Local notes: School events to mark Wellbeing Week
Foxford local, Marie McDonnell, was the lucky winner of Gala Retail’s Home or Away store promotion, winning a holiday voucher worth €4,000.
The National School pupils at Scoil an Croí Naofa in Foxford will this week participate in several activities as part of ‘Wellbeing Week’ which runs until this coming Friday, May 10.
Today (Tuesday) the children are being encouraged to wear bright clothes as opposed to their usual school uniforms and they will take a walk around Foxford at midday. As always, the school would welcome anyone who is free at that time to come out and support and cheer the pupils along their way.
All activities in the school on Wednesday will carry a ‘wellness’ theme while on Thursday, the school will celebrate Europe Day by having its annual Food Tasting from different countries with parents welcome, should they have time, to prepare a dish or some baking to send in with their child. The school is always appreciative of the parents’ input to this ever-popular day in the school and without whose invaluable input simply wouldn’t be possible.
Concluding Wellbeing Week will be the celebration of Grandparents Day this Friday, May 10. Mass will be celebrated in St Michael’s Church at 10am with grandparents of the pupils invited to the school afterwards. Tea will be served until 11.15am in the school hall after which grandparents can then go and visit their grandchildren’s classes from 11.15am until 11.45am.
Congratulations to the 2nd Class pupils at Scoil an Croí Naofa, Foxford who last Saturday, May 4 celebrated their First Holy Communion with a beautiful Mass in the company of Fr Padraig Costello at St Michael’s Church. Well done to their teacher Mr Mark Glennon for all his preparatory work and to the school choir and band who under the guidance of school principal Mr John McEvilly and pianist Maria McHugh provided some wonderful musical accompaniment to the proceedings on the day.
A special thanks also to the parents committee who served up some wonderful refreshments for the First Holy Communion class and their families to enjoy afterwards in the surrounds of the school itself.
The pupils who made their First Holy Communion in Foxford on Saturday were: Isla Boland, Dianaimh Burke, Culainn Burke Gallagher, Scott Carmichael, Harvey Donaldson, Ida Hennigan, Aoibhinn Holland, Ronan Hughes, Liam Jones, Evan Kelly, Katie McAndrew, Adam McHale, Finn McHugh, Cillian Melody, William Moore, Natan Murgrabia, Cormac O’Brien, Aidan O’Meara, Amelia Piszczek, Allanah Reape, Viktoria Rys, Wojciech Sereda, Francis Titto, Róisín Walsh, Jayden Wynne.
Moy Davitts GAA is to launch its Club Plan next Sunday, May 12 in Bohola Community Centre. This strategic plan will provide direction and focus for the club over the course of the next three years. With 2024 being the 50th anniversary of Moy Davitts, it is hoped that the ideas and priorities that have been identified will help the club continue to progress for the benefit of the players, managers, officials, members and supporters.
All are welcome to attend the launch which gets underway at 6.30pm.
There was a day to remember for young Foxford footballer Gearoid Clarke last Sunday, May 5 when he got to perform in front of the thousands who attended the Connacht SFC final between Mayo and Galway at Pearse Stadium.
Gearoid, who plays with Moy Davitts GAA’s U12 team, attends Scoil an Croí Naofa, Foxford and was selected to represent Mayo in the Cumman na mBunscoil Exhibition Game that took place before the big match in Salthill. He is the son of Ian and Helen Clarke and brother to Cathal and Jamie, both of whom have also represented Mayo GAA with distinction at various levels.
Congratulations Gearoid.
There was a terrific victory for Moy Davitts over their neighbours Knockmore in Division 4 of the Mayo GAA Homeland U16 Football League last Thursday evening where they made light of playing away from home to record a deserved 5-12 to 2-11 win.
It was a tougher week for the adult teams however, as on the back of Moy Davitts’ narrow 1-16 to 1-15 loss to Mayo Gaels in the opening round of the Mayo SFL last Sunday week, the junior team commenced its JFC ‘A’ Championship campaign away to Claremorris on Saturday evening, May 4 and lost to the home side by 3-12 to 0-8 in Group 1.
The ’first team’ is back in action next Saturday, May 11 with a home game against Aghamore in Mayo SFL Division 1B. Throw-in is at 7pm.
There was great sadness in the town to learn of the sudden passing of Foxford native Michael Glynn in the USA recently. Michael’s remains were returned to Ireland and his funeral took place in Foxford on Saturday last, May 4.
Michael, who was predeceased by his father Peter, had for many years been living in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. He will be dearly and lovingly missed by his wife Susan and their cherished sons Connor, Niall and Eoin, his heartbroken mother Maureen, his endeared siblings Annmarie, Peter, Valerie, Declan, Yvonne and Ciaran, his nephews, nieces, aunties, uncles, brothers in-law, sisters in-law, and by his work colleagues and many dear friends in both the US and Ireland.
Michael lay in repose at Clarke’s Funeral Home last Friday and following Mass at St Michael’s Church on Saturday, burial was at Craggagh Cemetery.
May he rest in peace.
