man, who was arrested on Wednesday morning under the provisions of Section O ences Against the State Act 1939, has been released with- out charge. Gardaí say a le will be pre- pared for the O ce of the Di- rector of Public Prosecutions.

Kilkenny GAA clubs and Community news

COUNTY HURLING Well done to Chris Bolger and Conor Phelan who were part of the Kilkenny team that beat Laois in Callan on Sunday in the first round of the Walsh Cup. It was an experimental Kilkenny outfit that took the field and Chris lined out at corner forward while Conor patrolled the sidelines as a selector. All in all it was a pleasing display by the Cats.

HANDBALL Congratulations to Clara’s Rory Glynn who became county U17 40 x 20 singles champion on Sunday a er a keenly contested final against Ronan O’Brien of Windgap. Rory, who represents O Loughlins in handball, came through 21-18, 21-15 against a very game opponent who played to the bitter end. Thanks and well done also to Rory’s coach John Morrissey.

GAA St Lachtains Gaa club AGM which was due to be held on Friday the 21st January 2022 @ 7.30 pm has been postponed until further notice due to the present Covid restrictions and will be held at a new date when restrictions are li ed. All updates on all activities St.Lachtains GAA can be followed on our social media pages both on Facebook and Twitter.

COMMUNITY ALERT Freshford/Threecastles Community alert group remind you that the annual text alert scheme membership is now due. It cost just 10euro per phone number and you can pay membership to any committee member. If unsure or for more information please call Jacinta on 0877658671 or Anna on 0858277965 . New members are welcome and the group wish to thank you all for your continued support. With winter upon us now and the dark evenings and long nights you are reminded to take care of yourself and take care of your elderly neighbours or friends.

SYMPATHY Sincere sympathy is expressed to Willie and Josephine Bergin and their family of Cooleshall Freshford on the death last weekend of his brother in law Hugh Breen late of Grange. Thurles, Co.Tipperary. Funeral mass took place on Tuesday morning in The Church of the Sacred Heart Gotnahoe followed by private cremation. Sympathy Is also extended to Brenda Kavanagh Buncrussia Street Freshford and all her family on the death recently of her sister in law Mrs. Ellen Maher late of Brittas Tullaroan. Funeral mass took place on Tuesday morning last in Tullaroan church followed by burial in Tullaroan Cemetery.

RECYCLE CHRISTMAS TREES. Christmas tree recycling drop o point is the same as previous years. The local one is at The Green Freshford and is operational for past week or two. the birth of their baby boy recently Iarlaith Anthony and to the proud local grandparents Tony and Mary Costigan, Cooleshall. The couple are living in Clogh and Sean is one of four Corby brothers who were on the Clogh/ Ballacolla hurling team in the Leinster Club finals recently

NEW CROSSING Local residents are happy to see that the new pedestrian crossing at Kilkenny Street in the village is now fully operational making it safer to people to cross the busy street.

PLAYGROUND There was exciting news for Freshford last week with the announcement that Planning Permission has been granted for the long awaited village playground.

SOCCER Freshford Town had a few teams in action at the weekend. The U15 boys had a good win over city side Evergreen coming out deserving 3-1 winners. The goals coming from Noah Scott(2) and Colin McGree The junior side were beaten by Castlewarren in their home game on a 3-0 scoreline The training sessions for U8s finished up for the Christmas holidays and will resume shortly. All boys from 5 to 8 years old are welcome,so go along and join up. RAFFLE The Soccer Club’s Christmas draw for a beautiful hamper was held in Kavanagh’s bar at the New Year and the lucky winner was young Freddie Cullen who was home on holiday from UK for the Christmas.

MACRA na FEIRME Macra na Feirme are looking to establish a new club in the Freshford area. Macra na Feirme is an organisation for young people between the ages of 17 and 35 who are interested in getting involved in sports, travel drama, debating or just want to meet new people and have some fun. To be a member of Macra you must join a Macra club in your area. This will open the door to new fiends and new activities. There are hundreds of clubs across Ireland bursting with activity who always welcome a new face. For more information please contact Training and Development O icer – Michael Wall on 0868359891 or email him at mwall@macra.ie

BIRTHDAYS Special birthday wishes go out to local lad Paul Dermody of The Square who had a special birthday recently . Paul celebrated the big 30. Also belated birthday wishes go out to another local lad Tommie Condon, The Square who also reached the big 30 recently.

