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.

Heritage Notes - 3 December 2010

This week’s picture shows another scene from the book, 'Michael Cavanagh, His Life & Selected Works', close enough to the time Cavanagh lived here. We have no idea why the crowd gathered at the Cornerstone as they have in this image. In the distance the brooding presence of the Police Barracks can be clearly seen, where Cavanagh and others fought out the Cappoquin rebellion of 1849. Today, of course, it is the much more welcoming establishment known as Walsh’s

Santa at the Square

Firstly this week, a reminder to keep Saturday, December 11^th in the diary as Santa makes his annual pre-Christmas visit to the Square at Cappoquin around midday. With the weather the way it is at present, we are not sure if he is coming by sleigh or four-wheel-drive but rest assured that if anyone can master the wintry conditions, Santa can. As in other years, the visit will coincide with the Farmers’ Market at the same venue, which will again highlight the wonderful local products available at Christmas time. Full details next week.

Community and Voluntary Awards

Representatives from Civic Link and from the Choral Society travelled to Clonea Strand Hotel last Friday for the Community and Voluntary Awards celebration. Unfortunately, there were no Cappoquin winners in the category or overall awards on the night but what harm! It was nice to have some recognition given to the efforts of groups in the area to improving things for everyone, and that work will certainly continue. Best of luck to the Choral Society with their Cinderella extravaganza coming soon at the Community Centre.

Christmas Cards Going Fast

Just a week on sale, the Heritage Group’s Christmas Card collection is selling fast in several shops around town. The scenes, all suitably snow-covered, include two shots from the river bend, one of Melleray and another from Villierstown looking towards the mountains, and two lovely street scenes painted by Noel O’Donoghue. Our sincere thanks to Noel, to photographers James O’Donnell, Gina Dunne and Anthony McCarthy, and to Mortimer Design for the superb reproductions. What better value can you get for a euro?

Michael Cavanagh – Home Once More!

In keeping with the title of one of his poems, Michael Cavanagh is, to an extent, ‘home once more’ following the launch of ‘His Life and Selected Works’ last Friday night. Civic Link members helped out with sales and other issues on the night and it was a great success overall. Well done to all concerned. At time of writing, the 390-page hardback book is now on sale in a total of sixteen outlets across west Waterford, price €20, with all profits going to support Bunscoil Gleann Sídheáin in Cappoquin. Full details of how to order it are also available on the Civic Link website at www.cappoquin.net or visit us on facebook.

Christmas Cards

Just one of the six beautiful scenes in our Christmas Card collection available now in Cappoquin Credit Union, Cappoquin Post Office and Mary Murrays.

Heritage Notes - 26 November 2010

Community and Voluntary Awards

Best of luck to the nominated local groups hoping for honours in this Friday night’s Community and Voluntary Awards at Clonea Strand Hotel. The Cappoquin Heritage Group is one of three finalists in the Culture and Heritage section, and we know the Choral Society has also received a richly deserved nomination this year. If there are any others nominated from the locality, the best of luck to them on the night too.

Christmas Cards

Thanks to the great work of Cara McGrath, the help of a number of artists and photographers in the area and the undoubted design skills of Phil Mortimer, the new Heritage Group Christmas Cards have arrived in local shops. There are six individual cards, each costing a euro, and depicting scenes from Cappoquin itself, from Villierstown, Melleray and other local beauty scenes, all with a Christmas twist. Our postcard collection proved hugely popular in summer and autumn, and made nearly €300 profit in the end. This set is being sold much closer to the actual cost of production and we hope that people will enjoy the opportunity to send cards to loved ones near and far with these special Christmas reminders of the places we live in.

Cavanagh Book Launch

With the imminent launch of Michael Cavanagh: His Life and Selected Works by the Michael Cavanagh Society at the Community Centre next Saturday evening, this week’s picture is one of those included in the eagerly anticipated production. Cavanagh is, of course, famous as a writer of poetry, history and of local legends, including the Cornerstone story and that of the dreaded Petticoat Loose. In many respects, he is coming home next Saturday, as many of the works in the production were never published in Ireland before, not to mention the fact that the launch itself will be in the Cavanagh Hall.

One of the most interesting legends of all is that of the great black dog who prowled the river bank near the old wooden bridge, guarding the town from all unsavoury characters in the 19^th century. The image here shows the river bank scene as Cavanagh would have known it. The remnants of the wooden bridge, which ceased to be in use in 1850 and which the ‘Madra’ supposedly protected, can clearly be seen on both sides of the bend. On the far bank, the old town’s industrial core of warehouses, quayside and stacks of pit props presents a grand, if now long-gone, sight. The launch is at 8.30 on Saturday evening, with Very Reverend Father Robert Arthure PE doing the honours.

Heritage Notes - 18 November 2010

Launch of Michael Cavanagh’s Works

Best of luck to the Michael Cavanagh Society which is launching its 400-page book of Michael Cavanagh; His Life and Selected Writings at the Community Centre on Saturday, November 27^th at 8.30. The book will be on sale for a special launch price of €15 on that night only, and will be available in local shops and through the Civic Link website, www.cappoquin.net after November 27^th, and we hope through other outlets. All proceeds are going to Bunscoil Gleann Sidheain and we hope everyone who can will support the launch of this high quality hard-back production of the writings of Cappoquin’s literary son, and support our school into the bargain. Full details are given in a separate article.

This week’s picture

From the wonderful collection of Eddie Fraher, this week’s picture shows a Cappoquin Gaelic football team lining out for a championship match, probably at Lismore. The state of the hairstyles of some of the known protagonists suggests that this dates from the second half of the 1950s. More interesting still is that among this group of junior footballers are the holders of at least four All-Ireland hurling medals. Enjoy figuring that one out!

Heritage Notes - 12 November 2010

Heritage Nomination

Just a note to tell people that our heritage group has been nominated as one of three finalists in the Heritage and Culture section of this year’s county-wide community awards. We don’t want to blow any trumpets but are honoured to be included in the final three from an initial list of fourteen and it’s que sera, sera after that. The awards night itself is scheduled for Friday, November 26^th at Clonea Strand Hotel and we hope to see a few other Cappoquin representatives there on the night. Our next project is the imminent launch of a lovely set of local snow-themed Christmas cards, and we hope to have these in the shops within a week or so.

On the subject of heritage, best wishes to Julian Walton on his talk at Cappoquin Community Centre this coming Friday evening, November 12^th. Julian has been a great friend to Cappoquin history, and to Waterford history, over the years and his talk on the history of Dromana and its resident families should be of great interest.

Some Reminders

Just some further reminders of two news items of recent weeks. If you are interested in an allotment in Cappoquin, growing your own vegetables etc, please contact Cindy 086–0586608 at Civic Link or Joe at 058–54045 for full details of this great opportunity. Also, the Twinning Group is heading for Chanat La Mouteyre on the weekend before St Patrick’s Day 2011 and there are still some places available. For little more than the cost of the airfare and train, this is a tremendous opportunity to see France as the French see it, and to meet some French people who know more about Cappoquin than most of us do ourselves. For anyone interested, contact Keith at 087-9054068 or Kevin from Civic Link at 087-6501042 for details

Chritmas Cards

Just a sneek preview of our Christmas cards due out shortly.... This one is a painting of the Square in Cappoquin and local artist Noel O'Donoghue has kindly allowed us to reproduce it.