooked as the Allow’.

The first stone bridge was erected on the river in 1824 from cut limestone, uniting both sides of the parish. This was destroyed during the war of independence

by Republican Volunteers to prevent the movement of Black and Tans through the village.

Some of the stones from the ruined bridge were taken further along the river near Coolbane mill to make a crossing known as Barry's Stepping Stones’. This was used as a shortcut from Freemount to Coolbane and was used by those working in the nearby mill.

They can still be seen today.

Shaughnessy’s Mill at Coolbane was one of the most important industrial sites in the area, its giant water mill wheel was powered for several generations by the Allow. It ceased to function with the arrival of rural electrification when the mill converted to electricity.

Freemount Dairy Society’s creamery, now demolished, was one of three creameries built beside the Allow. The others were Cleeve’s Creamery at John’s

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

‘Barry’s Stepping Stones’ across the River Allow Bridge and the Ballybahallow branch of Freemount dairy society south of this.

A couple of hundred yards west of Freemount is the popular swimming hole ‘Pol a Wada’. In the days when there were no swimming pools, many a carefree evening or Sunday were spent swimming in the river. Other swimming spots were ‘Babies Bend’, the ‘Saddle Hole’ and the ‘Key Hole’.

Tradition tells us that a wooden footbridge spanned the river close to Poll a Wadda, continuing a road which came through Browne’s from the Clonsilla junction. Today, Poll a Wada is of far greater significance as the Allow water scheme pumps from here to the filtering station just south west of the village.

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In the 17th Century, charcoal was manufactured by the banks of the river near Sean O’Connor’s land. The charcoal was produced from wood by the Marshall family in fields known as ‘lsreann’ and ‘Isreann Beag’.

Part of the Allow at Ballybohallow is known as ‘Ath O’Sullivan’ where Donal Cam O’Sullivan fought a battle against the Barry’s of Liscarroll in 1602. Four of O’Sullivan’s men were lost in the battle and a nearby deep hole on the river ‘Poul Dearg’ (The Red Hole) was said to be so called due to the spilling of the blood of these men in the river.

‘Poul dearg’ could also be associated with a former brickyard on the banks of the river, the mud used was red in colour and could have lent itself to the name.

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Duhallow Career Guidance Q & A

LIFE AS... a veterinarian JANE PIGOTT is a veterinary surgeon and partner at the Millstreet Veterinary Group

Considering what career path to take? This series of Q&A interviews with Duhallow professionals offers candid insights into what the job really entails...

1. What is your job like?

The job is never boring, sometimes stressful, and frequently tiring. This career is not for those of you who would be lost without eight solid hours of sleep or lunch at 1pm like clockwork. You have to be very flexible – ultimately it is a vocation.

Getting to work with animals, both large and small, is a great privilege however, and makes up for the missed lunches and sleepless nights.

2. What subjects did you most enjoy in school/college?

Strangely, I wasn’t a big fan of the science subjects in school. I think I always knew that I would need to excel in the leaving cert in the sciences, so I found them more stressful than fun if I’m honest. I loved Art more than any other subject – I found it so relaxing because it worked an entirely different part of my brain to the sciences. My art teacher in school, Mr Fraser, was an inspiring dude who created a great learning environment – I always remember how he had a way or making even my most disastrous art attempts into an opportunity to make something more interesting or unique. I learned more in that art classroom than I did in the rest of my subjects in the six years of secondary school. I still pick up some charcoal to sketch when I need to unwind – as a vet it is important to have creative outlets to exercise the non-vet bit of your brain!

3. How did you arrive at your current position?

I completed a five-year course in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery in the UK, after which I returned to Ireland to work in mixed practice seeing cattle, sheep, dogs and cats.

I later returned to the UK to work in

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companion animal practice (dogs and cats). During my time in the UK, I worked in many different settings, from busy general practices to referral hospitals and university hospitals. Over time, I gained a passion for cardiology (heart and lung medicine), and subjected myself to even more exams to gain my Advanced Practitioner’s Certificate in Veterinary Cardiology in 2019. I moved back to Ireland when Millstreet Veterinary Group acquired the Island Wood Veterinary Hospital in Newmarket, and I have been based there ever since.

4. Have you any regrets?

No regrets – I grew up in a veterinary household, with both of my parents being vets. I knew what I was letting myself in for!

