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"Conna & District News" Christmas 2005 Online Now All Latest News on these pages

Community Child Daycare Centre

750,000 euro has been given for building the Community Child Daycare Centre. It will be situated at the rear of the Sports Complex. We have agreed with the owner of the factory field on a sum of money to purchase the site and pending legal documentation being made ready all systems will go ahead towards stsrting the building work in the near future. We are delighted with the successful outcome of our negotations with the Department.

Garda CharlieO'Sullivan

Garda CharlieO'Sullivan retires from the force on July 4th. We wish Charlie the best of retirements. His wife Chrissie and their two children have lived in Conna for many years. Charlie has always been a very fair and independent Garda. He has been respected by allof the community for the good and difficult work he has done over the years.

Social Satelite Centre Complete: Will be Open Soon

The Centre has been painted and the commercial kitchen comissioned. We hope to have it in use for social events early this month, Jan 05.

Most of the Houses in Senior Citizens Project Occupied

There are very few houses unoccupied as we begin the new year. It is really great to see the people living there so happily.

Community Council Had Busiest Year Ever

We were coping with a huge workload prior to Christmas. There was no time to update this site as priority had to be given to preparing for Santa, Senior Citizens Party, the Newsletter to mention just a few.

Local Girl Had Narrow Escape in Tsunami

A Ballynoe girl had a lucky escape in Thailand when she was swept away by a wave. She managet to save herself .

St. Catherine's Win County Intermediate Hurling Championchip

The Saints went marching in on today Sunday Oct. 31st. Beating Coursey Rovers in the County Intermediate Hurling Final at Pairc Ui Caoimh in Cork City. We congratulate the team and all of their officials on this great win. They have indeed done themselves and the parish proud.

Great Anger in Parish as ESB Remove St. Catherine's Bunting from Poles

The ESB removed all of the St. Catherines bunting from the poles in Ballynoe and Conna villagesmuch to the annoyance and frustration of all people in the area. In a somewhat inexplicable action last Wednesday the ESB took this rather strange course of action after some fifty years of bunting and flags being draped from the poles. Not a good exercise in community relations ESB!. We have notified the press and intend to procure an explanation from the Board.

Autumn Issue of "Conna & District News" on Sale

At last we have the C & D News on sale. The reason for thie as wel as not updating this site was the huge amount of work which we have going on at the moment.

Online Edition Soon

The C & D News electronic edition will be available this week.

Winter Arts & Craft Fair in the Sports Complex Sunday Nov. 7 th.

This will be a huge event again this year, do not miss it there are over 40 exhibitors and it promises to be a very successful event.

New Community Council Elected : Some Newly Elected

We have eclected a new Council, or you the voters have. The votes were counted on Thursday 27 th. and we will publish the names as soon as people have confirmed and agreed to represent their area.

Trees Issue has been clarified, we have employed an engineer to look after the interests of the Council.

Vintage Rally a Huge Success

The Sun shone, the crowds came along and enjoyed a happy family day as the vintage machinery huffed and puffed and delighted many onlookers who had never seen such delights as a threshing machine in operation. Many old tractors, Fordson Majors, Alice Chalmers, and Nuffields to mention werew on display. Numerous sideshows attracted great interest. The Community Council had a tea stand there and there wqere many sellers of plants, books etc. The charities involved wish to thank the Conna Bride Vintage Club for going to extraordinary lengths to make this a huge success.

Conna Creamery Closed on June 18 th. A Sad Day for the Parish

Tommy Hurley closed the gate for the last time at the Creamery on Friday evening June 18th. It was a sad ocassion for the parish. Opened on the 1st. June 1933 it served the community well over the seventy one years. We all miss the Creamery, gone is a way of life that will never return. Like the blacksmiths forges the creameries are being consigned to history as the face of agriculture and the way of life in rural is going through a metamorphosis. But we have a strong community spirit and good people who are not afraid to call things as they are. Beware Glanbia, we will watch very closely, and will critically analyse any planning application that goes forward for the site.

Golden Jubilee Celebrations for Fr. Paddy Barry & Eilish O'Mahony:

Though Eilish is the mother of the editor of this Website I will try to give an unbiased account of thhe Golden Jubilee celebration. Mass at 8.00 pm. in the Church celebrated by Bishop John Magee and Frs. Paddy and John Barry. The Church was packed with well wishers from thenparish and outside of it, as well as members of the families.

Bishop Magee spoke warmly about the 50 years of loyal service that both Fr. Paddy and Eilish had given to the Church and to the Comunities in which they Served. Eilish was presented with a certificate and a medal from the Pope by Bishop Magee. The celebrations in the hall went on untill way past midnight. Copious amounts of food and drinks were available. most of the food was given by many local people who went to great lengths to prepare the hall for the celebration. We wish both Fr. Paddy and Eilish many years of continued happiness in their respective walks of life.

