The following are the events and outings lined up for the remainder of 2012 :

Thursday 14th June        A Garden Visit to Liam and Ann Griffins Garden. Watergrasshill.

Saturday 23rd June        Outing to Clonakilty.  AOIFA National Flower Festival – visiting Bandon Garden Centre, Clonakilty Flower Festival, Shopping and a visit to Stepaside Mature Garden with a meal at the Trident Hotel to finish off the day.

Thursday 12th July         A Garden Visit of Beechwood – Ned and Liz Kirby’s Glanmire.

Thursday 13th Sept         In House Talk – “Autumn Harvest” by Sarah Evans of the Secret Garden.

Thursday 11th Oct.          Health for Winter the alternative way by Horans Health Store.

Thursday 1st Nov.           Charity Gala Fundraiser – All Things Festive, Yourself and Your Home.

Thursday 8th Nov.         AGM & Presentation of monies raised from November Fundraiser.

Everyone Welcome to the Club’s activities. For any further details contact: Ann Barry, Chairperson 086 2381611, Ann Hegarty Secretary 087 7403616 and Bridie Milward 086 8079612.

 The May Superdraw took place last Saturday night at the Peddlars Rock. The following were the lucky winners…

€1000:    Diarmuid Barry, Kilcor

€500:       Margaret Cashman, Francistown

€100:        Seamus Forde, Mohera

€100:        Kevin Sheehan, c/o Donal Sheehan

€100:        Edina Niall Condon, Spuree Cross

€100:        Deirdre Hayes, Ballinvarrig

€100:        Seamus Spillane, Conna

Congratulations to all this months winners. Thank you to all those who support this draw.  Next draw is on Saturday 30th June 2012.

€100 Winner in the May Superdraw - Deirdre Hayes and her 3 children.

Over the past number of Saturdays a group of people have gotten together to tackle the overgrowth in the old graveyard in Castlelyons. Strimmers, clippers, shovels, hoes, rakes were all being tested by these volunteers and the results have been amazing. Tombs and headstones have been stripped of ivy and briars, the ruined chuch has been cleared of the same and thanks to some hard work and great banter the graveyard is really coming into shape. This site is of great historical interest to Castlelyons and it is great to see it being maintained, you can read more about its historical past here.

Below are some pictures that highlight the work being done and which will continue for the next couple of Saturdays from 10am.  So if ANYONE would like to come along and give an hour any Saturday your help would be MUCH appreciated.

The Community Centre Bar was the location of the April Superdraw in Castlelyons last night. The winners this month were as follows:

€1000 – Jim O’Sullivan, Ballyroberts

€500 – Donna Shanahan. Hillside View

€100 – Lizzie Finn, Grange

€100 – Tamsin Jones, Killawillin

€100 – Corrine Higgins, Fermoy

€100 – Alex & Aaron Murphy, Kill-St-Anne

€100 – Noel Quirke, Ballynela

Congratulations to all the winners of the April Draw.

Castlelyons Community Super Draw

Best wishes to Will Daly from Ballyhampshire, Castlelyons on representing Glanmire Macra club and Cork in the All-Ireland Macra na Feirme Mr.Personality contest. Will has already won the Cork title 2 weeks ago and this weekend he will be taking part in the final which takes place on this Friday and Saturday night at the Springhill Court Hotel in Kilkenny. The final will involve a public interview on stage and a private interview with the judges offstage along with various challenges also. Good luck Will !!!

"Mr.Personality and Mr.Murphy" - Will and friend JJ Murphy take time out from work at Glanbia Castlelyons.

Castlelyons Tidy Towns – Our Tuesday Night Cleanups are starting up again this Tuesday April 24th and every Tuesday throughout the Summer. Please come out and give a small helping hand to keep our beautiful parish looking well this Summer. If you wish to get a text reminder fo these cleanups please text Liz Byrnes on 086-0577862.

Castlelyons GAA Club is currently preparing to stage a Golf Classic at Fermoy Golf Club on Friday, May 25th. This Golf Classic will be our major fund-raising event for the current year. The primary objective in the staging of this event is to generate funds to assist in the day to day operations of the club. As a GAA Club, we aspire to compete consistently at the very highest levels and to achieve such ambitions requires an on-going and substantial level of financial commitment.

