The young local musicians who played for the Open Air Mass at Killoscully under the direction of Jackie O’Connell.

Community Mini Summer Festival

Pleasant mid-summer evening sunshine on the eve of the longest day of the year was a perfect setting for the Mid Summer Mini Community Festival at the picture postcard village of Killoscully last week.

“It's an opportunity for the community to come together for the neighbours to meet in a social setting and for any newcomers to the area to get to know the local people,” explained Margaret Sheehy, one of the driving forces behind community activity in her native village.

Also, among the team behind the organising the mini-programme were Marie O'Driscoll, Maureen Lynch, Ann McNamara, Aoife Hayde, Angela Hickey, John Hickey, Seamus Seymour and John Finnegan and their many helpers getting everything in place.

THANKS

“Our thanks to Tipperary County Council for their support and the businesses in the Killoscully-Newport area who have very generously sponsored the prizes for the draw,” added Margaret. She explained that the proceeds will go towards funding the work of the Tidy Village Committee during the season, with the community conscious that judging for 2025 is already under way.

The evening was perfect for the openair celebration of Mass by Rev Fr John O'Keeffe, PP, Newport and administrator for Ballinahinch-Killoscully parish to remember all interred at the local graveyard. Mass was followed by blessing of the graves.

A small group of young musicians, under their director, Jackie O'Connell, provided lovely selections of music, before, during and after the celebration of the Mass.

GREAT HOSPITALITY

Then it was an open invitation to all to partake of a good spread of hospitality at the adjoining Community Hall, where even the unwelcome power failure within the area failed to dampen the enjoyment of the gathering with the party getting under way with the aid of the emergency lighting.

Fortunately, the ‘blackout’ was short lived, and the setting was all in brightness again in time to enjoy plenty of the popular favourites for country dancing by Colin Kenny on stage for his first visit to play in the village.

The dozens of sponsored prizes were drawn for with Angela Hickey calling the lucky numbers and assisted by her daughter, Mary, and a few more helpers to hand out the goodies.

There was an evening of meeting, chatting, and dancing until after the sun went down on the second longest day of the year.