Latest Summer Edition of "Conna & District News" on Sale | Online Edition Soon

The 3 Tenors Concert

The 3 Tenors Concert was an outstanding success, see local papers for detailed reviews. Financially we broke even, but the concert drew so much praise and as a P.R. exercise we were well pleased.

Vintage Rally on Sunday June 30th.

The Conna Bride Vintage Rally will take place in Conna on Sun June 20th. The Community Council have an added interest this year as half of the profits will accrue to us as a result of a decision taken by the organising committee who are known for their generosity towards charities and voluntary organisations.

New Bus for Senior Citizens

We are to have a bus with all necessary equipment to enable people with disabilities to get on board. The grant from Government is forthcoming. We are delighted with this as it will allow us to broaden our range of services for the senior citizens.

Golden Jubilee Celebrations for Fr. Paddy Barry & Eilish O'Mahony

On Sunday June 20th. in St. Catherines Church Conna Bishop John Magee will celebrate Mass for Fr. Paddy, and Eilish. Fr. Paddy was ordained on the 20th. June 1954, and Eilish O'Mahony began working as sacristan at that time also. After mass which begins at 8.00. pm. there will be some refreshments in the hall. Congratulations to them both.

Corpus Christi Procession on Sunday June 13th.

The annual Corpus Christi Procession takes place on Sunday. We appeal to people to ensure that the area in front of their homes are swept for the ocassion.

Meetings in Castletownroche Set the Scene for New Body

On Monday May 24th. outgoing and prospective councillors from the Nort Cork area were invited to a meeting in Castletownroche to let them know how we as communities felt about the non provision of services in our respective areas. There was great anger and resentment at the withdrawl of the on street litterbin collection, and the meeting heard from seven villages about the neglect of the amenities that in many cases local people had created by giving of their time to the creation of shrub, grassed , and recreational areas. It was decided to call a further meeting and compose a letter to the County Council.

The Association North Cork Tidy Communities Formed

At the Thursday night meeting in Castletownroche the The Association North Cork Tidy Communities was formed. This alliance will put pressure on Cork County Council to deliver and state what level of services we are entitled to. A letter was drafted to the County Council and some of the issues raised by Castletownroche, Ballyclough, Ballyhooley, Conna, Drommahane, Freemount, Kilworth and Shanballymore were:

The quality and standard of service delivered by Cork County Council has become completely unacceptable and there is a general sense of apathy directed from the council to the communities. Rural areas are becoming doubly disadvantaged from inadequate county council policy and services.

North Cork is a model of community involvement. Each community is involved in a number of initiatives that greatly assist Cork County Council for example:
a. Hedge trimming, grass cutting, pruning, planting and weeding.
b. Litter picking, street sweeping and maintaining derelict sites.
c. All these activities are run at a massive cost. This cost is met largely by self-funding by community groups e.g. tens of thousands of Euro's spent on equipment, not to mention the man hours, For example, if we stop cutting grass, how much will it cost the council financially?

There are many other issues mentioned in the letter but it would be inpropriate to list them until the Council have received them.

Creamery Closure

The creamery will close on June 18 th. opened in 1933 it provided a milk intake service until the advent of the bulk tank in the early eighties. It was a focal point for many farmers and indeed many others who went along to the creamery for a chat and to hear the latest news. As part of Glanbia's strategic plan many smaller branches will close, this is a pity in many ways, it is a service lost to the local community. We believe that the site will be sold, probably for housing. If it is to be developed for housing we will ensure that the best type of housing with the lowest density possible will be built here. The planning will be carefully monitored.

Holiday

A very happy holiday to all of the fifty people who have gone to Donegal for the week. The will as always have a lovely holiday. We will not be told much about the good time they are having as they are a very secretive bunch. Hope the weather stays fine for them.

Tidy Towns Committee Will Not Empty Street Litter Bins

So here we go again, in a campaign being conducted over the print media which is the choice of Cork County Council in their dealings with local communities we are stating very clearly that we are not in a position to empty the street litter bins because of the dangers posed by speeding traffic, sharp objects wasps, etc. Of course we do not know where we stand regarding insurance cover either. Why can not the County Council with all of its staff and cleansing equipment empty a few litter bins each week? We do not know. But we will continue to air this issue while the local authority fails to discharge its statutory obligation to the people of the rural villages in the county.

Conna NOT to Participate in Cork County Council's Litter Free Districts This Year

As a mark of protest against the double standards of Cork County Council we are NOT to Participate in Cork County Council's Litter Free Districts This Year. With one hand they are not emptying the litter bins, and are manifestly neglecting their rural village communities in many othert ways, e.g. only sweeping the streets once a year when we beg them do do so before the procession. Not trimming the trees in the village, and many other areas are also being neglected by them. Then they run a Litter free Districts competition which is admirable, but how does this equate with leaving street bins unemptied each week?

Cork County Council Will Again Be Challenged by Us Re- Non Provision of Services

We intend to challenge them in the local papers again, we will not give up. This is election year for County Council's, when they call to your doors ask them why they are not doung any of the above.