ST. VINCENT de PAUL SOCIETY. Thanks to all who contributed to the annual Christmas collection for the St. Vincent de Paul Society recently. Please note that donations can be made anytime in the blue SVP envelopes which each household has received through An Post. These envelopes can be le in the parish collection box in the porch at Freshford Church or in the collection basket at Tulla Church.

DEATH The death took place recently of John Delaney (Jack) late of Kilrush Freshford. The deceased who was in his 80s had been unwell for some time but nevertheless his death caused widespread regret and sorrow. A quiet and good living gentleman John was one of three surviving members of the St.Lachtains hurling team of 1959 when he wore the number 7 jersey with pride. The team jersey was place on the co in at the removal. He was well known and respected in the locality and amongst the greyhound community also. Funeral mass took place in Graine Church followed by burial in the adjoin cemetery. He is mourned by his wife Sadie, daughters Catriona, Annmarie and Bernadette, grandchildren, son in law, brother in law, sisters in law, nephews, nieces and extended family to whom deepest sympathy is extended.

PARISH NEWS Attendance at Masses at present are at 50pc capacity Mass in the Parish Church each Wednesday morning at 9.30am and on Sunday morning at 11am.wiith Mass in Tulla church on Saturday evenings at 8pm. While the obligation to attend Sunday mass is still suspended you are encouraged to return. Safety measures remain in place which includes wearing of masks, social distancing and hand sanitising and full sanitation of the Church a er every celebration The restoration of the Stations of the Cross in the Church continues with ten now completed and just four more to go. In order to continue the work you are invited to sponsor one of the stations maybe with your family or a group of your friends. The sponsors will be included in a special roll of honour displayed in the church as a lasting legacy. For further information re same you are asked to please contact Monsignor Kennedy

NOTICES The parish newsletter is available on their website every week and also on the website you are free to pay your dues and make donations or any other contributions and you can find out more about it on the website or feel free to contact Jennifer in the Parish O ice. Please note community notices for the parish newsletter should be le in or emailed

Rory Glynn, newly crowned U17 handball county champion, with Windgap’s Ronan O Brien

to the Parish O ice by 11am on Thursdays.

MASS CARDS Special printed parish cards are available at the Parish O ice or from Annette at Tulla Church signed by Monsignor Kennedy. You can contact the Parish o ice on 056 8832843 or by email – freshfordd@ossory.ie. Contact Mongr Kieron Kennedy

HELP FOR ALL Are you struggling with anxiety or depression or finding life di icult or feeling isolated at this time GROW is there to help you. Their Mental Health support Groups are free and confidential and open to all no referral or booking is needed. For more information on same you can contact Mary on 087 284342 If you can’t cope and need support text HELLO to 50808

SAMARITAN - Whatever you’re going through a Samaritan will face it with you – available 24 hours a day 365 days a year – Freephone 1161Alone is available for older people who need support and you can call them on 0818 222024 (8am to 8pm) AMBER KILKENNY WOMENS REFUGE – is available for confidential support relating to domestic violence - call them on 1850 424244 (24/7) or on 056 7771404 or email into@amberwomensrefuge.ie.

EMERALDS GAA CLUB Mega Bingo: Every Sunday, 4pm at Urlingford GAA pitch. Gates open at 3pm. Single books and one sheet €10; Double books and two sheets €15. Extra jackpot sheet €3 or two for €5. Please support.

EMERALDS URLINGFORD AND GRAINE LOTTO January 10th prize fund was: €6,200. Jackpot: €4,200. Numbers drawn: 3, 5, 22 and 30, bonus no 24. No winner and one match three winner: Mary Butler. Promoters prize: Power’s.Five lucky dips of €20 each: Geraldine Moore, John & Joan Norton, Emma Curran, Kila, Paul Minogue. Next draw takes place on Monday, January 17th in the Clubrooms. Results next week.

URLINGFORD ON THE MOVE WALKING TRACK Works for the walking track are ongoing in the clubgrounds.Works will be completed shortly and the walkway will be ready to use within the coming weeks.

