Community notes July 22nd
July 26, 2023
Festival Concert
A Showband Memories Concert will be one of the highlights of this year’s Timoleague Festival. It will be held at The Community Hall on Thursday night August 24th. featuring multi award winners Frankie Mc Donald of The Joe Dolan Band and Keith Mc Donald of The Showband Show. Attendance at The Community Hall will be limited. Tickets go on sale on Monday, July 24th. from 5pm. Please ring the festival phone at (086) 1697628 to speak to a member of the committee when ordering tickets. Patrons are advised not to leave voice messages on the phone. Tickets are priced at €20 each. A great night is assured.
Timoleague’s First Festival
Last week we made mention of the first festival which was held at Timoleague from August 24th. to September 2nd. 1973. A look back at the festival programme makes for interesting reading. A hurling challenge game between Courcey Rovers and O’Donovan Rossa at Foley’s Field was held on Friday night. A number of scores were thrown on Saturday. There was a Fancy Dress Parade headed up by The Tragumna Pipe Band on Sunday evening followed by the official opening by Tom Kiernan. Earlier in the afternoon there was a Baby Show and Irish Dancing and Verse Speaking also featured. Drimoleague native, Mary Russell, an employee at AIB Bandon was crowned Festival Queen. Selma and The Echoes played at the Patrician Hall, Ballinascarthy that night. Monday night was Children’s Sports. Tuesday night was given over to camogie. A Steam Threshing was held on Wednesday night which was a spectacular event. Tug-O’-War contests were held on Thursday night. On Friday there was a speed boat display under The Abbey, followed by The Waltz Around The Mill. For those not familiar with this novel event, it was a waltzing competition along the old funeral route. It began at The Cross and couples waltzed down Abbey Street, along School Road and up Mill Hill before finishing at Mill Street at the Court House. The Children’s Fancy Dress was held on Saturday with a churn race and a tyre race through the village. On Sunday there was an Agricultural and Horticultural Show. The closing dance was at Ballinascarthy with The Sundowners providing the music. There was a bar extension to 12.30am during the festival.How times have changed, yet some items on the programme have stood the test of time and featured annually at Timoleague Harvest Festival.