Local Notes: Winners of the Tony and Bernie Towey Perpetual Cup at annual dance competition.
At the Tony and Bernie Towey Dance competition in the Brusna Inn were Mary Small and Ronan Kelly (right) being presented with the Tony and Bernie Towey Perpetual Cup by Gerry Towey. Picture James Hunt Photography.
There was no winner of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA lotto jackpot of €19,500 in the weekly draw held on Sunday, November 23, and the following were the four numbers drawn; 1, 15, 18 and 22. The winners of the €50 weekly prizes were Paul Cunnie and Eileen Gallagher. The latest jackpot increased to €19,600 and the draw was held on Sunday, November 30.
St. Joseph’s Community College Christmas Market takes place in the school, Lowpark, Charlestown on Thursday evening, December 4 from 6-8pm with the transition year mini-companies leading the way so to speak. Among the items on display will include homemade Christmas cards, calendars, cribs, decorative acorn, Christmas trees and lots more. All are welcome and it promises to be a super evening with plenty on offer to the general public who may well fancy an item or two in the market that would make a nice Christmas for a loved one.
The AGM of the Charlestown Sarsfields Ladies Club took place at the headquarters of Charlestown Service Station on Thursday, November 20, and there was a sizeable crowd present as the club looked back on another busy and successful year on the fields of play. The following officers were elected for the 2026 season; chairperson Siobhan Durkan, secretary Caroline Tiernan, assistant secretary Laura Hegarty, treasurer Susan Gallagher, assistant treasurer Trina Donohue, PRO Ella Brennan, assistant PRO Cailin Durkan, coaching officer Sinead Halligan, registrars Patricia Cassisy and Amanda Healy, Bord na nOg liaison and delegate Michelle Gallagher, player delegate Heather Johnson.
Tributes were paid to the outgoing officers for all their hard work and dedication over the course of their respective tenures and they were thanked most sincerely for their contributions in driving the club forward and putting the structures in place to allow the club to compete and thrive in all grades of football.
The new executive has a lot of very talented and ambitious people on board who have the vision and energy to build on the work of their predecessors and keep the club very much at the top table of Mayo ladies football. The underage continues to thrive with a number of outstanding successes achieved at the various grades of competition in 2025. The coaches were thanked most profusely for their hard work, dedication and commitment as they give of their time so generously and provide the best coaching and training to the many teams who compete under the Sarsfields umbrella. The club are lucky to have people of such outstanding calibre in their ranks and the club are very much on a sound footing in this regard and look forward to more good times ahead at underage level in 2026 The club’s flagship team, the senior ladies, enjoyed a good year overall, qualifying for the latter stages of the league and securing their senior championship status on the back of an excellent victory away to Castlebar Mitchels. Sinead Halligan and her management team were thanked most sincerely for their body of work as they left no stone unturned in the training and preparation of the team and got the very best out of the talent available to them which is all you can ask of any management team. There was disappointment to be felt around the room when Sinead indicated her intention to step down from the position with the team manager position for 2026 to be advertised on the club’s social media channel in the coming days and weeks.
The club remains on a sound financial footing thanks to some prudent spending and fundraising and the new committee have plans for a number of fundraising initiatives in the coming year, the details of which will be firmed up early in the new year.
The new executive were wished every success in their new roles and the meeting concluded by wishing everybody in the club a very happy and prosperous Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year. The date and time of the first meeting of the new year will be posted on the club’s Facebook page.
The annual general meeting will take place on Thursday, December 11, at 7pm with the venue to be confirmed.
Parish Christmas cards are available after the weekend Masses at St James’s Church, Charlestown and St. Patrick’s Church, Bushfield. Twelve Masses will be offered over the next twelve months for the intentions of those enrolled. This year the cards feature 3 scenes from St. James` Church with proceeds to benefit both churches. Suggested donations are €5 for 1 card, €10 for 3 cards and €30 for 10 cards.
Mayo’s new monthly indoor market will start on Sunday, December 14 from 11am-4pm at Julian’s Midfield and every second Sunday of the month thereafter. If you would like to trade at this event monthly, call 087 7957190. Stalls will be €20 and €25 if electricity is required (spaces limited). No hot food sales.
