A final reminder that Fealebridge & Headley’s Bridge Co-Op are holding their 42nd Annual Social at the Devon Inn Hotel, Templeglantine on next Friday night, December 2nd at 8.30 pm. This is usually the social event of the season in North Kerry and West Limerick, and everyone who is anyone will be there.
Last year’s centenary social was a wonderful night and this year’s event promises more of the same. Music is by the popular Neil O’Connor Band and there will be numerous spot prizes on the night. Tickets are €25 and are available at both creameries and from staff and committee members.
So, forget about the recession. Put on your glad rags, dust down the good suit, get out the dancing shoes and away with you to the Devon Inn on Friday night for an evening of fine food, convivial company, lively dancing and great craic.
You can’t beat a  good night out!
BUDGET
People are bracing themselves for a harsh and uncompromising budget next week in the run up to Christmas.
This year our suffering will be stretched over two days. Public Spending Minister, Brendan Howlin, will give a speech on the spending cuts and the Government’s review of all spending on Monday week, December 5th, to a special Dail sitting. He will set out the spending estimates for 2012, and outline the main cutbacks in each area, including social welfare, health and education
Finance Minister, Michael Noonan, will deliver the traditional budget speech the following day, Tuesday, December 6th, in the Dail. Mr Noonan’s speech will outline tax hikes, the fiscal picture and the economic outlook over the following 12 months.
Once upon a time on budget day we used to worry about little things, like rises in the price of fags and porter, and hikes in the cost of petrol and road tax. These will all be hit again next week. However, they could prove to be the least of our troubles when we hear the rest of the “austerity” measures being foisted upon us by the Troika in order to pay off billions of euros to the greedy speculators and grasping bankers throughout Europe. And, if market forces worldwide continue to decline, much of this money may very well have been wasted anyway.
It is rumoured that Taoiseach Enda Kenny is considering making his state of the nation address on the economy before the ‘Late Late Toy Show’ this Friday night. No doubt he will tell us not to bother watching the show as we can’t afford any of the items on it.
Europe has served us poorly of late. They have muzzled our greyhounds, helmeted our hurlers and banned us from our bogs. Will they now cancel our Christmas as well?
GLIN HORSE FAIR
The annual Horse and Cattle fair will be held on Saturday next, December 3 in the square in Glin, Co Limerick. A great day of fun entertainment nostalgia and craic is to be had as one relives the memories of the past with cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, hens, geese, turkeys, and many other farmyard animals and pets been traded. The streets will be lined with street vendors trading in all types of wares from a needle to an anchor all this can be enjoyed with a Christmas atmosphere.
ABBEYFEALE FOR AFRICA
The annual Cake  Sale in aid of Abbeyfeale for Africa will be held in St Ita’s Hall on Sunday 11th December from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Fr Tim Galvin’s Mission and to two Missionary Sisters. Donations of cakes, puddings, jams, etc would be greatly appreciated.
MEENKILLY CARD GAME REPORT
“There was another great crowd on Tuesday night and your support is much appreciated by the Committee. All the work being done is to improve the facilities on offer to the students and the proceeds from the weekly card game go towards helping to allay the costs. The winning team with 15 games were the Knocknasna group of Beth Collins, Paddy Sheahan and Dan Joe Casey. Two teams finished with 13 games each; Paddy O’Sullivan, Billy Broderick and Pascal O’Rourke and Micheal O’Kelly, Donal O’Connor and Mossie Collins. Winners of the Table prizes were Jackie Harnett, Pat Fitzgerald and John Quirke with Danny O’Connell and Jack Kelly taking the door prizes. Raffle winners were Leanne McFadden, Mossie O’Donnell who won twice, Kathleen Lenihan, Nono McElligott, Sean Harnett and Denis O’Connell.”
SALE OF WORK
Mountcollins are holding their annual sale of work on this Friday, December 2nd from 7.30pm in the Community Centre, with proceeds going to local charities. Your support would be appreciated.
FOUR MEN AND A DOG IN CONCERT
Four Men And A Dog are celebrating 21 years on the road this year. They will be in concert at St Johns Theatre, Listowel on this Thursday, December 1st at 8pm sharp. Admission €15. Doors open at 7.30pm. Telephone 068 22566 for further information.
CHOIR
Abbeyfeale Senior Choir will join with The Kerry Chamber Choir in a Musical Celebration at the Church of the Assumption, Abbeyfeale on Sunday, December 11 at 7pm. Tickets are on sale at €5 each with a family ticket for €10.
GAA
Fr Casey’s made it three-in-a-row of U/21 county titles with victory over Newcastlewest in Tournafulla on Saturday.
A John Lane goal early in the first half sent them on their way. Two pointed frees from Padraig McEnery gave them a 1-02 to 0-3 lead at half time.
Abbeyfeale dominated for long periods in the second half and picked of some excellent scores before John Lane added icing to the cake with his second goal late in the half to give the Fealesiders a deserved 2-07 to 0-04 victory.
Team; Team: Brian Scannell, Tommy O’Keefe, Shane O’Connor, Thomas Ward, Eoin McEnery, Michael Roche, Keith Hartnett, Padraig McEnery, John Browne, Tommy Smith, Donagh Kelly, Eoin Kelly, John Lane, Stephen Behan, Peter Healy, James O’Mara, Patrick Brislane, Joseph Flaherty, Tommy Gleeson, David Mullins, Padraig Enright, Daniel Daly, Jake Quirke, Joe Browne, Richard Gleeson, Derry O’Connor, Danny Dillon, Eoin O’Connell, James Lane, Seamus Murphy, Sean O’Donnell. (Click on “Fr Casey’s GAA Club” link on right to view full match details)
SOCCER
The FAI have announced that they have agreed a new contract with Giovanni Trapattoni and Marco Tardelli which will run from July 2012 for the FIFA World Cup 2014 campaign. Business tycoon Denis O’Brien has agreed to continue providing his support to the FAI which has enabled the new agreement to be reached with Trapattoni.
Fixtures; Saturday 3rd December. Abbeyfeale Yths Vs Killarney Cel (H) 2.00
Sunday 4th December.  Abbeyfeale A Vs Broadford (A) 11.30.  Abbeyfeale B Vs Broadford B (H) 2.30
RUGBY
Munster were run away winners at Thomond Park on Saturday night when they beat Edinburgh 34-17 in the RaboDirect PRO12,  thanks to tries from Danny Barnes, Simon Zebo, Luke O’Dea and a penalty try, as well as two penalties and conversions by Ian Keatley.
Team;  Denis Hurley; L O’Dea, W Chambers, D Barnes (T Gleeson, 76), S Zebo; I Keatley (S Deasy, 76), T O’Leary (D Williams, 69); M Horan (J Ryan, 76), D Fogarty (S Henry, 69), S Archer (J Hayes, 69); Donncha O’Callaghan (I Nagle, 76), M O’Driscoll (capt); B Holland, T O’Donnell, P Butler (J Coughlan, 67).
Denis Leamy and Donnacha Ryan, both unavailable for Munster last weekend, are expected to feature in the Munster squad for the RaboDirect PRO12 top of the table clash with Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea on Saturday at 6.30pm’ Ospreys have lost just one game in the RaboDirect PRO12 this season, 17-28 at Glasgow in round seven and their only home defeat in the tournament in the last twelve months was 20-22 to Munster last April.
Ospreys and Leinster top the RaboDirect league table with 30 points each. Munster lie a close second with 28 points.
Result; MJL Div 3: Abbeyfeale 52 Charleville 11;