Accordingly we invite you to avail of the opportunity to become a part of the Classic through entering a team for the event. Each team must consist of three people, men, women or mixed. There will be prizes for all categories i.e GUI Members and Non-GUI Members. Therefore if you and your golf team want to have the bragging rights as the Castlelyons Golf Classic Champions of 2012, get your team together and book them onto the time-sheet by contacting Donal O’Leary on 086 2231072, Denis Fenton on 087 8257665, Mark O’Flynn on 086 8076087 or any member of the GAA Committee..and the best of luck!!

The commencement of the demolition of the grain dryers, storage bins and all the other buildings at Castlelyons Co-op along with the proposed new alterations will see a huge change in our area. Along with the castle, the skyline of Castlelyons was dominated for the last 50 years by the huge buildings at the site, whether you were travelling down from Watergrasshill direction, coming down from Kilcor or looking down from Corrin the grain bins were always the pin on the map to find Castlelyons. However with its continous deterioration over the last number of years, its final outcome was inevitable.

Despite its present state, we should not forget the huge business that Castlelyons Co-op once was. A hive of activity, with over 200 people employed there at its peak during the mid to late 80’s. It’s hard to imagine that at that time the then Castlelyons Co-op included a garage for servicing the milk tankers and selling farm machinery and garden equipment, a seed dressing store, A.I. sub-station, hardware store and supermarket, grain mill and animal feed manufacturing, grain intake and drying facility and a home heating oil delivery service. Of course the dairy products manufacturing facility (tinned custard and cold desserts,” Castlelyons Co-op” butter, cream, endorsed by none other than Darina Allen, and fresh milk was the flagship of the company and was something of which we were all very proud.

There were several outside branches at Conna, Ballyduff, Glenville and other villages in the surrounding areas. It also had its own farm at Curraghdermot which contributed in no small way to increasing the profitability of farms in Ireland through research and trial work. Many families moved to Castlelyons and are still living in the parish today because of the company and it is also important to recognise and acknowledge the managers and employees who worked there down through the years and who made the Co-op what it became and the influence those people had in our community. How many teenagers got experience doing summer work, whether in the offices, the grain intake division,the supermarket or elsewhere in the business. What value it would have today. The co-op also contributed financially to many sporting and cultural events held down through the years with generous sponsorship or goods for various fundraising or other events.

Glanbia are now a hugely successful international company and even though the Co-op will never again be the same we hope that the new development will reinvigorate the site and return it to almost its former glory.

Grain Bins being demolished at Castlelyons Co-op - March 2012

Castlelyons Co-op, soon to be no more!

The monthly Superdraw was held last night (Sat 31st) at the Pedlars Rock and a very enjoyable night was had by the large turnout (Thanks for the sandwiches Martin!!!). First out of the drum for the €€1000 was Noel Casolani of Main St. Well done Noel – everyone is to call into Vinnie Joes for a free pot plant !!!! The full list of winners are as follows:

€€1000 – Noel Casolani, Main St., Castlelyons

€€500 – Lizzy Finn, Grange, Castlelyons

€€100 – Ger & Rita Broderick, Kent Tce., Castlelyons

€€100 – Eily Mullins , Ballyarra Tce. Castlelyons

€€100 – Tony Horgan , Deerpark, Castlelyons

€€100 – Colie O Flynn, Corrin, Fermoy

€€100 – Noreen Shanahan & Josie Murphy, c/o Centra Castlelyons

The next draw (April) takes place at the Community Centre bar on Sat. April 28th at 9pm. Everyone welcome. Please have all names in and money collected on Wed. May 25th. Thank you all for your continued support.

Noel Casolani receiving top prize of €1000, in the March Superdraw from treasurer of Community Council James Parker

Bob McNamara pulls a number at the March Superdraw.

The week-end is almost upon us!!! A FANTASTIC night is ASSURED where you will be entertained by the 50 strong cast of “Spring Chorus”. This highly entertaining and fun show opens in the Community Centre this coming Friday (Mar 23rd) night @ 8pm and also runs Saturday and Sunday nights. A great line up of music, song, dance and comedy will hit the stage in what has been described as a “Spectacular Show”. The first night is a fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis – so do show your support you will NOT be disappointed.