Rochfortbridge Round-up

The Martin Coyne Memorial cup has been running for the past five years in Rochfortbridge Pitch and Putt club and every year takes place on the second weekend of October.It is the one time of year that the sun always seems to shine and it is no wonder as all proceeds go to a different charity each year.The competition is run in the memory of 27-year-old man, Martin Coyne, who died tragically and who was known for his great pitch and putt playing.The first year the cup was held, the proceeds went to South Hill in Delvin, followed by St. Vincent de Paul in Mullingar the second year. In the third year, the event was held in aid of the Hospice in Rochfortbridge, followed by the Wish Foundation last year, where the money raised from the competition enabled three sick children to obtain their wish. This year, the proceeds were donated to the Irish Wheelchair Foundation in the Springfield Centre, which is used by between 30 and 40 service users on a day-to-day basis.The total proceeds raised this year came to €700 and on Thursday last, October 16, Martin"s father, Michael Coyne presented the cheque at the IWA base in Springfield.Speaking about his son, Michael said:'Martin was well-known around about and he couldn"t do enough for people, especially the elderly. He had a heart of gold, but with this competition, his death wasn"t in vain.'The entire Coyne family sponsor all of the prizes every year and do all the catering for the competition.'I"d like to thank the committee in the Rochfortbridge Club for all their wonderful help throughout the year. I"d also like to thank the people who came from all over to play and support the competition, and the people who couldn"t come who sent contributions. All contributions, big or small, will always be welcomed. So, on behalf of the family, a big "thank you" everyone,' finished Michael.Maria O"Callaghan from the IWA in Springfield Centre spoke about how the money will be well spent:'This competition has been great for us because we are always in need of funds and it will be a great benefit to our members. It will be the service users who decide how best to spend this money.'The Irish Wheelchair Association has a fleet of four buses that pick up service users from the surrounding areas so that they can take part in the different activities going on at the centre, such as art, photography, literacy skills and computers, which the VEC funds. Josephine Kenny is the activities co-ordinator and the IWA also provides trips outside the Mullingar area four times a year.As of next year, there will be a change in the Martin Coyne Memorial Cup, going from a stroke-play to a two-ball scramble competition.Agricultural lands up for sale at CastlelostAgricultural lands up for sale at Castlelost, Rochfortbridge of c.40 acres in lots are expected to reach €12,000 an acre, or more, depending on the bidding according to Pat Gavin, Auctioneer. The entire land could also go in one full sale, with a guide price of around €600,000.The land, which will go to auction this Friday, October 24 in the Greville Arms Hotel at 3 o"clock, has a large gravel deposit, with a small stream running through the lands. The lots will be sold as c.20 acres, c.8 acres, and.c.12 acres, and are available immediately, but can be sold as one.Pat Gavin describes the land as a 'top quality non residential farm, renowned for fattening and tillage qualities. It has frontage to two roads and is central to all midland towns, lakes, racecourse and golf courses'.'It is only a mile and a half from Rochfortbridge, seven miles from Mullingar, 16 miles from Tullamore, and 2.5 miles from the new M6 motorway.''With the local village of Rochfortbridge only 1.5 miles away, there is a range of good shops, pubs, restaurants, a church, top class Primary and Secondary schools. It is also the ideal location for a residence and a stud farm subject to planning permission,' he said.'There has been a good amount of interest shown in the land despite the economic climate,' he added.'Back to the Eighties'Following on from the success of previous shows such as Oklahoma and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, over 200 students from St. Joseph"s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge will bring Back to the Eighties to the school gym this week from Tuesday, October 21 to Saturday, October 25.Think Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller"s Day Off, The Karate Kid and The Wedding Singer and you"ll get the picture.The students have been working hard on the show since the beginning of term, with a lot of backstage work taking place as well, with many students working on the set build and design.The music in the show should be to everyone"s taste, as it is relatively new, featuring such hits as Material Girl, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Centre Fold and Footloose.Under the guidance of their music teachers, Yvonne Muldoon, Niamh Sheridan and Margaret Cole the students are inviting you to join the graduating class of William Ocean High School as they live through their final senior year - as they experience the fun, the heartbreak, the loves and the loneliness of growing up, all set to the biggest hits of the 80s!! St Joseph"s are very fortunate to have enlisted local Choreographer, Annemarie Bentick to work with the students as they perform, what promises to be, electric dance numbers!!!!!Set in the USA, Back To The 80"s tells the story of the senior class of William Ocean High School that graduated in the 1980s, as remembered and seen through the eyes of Corey Palmer Senior (Eoin Rigney), who is now 30-something. The then 17-year-old Corey (Conor Walsh) is madly in love with his next-door neighbour, Tiffany Houston (Francis Fallon). Tiffany is one of the coolest girls in the school. However, she barely notices Corey as she is too busy mooning over Michael Feldman (Cayman Power), the hottest guy around. Michael and his friends are athletic and good-looking - the kind of guys that Corey and his two best friends dream of being. However, while they may not be the coolest guys in school, they are still one up on Fergal McFerrin III (Gavin Kirwan), whose best friend is his computer, and who believes the crazy notion that one day CDs will replace cassette tapes.Will nice guy Corey get his girl? Will Fergal convince the class that he is not a nerd after all? Will their lovestruck teachers ever get it together?Throw in a Star Wars dream sequence, high-energy dance routines, the obligatory 80s party scene, copious amounts of blue eye-shadow, twenty cans of hairspray, as well as some of the most popular songs ever written, and the result is a musical that is guaranteed to delight and amuse an audience of any age. The show will run from Tuesday, October 21 to Saturday, October 25 in the School Gymnasium. Tickets are €15 and are available from Evelyn in the school office. For more details telephone 0449222176.