Heritage Notes - 10 December 2010

This Week’s Picture

Once again, this week’s picture comes from the new publication, ‘Michael Cavanagh: His Life and Selected Works’, now on sale in local shops with all profits going to Bunscoil Gleann Sídheáin. It shows what surely was the biggest industry ever owned by a Cappoquin native. Pictured here is the original headquarters of Hugh Collender’s Billiard Table empire, at 738 Broadway, New York. Collender went with Michael Cavanagh to the USA after the 1849 rebellion and while his friend became a prolific writer, Collender eventually became the most famous manufacturer of billiard and snooker tables in the world, with over forty premises and depots worldwide. Hugh Collender’s company is thriving today, though known now simply as ‘Brunswick’, and Hugh himself is appropriately commemorated on a footpath plaque outside Cappoquin Snooker Club, where else!

Christmas Farmers’ Market

Next Saturday morning, December 11^th we will have this year’s Cappoquin Christmas Farmers’ Market. As usual, it will be held on the Square starting at 10.30 until 1.00 pm. Almost every town in the country hosts a Farmer’s Market at some stage of the year and thanks to all the local support, the ones in Cappoquin over the past few years have been successful. An event like this is a good community activity, it is sociable and you will enjoy your visit to the market.

Cappoquin has a lot of local food producers, more than most places of its size. So it is important that they have the opportunity to market their wares in this fashion, in their local town. There will be a wide range of foods available, including ice cream, bread, cakes, fruit, vegetables, home baking, jams, apple juice, cheeses, and honey. As it is Christmas, there will also be festive food, Christmas trees and cards.

We look forward to seeing you next Saturday morning for the Farmers’ Market where you can start the weekend with the spirit of Christmas, on the Square of your local town.

Santa at the Square

With the Farmers’ Market all ready for the off at the Square this Saturday, December 11^th, the word from the North Pole is that Santa hopes to arrive in his horse-drawn sleigh sometime between twelve and twelve-fifteen on the day. Like last year, this is a ‘getting to know you’ visit, a chance for Santa to get reacquainted with the local kids since last year and double check that the list of presents is correct for December 25^th. He hopes to bring special certificates with him like last year, and we are pretty sure there will be some goodies available to everyone, as well as the opportunity for the grown-ups to sample some of the best local produce available at the Market. Maybe Santa will stay around this weekend, probably in disguise, and go and see the marvellous Cinderella pantomime at the Community Centre before coming back to the Sale of Work at Bunscoil Gleann Sídheáin on Sunday. Busy times for a busy man.