SCHULL

THE staff and students of Schull Community College wish to congratulate Daniel Patrick McCarthy from Ballydehob on his recent success at the European Universities Debating Championships. A past pupil of the college, Daniel Patrick and team-mate Steven Nolan reached the grand final of the championships, representing University College Cork. As a result UCC has climbed to fourth position in the world rankings in college debating. Daniel Patrick began his debating career in third year at Schull Community College, and was part of teams which won the West Cork Schools Debate and on two occasions reached the final stages of the UCC Philosophy Schools Debating Competition and last year Daniel Patrick returned to the college to act as an adjudicator in a school competition

HOG ROAST
After the enormous success of last year's combined Slow Food and Mizen Peninsula Archaeology hog roast and walk at Dun Lough, it looks like it was the beginning of a tradition. This year again, Stephen and Sarah Canty of Food for Thought have joined with sponsors, Febvre and Co., to cook up a magical picnic on September 16th. The fairy tale ruins are accessible, thanks to the kindness of land owner, Tommy and Yvonne Ungerer and Lee Snodgrass, local archaeologist, will give a talk on the history of this beautiful O’Mahony castle guarding the entrance to Dunmanus Bay. The Cantys are planning a mighty feast around some of the glorious food produced locally. The cost will be €40 per person with a €5 reduction to members of either association. The day will not be suitable for small children and dogs may not enter the lands of this working sheep farm. The hike to the castle is over rough ground so sturdy footwear is recommended. Bookings are essential and payment in advance can be made by cheque, postal order or cash to Food for Thought, Boleagh, Ballydehob. Any queries please contact either Stephen on 087 752894, or Sarah on 087528940. stephen @foodforthoughtwestcork. com, or sarah@foodforthoughtwestcork. com.

TIDY TOWNS
Thursday night is Tidy Towns night. Although the clean-ups are suspended for the winner there will be a monthly meeting instead to discuss new projects and ideas. The first monthly gathering will be on Thursday, 6th September, in the Pier Road car park at 8pm.

BLOOD PRESSURE
There will be a Blood Pressure Clinic held at the Schull Health Centre on Wednesday, 12th September, from 3.30 to 4.30pm. It is important for people of all ages to have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis. All are welcome to attend this free, confidential service being offered by your local Public Health Nurse with the Health Service Executive.

SET DANCING
The Schull Ceili Group resumes classes in set, ceili and steps on Thursday night in the Parish Hall 8.30. If beginners would come early it would be appreciated for a little pre briefing. The summer was very busy for the group and the dancers have been doing jigs and reels up and down the country. Schull Show and the Festival were both great successes and also the Irish nights especially for the visitors to the town. It gave holidaymakers a small experience of Irish culture. The ceili nights through the winter teach beginners through to advanced dancers and the first ceili is on November 27th at 3.00pm with Tim Joe and Ann. So now is the time to get fit and get in step with Annie and Bertie Moran leading the way. Any further information please call 28647.

LIFEBOAT SWIM
The second swim from Coosheen to Colla in aid of Schull Community Inshore Rescue Service took place last Saturday. Weather conditions were good and some of the more adventurous decided to swim both ways, a total of 2,400m, and set off at 11.30 am to swim over to Coosheen and back. The first back was Ned Dension from Monkstown in just under 30 minutes. David Merriman from Blackrock in Cork was close behind with a time of 35mins. The remainder of the swimmers were driven over by Paddy Molloy and Tony Keely from Schull was first back over the 1,200 meters in 22 minutes, closely followed by Sonia McKnight from Midleton. The event would not take place if it wasn’t for the drive and vision of Catherine Arundel and her usual helpers. Aspecial thanks to Joff MacPherson’s kayakers and Simon Nelson from the Schull Watersports Centre, the crew of SCIRS, Tim O’Connor and Dave Harte from the Schull Sailing Centre, Michael Barnett, Denis Ryan and Berni O'Regan for the use of their RIBS and Tom McDonald for the use of his slipway. Thanks to sponsors, Margaret Collins and her staff in the AIB Bank, Schull, Billy and Ann Hegarty, The Black Sheep, Jeremy Brosnan, EuroSpar, and The Irish Red Cross. Thanks to all those who travelled from all over to be at the swim and those who generously donated and the usual background people who are always there to giving a helping hand.

BALL NEWS
The proceeds of the In Season Ball have been accounted and they came to €4334. The pre-school committee, parents and staff would like to thank everyone that donated. The funds are going towards a much needed outdoor play area for the pre-schoolers. The committee is hoping to have the area up and running in the next few months. All products are ordered and it is hoped the work will begin soon.

