Start Page..... Send Kiely a Real Postcard! .... .Please Sign Kiely's Guestbook...Local Ireland
JULY 13th..2000
Hi and welcome once again to your free Interactive Waterford
and County newsletter and Pat Kiely's weekly comments. 
Well, all you wonderful people, from in and around the County of Waterford, whether by birth, ancestry or adoption, hope you've been up to no-nonsense since the last time we met!
Kiely starts this week with details of an important date for your diary, and an occasion not to be missed....
So please make a note on your lap top, old ciggy packet or beer mat of the following details:
Then If you possibly can, book a flight, hire a bus, rent a car, pack your backpack, and make sure you visit LISMORE in COUNTY WATERFORD between the 20th and 24th JULY (he whispers)
Why?
Well as I speak, the place is gearing itself up for the biggest and most amazing event to hit the town in many a year.... The Munster Fleadh Cheoil.
For those without a working knowledge of Irish, A Fleadh Cheoil in Ireland, is a festival type competition, of Traditional Irish Music, Dance, street pageants, and Craic! (not the illegal substance causing havoc in the States, but an Irish word for something a lot more enjoyable and a lot safer)..(usually!)
An event so spectacular that going to see River Dance will never be the same again!
The erection of a giant outdoor stage sponsored by Guinness and the expected arrival of between fifteen hundred and two thousand musicians,dancers and competitors alone, out-numbering the total population of the normally quite town, not to mention the many thousands of visitors, in a few days time will probably make local Lismoreians wonder if world war three has begun, at least until the Guinness and the music starts to flow!
Fleadh Cheoil's were originally set up for the furtherance of traditional Irish music and dance skills, of the sort once to be found around the fireside of almost every Irish home.
This year for the first time, the Munster Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan 2000 hosted by Ballyduff, Ballysaggart, and Ballinvella Comhaltas and a Committee of at least thirty five dedicated people and volunteers have invited visitors and competitors from Southern Italy, Brittany and Sardinia adding a really International flavour to the goings on.
The Lismore Drama Society are holding a costume street pageant of the town's amazing history stretching back to 636 ad.
Church goers haven't been forgotten either, with special inter-faith services being held in both of the town's cathedrals on the Saturday and Sunday..
Its doubtful if the town will have seen such numbers of visitors to its domain since the middle ages when during the 7th to 11th centuries Lismore was one of the most famous pilgrimage and educational sites in the whole of Europe, attracting students, saints and even Kings to its university which once stood on the site of the present castle.
'Lios mor' Founded by a charismatic healing monk called St.Carthage Mochuda who himself loved music, Lismore is a perhaps a fitting venue for this year's Fleadh in more ways than one.
So you can't say you haven't been reminded and remember, if you need more details then you can visit Kiely's homepage, which will be updated all through next week with photos and information, as well as in next week's Local Ireland newsletter.
But first before more Craic,
BACK FROM THE BIG APPLE! Photo: Ms. Nichola Beresford.
Hot foot back from the Big Apple, are well known Waterford
WLFR fm morning radio presenters,Nichola Beresford and Timmy Ryan.
Nichola launched the Munster Fleadh in Lismore Castle just before jetting off to the States.
While there the energetic Ms.Beresford directed a new play written by Abbeyside writer Jim Cullinane called 'A Love so Blind,'and colleague Timmy made his 'second' stage debut playing the part of a Garda (police) Sergeant.
If you possibly got the chance to see the play which also sold out in The Irish Arts Center, Manhattan, Kiely would love to hear from you, and might even send you a little gift for your info as a reward.
Well done lads! ('Lads,' in Ireland can be female as well by the way!)
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FASTER THAN THE RIVER BLACKWATER!
Photo: Joanne, and Ros Lomasney 
While most people were able to enjoy the music speeches and Craic at the recent Munster Fleadh Cheoil launch, Ros Lomasney from Ballyduff and her sister in law Joanne (Vella) Lomasney were busy serving out the drinks sponsored by Guinness (Ireland) which flowed faster and darker than the nearby River Blackwater!