Conna''s Most Senior Citizen Passes Away in Her 105 th. Year

Mrs. Roche better known as Mother Roche died on Saturday aged 104. Her long life in Conna saw so many changes, yet she adapted to them all and got on with life. She will be sadly missed by her two sons Michael and Paddy, and her daughter Marjorie. Her well attended funeral was marked by many fine tributes from Dean Goold and many local people.

Cork County Council are Not Emptying Litter Bins in Village The Campaign Continues

It is indeed very sad that Cork County Council are still not fulfilling their duty towards the people of Conna. There has been no attempt made to contact us since we contacted local papers to highlight our greviances. Now we are stepping up the campaign.

Record Sales of Spring Edition of Conna & District News

In spite of a price increase the sales of the quarterly "Conna & District News" have increased this weekend. We are striving to improve on quality and content. There were a few typing errors and one article was a little shorter than it should have been. This we hope to improve on for the Summer edition. Thank you very much for your generous support.

Monty's Pass Heads for Aintree

The horse is set to run in Aintree again this Saturday. He is in great condition, however he will be carrying extra weight as the race is a handicap. We wish him well.

Body of Missing Castlelyons Man Found

The body of a weell known Castlelyons man was found this Wednesday evening in the Brides Bridge area. A search had been on going for a week after the man was reported missing. Sincerest sympathy to his family and friends, may he rest in peace.

Spring Edition of Conna & District News on Sale this Weekend

We hope to have this big edition of the "Conna & District News" for sale this weekend. Hopefully there will not be any last minute gremlins in the works. We produce the magazine ourselves, and are going through a learning curve as we strive to become more professional with its production. Sadly we have to raise the price to € 2.00, but we are producing a bigger and better magazine, so better value for money!

Speeding Motorists Causing Great Concern in Village

Motorists are driving far too quickly in to the village from the Cork and Tallow roads.This is a matter of great concern to many people who have contacted us in an effort to bring the problem to the attention of everyone. The approach from the Cork side is very dangerous with the incline to the cross. When cars are parked around the cross especially where it narrows the danger is extreme. The drivers who speed in this area are in all probability going to cause an accident. We will notify the Gardai of the public concern.

The County Council are testing a well in the village area, they are believed to have high pressure results from the tests. This would be very good as the pressure in some areas is very poor.

The Three Tenors in Conna Sun. March 30th.

Yes this is true, at 8.00 pm. in St. Catherines Church Conna village on March 30 th. They are the tenors that appeared in Fermoy last year and drew a huge crowd. they have a large following. The acustics in the church are ideal for their singing that is why it is being used.

Rumours of More Housing Development for Conna

Rumours of the zoning of more land in Conna are rife at the moment. Unconfirmed reports are pointing to two sites within easy reach of the village. More info as it becomes available.

More Houses in Snr. Citizens Housing Project Almost Ready to be Allocated

Ther are now twelve houses almost ready to be lived in, that means that six more houses are available for us to let. More people will be moving in soon.

Cork County Council are Not Emptying Litter Bins in Village

"Why will they not empty the bins", answer "Because the new lorries are not able to unload the bins, and it would be a health hazard for us to empty them" say the County Council. But what about the voluntry people in the Tidy Towns Committee who have to empty the bins every Sunday night come hail or shine? We are getting very tired of doing all of this work for the County Council, we also have more than an acre of roadside grass to cut which we have had to buy a new ride on mower for. Should we change our name to Cork County Council Conna Division? Pardon the sarcasm if you will, but the County Council are not playing fairly at all. more news on this later.

Kearney nets to seal Irish win in Madeira Against Italy

Yes, Liam has done it in style again. He has proven that he can deliver super football in any forum and the bigger the better. This goal for the Irish U.21 team won the match for them, it was a header that many a seasoned striker would wish to score Perhaps this will finally put paid to that small minority who say that Liam is not a top class player. Good on you Liam..

"Who Wants to Be A Thousandaire"

The very popular Quiz show will take place in the Sports Complex Oct 15 th. 04. It will be in aid of Concern and Conna Community Development. We really believe that this is a night not to be missed. More news later.

Cork City fotball site

The Cork City fotball site eirways.com has ceased to exist. It was run by a Mr. O'Callaghan. The link from our index page now takes us to www.foot.ie where the latest news on City can be accessed.

Twelfth House in Senior Citizens Complex Being Painted

The work is continuing at full speed to complete the last house in this phase of the work. The remaining eight houses are at an advanced level of completion. So we are within sight of completion, this will be our greatest achievement to date and well worth the effort. It is so nice to see the residents settling in and all content, the nucleus of a new community beginning.

Minister for Health Officially Opened Nursing & Convalescent Home

Micheal Martin performed the official function of opening the Nursing & Convalescent Home on Friday February 13th. He was loud in his praise for the layout and design of this wonderful facility. Pat Beecher one of the directors of the Home thanked the minister and all responsible for the planning, building and running of the business. He was lavish in his praise for the assistance and goodwill offered by Conna Community Council since the beginning of the project.