BUNRATTY UTD
The season got under way recently for the juniors and with a largely depleted squad they have had a very poor start. A very young team lost out on penalties to Baltimore FC in the League Cup. Two weeks ago a weakened side lost out at home to Bay Rovers 3-0 in a match sponsored by Christy Burke. Last Sunday they lost 5-4 to Aultagh Celtic in Dunmanway in a match sponsored by Patrick Burke’s Bar in New York. The Fintan O’Callaghan and Killian O’Driscoll Memorial Tournament was played last week with Hegarty’s Heroes, Rose’s Warriors, EuroSpar Stars and Centra Spartens played out a round-robin tournament which eventually saw EuroSpar Stars win the shield. The tournament saw the use of a new set of flexible flags sponsored by Dan McSweeney. The annual collection in Schull in August was very successful and the success was down to the organised collectors who represented the club in such a positive manner. There was a draw after the collection for four prizes for the collectors,. Congratulations to Shauna McSweeney, Amy Dineen and Jordy O’Brien who won €20, and to Dylan O’Meara who won a voucher sponsored by Rose in Present Company. The website www.mizenonline.com is proving to be very popular among the players as it has the fixtures for upcoming matches on it. Finally, last weekend saw the under 14s win 3-0 and the under 18s lost 2-0.

BALLYDEHOB

EXCITEMENT is mounting in the locality as preparations are being made for the visit of President McAleese for Wednesday next, September 12, to officially open the new extension to the Community Hall. All members of the community are invited to attend. An t-Uachtarán will be arriving at 12.45pm and leaving at 1.30pm. We look forward to a wonderful day. Full details of the visit can be had from chaiperson of the Hall Committee, Mark O’Mahony at 028/37621 or 086/6089923 or from the honorary secretary, Jacqi Hodgson at 028/37400 or 086/2202049.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL
The council is to continue to press Cork County Council to clean up Audley Cove and make it attractive for swimming for both locals and visitors. Broadbrand will be available soon in the Community Council office and the website is due to be updated.

ICA
Autumn is upon us, despite the arrival of the long awaited sunshine, when the local guild of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association resume their regular monthly meetings after the traditional summer break. Ballydehob ICA will hold the first meeting of the new season on Thursday next, September 13, in the Community Hall. Guest speaker for the evening is Gabrielle Hoffmann who will give a demonstratin of scanner therapy.

LOTTOS
There was no jackpot winner in either of the local lottos at the weekend. The winning numbers in the Community Council lotto were 8, 10, and 16. The lucky dip winners included €50, M. Garton, €20, Anne Fitzgerald, Richie Hudson, T.J. O’Donovan and Kevin Coughlan. In the Gabriel Rangers lotto, the numbers drawn were 4, 21 and 30. Consolation prizes went to €50, Declan McSweeney, €40 Teresa Jones, €20 Patrick Bennett, Barry O’Brien, Marie Turner and David and Teresa, c/o The Black Sheep. The respective new increased jackpots are €1,200 and €3,600. Next week’s draws will be hosted by The Sandboat and Hacketts.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL
At its monthly meeting, Ballydehob Community Council discussed a number of items concerning the locality. It was announced that the President will be visiting the community in the coming week and a special effort is to be made to clean up the area for her visit, especially on next Saturday when any available people can turn up by the hall to give a hand. The Urban and Village grant was announced also and pleased to say that again the Council have qualified for this. The project this year will be the restoration of the old but beautiful bridge (part of the West Cork railway) near the playschool. A number of issues outstanding from earlier in the year will be taken up by the Community Council with the Co. Council. These include repairs to the walkway in the lagoon and the erosion of quay walls near the green hut. Also, traffic calming measures are needed to stop speeding in the 50km area of the village. It was hoped that people will continue to support the local lotto as this is the only income for your community and supports such schemes as alarms and medi calls for the elderly and to such recreational items as the peddle boats which were a great success this year despite the weather. On a West Cork scale, it was pointed out that the loss of the Swansea - Cork ferry has been a major blow to tourism in not just Ballydehob but all of West Cork and South Kerry and to that effect a campaign to pressure our public representatives is to commence to ask government to find an alternative company to remedy this ferry. We appeal to all communities in West Cork to approach their TDs and councillors to get this sorted for next years tourist season. It is also hoped to have the website updated soon which would be a new asset for promoting the area.