MILL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE Free Adult Art Classes in the Centre every Thursday 10am-12pm, from January 20th for six weeks, if interested please contact the Centre. Safe Pass Course: Being held in the Centre at end of February, few spaces available, please contact the Centre if interested. BTEI Healthcare Course QQI Level 5: BTEI is currently recruiting for the Health-Care QQI Level 5 course which will be commencing in January 2022. If anyone is interested in completing this course you can contact the Mill FRC on 056 8838466. LTI Pathway to Employment course QQI Level 4: LTI is recruiting for the new programme 2022. If anyone is interested in completing this full-time course, please contact the centre for an expression of interest form. Food Donations: We are now working with “Food Cloud” to ensure that unsold food from supermarkets does not go to waste. Every week we receive food donations which we distribute in Urlingford and surrounding areas. If you, or anyone you know, would benefit from this, please make contact with the Centre. Senior Alert: If you need to apply for a Personal Alarm, please contact Sue or Josephine on 056 8838466. Counselling Services: Our low cost Counselling Services, include One-to-One, Family & Teens, aged 12 plus. General Counselling: Bereavement, Stress, Anxiety & Depression. Other Counselling Services available: Drug, Substance & Gambling Addiction. Please contact Sue for more information or to make an appointment on 056 8838466 Appeal for Clothes Donations: Any clothes donations would be appreciated in aid of the centre’s counselling services. Donations can be le into the Centre. Contact Sue on 056 8838466.

URLINGFORD ARMS SPLIT THE POT Will resume in the coming weeks.

URLINGFORD / GRAINE DEFIBRILLATOR GROUP In case of emergency, call: 085 2726396.

URLINGFORD NEWS Anyone wishing to submit news items, club events, announcements etc can do so by emailing urlingfordnotes@gmail.com. If you have any photos you wish to include, please forward them to the email address. Local Lotto Draw: for 10th January 2022. Winning Nos. : 8,11,27. No Winner Winners of Draw for 5 x € 30 Olive Buckley ( Olive Buckley),Flynn ( Kathleen Kirwan )William O Shea ( Townsend’s),Lorraine Walsh ( Marie Kelly ),Eeanor Dunne ( Malachy Hogan ) Jackpot next week January 17th : € 4,900 Venue Delaney’s. Draw at 9pm all welcome.

DUNNAMAGGIN GAA CLUB JUVENILE AGM Please note the Dunnamaggin GAA Club Juvenile AGM will take place Virtually on Friday 28th January 2022 @8pm. Further details to follow. Thank you.

DUNNAMAGGIN GAA LAST MAN STANDING FUNDRAISER Our Dunnamaggin Adult hurlers are running a Last Man Standing Fundraiser for our new Gym and Ball Wall.Want to be in with a chance to win €500?? Kicking o on 21st Jan. It’s very simple to participate,simply pay €10 to the following go fund me page https:// gofund.me/6b3fc256 and contact one of the contacts below or any Adult player and they will forward you the link for the website to submit your selections and the lads will then contact you through What App as the competition progresses. Victor Costello- 087 7690637, Jack Brett- 087 9422859, Michael Cody– 085 1168453, Andrew Fitzpatrick - 087 1148941

LOTTO GAA Development Fund Lotto Syndicate - January Winners :- €100 James and Mary Moylan, Paul McEnery. €50 James Kearney, Patricia Wilkins, Olivia and Declan Dunne, Gervase and Fiona O’ Connell.

AMBER’S ONE MILLION STARS IRELAND Amber’s One Million Stars Ireland project celebrated its second birthday recently, announcing that star weavers from Kilkenny and across the country have helped the project reach the significant milestone of 100,000 stars. The inclusive community arts project, which connects communities across Ireland in solidarity against domestic abuse and all forms of violence, was formed in Kilkenny in 2019. Part of the global One Billion Stars project, founded in Australia in 2012 by artist Maryann Talia Pau a er the rape and murder of an Irish woman living in Melbourne, the One Million Stars Ireland project was brought to Ireland by Art Therapist Siobhan McQuillan and Amber Women’s Refuge. Amber is calling on families, businesses and community groups in Kilkenny to weave stars to help them reach the next milestone and to raise awareness. Register as a star weaver at www. onemillionstarsireland.ie to receive a star weaving pack.

