Wed April 22nd 2026
The Hill:
A date for your diary, next Tuesday April 28th at 8.30pm. A meeting will be held in the Hill, to elect a new Hall committee.
The future direction of our hall will be decided on the night as we have a choice to make, elect a committee and let the hall continue as before, or the community take a lease on it, take it out of Parochial control where a vast amount of funding would be available. This type of funding would allow lots of improvements to cater for all the needs of our parishioners young and old for the future. Under funding rules from the various state agencies, parochial halls are not eligible to draw down grants. A number of parishes have gone down this road, and it has proved very successful for them.
It’s not a time to sit on the fence and think others should do the work, this is a chance to bring about big changes and make the hall a multi-purpose facility catering for all groups and age categories.
We urge all user groups to send at least two representatives to this meeting, plus those who would have an interest in such a plan for our parish you are more than welcome.
In discussions with Fr Kenny earlier this year, he is all in favour of this move, so we look forward to the possibly of a new chapter in the life of “The Hill”.
The late Fr Macauley would say about people, who would complain about lack of facilities saying, “they should provide facilities”. He’d reply who are “They”, they are us, so now “US” need to put the shoulder to the wheel. See you there on the night.
Afterschool Feasability Study:
An independent feasibility study is being carried out to ascertain the need for an afterschool facility at St Mary's NS, Newtowncashel. If you are intending to send your children to our school in the coming years, we would be grateful if you could forward your email address to: chairpersonstmarysns@gmail.com before Friday 1st May 2026, so that we can include you in our survey.. If your children already attend the school, you will automatically receive the survey.
25 Card Drive:
Results of Monday nights 25 Card Game as follows:
Winners: Pauric & Ger Hand on 13 games
Runners up: Paul Kelly & Barney Donlon on 10 games.
6 full tables with each pair a winner for last game.
Dan Rooney of Longford Hospice Homecare was in attendance to receive a cheque for €5,000 from all the players over last 6 months, a great winters work for such a worthy cause. Well done to all who supported it over the long winter, also to Fiona and staff in The Local for hosting the event and for the lovely refreshments served each night.
GAA Lotto Results:
Lotto draw held on Monday 20th April 2026
No's drawn: 09-11-19-30 No jackpot winner.
Draw winners:
€30 €5 envelopes to Derek Casserley
€30 to Patricia Merrigan
€20 each to Liam, Michael & Aoibh Muldoon and Andrew Donlon.
Next weeks draw will be held in The Local on Monday 27th April and the Jackpot is €2,100.
Lotto team on next week's draw is Declan Murtagh, Paul Kelly and Herbert Farrell.
Thanks for your support.
Townlands Trivia:
This week we look at Fortwilliam, pronounced as written and first recorded in 1612 as Lyswilliam. Official Irish name is Lios Liam. Surprisingly the name long predates William of Orange and is evidently that of a local Irish landholder: an O’Farrell with a Norman first name? The annals record several. Williams homestead.
Liam Finnegan.