The Bennettsbridge annual field day takes place in Bennettsbridge GAA on Sunday 24th June 2018.  This is a great community day and hopefully the weather will be good to us like last year.  As always there will be plenty of activity in the GAA field for all the ages.  We will have the the ever popular Wheel of fortune, carnival games, hurling games, BBQ, Cake stands and much more.  If anyone has any new ideas or would like to help out on the day please contact Alan on 086-3330836.  

The annual field day was held in the hurling field on Sunday 25^th June.  Unlike last year the weather was much more kind to us and a great crowd turned up over the course of the day.  The Bennettsbridge under 6 and under 8 camogie and hurling got the day under way, they hosted teams from Graigue Ballycallan, Graiguenamanagh and Thomastown.  There were plenty of things to do for all the ages.  There was the ever popular Wheel of fortune and the Bric a Brac stalls that everyone loves mulling through to see if there are any bargains to be had.  This year there was new games at the field day such as the Coconut game, Hook a Duck, Giant Buzz and Lucky Dip which generated a great carnival atmosphere.  Then we had games to test your strength and skill between the hurling target practice board, golf, the hanging tough bars and the medicine ball throw.  If none of that took your fancy you could sit down and relax to a nice cup of tea in one hand and maybe a slice of cake or a burger/hot dog in the other or you could look at the dog show which was kindly sponsored and judged by Petmania.  Our MC on the day was the one and only George Chandler and he kept the crowd informed of all the stalls and events that were happening.  The music on the day was supplied by Joe Butler and John Maddocks and once again we would like to thank Peter Roberts of Padmore and Barnes for organising and providing the sound system on the day.  

The club would like to thank the following for making the day a great success as only for their support and co-operation it would not be possible: PD Fencing & Play Equipment, main sponsor of Bennettsbridge GAA; Tom O Shea from Kilkenny Builders Providers for the use of his truck for the band stand; Fitzpatrick Party Tent Hire for use of the marques and thanks for setting up and taking down; Fineline Furniture and Wallslough Centre for their use of their van and loaning of tables/chairs/tents for use on the day and practical help; Nicholas Mosse pottery for their use of their van and donation of a raffle prize; Treacy’s Carpets and Furniture for their use of their van over the weekend; O’Donnell’s pub, Derek and Margaret for undertaking the B-B- Q today and their general practical help with day. Like to thank our new local butcher David Power for his very kind sponsorship of the burgers and sausages at the bbq stand and wish him well for the future.  Also like to thank Supervalu Market Cross for donating the buns and baps etc., and most importantly providing the refrigerated van in the field.  Many thanks to Damien O’Donovan AKA BUBBLES for organising this sponsorship and support of today’s event.; Thanks to Paudie Lannon  for his donation again this year of all the Avonmore cream and milk in use today at our field day; Thanks to Sean and Annmarie Greene, Barronsland for their donation of strawberries and organising the strawberry stand; A huge thanks to Angie & Paul Kenny of Kells Wholemeal for their generous donation of their wide range of buns and cakes; thanks to Ann Tobin, Mai O’Neill and Catherine Murphy for all the home baking provided; Thanks to PJ Ryan and Leslie Davin for displaying  their beautiful woodturning and crochet crafts and for their generous contributions to the field day; A huge thanks to Pat Comerford of Flower Power who donated many beautiful plants and shrubs to our plant & veg stall; Thanks to Paula Nolan for her kind sponsorship of the balloon stand; Thanks to Vera Lacey of the ‘The Learning Garden’, our local childcare facility, for the organisation and provisions in the children’s play area at the field day; Thanks to the Bennettsbridge Community Hall committee for their use of the hall as a drop off point for field day items in the lead up to the field day and for their use of tables and chairs at the field day; A special thanks to Andrea Kelly and others who organised stands and worked hard to make up all the games and other activities here today. The day would not be possible without these volunteers giving of their time and energy for our community so a big thanks you to you all. 

We would ask people to support the businesses who have made donations, given sponsorship to the Field day and who have supported many of our past fund raising events and activities.

The winner of the gate prize was Helen Dooley; the gate prize was a €25 meat voucher from the local butcher and would like to thank Leo and Annmarie Mahon for this donation.  The club would like to thank Leo and Annmarie for their great support of the field day and for storing the wheel of fortune/Bric a brac stalls and other games.

