CANCER AWARENESS INFORMATION EVENING: The Marie Keating Foundation will hold a Cancer Awareness Information Session in the Castle Arms Hotel on Thursday 9th April at 7.30pm. The Marie Keating Foundation provides information on all the key cancers, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer and bowel cancer. This session is free of charge, however donations would be very much appreciated. Mark it in your diary now, it’s too important to miss!

SQUARE PLAN: Durrow Development Forum are delighted with the progress of works to date. The Phase 1 Plan is available for public viewing in Durrow Post Office currently.

IRISH RESTAURANT AWARDS: Congratulations to Sarah and Shane Bowe and Staff of Bowe’s Foodhall and Café on being nominated for an award in the following categories listed in Co. Laois: Best Restaurant, Best Casual Dining, Best Customer Service. The Leinster Regional awards event will take place in The Clyde Court Hotel, Ballsbridge on March 31st. We wish all in Bowe’s Foodhall and Café the best of luck and hopefully they will come home with an award.
Congratulations to Eddie Clancy, Fermoyle who won the Ballyragget Parish Lotto jackpot recently.

LAOIS KAYAK AND CANOE CLUB: Club Bag Pack at Dunnes Stores Portlaoise: The club will be fundraising for equipment on Easter Saturday, 4th April in Dunnes Stores Portlaoise, if you are around, please do come in and support us, be it a coin or a few, it would be greatly appreciated.

CIVIL DEFENCE POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Durrow Civil Defence currently have a number of positions open within the unit. If you are interested on volunteering in this emergency service and you are over 18, why not call us on (086) 3491317.

THIRD LAOIS DURROW SCOUTS: Appeal: Our Group is actively seeking new scouters. This is a chance for people to upskill, and if you have spare time on your hands and enjoy working with the youth, we would encourage you to contact Maureen Campion GL on (085) 8099528. Youths and Adults are promised to have lots of fun and lots of learning by doing, so please do not feel you would have the skill because all training is provided by the group. We really need people to come on board in order to continue to provide scouting in Durrow. Please give this matter some thought.

ST VINCENT de PAUL: Anyone looking for help can contact us on (087) 3476012.

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE: Commencing this September there will be a new bus service from Durrow to Colaiste Mhuire, Johnstown for students. All will be catered for. For more information please contact M&A Coaches on (056) 8833454.

SATURDAY MARKET: Durrow Saturday market is open every Saturday from 9am to 12.30pm in the Computer Centre beside the RC Church on the Kilkenny Rd. Potato’s and Fresh Veg are available, to book your favourites please ring Marie on (087) 7742506. Home Baking from Bernie Brennan is also now available with a selection of fresh breads, scones, tarts and cakes. You can also book cakes for parties etc… with Bernie. Do come along, great value on offer!

BALLINAKILL BINGO: Monday night in the hall on The Square at 8.30pm and there is €1,000 in prize money every week. We also run a raffle. Books are at €7.50 for a single book with sheets and €15 for a double book with double sheets. There is also a bus service running from Durrow. For more information on pick up times please contact Dick on (086) 8402139.

LITTLE OAKS PARENT AND TODDLER PLAYGROUP: The Little Oaks Parent and Toddler Playgroup continues meetings on Tuesdays at 10am in the Presentation Centre. All are most welcome. All enquiries to Teresa on (086) 3914725.

DURROW REMINISCING GROUP: Thank you to everyone who purchased the Durrow/Cullohill Reminiscing Book. We hope you have enjoyed the collection of photographs spanning almost 100 years, poetry by John Kenna & Hugh Sheppard and Johnny Conroy’s interview with Hugh Toole. If you are looking for a copy of the Reminiscing Book they are on sale in Our Lady’s Meadow PS. All proceeds will go to the Building Fund in the school. Any further information please contact Tom on: (087) 2936531, Pat on: (056) 8833443 or Kathleen on: (086) 8263368.

YOUNG VOICE OF LAOIS: Could you be the next Young Voice of Laois? This competition is organised by Durrow Development Forum and is open to male and female singers between 12 and 18 years old, the Young Voice of Laois 2015 is now open for entries. Following two rounds of heats in Portlaoise and Durrow, finalists will appear in the Castle Arms Hotel on Saturday, 9th May, 2015. The winner will receive the Ronan Lawlor Perpetual Cup; €100 cash prize; guest appearances at Laois School of Music End of year Concert and The Durrow Scarecrow Festival and a scholarship for Music Generation Laois School of Rock and Pop Summer Camp. Auditions will take place in the coming weeks. Applicants must live in Co. Laois. Closing Date is 17th, April 2015. Terms and Conditions apply. Application forms available to download here or from Laois School of Music, Railway Street, Portlaoise (057) 8664127.

TIME TO GET THE KETTLE ON!: Classes have commenced in Durrow Community Centre every Tuesday and Thursday evening, PLUS! SATURDAY MORNINGS from 11am to Noon. First class free for everyone joining at any time. Contact David on (087) 3833258 or tridentfitnessclub@yahoo.ie by email

AED DEFIBRILLATOR: Cullohill Community Centre have installed an AED Defibrillator in a box on the outside wall of the Community Centre. This is accessible by using the Key in the break Glass Box alongside it. A list of trained responders to call in the event of an emergency is in the box. The Community Hall is now protected by a new CCTV System and access to footage from the cameras can be gained through by any committee member.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS IRELAND: Annual Collection Day, Friday 24th April, Volunteers Needed: Special Olympics Ireland urgently requires volunteers in the Laois area to help with our charity Collection Day on Friday April 24th. Collection Day is the biggest annual fundraising event in aid of Special Olympics Ireland. The money raised on the day will be used to ensure that Special Olympics Ireland can continue to realise its promise of offering people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to participate in sport in their area. Special OIympics Ireland is looking for volunteers across the day, so if you can commit to the full day or even just an hour, please contact Jill Groome on (01) 629 6999 or jill.groome@specialolympics.ie by email.

OVER THE RAINBOW MONTESSORI BALLYOUSKILL: Montessori preschool for 2 1/2 to 5 year olds. We are thinking of extending our hours from 8am to 1pm. If anyone is interest in these extended hours please contact us as soon as possible as arrangements have to be made. Free ECCE preschool year available. Free CETS places available. Find us on Facebook. Contact Laura (085) 1652589.
Summer Camp 2015: Running from the 13th – 17th of July in Ballyouskill for 2 1/2 to 10 year olds. Activities such as water games, orientation, swimming, teddy bear picnics, barbeque, indoor soccer, arts/crafts, musical games, disco, hip-hop dancing, face painting, camp games and many more! Run by Laura Saunders and Tina Hayde. Contact Laura (085) 1652589.

LAOISWEATHER: Visit www.laoisweather.com for all the latest weather conditions and forecasts.

NEXT NEWSLETTER: The next Durrow Parish Newsletter will be on sale weekending April 11th/12th. NOTICE: The deadline for inclusion of notes is Thursday, April 9th at 7pm to info@durrow.ie and ALL ADVERTS MUST BE BOOKED WITH ANGELA DRENNAN (087) 1928522 OR MARY WALSH (086) 3055157.