The AGM of Curry GAA Club will take place on Thursday, December 4, at 8pm in the clubhouse. All members are requested to attend as the club looks back on a busy year on and off the field.
There was a big turnout at the weekly bridge game held in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown on Wednesday, November 19, at 8pm, for what was the Margaret Ginty Memorial Trophy in memory of one of the club’s best known and most popular players. Margaret’s brother Michael Battle was on hand to present the winning prize which were as follows; 1st Hilary McDonagh and Tom Ginty, 2nd Frances and Robert Healy, 3rd James Mooney and Mary O’Connell, 4th Teresa Ward and Mary O'Malley.
There was a good turnout at the weekly 25 card game held at the Yeats County Inn, Curry on Tuesday night, November 25, at 9pm, and the following were the prizewinners;1st Joe Mahon and Kevin Maloney, 2nd Darby and Breege Leonard, Teresa McIntyre and Veronica McCarrick. Raffle winners were Miko Sheridan, Teresa McIntyre and Veronica McCarrick.
The death took place at St Attracta`s Residence, Hagfield, Charlestown recently of Hilda Brett, Bellaghy, Charlestown. Her remains were removed from Horkan’s Funeral Home, Lowpark to St James’ Church, Charlestown and burial took place after solemn requiem Mass to the cemetery of the resurrection.
Hilda is survived by her son James, daughters Verona, Grainne, Sinead, Nollagh, Vanessa and Shona, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and a wide circle of friends. The late Hilda, who was pre-deceased by her husband Sean and daughter Carol was a true lady who was a very popular and much respected member of the communities of Bellaghy and Charlestown respectively. She was a jolly lady with a keen sense of humour who always had a smile on display and these qualities and traits endeared her to many in the community. She doted on her family and took great pride in their health and well being and enjoyed the regular interactions with them on a daily and weekly basis.
She formed a tight bond with her late husband Sean and this made for a good team as together they ensured the family’s needs were met and provided for at all times. She loved a joke and was always up for a bit of banter and fun and embraced all that life threw at her with relish. She bore her illness with great dignity and never lost her enthusiasm for life and battled bravely right to the bitter end. The large crowds who attended the removal of her remains and subsequent burial was ample proof of the esteem and affection in which she was held. Her death robs the community of Bellaghy of one of its nicest residents but she leaves many outstanding memories which her family will cling dear to in the deep, dark hours and days that lie ahead. We tender our deepest sympathies to the bereaved.
Taisce Bheag Handmade Christmas Cards are available through messaging their page and can also be sourced through accessing their upcoming website. A percentage of the proceeds made from their cards will be donated to Mayo-Roscommon Hospice which helps to support care in the local community.
The death took place in Dublin recently of Eugene Harrington, Celtic Park, Beaumont, Dublin and formerly of Sonnagh, Charlestown. His remains were removed from his family home in Sonnagh, Charlestown to Bushfield Church and burial took place after solemn requiem Mass to Bushfield cemetery. He is survived by his wife Joan, daughters Siobhan, Aisling, Ceire and Sinead, son Fearghal, sister May, grandchildren, sons-in law, daughter-in law, sisters-in law, brother-in law, nieces, nephews, relatives and a wide circle of friends.
The late Eugene was well known in the roofing business and was a prominent employer in the Dublin construction industry for many years. He was a hard working man who knew the value of a good day’s work for a good day’s pay. He put in long hours and provided gainful employment to many from the Charlestown area and was always a fair taskmaster who was much respected and admired by his peers and colleagues in business. He never forgot his roots however and was a regular visitor to Sonnagh over the years where he had forged many strong links and lasting friendships. Eugene worked hard to get what he achieved in life and this stood him in good stead as he tackled all that life threw at him with typical determination and spirit. He was proud of his family and they meant the world to him as he enjoyed the regular and frequent interactions with them on a daily and weekly basis. Sonnagh has lost a good man in the true sense of the word and the large crowds who attended the removal of his remains and subsequent burial was ample proof of the esteem and affection in which he was held. We tender our deepest sympathies to the bereaved.