5. What do you love most?

I love a good puzzle, and every veterinary case is a mystery that needs to be solved. Unlike human doctors, our patients can’t tell us their symptoms. Every pet we care for requires us to briefly turn into a super-skilled vet version of Sherlock Holmes to get to the bottom of the

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problem. And of course, it is very satisfying to be able to help an animal return to health. The thoughtful thank-you cards I receive from clients once their pet is happy and healthy again make my day.

6. What do you love least?

Remember that a large part of the job is interacting with people. We don’t just sit cuddling puppies all day unfortunately. Sometimes it will be sad, sometimes it will be hard.

Sometimes you will have to convey heartbreaking news to an owner or a farmer. Realise that as well as the technical side of the medicine, you need to be a good communicator.

7. Advice for students hoping for a career in your field?

Pick the right mix of required leaving cert subjects and study steadily for the leaving cert. Explore options for studying veterinary abroad – you need a back-up plan because anybody can have a bad day during the leaving cert exams, and with the high points required to get into the course in UCD there is very little margin for error! Find out about studying veterinary abroad in the UK or further afield such as Budapest or Warsaw and apply just in case you need a plan B. Who knows, you might prefer the colleges abroad – I applied to my course in the UK as a back up and ended up choosing to go there regardless of getting a place at UCD because I fell in love with the place and the ethos of the course. Get experience with a vet if you can (although this can be tricky sometimes due to insurance requirements in veterinary practices), or at least speak to your local vet about the realities of the job – as a profession, we’re generally a friendly bunch and are usually happy to help out young potential vets if we can.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Pet Corner

Things to think about on walkies As the leaves have gradually turned beautiful autumnal shades of yellow, red and orange, and Covid-19 is still with us, few pleasures remain but to go walking in the woods with your dog.

There are so many lovely dog friendly walks within the local area.

Last weekend I took my dogs, Margot and Sally, out for a walk in the Gearagh near Macroom. This is a walk I had never completed before, but given the Covid-19 restrictions, I thought it was time to become a tourist in my local area.

The scenery was spectacular and the dogs had a great time – exactly what we all needed to bust the autumn blues.

If you are going walking with your dogs, remember to bring a few essentials: lots of poo bags to clean up after your dog and an old towel

g By JANE PIGOTT GP vet & Consultant Veterinary Cardiologist

to dry their feet before getting back in the car.

Dogs might love mud, but cars certainly don’t!

It is always safer to keep your dog on the lead, especially if you are unfamiliar with the walk or there are any livestock or wild birds nearby.

Not all dogs you might meet out walking will be keen to make friends with your dog. My own dog Sally can’t be trusted with other dogs (or with runners wearing yellow high-viz shirts!), and gets very defensive and nervous when they are around.

Before you let your dog loose or barge up to another dog, consider that, like people, some dogs are more sociable than others.

Make sure your pet has received an up-to-date tick treatment (due monthly or three monthly depending on product) to avoid unwanted tick bites and reduce the risk of tick borne disease.

Discover Duhallow is online: log on to www.irdduhallow.com Subscribe to get your copy delivered to you Just €10 for 4 issues (8 weeks) Contact us on 029-60633 or info@discoverduhallow.com Issue 28 October 16, 2020

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Birdwatch Bean goose Photo by Sergey Yeliseev

Irish Name: Earrdheargán dubh Scientific name: Phoenicurus ochruros gibraltarensis Bird family: Flycatchers (chats) Status: Passage migrant in the spring and autumn Identification: About the same size as a robin and

Irish Name: Síolghé Scientific name: Anser fabalis Bird family: Geese Status: A rare winter visitor Identification: The bean goose has a dark brown head and neck, and dark orange legs. It has a mainly dark beak with orangey tip.

Frequently there is a white

has a similar shape. Has rusty-red undertail coverts and tail, which is frequently shivered. Adult males are a glossy black on the head, back and underparts. Has a small white patch on the primaries. Juvenile and adult females are inseperable, being a mousy grey-brown colour all over.

rim surrounding the bill. Two different types of bean goose have occured in Ireland: Tundra and Taiga. These differ in bill structure and colouring: Tundra has a small dark beak and Taiga a large, mainly orangecoloured beak. The females are larger and have longer bills than the males.