The play "Steel Magniolias" produced by Ann Hayes is an excellen production, very well acted by the six ladies. Will be staged again soon in the Hall.

Do bring a team to the Family Table Quiz in aid of Community Development. €20.00 per table. Promises to be a very good night.

Comunity Care & Tallow Races

The sum of €1,250 was made as a result of the Committee running the soup, tea and coffee stand at Tallow Point to Point races which were held in Jimmy Mangans fields by the river on Sunday. The effort made by the ladies and gentlemen manning ? the refreshment bar is to be commended. It was a question of all hands on deck, and a very enjoyable day was had by all, well done. Thanks to Tallow Point to Point Race Committee for being so kind again this year to allow us have the refreshment tent.

Cemetry History Records

Pa Barry & John Gough are working on old Conna cemetry record books transcribing Death Registrations of Ballynoe District from 1864 onwards. The work will be produced in book form when complete. This is a very time consuming process requiring a great deal of time and patience. It also means that they must spend every Monday at an office where the records are kept.

Drama

A play called "Steel Magnolias" is being acted by Conna Dramatic Society in the Hall on Sat. 14 th. and Sun. 15th. February. See adverts in shops and local papers.

104 years old

Mrs. Roche is 104 years old to-day. We wish her well and hope that she will enjoy the day. She is living at home and being cared for by her daughter Marjorie and son Paddy, her other son Michael lives in Youghal.Mrs. Roche is the owner of Roches Public House at Conna Cross, she was born in Clashagannive Conna and her maiden name was Gallagher. She came to live in Conna when she married Richard (Dick) Roche and has remained there ever since. So Mrs. Roche is now entering her 105th. year and that is a record for Conna. She reads the "Avondhu" every week and has a great interest in all things local. The President, Her Excellency Mrs. Mary McAlese president of Ireland has sent a silver medal to Mrs. Roche to commemorate the great occasion. Conna Community Council wish to extend their congratulations to Mrs. Roche and her family on this happy day.

Conna Village Electoral Area

Proposal to Divide for Community Council Elections as a Result of Population Increase. At a recent meeting of representatives from the eight electoral areas within the Council it was decided to divide the village in two as a result of the increase in population. The proposal which will be put to the next Council meeting asks the members to pass the recommendation which will create the additional area of Conna Hill beginning at the cross and encompassing Castlebrook, and going up the hill as far as Anthony's house.

Social Satelite Centre

We are pleased with the progress being made on the Centre which is located within the Senior Citizens Housing Complex. It is roofed and covered and the windows and doors are in place. David Feeney and the men with him are proceeding well with the work.

New Litter Bins

New Litter Bins for Village Soon - New Ride-on Grass Cutting & Mulching Machine Being Bought by Conna Community Couuncil.

We are buying new bins they will be placed strategically in the village. The more bins we buy the better chance we have of of maximising the grant which will be available for emptying them in to the new wheelie bins. We need bins anyway, and we hope to paint the old ones black.

Mrs. Ellen Roche Conna looking Forward to Her 104th. Birthday on Jan 28th.

Mrs. Roche will pass the 104 mark on January 28th. She is in good form having been unwell for a little while prior to Christmas.

Speculation Mounting Regarding Creamery Site

Many people are wondering what will happen to Conna Creamery when it closes on May 1st. We are reliably informed that there are three builders and one businessman interested in the site. We can only hope that whatever happens there will be an addition to the village.

Framed Picture of "Monty's Pass" Presented by Jimmy Mangan

A beautifull picture of "Montys Pass" has been presented to us by Jimmy & Mary Mangan.We intend to mount it on the wall at the entrance to the Complex.

Cork County Councils Village Litter Bin Collection : New Arrangements

Up to forty villages in North Cork will be expected to empty their own on-street litter bins under the new refuse collection system. designed only to accept the new wheelie bins. Other containers, including on-street litterbins, cannot be used for health and safety reasons.

A number of arrangements were proposed to deal with the difficulties facing smaller communities who, up to now, had their litter baskets regularly emptied by the refuse collection staff. "A wheelie bin, or two if necessary, will be provided free of charge", said Aidan Weir, Senior Engineer with the county council."The community will empty the local litter bins into the wheelie bin weekly or fortnightly, depending on the service, and present the wheelie bin for collection in the usual way".

Cork County Council are proposing to pay between €300 and €500, depending on size, annually to the community as a contribution to their efforts and costs. We in Conna hope to avail of this offer and will now proceed with the purchase of new litter bins.

Assault on Chairman of Tidy Towns Committee

Assailant Receives- 10 Years Bound to the Peace- Suspended Sentence- & €1000 Fine.