SAINT CHRISTOPHER’S CANCER CARE TRANSPORT SERVICES This is a service o ered to people from Kilkenny,Waterford and Tipperary We are a not for profit patient transport service run by volunteers from all of the Emergency Services to support members of the community who have a cancer diagnosis and need extra help to get to essential appointments and for patients on their final journey home. The facebook link is @ christopherscommunity. Contact details for the service are saintchristophersts@gmail. com

GOWRAN BAGGIO’S Baggio’s are back in Business every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Call 056 7733464 to order takeaways in advance.

GOWRAN PARK Tickets are nearing limited capacity for the Go s Thyestes Day taking place on January 27th. Tickets are available at gowranpark.ie

GOWRAN AC The 2022 Cross Country Championships Day 1 was held in Dunboyne, Co. Meath at the weekend. The day’s events included Intermediate, Masters, and Juvenile Relays under 12, 14 & 16. Gowran AC had 28 athletes running including 6 teams, with five juvenile teams, and one ladies intermediate team. Gowran AC brought home two Leinster team medals with the boys U12 and U14 teams coming 3rd. The ladies intermediate team came home an impressive 6th, with Ruth Kennedy running a brilliant sub, 15-minute 4K to come home in 5th individually. Gowran Teams and Results: U12- 4X250m Girls - Heidi Ryan, Emily O’Kee e, Mia Kennedy and Eimear Keating. 3rd place. Boys - Aaron Carrigan, Milo Geraghty, David Carroll and Aidan Corrigan U14 4x500m Girls - Kate Hayden, Orlaith Carroll, Daisy Coomey & Anna Kelsey. 3rd place - Boys- Tomas Carroll, Conor Carroll, Evan Ryan, Joe Hayes and Darragh Carroll U16 4X500m Boys - Micheal Holland, James Kelsey, Joseph Langton & Charlie Ryan Ladies Intermediate 4Km 6th - Ruth Kennedy (5th), Katie O’Brien (22nd), Helen Horan (43rd) and Orla Clear (44th). Men’s Intermediate 8Km Johan Muller (37th), David O’Brien (48th) Men’s Masters 65+ 4Km Mick Walsh (18th)

Club membership is from January to December and is now due for everyone for 2022. There is an online application form and payment method available. All members to pay by the end of January please. New members are welcome but must be born in 2015 or before. http://www.gowranac.com/ join-us . In turn, Gowran AC register and pay for all athletes with Athletics Ireland, which covers their insurance, and pay event entry fees etc.. From February, all athletes attending training must be registered. For information about our club, and training times go to www.gowranac.com For info - club merchandise such as singlets can be bought directly from jfsports.ie/ product-category/club-shop/gowran-ac Please note: Non-registered athletes cannot participate in competitions.

CLUB LOTTO Dicksboro GAA Club LOTTO Results January 12th 2022. Nos: 3–4 – 26– 31 Jackpot: €7,150– not won. Draw Prizes – €50: Peggy Kennedy c/o John Kennedy €25 each Marie Gough c/o Declan Gough €25 each Gerladine Carey c/o Brian Fitzpatrick €25 each Ann Foley c/o Joe Phelan. Co Op draw ticket Mary Moore c/o Online Promotors Prize Phil Hogan. Next weeks draw 7,300 18Th of January 2022.

U21 SEMI FINAL A huge congratulations to the Dicksboro U21 Team and Management who faced a very tough battle in Mooncoin versus Mooncoin in the JJ Kavanagh and Sons A Semi Final. Our lads won by the narrowest of margins 1-14 to 1-13 in a nail biting finish. Our lads now place the Shamrocks Ballyhale in the final in the coming weeks.

CAMOGIE SEMI FINAL A huge congratulations to the Dicksboro Senior Camogie Team and Management who had a very tough battle against St Judes in the Leinster Senior Camogie Club Championship Final on Sunday. Our girls showed great character and mental toughness to win out winners 0-10 to 0-08. Thanks to Jimmy McGarry and his team who helped have Palmerstown in great condition in the last few days. We now play the highly fancied Wexford outfit Oulart in the final.

CONDOLENCES Everybody at the club extends our deepest sympathy to the Slattery Family on the bereavement of Joe Slattery.