Welcome to the Copper Post, the online newsletter that covers the communities of Dunhill, Fenor, Boatstrand and Annestown.

In this week's newsletter...

• BEFORE WE GET STARTED

• SPORT

  • Clanna Gael GAA

  • Dunhill GAA

  • Dunhill Squash Club

  • Fenor GAA

  • Fenor Road Bowling Club

  • Na Gaeil GAA

  • Powerlifting

• ARTS, HERITAGE & CULTURE

  • Down Memory Lane

  • Dunhill Players

• COMMUNITY & SUPPORT

  • Boatstrand

  • Community Alert

  • Community Hall

• EDUCATION & LEARNING

  • Dunhill NS

  • Tiny Tots

• NATURE & ENVIRONMENT

  • Dunhill Tidy Towns

• MISCELLANEOUS

  • Events Further Afield

  • Trivia Question

  • Job Notices

  • Property

  • Death Notices

  • Weather

  • Join The Copper Post Business Directory

BEFORE WE GET STARTED

The Copper Post newsletter is celebrating its 1st anniversary today!

A massive thank you to our readers, our contributors and our sponsors over the past year.

To keep it going, we really need your help.

If each reader could share the text in the box below with just three people it would make a massive difference. Thank you for helping us grow!

SPORT

Clanna Gael GAA

The weather hasn't stopped all our teams from getting back out training.

League competitions are starting next month in preparation for the upcoming championship.

Many thanks to our 3 adult clubs for the use of their facilities.

Dunhill GAA

Welcome

Dunhill GAA would like to extend a warm welcome to our recent transfers:

Cian Harte and Cormac Harte (from Ballycrodock), along with Conor Harkin and Noah Fanning. We wish you all the very best as you join the club.

We are also excited to welcome Christy Walsh, who will be leading our adult hurling setup for the upcoming season. Frank Kavanagh and Cormac Daniels will be joining him as selectors. We are also happy to retain Iain Hatton to head up the adult football.

Dunhill GAA Centre

The Brill Dunhill Easter Camp is coming soon. Bookings will be via www.dunhillgaasc.ie

Join The Gym!
There’s no better time to kick-start your fitness goals at Dunhill GAA Centre Gym.

Call into the Centre during staffed gym hours which can be found on our socials or contact us directly on 083 876 1244.

Strength & Conditioning Training Classes 💪

🏋️ When? Every Tuesday & Thursday
📍 Where? Dunhill GAA Centre
📞 Contact: Tommy Colfer at 087-9725247

Expert-led Strength & Conditioning (S&C) training to improve fitness, strength, and endurance. Suitable for all levels!

Dunhill Squash Club

Congratulations to Dylan Dunphy, who came runner-up in Boys U11 in the recent Ireland Junior Nationals. A fantastic result for a very talented young man.

Best of luck to our Div 3 team, who are competing in the Munster Leagues. First up is a home game against Celtic Squash Club this Wednesday night at 19:30. All support is welcome.

New members are always welcome. We cater for all ages and abilities.
Please email: [email protected]

Fenor GAA

Proceeds Presented

📸 Pictured at Fenor NS, where a cheque for €9,200 — the proceeds of Fenor GAA Club’s annual ‘Wellies & Bellies’ benefit game — was presented as a contribution towards the school’s new Autism Sensory Room project.

Included are Denise Keating (Principal), Marian Burns (School Secretary), Emma Faulkner (Parents’ Council), pupils, and GAA committee members.

As a club, Fenor were delighted to be able to give back to the community at Christmas time. A massive thank you to all those who supported us on the day and donated so generously to this fundraiser online, in person, and especially privately. 👏

Mackey’s Positive Impact

Sean Mackey signing autographs for young supporters after last Sunday’s National Hurling League Division 1A match against Kilkenny at Nowlan Park. He came off the bench to score two superb points in quick succession before the break and a well-taken third in the second period, only for the Cats to shade it by the bare minimum in added time. Though disappointed to have lost, Waterford manager Peter Queally praised the versatile Fenor man’s impact afterwards:

“In fairness, young Sean Mackey's only 19 years of age. Came on for Calum Lyons at wing-back. Scored three points from play, so it's a good positive for us after the game.”