Joanne whose parents live in Melbourne, Australia, is married to Ray and lives in Fermoy, County Cork.
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TAKING A BREAK! Photo:Tom Keith Sgnt.Pat
Norris Cllr Ollie Wilkinson. 
Millennium Officer and author Tom Keith, Sergeant Pat Norris and Waterford County Councillor, Ollie Wilkinson are seen here enjoying a break in the fresh air, away from the hectic Muster Fleadh Cheoil launch.
Not quite knowing everyone’s name yet in County Waterford, Kiely ventured to ask the officer for his, much to the amusement of Ollie and Tom.
‘He’s Sergeant Pat Norris, but perhaps you had better not get to know his name tooooo well,’ Ollie remarked with a grin!
After a quick shake of the hand Kiely beat a retreat back into the relative safety of the Castle Ballroom where the Booley House musicians and the young dancers from Ballyduff were still stepping it out in style! _________________________________________________________
EMAIL POSTBAG.
Sr. Kate Tobin over in Liverpool has been in touch to say she is worried after reading the latest planning requests in the press for permission to build some new three story flats in Lismore, that the town is growing too fast.
Kate who grew up here added, she hopes with all the new building planned and now going on in the town, that when she next returns home that Lismore will not have turned ‘into a city!’ ----------------------------------------------
MONICA FITZGERALD has been in touch with details of her exciting County Waterford property website more details shortly. -----------------------------
Thanks to CHRIS and the Irish American Museum in New York and all those who helped Kiely track down a URL for The Irish Art Centre which was staging 'A Love to Blind.'
Thanks also to JOSEPH 'Up Kerry! J DOLAN 'also based at the IA Museum who emailed to say you spell Manhatton with an E not with an O (depends what your into J.) Joseph is looking forward to his trip over on the 16th. (Dont forget the Fleadh, Joseph if you can keep up with all the Waterford pint shifters.)
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Hello to NICHOLAS WALSH from Dunmore East who runs a property company out in sunny Spain, Sol Holidays.
Nicholas says: 'Did you know that in the last census period we are the fastest growing village in Waterford.
In the period from 1991-96 the village increased its population by 32% and most other areas of Waterford County which are expanding grew by 15% on average.
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Hi to P.E.W. who sent an interesting account of how the saying 'Whiskey Drunk' began and its connection with the laying out of a dead body for a number of days called a Wake, to see if the person was really dead or simply 'whiskey drunk!
(Kiely expects to see a few of those around at the Fleadh very shortly (Drunk not dead!) ---------------------------------------
Hello to TONI RINGLE (What a lovely name!)from the States and thanks to her for subscribing to the Waterford and County newsletter. ---------------------------------------------
Hello to ROXANA in Queen's Gate, London who was over in Ireland recently but can't remember the place too well because she got 'too fluttered' now there's a new expression for inebriated!
Roxana says just loves the 'cheeky' cartoons that Kiely forwarded on to her from GAIL in the US. ---------------------------------------------
MARY HOAR in NEW YOrk would just love a holiday in Lismore Castle but says her bank account just would not allow her to spend the 2000 + dollars a day it costs to stay there.(There's always the lotto Mary) -------------------------------------------------
Hello also to another girl in New York, NORAH HENRY whose grandparents were from Sligo and Waterford.
I will have to save the rest of the emails till next week but hate to leave any of you off.....
Thanks to all of you who have been in touch over the last week, or so, I love the feedback, so keep it coming,
So finally,finally, finally.....
Thanks once again to all who subscribed, signed the guestbook, sent postcards or emailed..and as they say down this way... Thanks a million!
See 'ya all next week. God bless, Pat.
There will be more name mentions next week,
COPYRIGHT 1999-2000
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All written work and images are copyright Pat Kiely........Lismore...Ireland. email patkiely@eircom.net
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