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LOCAL NEWS ARCHIVE - MARCH 2005
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Local News Page]
Last
Saturday night, was yet another fantastic night for Cornafean at the Ulster Scór
Final in Silverbridge, Co. Armagh, with the club winning two provincial titles
in the Recitation and Question Time competitions.
In
the Recitation, Michael McGibney won his third Ulster medal in four years with a
magnificent rendition of the Brendan Kennelly poem “Moloney and the Dust”
and the announcement of his victory at the end of the night was met with
widespread enthusiasm among the capacity audience.
In
their own contest, the quiz team of Brian Doyle, Tommy McGibney and Michael
Dinneny were facing keen competition from former winners Middletown, Co. Armagh,
the Tyrone champions Trillick, and the Co. Down representatives Mayobridge.
Cornafean led by eight marks midway through the competition and answered all
their team questions to preserve their eight-point lead to the end.
There
was some disappointment for the many Cavan supporters in Silverbridge when the
Killeshandra dancers and musicians and the Mountnugent Ballad Group failed to
take the honours in their respective competitions despite each producing fine
performances. However all the Cavan representatives did themselves proud on the
night and the quality of their performances reflects well on the strength of Scór
within the county at present.
The
victorious Cornafean acts now go forward to the All Ireland Final, which takes
place in the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney on Sunday April 17th next. Three years
ago a large contingent from Cornafean made the long trip to Killarney when
Michael McGibney represented the club in the 2002 All Ireland Final at the same
venue and if this year’s final matches the magic of that occasion, it will
surely be an event to remember. Supporters who wish to purchase tickets for the
final should contact any member of the county Scór committee as soon as
possible
A
reunion is at present being planned for past pupils of Drumcrow Old School,
which closed in 1968. Following a number of meetings in recent weeks, it has now
been announced that the reunion will be held on Saturday 14th May next.
On
the evening of the reunion, Mass will be celebrated at 7.00pm in McSeains
Function Room and will be followed by a buffet and entertainment. This promises
to be an enjoyable night with a chance for all to renew old acquaintances.
As
the school records are incomplete (roll starts in 1929) we would appreciate
information on anyone who attended prior to this date. If you are past pupil and
you do not hear from us, please contact one of the following committee members,
Bernie Gormley, Forthill, Arva Tel 049 4335025 or Dominic King, Drumcrow
Ballinagh, Tel 049 4337415.
On
St Patricks Day the Cornafean question time team of Rita Martin, Brian Doyle,
Michael Dinneny and Tommy McGibney took part in the national final of the 2005
GAA Trath na gCeisteanna Table Quiz which was held in Croke Park prior to the
All Ireland Club Finals at the same venue. The quiz was conducted wholly through
the medium of Irish and formed part of the GAA’s contribution to the Seachtain
na Gaeilge events of last week. Cornafean faced competition from several strong
quiz teams from all corners of the country, many of them previous All Ireland Scór
winners not least the Cuchullains team who also represented Cavan and Ulster on
the day. At the end of the competition, the locals finished in second place,
three marks adrift of the winners from Salthill, Galway.
Cornafean
enjoyed a very good night at the 2005 Scór County Finals in Killeshandra on
last Saturday night week when the local club won three competitions as well as
the "Best Club" Overall Award for the year.
The
event attracted a large audience to its traditional venue of Killeshandra
Community Centre, including a sizeable contingent of Cornafean supporters.
Indeed the large attendance proved once again how the popularity of Scór has
remained at such a high level over the years. There was a tremendous standard of
entertainment in all eight competitions.
Cornafean
had representatives in six categories on the night: Ceili Dancing, Set Dancing,
Instrumental Music, Novely Act, Recitation, and Question Time, and it was
in the latter three competitions where the Reds' representatives took county
honours. One of the largest cheers of the night greeted the locals win in the
Novelty Act, where Gavin McDermott, Cormac, Brendan and Rory Geoghegan and
Michael McGibney combined to produce a very funny and well acted sketch that
generated much laughter from the audience. In the Question Time, the Cornafean
team of Tommy McGibney, Brian Doyle and Michael Dinneny overcame strong
opposition from Arva, Drumalee and Killeshandr Ramor while in the Recitation,
Cornafean's Michael McGibney produced a great performance to win the competition
and his second title of the night.