∙ Well done and best wishes to Ollie Buck and Darragh Murphy, who’ve been selected for the Waterford U-20 Football panel for this year’s championship.

∙ We get our County League campaigns underway in a month’s time, with pre-season training beginning to kick in — fixtures to follow shortly.

∙ The Eastern Junior ‘A’ Hurling Championship will get underway in late June. The provisional fixtures were issued last week, and Fenor will play St. Saviours, Passage, Clonea, and Mount Sion in our group.

ADVERT

Fenor Road Bowling Club

Bit of a slow month with the weather since January, but everyone has been training away for the East Cork - Waterford Championship, in which we have a record number of 12 players across many divisions.

Great to see some more younger members come to the Sunday scores, which are, as always, at 11 am on Sunday mornings for the next generation. Everyone is welcome, along with a parent or guardian if under 18.

We also remembered our Mentor and President Jerry Cremin. His 6th year anniversary was this month. May he rest in peace.

Na Gaeil GAA

Our Under 8 & 9s and our Under 10 & 11s are back training Monday and Thursday nights. Our Under 5 & 6s return to training in the coming weeks.

We’ve had a couple of new recruits over the past few weeks and both they and their parents are very welcome to the club.

We’re always looking for new players of all ages to join our teams—come give it a try! Whether you’re new to the game or haven’t played for a while, this is a great opportunity to develop skills, make friends, and be part of a fantastic club.

📞 For more info, contact Na Gaeil secretary Michael O’Brien at 083-3344988.

Powerlifting

 Huge congratulations are in order for our own Mick O'Brien and Tommy Colfer, who delivered incredible performances at the AIPO National Powerlifting Championships in Limerick this past weekend.

A special shout-out to 16-year-old Tommy Colfer, who was on absolute fire. Competing in the 63 kg category, Tommy didn’t just win his class—he took home the title of Best Lifter and smashed four new Irish records along the way!

Tommy’s historic total included 4 new Irish records:
🥇 Squat: 150 kg
🥇 Bench: 90 kg
🥇 Deadlift: 210 kg
🥇 Total 450 kg

Well done to both men.

ARTS, HERITAGE & CULTURE

Down Memory Lane

Fenor Festival ‘76

Who remembers the Fenor Festival during the long, sizzling hot summer of 1976? The aptly named Brendan Shine, then aged 29, was one of the headliners coming up on fifty years ago.

A barman cum publican, the Athlone man originally made his name as an accordionist before taking up singing and becoming one of Ireland’s best-known entertainers. He had one of his many chart-toppers that year with ‘All My Roads Lead Back To You,’ while the Fenor bill also featured Johnny McEvoy and Tweed.

The festival, under the chairmanship of William Flynn, took place in Jeff Curran’s field, Ballyadam (beside the school) and kicked off with a Friday evening parade led by Gerry Crowley in his famous steam engine, The Leeside Rover.

Activities included a gymkhana, seven-a-side GAA tournament, clay pigeon shoot, and adult & juvenile sports.

According to Sean O’Mahony, who was 14 at the time, the weekend festivities went on for 3 weeks!! (Jamie O’Keeffe)

Dunhill Players

🎭 The Dunhill Players Present: Juno and the Paycock 🎭

Get ready for a captivating and emotional journey through Dublin’s working-class tenements in the early 1920s during the Irish Civil War. The Dunhill Players proudly bring Seán O'Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, to life at the Dunhill Community Hall.

Juno and the Paycock was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in 1924 and has since become one of Ireland’s most celebrated plays. The gripping story, set against a backdrop of political unrest, captures the struggles of the Boyle family as they face both personal and national turmoil.

Don't miss your chance to see this iconic piece of Irish theatre—only for three nights!
🗓 Dates: Thursday, March 5th to Saturday, March 7th, 8:00 PM sharp!
📍 Venue: Dunhill Community Hall (Halla Pobail Dún Aill)
🎟 Tickets: €15 – available from Mary Harney 086 835 1554.

Book your tickets today and experience a night of exceptional Irish drama.

COMMUNITY & SUPPORT

Boatstrand

Joe Daly from Juniors and Juniors visited the Knitters and Knatters group at the Boatstrand Sea Safety Centre to collect 15 blankets lovingly made for children in University Hospital Waterford. In addition to the blankets for the children's ward, there were two blankets knitted for two children who hold a special place in some of the knitters' hearts. One went to a little girl in Boston and the other to Olivia in Portlaoise.