A local man was convicted at Tallow District Court of assaulting John Walsh Chairman of Conna Tidy Towns Committee. The assault took place on November 11th. 2002 in a public house in Conna village. For legal reasons we were unable to publish this news prior to the case being dealt with by the courts.It was a very traumatic experience for the Walsh family, and particularly for John who was very upset by the incident. John was confronted by the assailant as he was in the gentleman's toilets of the public house and struck in the left eye, he was stunned as a result of the assault. The Community Council are saddened by such an event. The reason for us publishing this news is that John was assaulted because he was involved in reporting the man in question for littering the village. His assailant was taken in to custody pending his appearance at Dungarvan Court this Wednesday. The Council sincerely hope that this sort of incident will never again take place. We extend our sympathy to the Walsh family, and hope that closure has now taken place.

Barry Bros.

Barry Bros. facility to open this week with twenty jobs being provided by a company from Wexford involved in the treatment of cattle hides for export to China. This is good news for the area a many more people will be employed in the business over the coming year. Many of the workers are foreign nationals, and they are welcome indeed. Local people are also being employed.

Deplorable connection difficulties prevented us from updating the site via FTP during the holiday period. Very slow speeds would not allow Dreamweaver's File Transfer Protocol yo upload content to the site.We apologise for this to all of our loyal visitors.

Conna had a very peacefull holiday this year with most people enjoying a quiet Christmas.

The Recycling Centre is really a great service to have available to us. There are now tons of bottles and packaging material being recycled. Previously this material would have been burned or placed in the rubbish bins.

Monty's Pass paid a visit to the Retirement Convalescent Home on Saturday. The people in the home were delighted to see him and Jimmy Mangan received a great welcome. This ends Monty's visits for this year, the por fellow will be delighted with the rest not to mention Jimmy and the Mangan family.

CCTV camers are now fully operational around the Hall and Complex.

The Disco held on Friday night was very successful, no trouble and a great atmosphere.

The Carol Service in Conna Church was excellent with Choirs from Ballynoe, Curraglass, Glengoura, and Conna taking part. This was a first, and it is hoped to move about the three churches in the coming years. Well done to all the organisers.

We did manage to get the "Conna & District News" published this weekend. The Online version will be up soon, this will include the Births, Marriages & Deaths which were mistakenly omitted from the printed edition. this was due to our being extremely busy with the various events taking place at this time of year.

Creamery to Close

Conna Creamery will close its doors on the 1st. of May 2004. The announcement was made last Thursday by Glanbia as part of a Consolidation programme. This is sad news for the village and surrounding area as another service will be lost to the people. Some years ago the creameries in the area discontinued taking in milk with the advent of the bulk tank. The creamery was always a meeting place for farmers, and indeed many people went there for a chat and to hear the latest news in the days wen milk was taken in. Now we can only hope that whatever happens to the site will be good for the village.

We are trying to get the Conna & District News" out for this weekend, but we are extremely busy with Santa and the Party for Senior Citizens, plus numerous other activities.

Saturday morning 10.00 am. mass will now be celebrated at the Convalescent Retirerment Home.This will continue to be the case on in to the future. There will therefore be no Saturday morning mass in Conna Church.

Two More people have moved in to Senior Citizens Housing, more to follow this week. Mrs Josephine Leahy, and Mrs. Joan Pratt have taken up residence in the complex. Three more people will move in this coming week.

Tallow Area Credit Union Will Sponsor Newsletter for the Coming Year, we are delighted to have such sponsorship from the Credit Union. It is worth E.250.00 and helps cover the cost of producing the "Conna & District News".

It is hoped to unveil the plaque to the Canadians on the day of the Senior Citizen's party Dec.14th.

The Roofing of the Social Satellite Centre is under way, all of the timbers are in position now and slating is almost ready to commence.

New Recycling Bins Will be in Place at the Sports Complex Very Soon, all of the site has been prepared for the facility and the containers are ready to be placed in position.

Liam Kearney signs two-year contract with Cork City F.C. and is in the Irish U 20 World Cup Squad. Liam signed last week and is now in the United Arab Emirates with his City friend Kevin Doyle.

Parish Mission was a Huge Success, very good numbers of people attended the mission week to hear really well prepared and very interesting sermons preached both by priests and Henrietta the lay missioner. Many people speak of the spiritual lift the mission has given the parish, certainly the missioners are in touch with the modern world and have very interesting ideas to challenge the way we live today. We as a community are enriched by the visit of the missioners.

Noreen Hamilton Elected Chairperson of Community Council, we have a lady chairperson and Noreen is pleased to have been chosen for the job.

Catherine Clancy new Chairperson of Sports Complex Management Committee, Catherine was elected and willingly agreed to accept the post. So two ladies doing very important jobs in the Council.

Marie Clancy & Gerard O'Mahony elected as parents representatives on New School Board of Management.

Work has commenced on the construction of four new houses next to the Church in the village.

A full report on the Community Council AGM will be posted this weekend.

Imagine a lady missioner, well no need to any more, we have one in the parish for this mission. Henrietta O'Meara is working with the Redemptorist mission and she is well able to speak, this is a refreshing decision and a very welcome one.