Black redstart Photo by John Fox

Visit https://birdwatchireland.ie and https://www.duhallowlife.com/raptor-life

Black-tailed godwit Photo by Jerry Cassidy

Irish Name: Breacán Scientific name: Fringilla montifringilla Bird family: Finches Status: Winter visitor Identification: Summer male brambling have a glossy black head, orange throat and chest. The rest of the underparts are white with some black spotting along

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Irish Name: Guilbneach earrdhubh Scientific name: Limosa limosa Bird family: Waders Status: Winter visitor Identification: Winter plumsome dark-centred feathers.

In flight shows a contrasty upperwing, mostly black with bold white wingbars, a

the flanks. The bill, back and tail are black. Winter males have the black on the head washed with brown and have a yellow coloured bill.

Females resemble winter males, but have a greybrown coloured head, with a diffuse black supercilium.

Both have a narrow white stripe on the back and rump.

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square white rump and black tail. Summer plumaged or moulting birds often occur, showing varying amounts of rich orange. Typically wades in shallow water on tidal mudflats – favours the inner, more silty parts of estuaries and inlets. Can occur in large flocks of several hundred birds.

Brambling Photo by Robert Syme

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Health & Beauty

Don’t neglect mental health With everyone’s routines and schedules forever changing during these uncertain times, the health element of health and fitness often gets neglected, in particular when it comes to people’s mental health, writes Daniel Daly, manager and personal trainer at Millstreet Community Gym. With no access to gyms, classes or sport, people feel lost. Exercise should be an extension of your life, a lifestyle choice rather than a burdensome necessity.

Take note of the language used when referring to exercise. “I have to workout” and “I need to train X days a week” are examples of rigid thought.

Be flexible with your approach and avoid placing a psychological burden on yourself. Replace “I have to” with “I’d like to”, remove yourself from an uncompromising

Daniel Daly, manager and personal trainer at Millstreet Community Gym position and give yourself more power over the situation.

World Mental Health day has just passed and this time of year can be quite difficult due to shorter days, gloomy weather, financial

stress etc. Starting your day with a 20 minute walk and getting some daylight, can be beneficial to help combat seasonal affective disorder. You get fresh air, a dose of all-important vitamin D, a serotonin spike and also enhance your sleep quality, by regulating your circadian rhythm which is governed by sunlight cues.

Walking, playing with your kids, rolling on the floor with your dog and dancing around the house, are all examples of exercise that will benefit you hugely both physically and mentally which require no equipment.

In future issues, I will be offering some tips on how to stay active while at home, along with more health and fitness information along the way. g Follow Millstreet Community Gym on Facebook and Instagram.

Fix for acne caused by masks Masks are a given but maskne doesn’t have to be, writes beauty expert Joanne Guiney.

Maskne is the term given to acne and breakouts which are caused by wearing a mask.

From the friction of the mask causing irritation, to bacteria transferring from the mask onto your skin, there are many ways in which wearing a mask could mean your skin will start to suffer, becoming irritated, and this could potentially promote acne around the cheeks and chin area.

In addition to breakouts caused by prolonged mask-wearing, many of us are finding other issues are being triggered by this too, such as sensitivity, soreness and rosacea.

So what to do?

g Change your mask regularly: This will help to prevent build-up of bacteria on the skin as the warm, moist environment is an ideal breading ground for bacteria.

Reusable masks of course!

g Keep skin moisturised with vitamin A: Mild doses of vitamin A will help to enhance the benefits of the natural moisturising factors of the skin and keeps the effects of the immune system on alert. g Boost the skin's immunity: Colostrum Gel will benefit the skin’s immunity and soothe the appearance of sensitivity. g Clear the appearance of breakouts: AHA’s, BHA’s and vitamin A will all help to clean, control and clear the appearance of breakouts.

If this all sounds a little overwhelming and you want to see results, please don't hesitate to contact me for some further advice: Beautify

by Joanne, Newmarket, 029 61816 (Environ skincare specialist).

Share an article on health or beauty with us at info@discoverduhallow.com Issue 28 October 16, 2020

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A look back in time

The Newmarket

By MICHAEL FLANAGAN I headed for the Garda barrack and spoke with the Sergeant to know if he had heard of anything. No Michael, but I will make enquiries for you he said. Little did I know that the box of rats were in the barrack, as it was Gene and the Sergeant had organised the kidnap and gave me one hell of a fright. All is well that ends well!

The HI-Land ballroom was the venue and the likes of the crowds seen in the town of Newmarket that weekend was unbelievable. By the time the first race got underway the ballroom was packed to capacity and the atmosphere was incredible.

