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LOCAL NEWS ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 2003
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Local News Page]
Preparations for Scór na nÓg 2003/04 are now getting underway in Cornafean. All youngsters who are interested in taking part in any of the Scór competitions this year are asked to attend an enrolment evening in Cornafean at 8.30pm on this Friday evening. Anyone who is unable to attend on the night is asked to contact Paddy McDermott before Monday. Scór na nÓg is open to boys and girls who will be under 17 years on 1st January next.
The local Vintage Tractor Club are holding their AGM in McSeain's on next Friday night at 9pm sharp. All members are asked to attend and new members are welcome.
This autumn, County Cavan VEC are hosting two night classes in Drumcor Community Centre as part of their Autumn 2003 Adult Education Programme. Courses are being held in Art & Watercolours at both Beginners and Continued levels. Enrolment will take place in the Community Centre from 8.00 to 8.30pm on Wednesday 8th October and the fee for each course is €40. Enquiries to the VEC Office, Cavan at 049 4331044.
On Sunday next, all roads lead to Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan for the meeting of our neighbours Ballinagh with Denn in the Cavan Intermediate Championship Final. There is great interest in the locality ahead of the game and we wish Ballinagh every good luck and success on this occasion.
The local Vintage Tractor Club in Cornafean has recently completed a highly fundraising programme in aid of the Bone Marrow for Leukemia Trust at St. James’ Hospital, Dublin. A total of €28,075 was raised through a Golf Classic, Head and Beard Shave, Auction and various raffles during the summer months. On Friday 5th September a cheque for this amount was presented to Dr. Browne, St James’ Hospital on behalf of the club by Avril Magee at a special function in Cornafean. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Browne warmly praised the club for the incredible success of its mammoth fundraising drive in aid of such a worthwhile cause. In doing so, he stressed that further public support is absolutely essential in order to maintain the high quality services in this unit of the hospital. Club Chairman Sean Kelly paid tribute to the fundraising committee for their six months hard work in organising the various fundraising efforts. He also thanked the countless member of the public and businesses who so generously contributed donations and sponsorship to the fund.
The club’s success in raising such a large amount for this charity is a wonderful achievement and every one of the officers and members of the club deserve great credit for their enterprise and initiative in making this fundraising effort such a success. On behalf of the entire community, we heartily congratulate them on this massive success.
A Car Boot Sale will be held in the carpark of Ballinagh Community Centre on next Saturday, September 27th commencing at 2.00pm. The cost per car boot is 10 Euro. All proceeds are in aid of the Restoration Fund at Ballintemple Parish Church and will be used to help finance the current programme of essential repairs to the Church. All support towards this deserving cause will be greatly appreciated.
This autumn, County Cavan VEC are hosting two night classes in Drumcor Community Centre as part of their Autumn 2003 Adult Education Programme. Courses are being held in Art & Watercolours at both Beginners and Continued levels. Enrolment will take place in the Community Centre from 8.00 to 8.30pm on Wednesday 8th October and the fee for each course is €40. Enquiries to the VEC Office, Cavan at 049 4331044.
Preparations will soon commence in Cornafean for the 2003/04 Scór na nÓg competitions. This year Scór na nÓg will be held in Co. Cavan a few weeks earlier than usual, with the first round competitions being held in early November and the County Final scheduled for late November. This earlier timetable is being planned as the Ulster Scór Committee have scheduled this year’s Ulster Semi-finals to be held before Christmas.
Meanwhile, following the success of the Cornafean Ceili Group’s CD release, a traditional music Improvers Club is being held every Sunday in McSeain’s starting at 12 noon.
Catherina McKiernan continued her recent strong form when she broke the record for the four-mile distance at the 24th Annual Rockford Roof Tiles Road Races at Tinryland, Carlow on Sunday. Catherina finished in a time of 21.34, a whole 15 seconds faster than the previous record set by Geraldine Hendricken in 1998 and 25 seconds ahead of her nearest challenger Pauline Curley of Tullamore Harriers.
Last Saturday, 6th September, the Cornafean footballers recorded a vital win at the expense of Butlersbridge in the Semi-Final playoff of the Intermediate Relegation series. In a heartstopping climax to a highly entertaining game, a crucial last-gasp goal from Thanasie Kaldanis was enough to secure a two-point win for the local side, on a scoreline of 2-8 to 1-10.
The
'Bridge seemed set for a narrow win as the game neared its finale but
Kaldanis' goal, his second of the game, proved a lifeline for Cornafean. Oddly
enough, when Cornafean last played Butlersbridge in the league in late June,
it was the 'Bridge who produced a dramatic late comeback with a goal to force
a
draw.