Launch of 2004 Martell Aintree Grand National on Tuesday night at Jimmy & Mary Mangans. There will be a huge marquee and all of the VIPs in the racing industry will be there. plus a huge sporting media presence.This is a by invitation event.

More people are moving in to the Housing Project, several people have been informed that they have qualified for housing. We are now seeing the fruits of our labours, it is delightful to see many happy people coming and living together. They are of course creating the nucleus of a new community in Conna.

The Council AGM is on this Monday night at 8.30.pm. Do come along and listen to what is going on in the Community Council at this time. We are very busy at this time and there is lots to find out about.

Armistice Day is 11th. November let us think of all who died in the Great War, and especially those from this area.

The Senior Citizens have had their monthly morning session in the hall, thirty four people attended and enjoyed the experience.

It is good to see the Nursing & Convalescent Home open, everyone was invited to come along and see what the home was like and many hundreds availed of the opportunity.

The parish mission begins next Saturday, well worth going to, there will be a lady preacher this time as well as the three priests.

Our Winter Art and Craft Fair was very successful. We will stage it again please God. There was over E. 2,200 profit from the day.

The link LIFESAVER is to a site designed by Sharon Hannon, she has proved that the benefits of B17 should not be overlooked in the prevention and treatment of cancers.

The first people to move in to the Convalescent & Rertirement Home have done so. Next Sunday is anopen day at the home and all are welcome. We wish Pat Beecher and the other directore the best of luck with the venture.

Congratulations to Liam Kearney on being chosen for the Irish U.21 team for the World Cup in the United Arab Emerates beginning on the 28th of August.

What do you think of the latest GAA results page we are linked to? , we hope you enjoy it.

The Parish Social was hugely successful, and a great event marking the many achievements that this parish has been fortunate to have had over the pasr year.

Two more families have moved in to Castlebrook.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the 28 houses proposed for Conna Hill will be reduced to 6 houses as a a result of a decision by Cork county Counci. We have yet to hear officially if this is correct but reliable sources have stated that this is the case. ( Still Unconfirmed)

The substructure for the new roof is now in position and the work will be completed next week, the weather is excellent for this work.

We have been very busy with the Conna & District News, this is a big edition on account of the Horticultural Show and the Tidy towns reports. I would have updated the site were it necessary to do so.

There is great concern regarding the proposed new housing, many people are expressing concern.

The Parish Social is an event not to be missed, there will be presentations made to Jimmy and Mary Mangan, Dean Goold, and Mary Gough. This is an event not to be missed there will be food and a bar extension, music supplied by "Pacific Blue". Tickets Eur. 20 from the shops or Communirty Council members.

The Youth Club is up and running as a result of many parents volunteering for duty.

Planning Permission is being sought for 28 houses in the field behind the Housing for the Elderly and in front of the old parish priests house. Grave concerns are being expressed by residents of the village and the surrounding areas regarding the dangers that will be very real when a probable fifty cars will attempt to jooin the main road at Conna Cross. This is a very dangerous junction already. The Community Council will inspect the plans during the coming week. It is fair to say that we welcome new people to the area, but we have no intention of letting Conna become a town.

The Cork 20 Rally will be going through Kilclaire on Sunday at 12.15. pm. Go there early as the road will be closed to normal traffick.

The Council has bought at a very good price 50 tables and 100 chairs, these are from the FAS canteen in Cork, they will be collected on Friday Oct 10 th. We badly need these tables as we usually have to borrow them.

We are in the process of agreeing on a plan to submit to an architect for the Childrens day care centre. When the plans are prepared we will then apply for funding.

Caslebrook Residents Association has been formed, good news indeed, they intend to work closely with the Council. It is really important that this has happened as the builder will be finished soon and the estate will need to be managed by the local residents.

The Parents Association held a very successful Fun Dayon Sunday in the Sports Complex.

Bookings are flowing in fast for use of the Sports Complex, book now or a time may not be available. 0585 9322

Fr. Paddy Barry a retired missionary priest from South Africa and born in Conna parish has moved in to his new home in the Snr. Citizens Housing project. We wish Fr. Paddy many happy years in Conna and we know that all who have met this most kind affable man will concur with this wish. The house he occupied will be demolished to make way for two new houses which will bring the total number built to twenty.

The Open Day at the Senior Citizens Housing Project attracted over 150 people. The were pleased with the layout of the houses and the standard of finish. There were no negative remarks, indeed compliments were flowing. There is great interest in the houses so if you wish to apply contact us immediately. The first house will be occupied on Friday.

Liam Kearney was brought on to the Cork City F.C. team on Friday night for the second half as Bohemians were one goal up. His skilful use of the ball was delightful to see, he delivered a volley from twenty five yards out on the left wing which hit the back of the Bohemians net, the shot was unstoppable. The City fans went wild with delight, but the Conna supporters were ecstatic, this goal was superb, we all knew Liam was good but this display was fantastic. He lifted the spirit of the team, they would have won but for three penalties being denied them by yet another Dublin referee and linesman who FAILED to see blatant infringements. The sporting press praised Liam's efforts, he is a player they will be closely watching from now on.