The field day raffle winners were:

1^st Prize – 32’’ Slimline TV – Eddie Fitzgerald 

2^nd Prize – Car trailer load of timber (kindly sponsored by Bill Carroll) – James Doran

3^rd Prize – Nicholas Mosse Pottery large bowl – Ann Ryan

4^th Prize – PJ Ryan Wood turner cherry bowl (kindly sponsored by PJ) – Eileen McGarry

5^th Prize – Moth to a Flame candle (sponsored by Larry Kinsella of MTAF) – Ger Kelly

6^th Prize – Bennettsbridge Juvenile Jersey – Leah Maher

Other winners on the day were:

Guess the weight of the cake (cake sponsored by Ann Tobin) – Katie Wemyss

Guess the name of the Doll – Patty Davey

Guess the number of Jellies in the jar (jellies sponsored by Margaret Nolan) – Annmarie Mahon

Hanging tough Bars: Adult – Leo Mahon, Juvenile – Noah Brennan Walsh

Golf – Alex O Farrell

Bennettsbridge GAA held their first golf classic in a number of years on Friday 23^rd June 2017 in Gowran Park.  It was a great success and we were delighted that 36 teams played that day which augers well for the future.  We would like to sincerely thank our main sponsor of the event Sharon O’ Brien Auctioneers for her very generous sponsorship and would like to wish her continued success.  We would like to thank all the following businesses who sponsored this event and trust you will support them in the future:   Aidan Doyle Sanding & Varnishing, An Bas Hurley’s, Angela McGarry Beauty Salon, Bennettsbridge Limestone Quarries, Bridge Driving School, Duggan Menswear, Duggan Steel Group, Fogarty Concrete Ltd, Happy Paws Hotel, Hennessy Sports, Hotel Kilkenny, Insight HR, J. Carroll - The Corner House, Johnston’s Funeral Directors, Kilkenny Builders Providers, Kissanes Pharmacy, Langton House Hotel, Lodgepark Landscapes, M & A Coaches, Mark Dowling 'Star' Hurley’s, Merlyn Showering, Moth to a Flame, Neil Tynan Butchers, Nicholas Mosse Pottery, O’Donnell’s Bar, O'Dwyer Golf, O'Mahony's Service Station, Paschal Bergin & Co Accountants, Patrick Farrell Accountants, Paula Nolan Hair Salon, Refrigeration Solutions, Roadstone Ltd, Sentry Security, Smithwicks Experience, Supervalu - Market Cross, The Hermitage, The National Reptile Zoo, The Ouncel House, Thomastown Credit Union, Tim Dooley Carpentry, Treacy's Carpets & Furniture, Treacy's Homevalue, Tree Services Ireland, TRP - Truck & Trailer Parts, Valerie A. Cotter & Co. Solicitors, Waltons Flooring.  The 36 teams that participated in the event were fed and watered in The Ouncel House after their round of golf and later that evening the prizes were handed out there by the club chairperson Alan Flynn and the main event sponsor Sharon O’Brien. The prize winners were:

1^st Prize - Duggan’s Menswear Vouchers: James Aldridge, Ger Walsh, Mick Walsh & Les Walsh

2^nd Prize – Killarney Court Hotel stay plus Killarney Green fees: Mick Dillon, Mick Fitzpatrick, Paddy McGuinness & Joe Coakley

3^rd Prize – O’Dwyer Golf Shoes: Liam Duggan, Sean O’Neill, Frank Murphy & Jim Wellwood

4^th Prize – Hotel Kilkenny Meal Vouchers: Michael Daly, Pat Comerford, Ken Hovenden & Martin Brennan

5^th Prize – Nicholas Mosse Bowls: John Foley, Pat Hyland, JJ Donohue & Murt Monaghan

6^th Prize – Hennessy Sports T Shirts: David Ryan, Killian Star, Joe Sheen & Killian Timmons

7^th Prize – Kilkenny Green Fees: Larry Cleere, Ian Morrissey, James Comerford & Seamus McKillen

8^th Prize – Gowran Park Green Fees: Liam Walsh, Michael Walsh, Pat Kirwan & Mattie Byrne Snr

9^th Prize – Borris Green Fees: Liam Dowling, Mick Bolger, Chris O Grady & Conor Cleere

Non GUI Prize – Mountain View Green Fees: Pat O’Grady, Willie Blanchfield, Anthony McCormack & Joe Walsh.

 The draw for the raffle took place after the presentation of the main golf prizes and the winners of the raffle were:

1^st Prize- 32’’ Television – David Ryan

2^nd Prize – Coffee Maker – Christy Forde

3^rd Prize – Supervalu Hamper – Watt Kennedy

4^th Prize – 2 Guinness hop store incl. lunch vouchers – Brendan Doran

The club would like to thank all the people who helped out in any way to make this year’s Golf Classic a great success and would like to thank everyone who supported the event with their generous donations.

Pictures attached – Dick O’Neill, Alan Flynn, Sharon O’Brien & Jim Walsh.

Bennettsbridge senior replica jerseys available for sale in sizes from Under 8 to Medium Adults.  

The 2016 Bennettsbridge club calendar is available now for sale for €10. After the wonderful triumph of the Junior All Ireland this calendar has some lovely pictures which catches all the excitement that it brought.  It is a must for every household in the parish to have.  It is available to buy in O'Mahoneys Service Station and the Post office or you could contact any committee member.