LADIES’ FOOTBALL
Last Tuesday week Drimoleague was the venue for a double header of ladies’ football. The opening game saw the U-14s play Beara in the championship which is run on a round robin system. This was a great game with direct football being played and the girls can be very proud of their performance as they stuck to the task for the full 60 minutes and were very unlucky at the final whistle to trail by a single point. The senior team then faced the same opponents, local rivals Beara in the 3rd round of the Senior County Championship. Gabriels started the game very well putting the Beara girls under great pressure which resulted in Gabriels kicking a few scores to settle the nerves. Gabriels played purposeful football from between the posts where Nora O’Regan was vocal to her defence and made two great saves which were sure to hit the net only for her standing tall. The full back and half back line were touch tight throughout and put the Beara forwards under pressure. Shona Combes got a hand to every ball that came her way and Sinead O’Leary had the job of marking Cork senior, Amanda Murphy, and this she did with style, focusing on her own game, winning ball and driving up the pitch. At the centre of the field Aoife Coughlan was superb using every inch of her tall stature to field great balls and win possession for her side. Likewise her partner in the middle Elaine Cotter used her experience to communicate to all around her and be the link between defence and attack. Clodagh O’Driscoll was pivotal at centre forward where her work rate never goes unnoticed. Maedhbh Westwood who is only back recently after a long term injury won great ball on the wing, taking on the Beara defence and laying ball into the full forward line. Just before the interval Beara got a crucial goal and at half time the score was 1-6 to 1-4 in Gabriels’ favour. In the second half Beara came out in force and tapped over a few scores to take the lead. Gabriels stayed fighting and worked the ball well up the field but found it difficult to pull the trigger and get the scores that they desperately needed. Beara repeated what they did in the first half and got a vital goal at the latter stages of the second half and the final score was 2-12 to 1-8 in Beara’s favour. The final score didn’t reflect the hard work and effort that Gabriels put into the game. This brings to an end the Senior team’s season and a special thanks must go to Brian Hayes for all the hard work, time and commitment that he put into the Senior team. The Junior team is still in action and last Sunday they faced Glanworth in the semi-final of the league and this game ended in a draw so the two teams will have to meet again to decide who will win a place in the final. On the county front, the Cork Senior team now know their opponents in the All-Ireland final and will face Mayo after they defeated Tyrone at the weekend. The All-Ireland final will take place in Croke Park on the 23rd September, where Gabriels’ star player Nollaig Cleary and her team mates will be bidding to make it three All- Irelands in a row. Best of luck also to Clare O’Brien who has reached the county junior ladies’ bowling final. The score takes place in Ballingeary on today, Saturday, at 6 p.m. A county bowling title for Clare would go nicely with her collection of football trophies.

SOCCER NOTES
Saturday night the Ballydehob Soccer club was in party mode as the club held its inaugural dinner dance at the Harbour View Hotel in Schull. A large crowd turned out for a most enjoyable night. The event was organised by Mandy and Raymond who deserve great credit for the hard work they put into. A special word of thanks also to all the sponsors and supporters who helped make the night such a success. On Saturday Donal O’Sullivan cycled all the way from Carrigaline to Ballydehob and raised €800 of much needed funds for the club. On the night, club chairman Kevin Barry on behalf of Ballydehob FC wished Mark Cronin all the best of luck as he heads off to Australia. Mark managed the club last year to two cup successes and is one of the top scorers each year in the West Cork league. His departure will be a massive loss to the club. Also heading off to Australia are two great supporters of the club, Ronan Cotter and Tadgh Cronin. We wish the lads well on their journey. Dermot Sheehan also made a presentation to Damien O’Brien for his excellent work in managing the team last year. On Saturday last the under 14s had their first competitive outing. The establishment of an under14 team is a first for the club and we wish the team well for the coming season. Saturday’s game was a home game against Clonakilty AFC under 14. The team was Thomas Barry, Jamie Roycroft, Stephen O’Mahony, Tony Shanahan, Alan Cronin, Shane O’Mahony, Tadhg O’Mahony, Bosco Minihane, Ronan Roycroft, Darren O’Donovan and Dave O’Mahony. The team is being managed by the former under 18 star Wayne Cronin. The score on the day saw the Hob losing 5-1. Bosco Minihane scored for the Hob with a cool finish at the other end Thomas Barry put in a man of the match performance. The team showed a lot of promise especially in light of the fact that a number of regulars were unavailable for selection. The score line on the day flattered Clonakility somewhat and did not reflect the closeness of the contest and the effort put in by the Hob. There are eleven teams in the West Cork under 14 league and we wish the lads the best in the coming season. The under 14s have their next outing on Saturday, September 15th, away to Clonakilty AFC under 14 youths. The junior team had their second league outing on Saturday against Crossmahon and gave an under par performance. The final score saw the Hob go down 3-1. Colin P. Brien got the Hob’s goal from the penalty spot. Anumber of the Hob players did not show the calmness and craft that we have come to expect from them. The previous week the Hob had done better beating Crookstown 2-0. Next Sunday sees the Hob travel to Drinagh for an 11 am kick-off. The following week sees all games off due to All- Ireland football final (unless both teams agree to play over weekend). The club would also like to wish Clare O’Brien the best of luck in her upcoming county final. Claire will be competing in the county final of the ladies’ junior bowling championship. Clare’s path to the final saw her win the Carbery section and then a county quarter and semi-final.