The Tarmacadam has been expertly laid on the driveway and around the first twelve houses in the project. This has made a huge difference to the site, it is now well worth a visit. Pop along on Sunday afternoon to see the houses. We believe that they are the excellent and a credit to all involved.

A Welsh T.V. crew were filming in the Village recently, Conna is situated near the 52nd. parallel laititudinal line. They have followed the line across Europe visiting every village and town on or near it. It will be shown on Welsh T.V. on January 7th. Details to follow.

Recycling containers will soon be in place at the Sports Complex.

As a result of recent developments there is an increasing ammount of grass to be cut in and around the Village. We are going to meet the County Council soon in an effort to get some assistance in this regard. Our voluntary workers are kept very busy cutting grass.

There are technical issues still to be resolved since we moved to VDS servers. The hit counter on the front page, as well as the guest book are not functioning. We hope to have this issue resolved soon.

We are delighted with the Horticultural Show, this year had more entries, more exhibitors, and a very large number of people attended. The Show is rated as one of the best of its kind in Ireland.

All of the people who commute to Cork were delighted to see the Watergrasshill bypass open this morning. It is psychologically shortening the journey, and in all probability will save time. So goodbye to the Hill, and the people living there can gave their village back at long last.

Fantastic News ---------- We have just been granted Euro 150,000 towards the Social Satelite Centre. This should enable us to complete the project years ahead of time.

The Website is now hosted on an advanced server, this will increase connectivity and logon times will be faster. I was unable to upload new files for some days because of this change, my apologies.

Sunday Sept 21st. will be the Open Day for the Senior Citizens project. All are welcome.

St Catherines Camogie Club wins County final. Congratulations. Catherines 2-5 Valley Rovers 1-4. This was the junior A Championships, it was a first for the parish.

Plants and gardens have ben tastefully laid out in the Senior Citizens Housing. John Walsh and his Tidy Towns people plus many helpers have assisted greatly in this work.

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Marian O'Keeffe will soon be starting on the Community Employment scheme.

We wish to thank Eugene Hurley for all of the willing help and assistance he gave to the CE scheme over the years.

Liam Kearney Signs for Cork City F.C.

When Conna supporters of Cork City F.C. went to the match against St. Pat's on Friday night they were delighted to be told by the City manager Pat Dolan that Liam Kearney had been signed by City. We really wish to congratulate Liam and his family on this excellent news. Liam is now signed for one of Irelands top clubs.and his career can only benefit from this. The following is what the City Website had to say ...

Cork City have signed former Irish youths star Liam Kearney on a two-year contract. The ex-Nottm Forest player, a native of Conna, just outside Fermoy, comes highly recommended by Brian Kerr and can play on the left-wing or in the left-back position.
Liam, 20, has also played on the right-wing for Ireland, scoring from that position against Korea in January.

The house and and some land which was formerly Colemans farm, and the antique shop, has been sold to a Welsh man. He is renovating the house and hopes to live there soon. The house is on the bend where the Conna Welcomes you sign is on the Cork road.

The preparation of soil and gardening work commenced in the Senior Citizens Housing project on Wednesday night. A great deal of progress was made. a special thanks to all of the people from Castlebrook who came along to help.

It is likely that a Craft Fair will be held in Conna this winter. More news as a soon as developments occur.

You may recall that Sister Patricia McCarthy from Ballynoe was involved in a very serious accident in Australia. The medical prognosis was worrying. We are delighted to be able to tell you that Sister Patricia has a made great progress in recent months. The outlook going forward is now very good. The McCarthy family wish to thank all of the people for their good wishes and prayers which have been of great comfort to them. We pray that Patricia will continue to make speedy recovery.

The Recent Photos show how many of the new developments are progressing. The Convalescent Retirement Home is almost complete.

The Senior Citizens Housing project is going very well, soon we plan to have an open day.

The memorial plaque to commemorate the gathering of the Hagerty, Uniac, and Regan families will be unveiled by Bridget Sheehan soon. It will be placed on the inside wall of of the Muintir hall once the roof has been replaced.

The Summer camp is running in the Complex and field just now. A very happy group of children are enjoying all of the fun and games in this delightful weather.

The new roof on the Muintir Hall is almost ready to begin.

A decision was recently made to to make all of the Muintir Hall and the downstairs part of the Sports Complex wheelchair accessible and easy to navigate for elderly people and little children. The Council are pleased to announce that this work has been completed by David Feeney and Sons. So from now on it will be very easy for people to go around the building. Three sets of steps had to be removed , and a slope of one inch per foot of rise on the original steps had to be found by sloping away from the steps.