There
was further joy for Cornafean when they won the coveted Overall Best Club Shield
for 2005. The Shield was presented by County GAA Board Chairman George
Cartwright to Eamon Gaffney on behalf of the Cornafean club.
Ulster
Semi Final
A
large group of locals travelled to the Ulster Scor Semi Finals last Friday night
in Tempo Co Fermanagh. It was a good night overall for the Cavan clubs competing
as the Breffni representatives qualified in six of the eight competitions for
the Ulster Finals. Two of the Cornafean acts were among the winners, Michael
McGibney in Recitation and the Quiz team of Tommy McGibney, Brian Doyle and
Michael Dinneny, while the local Novelty Act group were unfortunate to lose out
to our friends in the renowned and vastly experienced troupe from Lisnaskea in
their competition.
The
Ulster Final will take place on next Saturday night in Silverbridge GAA Club,
Co. Armagh one of the finest venues in the country. The show starts at 7.00pm
and an excellent night’s entertainment is guaranteed. With six Cavan acts
taking part, there are high hopes that some of the titles will go Cavan’s way
but as always the standard of competition at this level is likely to be
tremendous. We wish good luck to one and all.
We
extend our deepest sympathies to Mr. Felix McKiernan, Corr on the death of his
brother John whose funeral took place last week.
There
was widespread sadness in the locality recently on the death of Mrs Julia
Maguire(nee Martin), Bruse who died on Saturday March 4th in the Omega Nursing
Home, Belturbet. Julia who celebrated her 91st birthday was one of Cornafean’s
oldest and most popular citizens. Born in 1914 as the second youngest of six
children, Julia’s life encompassed an era of great changes in the Cornafean
area and in the world at large. In her youth she had the distinction of
attending both the old and new (1927) National Schools and also the old and new
(1926) Churches in Coronea . She later played camogie alongside her late sister
Maggie for Cornafean in the 1930s and for decades was a member of the Cornafean
Ladies Committee. In the late 1940s she married Bob Maguire and moved the short
distance to their family home in Bruse where they later raised their family.
In
subsequent years and decades, Julia was renowned for the hearty and generous
welcome she had for all who visited her home and no visitor was ever allowed to
depart without a cup of tea. She was a woman of great religious devotion and
beliefs and a committed Massgoer even when she was in declining health in recent
years. She always enjoyed the various social occasions in Cornafean and in later
life she derived great pleasure from the annual Senior Citizens Parties in
Cornafean where she enjoyed meeting with many of her old friends in the area.
She was predeceased by her husband Bob in 1986.
We
extend the sympathies of the entire community to her sons Martin and Gerry,
daughters, Anne Maura and Pauline, sons-in-law, grandchildren and other
relatives. There were large
attendances at the removal of her remains to Coronea Church on Sunday 5th March
and at her Funeral Mass on Saturday with burial in the adjoining cemetery. Fr.
Sean McGoldrick was chief celebrant at her Funeral Mass, and he was assisted by
Fr. Harry Bouchier.
Fresh
from their Scor success last weekend, the Cornafean Question Time team have a
big day out on this Thursday, St Patrick’s Day when they represent their
county and province in the All Ireland Final of the All Irish GAA Table Quiz in
Croke Park, Dublin. The event is being held as part of the GAA’s contribution
to the national Seachtain na Gaeilge events and the quiz is scheduled to take
place immediately prior to the All Ireland Club Finals at the same venue. This
event was held last July for the first time and Cornafean had the honour of
winning the inaugural All Ireland title. They face a tough task in repeating
this feat this year against the cream of quiz talent from all four provinces not
least the other Cavan and Ulster representatives from Cuchullains who will also
be keen for success on the national stage.