Three bookies were kept busy all night with bets coming from all directions. The event was televised for Newsbeat and Radio Eireann recorded it for the programme ‘Follow the Festivals’ with Larry Googan. A battery of photographers, from all the Irish and English papers were in attendance hoping to get the best picture for publication that weekend. After 12 heats of exciting racing we came to the semifinals, where the winner of each heat qualified. After a great semi final we emerged with six rats for the grand final. In Trap 1 was Scarteen Hero, Trap 2 Boherbue Bengy, Trap 3 Millstreet Joe, Trap 4 Bandon Mick, Trap 5 Rockchapel Rocky, Trap 6 Limerick Lady. The bookies made Limerick Lady favourite at 2/1.

The lights went dim and a hush descended on the crowd, the traps opened and the cheering started and it was Millstreet Joe who came out first followed by Bandon Mick and Rockchapel Rocky, Boherbue Bengy and Scarteen Hero were slow to start and Limerick Lady decided she had enough and stayed in her trap.

So now it was up to the five on the track. It was as if Scarteen Hero got

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The story so far: Michael Flanagan came up with a unique new idea for the 1971 Newmarket Festival: an All Ireland Rat Race.

When the news broke there was huge interest and he had to find some rats in a hurry – but they mysteriously vanished on the day of the race... an electric shock, he shot past the four of them to the delight of his sponsor, local publican TD Cronin, and was declared All Ireland Champion Rat. In second place was Millstreet Joe closely followed in third place by Bandon Mick.

Shortly after the festival I received an invitation to travel to Northern Ireland to participate in the World Rat Racing Championships to be held in Milanos night club in Bangor.

The troubles were in full swing at the time and it was a big decision to make.

I rang my good friend Ray Ryan and put the proposition to him. Like all good journalist, he could see a story and the answer was yes, “Have Rats Will Travel” for the weekend. I contacted my handlers, Michael Kennedy and Sean O’Flaherty and the four of us travelled in Ray’s white Fiat 124.

Coming up to the border we were wondering what the RUC would think of four lads from the South spending a weekend in the troubled North, but in fairness to the Northern Ireland Rat Racing Association they had us cleared with the border controls.

So off we went to Bangor and into a packed Milanos ballroom for the World Rat Racing Championships.

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The Newmarket rats won the first three heats with Smokey Joe saving the day for the North by winning the fourth heat to a thunderous round of applause. After a short interval it was the three Newmarket rats against the North’s Smokey Joe to see who would be the World Champion.

The bookies made Smokey Joe the favorite at even money, as he had the best time of 16 seconds over the 25ft track. Scarteen Hero and Rose of Tralee were 2/1 and West End Rambo 4/1.

The traps went up and Smokey Joe made a great start, but stopped half way, as if he was waiting for the Newmarket gang to catch up with him. The three rats from Newmarket were not used of all the noise and were very reluctant to leave the traps, while Smokey Joe was used to hearing bombs going off in the North and the noise did not bother him. Then all of a sudden Rose of Tralee shot out of the traps and went like a rocket from trap to line to become the World’s first Rat Racing Champion. Celebrations went on well into the night and next morning Ray wanted to explore the city of Belfast, hoping that we may get arrested so he could have a good story to tell.

We travelled up a one-way street to be met by two very polite cops and when we told them the reason for our visit they wanted to see the rats and wished us well. Ray was disappointed, but he wrote a fabulous piece on his visit to the North in The Corkman, which landed him a job with the Cork Examiner, as it was known then, and as they say the rest is Ryan’s history.

I must say I have enjoyed my trip down memory lane and may I wish all my many friends in Duhallow good health and happiness for the future. g Right, Frank Hall’s piece on the Rat Race in ‘Our Boys’, 1971.

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

A look back in time

Rat Race

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

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Part 2 of 2

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Kids’ Corner Give Spot a spot of colour!

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Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Sport

Duhallow Sports Greats Q & A

Issue 28 October 16, 2020

Anthony Nash (born October 12th, 1984 in Kanturk, Co Cork) is a hurler who plays as a goalkeeper for Kanturk and at inter-county level with the Cork senior hurling team. He was just 16 years old when he joined the Cork minor hurling team in 2001 as sub goalkeeper. He was selected for the Cork intermediate team in 2003 and joined the Cork senior hurling team for the first time in 2005.

On March 12th, 2006, he made

ANTHONY NASH his National League debut and made his debut as goalkeeper with the Munster inter-provincial team on October 15th, 2006. On September 8th, 2013, he lined out in his first All-Ireland final. He was appointed captain of the Cork senior hurling team for the 2015 season. He was awarded All Stars in 2012 and 2013.