Fr Casey’s will attempt to win an impressive fourth county U/21 football title in the last five seasons when they take on near-neighbours Newcastle West in the final in Tournafulla next Saturday 26th November at 2.30 pm. The Fealesiders have an excellent record at under-age level. The minors are already county champions having clinched their [...]

The Republic of Ireland take an apparently unassailable four-goal lead into tonight’s Euro 2012 play-off second leg with Estonia at the Aviva Stadium, kick-off 7.45 pm. Giovanni Trapattoni’s side romped to a 4-0 victory in the first leg in Tallinn on Friday but will need to maintain their focus ahead of tonight’s game. Robbie Keane [...]

Two very different one act plays were presented to a packed house in the Glorach Theatre here in Abbeyfeale on Sunday night. In attendance were two of the stalwarts of drama in Abbeyfeale from the 1960’s onward -Maryjo Prendeville and Dick Woulfe. In’ Strangers in the Sun’ by Brian Bairead, Marina Collins, (Maryjo’s granddaughter) made [...]

The old lady who reads the tea-leaves almost got it right. She predicted that there might soon be the pitter-patter of tiny feet in Aras an Uachtaran. The election of Michael D Higgins as the next President of Ireland has more or less fulfilled that prophecy. However, this is hardly what the old lady envisaged [...]