St. Patrick’s Day 2024

Champions

Not only does he write evocatively, David Kissane can run and race walk with the best. Here is his caption for this picture last week…

Still only sinking in now that we won the European Masters 5K race walking team gold medal here in Poland this morning! With just 29 seconds separating us from the highly-rated German team, and a talented French team in 3rd, the two Kerry athletes, Michael O’Connor (FFMV AC) and myself from St Brendan’s AC along with Sean McMullin ((Mullingar AC) are honoured to have taken the gold for Ireland in the M70+ category. Great moment on the podium with Amhrán na bhFiann playing. Never to be forgotten and we learned a lot to pass on to the juveniles and adult race walkers in our clubs.

Star of the Silent Screen with Kerry Roots

Story from “Anyone from Ballyduff…” on Facebook

Each summer, Ballyduff welcomes celebrities, some more well-known than others. In the summer of 1955, one such celebrity was Mary Pickford, the revered “America’s sweetheart” of the silent screen and one of the first film stars. She and her husband, Buddy Rodgers, visited Boyles old house at Knopogue, which had been the ancestral home of her Grand-parents, Charles, and Mary Pickford. On their visit to Rattoo cemetery, they found a Pickford headstone, a testament to Mary’s origins. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 9, 1892, Mary Pickford became a picture actress, and at the peak of her career she was one of the wealthiest and most famous women in the United States. 

Died: May 29, 1979, Santa Monica, California, U.S. (aged 87)

Founder: United Artists Corporation

Awards And Honors: Academy Award (1976) Academy Award (1930) 

Academy Award (1930): Actress in a Leading Role.  Honorary Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1976)

A Love Poem

translated from Irish by Gabriel Fitzmaurice

Catching up with Aoife

Aoife is my youngest grandchild. Spending time in her company is always a treat.

Feeding her Peppa family

Checking in with Daddy

A bedtime story with Mammy

A Fact

In a group of just 23 people, there is a 50% chance that at least two people will have the same birthday.

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