It is hoped in the near future that a date will be announced for the viewing of the new Senior Citizens Houses.

New Litter Bins are being purchased by the Community Council for the village. These will be a welcome addition to the street. Sadly some of the bins in use at the moment are being used for the dumping of domestic refuse.

A big thank you to everyone for supporting the Coffee Morning in the Hall. We made € 700 for Muscular Dystrophy.
Ann Dineen-Barry

The Mass on the Grass in Castle Brook was a huge success with most residents attending. Dean Eamon Goold assisted by Fr.Leader said Mass. Liam Doocey sang and played the guitar. Dean Goold welcomed all of the new residents and in appropriately chosen words spoke of the great community spirit that dwells in Conna. He said that there was a great welcome for anyone who came to live in Conna. Everyone was pleased with the Mass annd wish to make a day of it next year.

The Monty's Pass signs will be placed under the existing "Conna Welcomes You" signs. The background is purple and the lettering is yellow, yes you guessed it St. Catherines colours. In the center there is an oval with a horses head painted in. The lettering reads " Home of Monty's Pass Winner Aintree Grand National 2003" in celtic script. A celtic border surrounds the lettering with appropriate corner pieces.

Work has begun on removing the steps from the doorway of the Muintir Hall, a graded slope will replace them.

Work will begin replacing the old roof on the hall soon

Conna Tidy Towns were presented with a € 200 cheque from Cork County Council on Monday night. The ceremony was well attended and a credit to the County Council. John Walsh, John Leahy, Eugene Hurley, and Gerard O'Mahony were representing Conna.

The Shannagary Artists are having an exhibition in Midleton beginning on Sunday next. Mary Gough is one of the people involved.

The very last house is now beginning to be built in Castlebrook. Due to soft and loose ground the builders have dug down twenty feet to find suitable foundations.

John Noonan from Ballybride has won a car in the Loretto School draw, congratulations.

Eamon Goold our Parish Priest has been appointed Dean. He will hold the office in Conna and will not be moving. We wish to congratulate him on his appointment as Dean of Cloyne Doices.

Conna & District News The sales were excellent Thank you all for supporting us. This issue was completely produced by the Community Council, from content to printing. The next issue( Autumn) will have more content and the inside photos will be of a much higher quality. The online edition will be up on the 4 th. of July.

We must do a reprint of the Conna & District News, all issues sold out.

MaryGough retirement Mass and party was a huge success. The singing and participation by so many children at the Mass was delightful.

Thank you all for using our Website, it is delightful to provide a service that is accessed by many people.

The Conna Bride Vintage Festival was a resounding success, the crowds came in their thousands. The organisers were very pleased with the event. The Fordson Majors, Ferguson Twenties, and Alicer Chalmers, have had their day out. These machines of yestr year are viewed with delight by the younger generations.

Kevin Ryan from "The Grange" Curraglass has been honoured by being asked to sing with the choir for the opening of the Special Olympics. Kevin is delighted to be asked, and we wish him well.

ESB Shops in Fermoy and Midleton to close soon, the announcement is a pity as people from this area availed of the many offers the ESB had over the years.

The Corpus Christi procession took place after the 11.30. Mass in Conna on Sunday June 22nd. There was a very good number of people present. The Sun shone, and the ceremony was excellent.

Sincerest condolences to our Playschool teacher Breda Byrne on the recent death of her father Michael Harrington in Glengarife recently.

There are no plans to build further groups of houses in Conna. Land for building is not available and the only area where building is likely to take place is the County Council ground adjacent to the Cemetery. This land is to be sold in single sites to people who qualify. They can then build their houses on these eight serviced sites.

We are doing well so far in the Tidy Districts competition with a mark of 85% for the past week. All of the people you see removing litter and cutting grass are volunteers. Without them the village and its surrounding area would not look so well.

Will you do your bit to help keep Conna Tidy? Pick up that paper and bin it.

Castle Brook is Sold Out, all of the houses in this beautifully appointed estate have been sold. It is easy to see why, the quality of the houses is excellent, the gardens and green area look very well. Most importantly the people in the estate are delighted to have moved there.

The Retirement & Convalescent Home is really coming along at speed. The coming two months should see the inside work nearing completion. No effort has been spared regarding the quality of materials, or workmanship. It is a well laid out building and will be a great asset to the community.

The third house in the Senior Citizens Housing project is now being painted. This work s being done voluntarily. If anyone wishes to come and help telephone 058 59286, E-mail or contact Eugene Burley, Mary O'Mahony, Catherine Clancy, Marelyn Montpelier, Gerard O'Mahony.

It is hoped to organize a Bazaar to raise funds for the Senior Citizens Housing project. This will take place in October / November. Will you keep any suitable items and we will sell them to assist with the project.

We wish to welcome many new families to Conna who have arrived very recently, Castlebrook is now their new home and we wish them many years of happiness.

The St. Catherines Camogie Club will have their Website hosted here within the coming weeks. We look forward to having it on the Conna site.