SCHOOL NEWS -"Friends of Firoda" Newsletter Feb. 2000 issue

Wellington Race in Sydney

Past pupils race in Australia
Thanks for the emails, keep them coming. The weather is really picking up out here. Owens has headed for the bush and we have heard nothing from him yet, too much driving probably. Well the first ever Sydney Wellie race was a resounding success. The streets around Bondi were lined with bemused spectators who struggled to fully comprehend what was going on. About 15 hardy souls braved the sweltering conditions of 30 degrees (bit different from 'Comer, I'm sure)all attired in the most impressive fancy dress costumes ever seen around Sydney. We did the Major Regrets very proud indeed. Due to a lack of Powley professionally trained stewards, some confusion surrounded the actual route so we ran, or tried to run, for about a mile down the road and the race veered into a famous drinking hostelry, the Cock n' Bull tavern. After a brief stop for oranges and water!!! we set out again for the finish line and it could not have come sooner for a number of competitors, who shall remain anonymous. THERE WAS an exciting finish however, and race organisers officially called for a photo. Even this however could not separate the first three, myself of course and two others, so the race was declared a dead heat. That completes the account of the 2000 Sydney Wellie race. Hopefully it will be the first of many. Amazingly it was the first Wellie race that I was not stiff after!!!!!!! I'll be in touch again soon, Good Luck, Donal (Seb. Coe) Dunne. (also known as "Runners")

Local Knowledge?

The waterfall pictured below is in the Parish of Castlecomer. How many of you readers know where it is or better again, how many of you have seen it? The fall, which we must measure some time, is surely 30 feet high and is certainly a splendid sight. We recently featured this photo with others on the web site and put the question to many of our readers living abroad. We will give you the answer in the next issue of the Newsletter.

Firoda was well represented in this years Deenside Players production of "Sleeping Beauty" The pantomime which was most entertaining featured three Rothwells - Grace, Mark and Dáire and also Kevin McDonnell. Well done to all and hopefully in the future more of our past pupils will answer the call. Certainly going by the school plays, the talent is there.

Bereaved

Kathleen Dunne on the death of her father John Holden R.I.P. (Ballyhale)

Mining Artefacts - Photos

The pupils in the school are urgently looking for mining artefacts or photos or any other bits and pieces you may have, to do with mining in the Castlecomer Area. This is for a Department of Education & Science project that they are currently doing with the help of computers. If you can help by allowing us to photograph these items we will be most grateful. Please phone 056-41384 or 41131 or inform any of the parents.

Pressing the Keys

Fourteen adults, some parents of children in the school and some from the wider community are currently on a computer training course in the school. These are people who volunteered to help the pupils in the preparation of their project on coalmining which is about to head into full swing. The adults will arrange visits to old mining locations and will help the children to interview former miners and to collect photos of mining artefacts. The course they are undertaking is covering areas such as Word Processing, The Internet & Email, use of Digital Camera & Scanner along with other various applications.If you missed the meetings about the project or were unavailable to date and would still like to help out and get involved please contact the school. The work involves locating mining artefacts & information, interviews, visits etc. and all are welcome.

Bishops Visit to the Parish!

In preparation for Confirmation, Bishop Forristal will visit Castlecomer on Thursday next 2^nd. March. The Bishop will lead a Liturgy of preparation for Confirmation which will be held in the community school. This year in celebration of 2000 years since the birth of Christ all the parishes in the Dioceses are celebrating Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday. The Priests of the Parishes will receive a special blessing to empower them to administer the holy sacrament.

Millennium Stone

Firoda School will mark the Millennium with the erection of a Millennium stone and flagpole on the school rockery later in late Spring or early Summer. The stone will be engraved with the words "Firoda N.S. Millennium Stone- AD_2000" We currently have some funding for the project but need a bit more. If you can help out please contact the school or any member of the board of management.

Homeward Bound

Poor Auld Puss that featured in the last issue for her remarkable 6 mile trek home caught the "Cat Flu" and died a few weeks ago!!

Indoor Hurling Challenge

Firoda played host to Portlaois recently for a number of Indoor Hurling Challenges. The local lads however proved much too strong and the teams were mixed up to make for better games. All concerned enjoyed the occasion and hopefully similar games will be organised in the future.

The Old Schoolyard

Fancy living in the "Old Schoolyard" Now is your opportunity. The parish currently selling the site of the old school at Firoda. There is outline planning permission for two houses and with all the building going on in the locality this sale should prove very interesting.

Best wishes to our good neighbour Mick Kennedy who has recently been recently hospitalised. Mick has undergone a hip replacement operation and we wish him a speedy recovery. Belated best wishes also to T.J. and David Dunne who celebrated their 21'st birthdays before Christmas.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Friend of Firoda Seán Meally on his fine performance recently with Kilkenny Senior Hurlers against Cork. Seán lined out at full back and had an excellent game keeping forward of note "Joe Dean scoreless. Both Seán and another Friend of Firoda - David Buggy have just recently returned from a trip to America with the Kilkenny team as just reward for their fine run in last years championship. Both players are key-men on the Erin's Own team.

Senior and Junior hurling training commences this week while the schoolboys will start off next week.

How to tell if your ass is to small!!!!

1. "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."
2. "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body
3. "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
4. "It's no exaggeration to say that the undecided could go one way or another."
5. "I have opinions of my own -strong opinions- but I don't always agree with them."
6. "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
   

1. Hi it is really great to see so many photos and pictures of Comer.ie. I'll most certainly come back to visit your web page again. Congratulations to all Regards Karen Byrne Barnet Herts England
2. Hi, I found your wonderful site via www.local.ie. Great site and sounds like a wonderful school. You site attracted me because my great- great-grandparents are from Castle Comer. Anyone interested in writing to the USA! Cheers, Jim Brennan
3. As a former resident of Castlecomer and now a missionary in Brazil I am very impressed by the quality of the home page. With modern technology the world has really become a village. Congratulations on your work. I never though that Firoda school would become known around the world. I am a brother of Peter Boran, Donaguile. Best wishes, George Boran
4. Hello I am Dan Kervick from Windsor Locks, Connecticut USA and I have been researching my family name for many years. My great grandfather came to the USA in 1841 from Castlecomer (Clough). There are still some Kervicks/Kerwicks in your area. Do you know anybody by that name? Regards Dan Kervick

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