AN SANCTOIR
On Saturday, September 15th, from 4.30 pm onwards, An Sanctoir — a holistic community sanctuary situated one mile outside Ballydehob, signposted off the Bantry road, invites you all to join with them in celebration of a beautiful new floor in the centre. Activities will include a guided walk of the land; storytelling; bric-abrac stall and a blessing of the new floor with sacred song. Bring food to share-hot drinks provided. Suggested donations of €10/€15 families. For further information contact An Sanctoir on 028/37155 or check out the website

GOLEEN

THE West Cork rural transport evening service in the Goleen Parish may have been the first of its type in Ireland but it has turned out to be a marvellous success. Running on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and on busy Sundays, the bus has been always filled with people whether it was going to Bingo, taking or bringing people from a night out. Now that the winter is upon us and the needs will be different, that will not see the end of this service as demand continues. David O’Brien, manager, of West Cork Rural Transport has introduced this evening service to the Mizen Peninsula and it has been a great success. We would like to thank David and his team of drivers for their help. In the coming weeks a few changes will be made. People will be notified of these changes whether it is bingo, mass, community centre, or cinema, everything will be considered to continue its success. On this week’s Farmers Journal, a full run down of the service over the past few months will be featured. They spent an evening down in Goleen to see this service that Minister Eamon O Cuiv came up with.

COMMUNITY PLAYGROUP
The Goleen Community Playgroup opening hours are as follows: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. €7.00 per child per morning. Enquiries 35927. Parent and toddler group on Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. I.C.A. The Goleen ICAGuild meetings resume after the summer recess with the Guild meeting on Wednesday, September 11th, at 8.30 in Goleen Hall. The guest speaker on the night will be Helen O’Driscoll from the West Cork Community Partnership who will speak on women in the community and opportunities available to them. New members welcome and membership for the year is €26.

SCHULL HOSPITAL
The matron, Marian O’Donovan, and staff of Schull hospital thank all who supported the recent collection for the hospital taken in Goleen. The amount collected was €1,330. The ongoing generosity and support from the community toward the hospital throughout the year is tremendous. It is much appreciated and will be used to provide extra comforts for the patients.

GAA NEWS
The under-12 hurlers had a good win over St. Oliver Plunketts in the championship on Monday, August 27th. This was a very good team display. With every player doing their bit the half-time score read Mizen 2-5, St. Oliver Plunketts 0-1 which was not a true reflection of the play as the Mizen goal was lucky to survive intact on a few occasions. In the second half the opposition scored 3-3 to Mizen’s 4-5 leaving the final score Mizen 6-10, St. Oliver Plunketts 3- 4. They now meet Glengarriff in the semi-final. Panel: Keith Whitley, Cathal O’Sullivan, Eoghan Sheehan, Siobhan O’Driscoll, Ted Little, Daryl Connell, Shane O’Leary, Aaron Barry, Lisa O’Driscoll, Ciara Sheehan, Brendan Gaggin, Aisling O’Driscoll. The under-10 footballers had Skibbereen as visitors on Saturday, August 25th, and were beaten by a stronger team after an entertaining game. Fixtures: Thursday, September 6, under-12 hurling semifinal vs. Glengarriff, in Bantry at 6.45; Friday, September 7, under-16 hurling semi-final v Kilmacabea in Skibb at 6.45; Saturday, 8th, under-10 football at home vs. Glengarriff at 11.30. Check locally in case of changes.

COLLECTION RAISED
The amount raised in the recent collection taken up in Goleen and Lowertown church for the Senior Citizens Party came to €1,226. LOTTO MANIA On and on it roles to an all time record. Again no winner this week. The numbers drawn were 3, 26 and 28. ‘Lucky Dip’ winners were Gilbert Prez, Crookhaven, €40; Josie Keohane, Skibbereen, €20; Margaret Whitley, Toormore, €20, and Eamon O’Keeffe, Dunis, €20. Next week’s venue is O’Meara for a whopping jackpot of €4,200.

Team Ireland in Shanghai
GOLEEN table tennis coach, Owen Kelly, will be flying out to Shanghai with the Team Ireland for the World Special Olympic Games, at the end of the month. Owen, who coaches at the local Goleen as well as Bantry and Skibbereen Table Tennis clubs, was selected as head coach last year and has been working with the eight player squad for the last nine months. Table tennis is just one of the many sports that will take place in China over nearly three weeks of events. The whole team numbers in the region of 200 and over 800 family members and volunteers will make the long trip east. Owen has over twenty years of coaching experience within table tennis and has been the head coach for Munster Special Olympics for the last five years. This will not be Owen’s first trip to China as he visited one of China’s top table tennis clubs two years ago but, as he explains, table tennis is the number one sport in China and it is the sport’s spiritual home.

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