Heritage Notes - 23 September 2011

This week’s image

Our link to the past this week comes from a 1927 copy of An Sleibhtánach, the Mount Melleray annual which contained a wealth of stories, poems and folklore over the years. It also contained advertisements and this week we feature a group of Cappoquin businesses and the wares they were advertising all of eighty-four years ago. Enjoy!

Christmas Cards (almost) last call

We are fast approaching the deadline for Christmas card photos or artwork. Pop into the credit union or let any Civic Link member know if you would like to see your handiwork on a 2011 Christmas card.

County Archivist talks

Keep your eyes open for news of the series of talks beginning this week at the community centre, with County Archivist Joanne Rothwell sure to engage and entertain as she deals with the topic of health and wealth in 19^th century Waterford.

Local hurlers to the fore

Amid scenes of great excitement on successive nights, three local hurling teams qualified for Western Finals last weekend. It was great to see both Cappoquin and Tourin intermediate hurlers overcome their semi final opponents on the same afternoon to set up what should be a great final in a couple of weeks time. The following day, Melleray Glen Rovers made it a hat trick for the parish when they overcame Abbeyside to qualify for the Western Junior Final.

In terms of historical parallels, we can point to the very last game played by Cappoquin and Affane as separate clubs being in junior hurling in 1968. Cappoquin and Tourin have crossed hurleys on several occasions, most recently in the preliminary rounds of this year’s championship. Back in the early 1960s, Cappoquin and Melleray played each other in a primary hurling final, the only time as far as our records can tell that two teams from Cappoquin parish played each other in a divisional final. We stand to be corrected on that one but in the meantime, in the interests of fairness to all, may all three of them win in the upcoming games, impossible as that may be!!

Cappoquin’s double Olympic boxer

One of Cappoquin’s favourite Tipperarymen has located a most interesting article in last week’s ‘Tipperary Star’. Written by Bansha sports historian Michael O’Dwyer, it deals with a famous Irish boxer named ‘Boy’ Murphy whose father hailed from Tipperary. This Olympic great went within one fight of a medal at two successive Games, in 1924 and 1928. According to the article, Murphy was born in what is now Pakistan but the detail which really caught the eye was that his mother came from, believe it or not, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford. We haven’t managed to contact Michael before this week’s press deadline but hope to do so in the coming days. If and when more details emerge, you will be among the first to know.

Club Directory Update

We are currently working on an update of our clubs and society directory. The existing one can be checked out on the web at www.cappoquin.net. While we will do everything we can to get the directory as accurate as possible, we are hoping that clubs and societies will let us know of any changes of personnel, contact details etc in the coming weeks before we go to press in early October. Similarly, any new club or voluntary group in the area which wants to have its contact details included, let Cara, Cindy or any member of the Civic Link committee know as soon as possible.

Masquerade Ball

The masquerade Ball sub committee will be kicking into action this week, preparing the way for this year’s extravaganza. Once again, the Boathouse will be the venue and the date of this year’s event has been fixed for Saturday, 29^th October. All profits from this event, as last year, will go towards the umbrella insurance which Civic Link takes out, and which helps to cover the Carnival, Santa at the Square, the Tradfest and a number of other events annually. The even better news this year is that admission prices are going to remain at just €10, as the aim is every bit as much to have fun as it is to raise funds. So put the date in your diary for the sixth annual Cappoquin Masquerade Ball

Heritage Notes - 16 September 2011

The Magnificent Eight!!

This week’s blast from the past features a group of fifth-year students at St. Anne’s Secondary School in the early 1980s. If they look a bit ‘old’ for the eighties, the reason is simple enough. These ‘magnificent eight’ were extras in the BBC production of ‘One of Ourselves’, shot mainly in Cappoquin. The film starred local lad Stephen Mason alongside legend Cyril Cusaack and a host of stars, while other locals like Carmel Allen, Aidan Walsh, Bridget Uniacke and the late Rita McCarthy and Tom Hackett among others saw action too.

The scene in the photograph here is taken outside the parochial hall, which featured in the film as the local cinema. It is probably embarrassment enough for those in the picture for them to be shown here, so we will skip the names on this occasion. It’s not too difficult to recognise them anyway, though most are minus the caps and most of the hair today!

Christmas Card photos

We have received a number of pictures to date in our appeal for possible Christmas Card images for 2012. Please keep them coming as we hope to make a decision on the six card designs within the next three weeks or so in order to have them out in good time for the festive season. Cara at the Credit Union (mcgrath.cara@gmail.com) or any other Civic Link member will be delighted to hear from you. Electronic copies of any images would be best but we can manage them anyway we get them really.