Local contractors Wills Bros. facilitated a wonderful experience for the Transition Year students at St Joseph’s Secondary School, Foxford who visited the ongoing development that is the Ballaghaderreen to Strokestown road project. With Will Bros. in charge of the road’s construction, the young students of Foxford were given the opportunity to see their very impressive site offices where they received a presentation from the project manager, the public liaison officer, health and safety officer, quantity surveyor and a member of the design team.
They were also given a close-up viewing of some of the new Wills Bros. heavy plant machinery and were then taken on a tour of some of the current road-building sites. From rock-blasting and excavating, to the planning of such a huge project, there was a lot to take in.
The school expressed particular thanks to former student Keith Mayock along with the rest of the Wills Bros. staff for their time and their presentations on what was a day that is sure to live long in the memory of the students.
St Joseph’s, Foxford ran the annual Rachel Herbert Memorial Cup and James McHale Memorial Cup competitions at Moy Davitts GAA pitch last week, with many of the school’s 2nd, 3rd, TY and 5th Year students participating. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all. A special word of thanks to Ms Lavin who organised the event and to all who helped make the event a success.
Meanwhile, there was disappointment for the 1st Year boys footballers of St Joseph’s in the Connacht Post Primary Schools final as they were beaten 8-4 to 3-7 by Jesus and Mary, Gortnor Abbey at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence.
With the county celebrating Mayo Day in fine style at the weekend, the Admiral William Brown Society is reminding all its friends across the globe that all roads will lead to Foxford on Saturday, June 22, 2024 to celebrate Argentina Day. More details to follow.
There was a mixed bag of results for S&F United teams in the Mayo Football League this week.
There was a cracking match at Green Road on Friday evening where the hosts came up just one goal short against Kilmurry who secured a 4-3 win in U13 Division 3B. Dallan Munnelly, Oisin Ruddy and Sean Flynn scored the S&F goals.
The evening before saw Oisin McHale and Robert Anders score a goal apiece in what ended as a 8-2 defeat for the U11 boys at home to Castlebar Celtic. However, there was much better fortune for the U15 boys who thumped Manulla 6-1 in the U15 Premier League, with a hat-trick scored by Brady Guilfoyle, two goals by Calum Costello and one by Jamie Loughney.
The U15 Division 4B team travelled to neighbours Conn Rangers who just edged a thrilling derby 4-3. United’s scorers were Dara Gaughan, Jamie Regan and Leo Levarde.
Meanwhile, S&F United bowed out of the Mayo U13 Cup when losing to Claremorris but there was an excellent night’s work by the U17 boys who hosted Westport United and beat the visitors 5-1 thanks to goals by James Duffy (3), Senan Tolan and Micheál McCready.
Foxford was proudly represented at the annual congress of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann last Saturday, with Foxford Brass and Reed Band performing at the event in Sligo. The band previously represented Admiral Brown CCÉ at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Drogheda.
Meanwhile, best wishes to all the Admiral Brown CCÉ musicians and dancers who will be competing in the Mayo Fleadh which takes place in Westport this coming weekend, May 11-12.
Moy Davitts GAA, as part of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, is to jointly host a Fun Family Day with Moy Davitts LGFA at Sraith Garbh on Sunday, June 2.
Tickets are currently being sold by Moy Davitts members for the Mayo GAA Club Development Draw, which offers some tremendous prizes. The club is tasked with selling over 100 of these tickets. The top prize for draws 1 and 6 is €10,000 and €5,000 for draws 2 through to 5.
Tickets are available from club officers or online at www.foireann.com.
Throughout the month of May, the Rosary will be prayed at the Foxford Grotto on the Swinford Road each and every Tuesday and Friday evening at 7.30pm.
Well done to the organisers and participants of the Foxtrot 10k and 5k road races which took place in Foxford on Sunday, April 28.
The 10k had a total of 92 finishers and was won by Shaun McLoughlin of Westport AC in a time of 33:33, with well-known local John Byrne finishing second in the colours of Mayo AC in 35:46. Another Westport runner, Noel Mannion, was third in 36:14.
The first woman – and fourth overall – was Norah Newcombe Pieterse of Mayo AC who crossed the line in 38:08, with Aisling Moyles filling the runners-up spot in 42:13 and third place going to Fionnuala Mulroy in 44:54.
The 5k race was won by Brian Gallagher in 19:31 while Mayo AC’s Caitlín Woods was the first woman home (and eighth overall) in 24:45. In total, there were 96 finishers.
All money raised from the event goes to various local charities.
Straide Pieta Darkness into Light Walk will take place at 4.15am on the morning of Saturday, May 11. This will be Straide’s first year as an official walk and everyone is welcomed to come and meet up in the village and walk this lovely rural route. You can register online at www.darknessintolight.ie and click on the Mayo/Straide option.
Straide is one of 13 official walks in the county this year, including Achill, Ballina, Ballinrobe, Ballyglass, Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Claremorris, Erris, Inishturk, Kiltimagh, Lahardane and Westport.
Please join this year and walk to help end suicide and self-harm.
Connacht Pioneers are running a 5-night full board pilgrimage to Lourdes on July 18 from Knock, staying at the Hotel Agenda. Contact Fr Joe Delaney for further details at 087-6660408.