Photo courtesy gaacork.ie

1. What/who inspired you to become a sportsperson in your field?

Like most people I would have to say my family. Both of my families are big into the GAA, with a lot of my relations playing with South Liberties and Limerick. They all helped from a very young age..

2. What was the moment that you knew you were on the right track?

That’s a tough one to answer, I never thought I was good enough to play intercounty but again my family kept helping me believe I was, when I was 16 my father actually asked one of the Cork minor selectors to give me a trial and fortunately I played OK in it.

3. What is your greatest strength?

God the questions are tough… for me I suppose it’s knowing who is important to listen to.

Unfortunately some people take pleasure in putting others down or giving opinions that aren’t helpful so with age I have been lucky to learn how to do that.

4. What is your greatest sporting achievement?

When I started hurling with Kanturk we were junior and we were able to get all the way to senior, so that’s a great achievement to be involved with. I have been lucky to have been involved with Cork since 2006 and eventually getting to play in goals and captain Cork was great for me and my family.

5. What was the greatest challenge you faced in your career and how did you overcome it?

Being a sub for a long time with Cork and thinking I might never get to play, a lot of people were telling me to give up and do something else. I enjoyed training with the lads in Cork and was friends with them so that helped me stick it out.

6. Who supported you the most in your career?

Family and close friends.

7. Any advice for young players just starting out?

Enjoy it! Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and only listen to the important people.

8. Activities outside sports?

Most important is trying to spend

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as much time with my family. My main hobby is golf, I unfortunately love it too much and try to get out as often as I can.

9. What are your goals going forward?

To keep enjoying playing hurling and when my body doesn’t allow me to play any more I hope to leave the sport with no regrets.

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Twohig’s of Kanturk Twohig’s Abbeyfeale & Askeaton I N T RO D U C I N G O U R N E W S U P E RVA LU 7 M E AT O FFE R S

I t ’s g o t t o

HALF PRICE

be

€5

€3

€5

€4

F u l l r a n g e o f S u p e r Va l u 7 M e a t s i n c l u d e s . . . €5 SUPERVALU SIGNATURE TA STES HEREFORD FRESH IRISH BURGERS 852g - €5.87/kg

€6 SUPERVALU FRESH IRISH DICED CHICKEN PIECES 760g €7.89/kg

€7 SILVER HILL CRISPY DUCK & PANC AKES WITH HOISON SAUCE 600g - €11.67/kg

SuperValu Swede SuperVa oose 1pce Loose 1pc was w 85c

SuperValu Celery e was w 79c 1pce

49c

79c

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SuperVa SuperV alu Loose oose Pepper Pepper 1pce

Selected

SuperVa SuperV alu e Pear Bag 7pce was €1.19

SuperValu Round SuperVa Cabbage 1pce was 99c

EACH

SuperValu SuperVa u Green Gr g 8pc 8pce Apple Bag as €1.49 was

SuperVallu Lemon Net 3pc 3pce e was as €1.10

Mix & Match

6 FO R

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that’s €6.67 per bottle

€6.89 WALLY LY’S S HUT H SHIRAZ 75cl was €8.84 Save €1.95 ANC 75cl €7.87 EACH CHRONOS BL ACK KL LABEL RESERVA VA SAUVIGNON BLAN was €10.81 Save €2.94, NIEL JOU UBERT CABERNET SHIRAZ 75cl was €11.80 Save €3.93 €8.85 EACH NUGAN ESTAT ATE A ANNELISE PINOT GRIGIO 75cl was €11.80 Save €2.95 DUO DES MERS SAUVI €2.95 VIGNON VIOGNIER 75cl was €11.80 Savee € BID CRIANZA 75cl was €11.80 Save €2.95 CASTILLO DE EMB

Budweiser/Or eiser/Orchard /Or Thieves/Appleman’s Cider/ Cider/ Rockshore/Or /Orchard Thieves Light/Rockshore Light Can Pa Pack 8 x 500ml - €3.08/ltr €3.08/ltr

Offers valid from Thursda Thursday 15th October - Wednesday 21st Octtober 2020 , unless otherwise stated. Prices es correct c at time of going to print. *Selected wines onl only, see in-store for details.Offers available, while stocks last. Customer quotas may apply. appl Enjoy alcohol responsibly.