Victory
in this game now means that Cornafean have preserved their Intermediate League
and Championship status for 2004, a vital feat
The recent programme of road improvements in the locality received another significant boost this week with the announcement of a further allocation of €250,000 to fund improvements to the Crossdoney to Arva road. News of this allocation was conveyed to local Oireachtas representatives Brendan Smith TD and Senator Diarmuid Wilson in recent days. The allocation is in addition to an previous allotment of €300,000 earlier this year which has been used to fund major improvements on this road. In welcoming the new allocation, Senator Wilson said that the total amount allocated to this road improvement project this year amounts to €550,000 and this major investment in local roads will benefit the entire community.
Certainly the current road investment programme will go a long way towards finally ending the era when the poor state of roads in County Cavan was a talking point all over the country. Hopefully the road improvements will help to further boost the economic fortunes of the locality into the future.
On Saturday last, an attendance numbering well over a thousand people thronged Cornafean and enjoyed a tremendous variety of entertainment and attractions at the local Vintage Ploughing and Field Day. As was the case in previous years, the event was a great success and substantial funds were raised in aid of Self Help, the Third World development charity.
The weather and ground conditions were ideal for the afternoon,
with young and old alike enjoying the bright autumn sunshine. Additionally, the
dry weather conditions in the days preceding the event made for ideal conditions
for the various ploughing competitions and demonstrations during the day. The
throngs of children in attendance greatly enjoyed the many new attractions at
this year’s event while many of the favourites of earlier years proved equally
popular once again on this occasion.
The serious business of the day was the ploughing itself, which
included displays of Horse Ploughing, Vintage Tractor Ploughing and scoring, and
demonstrations of mule and jennet ploughing, and once again these activities
proved extremely popular. In the six years that have elapsed since the first
Plouging Day in 1997, there has been a remarkable resurgence of interest in
Vintage Ploughing in the locality and the wider region and this revival was very
evident in the standard of ploughing on Saturday. The many other exhibitions of
bygone days also attracted great interest from the large attendance.
The day itself was followed by a very enjoyable Vintage Dance on Saturday night in McSeains, which attracted a capacity attendance.
This was the seventh time for this annual event to be hosted by the local Vintage Ploughing Association and the hardworking committee deserve the credit of the entire community for their dedication, enterprise and ingenuity in making the event such a popular success year-in year-out.
There was widespread shock and sadness throughout the local community and further afield last weekend on the sad death of Mr. Patrick (Paddy) Briody, Slanore and formerly of Portanure, Gowna who died peacefully at Cavan General Hospital on Friday last, 29th August after a short illness. Although he had been in failing health for some weeks prior to his death, his passing came as a great shock to everyone who knew him.
Paddy was well-known as a hardworking and industrious farmer. He took over the farming farm in his native Portanure as a teenager following the premature death of his father, and he continued to farm here, and later at his adopted home in Slanore, until shortly before his death. He always retained a great love for his native locality in Gowna and he was a proud and dedicated follower of the many successful Gowna football teams over the years. Above all, he was a wonderful family man and his dedication to his wife Marie, his four daughters and his four sons knew no bounds.
The massive attendances at the Removal of his Remains to St Patrick’s Church, Drumcor on Sunday evening last and at the Funeral Mass on Monday morning bore testimony to the esteem in which he was held in the locality. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Marie, sons Padraig, Thomas, Ciaran and Damien, daughters Ann, Brenda, Maeve and Geraldine, brother Noel, sisters Margaret and Rosaleen and other relatives.
This Saturday, 6th September, the Cornafean
footballers play one of the most important games of their 2003 campaign when
they take on last year’s Junior Champions Butlersbridge in the Intermediate
Relegation Semi-Final. This is a crucial game for both teams as victory for
either side will ensure that they preserve their Intermediate League and
Championship status for 2004. On past form the game promises to be a cracker.
The teams last met in the league in late June in a game which saw Cornafean
enjoy the better of the exchanges for most of the hour, only for the Bridge to
produce a dramatic late comeback with a goal and a point in the dying minutes to
force a draw, on a scoreline of Cornafean 0-12 Butlersbridge 1-9.
Hopes are high in Cornafean that the locals can produce a
determined performance on Saturday to overcome the tough challenge of their
opponents. Hopefully as many supporters as possible will turn out to give some
vital support to their team.
Cornafean GAA club are holding a members’ meeting next Thursday night, 4th September in the Clubrooms at 9.30 sharp. All members are asked to attend. Any members interested in entering the club draw for All Ireland Hurling Final tickets are asked to give their names to any committee member in advance of the draw or alternatively phone the clubrooms between 9.30pm and 10.15pm on Thursday night.
