Local Organisations
MYSHALL MUINTIR NA TÍRE
2008 marked the Diamond Jubilee of Muintir
na Tíre in Myshall and
there is no doubt that over the past six decades the organisation
has made a very real, proud, positive and practical contribution to
local development in the Parish of Myshall. Initially Muintir was a
rural community movement placing emphasis on self help and utilising the
great Irish tradition of muintearas or neighbourliness. Canon Hayes, the
charismatic and dynamic founder of the organisation visited Myshall in
1954 to bless the Marian Shrine on the Carlow Road.
MYSHALL/FENAGH MACRA NA FEÍRME
Macra na Feírme celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in the area in 2008
and tradition claims it was one of the first clubs not alone in Co.
Carlow but in Ireland.
Members of what was known as ‘Aclare Macra Club’ met in a barn known as ‘Gorman’s Loft’ and stories abound about the ‘good times’ and the great socials held there and a band playing and everyone dressed in ‘their Sunday best’.
MYSHALL/DRUMPHEA MILLENNIUM COMMITTEE
The dissolution of Myshall’s 1798 committee in March 1999 saw the
birth of a new organisation Myshall/Drumphea Millennium Committee.
Its aims were to arrange a programme of events for Myshall for the year 2000 and to co-ordinate projects of interest for the many age and interest groups present in the parish.
SENIOR CITIZENS CLUB
Myshall/Drumphea senior citizens club is very active; it was founded
in Myshall Hall with 29 local people of the Parish.
Our
present committee undertook a major project to commemorate the
Millennium Year by researching, sourcing, recording and producing a
video titled "Back In Time". Many of our Senior Citizens recalled their
memoirs of 'bygone days'. To the delight of our committee the video was
launched to a packed audience by Rev. Fr. Hayden.
FORÓIGE
Foróige means Youth Development and the purpose of Foróige clubs
is
to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in
their own development and in the development of society. It gives them
many opportunities to have fun, make new friends, think for themselves,
reflect on their actions and take responsibility. It helps them develop
strong characteristics and talents, acquire knowledge and skills for the
future and improve their communities.
MYSHALL I.C.A. GUILD
It was in the year 1967
(May 17th) that a group of women came together
to discuss the possibility of starting an I.C.A. guild. There were 42
women present. This meeting was addressed by Mrs. Eileen McDonnell the
federation president of the day and Miss A. Butler, an I.C.A. organiser.
Miss Butler gave the history of the association. At that time there were 22,000 members in the association nationwide. She stressed for a guild to survive good co-operative, happy, healthy spirit was necessary. This we have in abundance to the present day. The women decided to form a Myshall I.C.A. Guild.
MYSHALL I.F.A./N.F.A.
Myshall National
Farmers Association was founded 50 years ago in 1957
just two years after the foundation of the National Association. The
first meeting on record was held in Myshall Hall on the 21st January
1958 with 21 members attending. In the fifty years since as agriculture
has developed to become one of Ireland’s biggest exporting industries it
has helped protect farming families and improve their livelihood from a
subsistence level.
MYSHALL TIDY TOWNS
The National Tidy Towns Committee provides an incentive all over the
country for citizens to take an interest and pride in the appearance of
their own locality. Myshall can trace participation in this to 1963 when
we tied for 1st place with Silvermines, Co. Tipperary. Throughout the
1970's one Fr. Willie Roche C.C., fresh from the colourful lands of
Africa, united the village in a rainbow of colour and was the power
behind Tidy Towns, as we know it here today. Fr. Roche has gone to his
eternal reward but to be sure he would be pleased at the development of
this place he called “a little piece of heaven”.
MYSHALL PARISH MAGAZINE
In early March 1997 a surprise telephone call to Fr. O’Shea Parish
Priest of Myshall from the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants
brought news that the ‘Myshall Parish Magazine’ of 1996 had won a
National competition sponsored by Aer Rianta. Excited members of the
committee travelled to Dublin Airport for the presentation of prizes on
March 14th and received a beautiful engraved crystal decanter and two
air tickets to/from any airport in England to/from any airport in
Ireland.
MYSHALL & DRUMPHEA PLOUGHING ASSOCIATION
The local Ploughing Association was formed over 60 years ago and the
very first competitive ploughing match was held in the area in January
1943. There were five classes and up to 40 pairs of horses took part.
The winner of the Senior Class was Tom McDonald (see photo) and his
prize was £5. One of the other prizes was a pair of horse shoes given by
a local blacksmith. Field Gates were also common prizes at the time. In
1944 fifteen people travelled to Ballinasloe, Co. Galway for the
All-Ireland final in a lorry into which they had to put not only the
ploughs but straw on which they slept for the duration of the
competition. In those days there were chilled ploughs and swing ploughs.
Nowadays we have five and six sod reversible ploughs pulled by tractors
in excess of 100 horse power.
BLACKSTAIRS VINTAGE CLUB
The club was formed in November 2003 when Muintir na Tire called a
General Meeting for anyone with an interest in all things Vintage to
form a club to help preserve and promote our rural and agricultural
heritage.
Since our first meeting the club has grown beyond all expectations, with a broad membership from Myshall, Drumphea and surrounding areas, hence the name ‘Blackstairs Vintage’. We acquire and restore farm, farmyard, dairy and household items so that they can be seen and enjoyed by future generations.
MYSHALL GARDEN CLUB
The seeds for what is now well known through the county as "Myshall
Garden Club" were sown in July 2001 when
Myshall Muintir na Tíre called an open meeting for the establishment
of such a club in Myshall Community
Centre. Since that initial meeting the Club has grown to be one of
the biggest and most active organisations in the area, with membership
from Bagenalstown to Bunclody.
MYSHALL ART GROUP
In November 2006, Myshall Muintir na Tire, in an effort to encourage
tourism and enterprise in the locality, called for the establishment of
an Art Club. It was hoped to encourage a substantial art/crafts movement
in the area where there has been a long tradition of art and creativity
- St. Fhoirtcheirn, who evangelised this part of County Carlow in the
5th Century was well known as 'the skilled metal worker'.
MYSHALL COMMUNITY ALERT
Community Alert is a community programme organised by voluntary groups in association with Muintir Na Tíre and An Garda Síochána. It is about creating and maintaining a caring community, it aims to allay fear and reduce feelings of isolation and is about partnership with you and the other voluntary agencies in your community.
MYSHALL COMMUNITY CENTRE
The focal point of activities in the Myshall/Drumphea area certainly is
Myshall Community Centre. The Centre is a hive of activity for most of
the year, especially during the winter months when it is essential to
book in advance. The centre is used by every age group of our community
for sporting, cultural and social activities.
WHIST DRIVE GROUP
Every Sunday night, Winter and Summer, a Whist Drive is held in Myshall
Community Centre. At the beginning of 1961, Fr. Joseph Keogh P.P.,
together with Dr. Martin Burke C.C, started the whist drives as a social
and fundraising venture for the Parish. With ten station areas in the
Parish, each area in turn sponsored a whist and was responsible for its
running and catering on their designated night. There was a tremendous
response from players and sponsors alike and an average of twenty tables
(80 players) was then the norm.
CRISP COMPUTER TRAINING & ACCESS CENTRE:
Carlow Rural Information Services Project, CRISP, consists of a network
of computer training and access centres throughout County Carlow, which
aims to provide under-served populations in rural and urban communities
with low cost information communications technology (ICT) resources.