Not all of our knitters could be present for the handover, as many contribute by knitting squares at home and handing them in. We are incredibly proud of the hard work put in by everyone involved, from our youngest knitter aged just 6 years old to our more mature ladies.

A huge thank you to all the ladies for their dedication and generosity.

🧶💛 Knitters and Knatters also handed over 9 large knitted blankets to the Oak Ward in University Hospital Waterford this week.

They are currently busy knitting some adorable bees 🐝 to donate to the BUMBLEance Children’s Ambulance Service, helping bring comfort and smiles to children on their journeys 🚑💛

A huge thank you to everyone involved!

Community Alert

Our AGM took place Tuesday February. 17th. Thank you all for the good turnout.

Our guest speaker Brian Drohan gave a very informative talk on the benefits of retrofitting and the grants available relating to the same. We thank him for giving of his time and expertise to the people present.

The subject for discussion was maintaining our numbers and the importance of an adequate number of members to keep our Alert Messaging system viable. Our strength is the number of people receiving and relaying the text messages from An Garda Síochána; without a good membership base, we’re at nothing. We are currently relaying to 227 participants.

Our membership still remains €5 per phone but will have to be reviewed later in the year. We are also exploring easier ways of making this payment and will keep you posted.
The outgoing officers were returned:

Chairman: Donal Murphy
Treasurer/Secretary: John Galloway
Vice Chair: David Foran.

Your membership can be submitted to any of the above, or also dropped in to Harney’s or Waterford Agri Services.

Dunhill Community Alert Group – taking care of our own.

Community Hall

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Weekend At Our Open House

Looking for something different this St. Patrick’s weekend? Come along to our Open House on Sunday, 15th March, from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. All singers, musicians, and those who just like to listen are invited to join this open seisiún. A warm and friendly welcome is guaranteed, as well as some excellent entertainment. Entry is free – tea/coffee and a mineral bar will be available, and there will be a raffle. All are welcome!

Karan Casey - Saturday 23rd May

Hailing from nearby Ballyduff, national and internationally renowned singer and musician Karan Casey will be on stage on Saturday, 23rd May. Look forward to an evening of ballads, love songs, and powerful versions of social justice songs. Karan is also fond of a good yarn – it promises to be a great night. Tickets (€25) are on sale via Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/karen-casey-irish-song-tour-tickets-1982355887824
Alternatively, text 087 1856852 for tickets.

Waterford Co Co - Well Communities 2026 Initiative
Waterford County Council recently invited expressions of interest from community groups to host Well Communities events in 2026. We are very pleased to report that Dunhill Community Hall has been selected to host a Well Communities event for the DFBA/Copper Coast area between April and November. We’ll be canvassing ideas and suggestions from individuals and groups across the area in the next few weeks.

Full House for Seán Keane
We were delighted to welcome the ever-popular Seán Keane to Dunhill once again last month (February). A brilliant singer, musician, and storyteller, his performance entertained a full house of local and not-so-local fans once again.

EDUCATION & LEARNING

Dunhill NS

Easter Bingo Night

Join us for an egg-cellent evening of fun for all the family! 🎉

📅 Friday, 27th March
⏰ 7:00 PM
📍 Dunhill Community Hall

Get ready for a great night of bingo, laughs, and community spirit - all in aid of the Dunhill NS Parents Council 💛

🎟️ A raffle will also take place with amazing prizes up for grabs!
Bring your lucky charms and your best bingo voice! 😉

✨ All are welcome - let’s make it a cracking night! 🐣💛🥚

Pancake Tuesday

🥞✨ Flipping into Pancake Tuesday!
The kids had a flipping fantastic day celebrating with tasty treats, big smiles, and lots of giggles. From chocolate spread, marshmallows, to sprinkles on top, along with traditional lemon and sugar, everyone had fun in breakfast club and in class on Pancake Tuesday last week!

Tiny Tots

Thank you to everyone who donated unwanted textiles for our recent clothes drive.

Our little friends have been busy learning about their environment and how to care for the wildlife.

They even managed to sneak in a walk to our local eco-park on a rare fine day.

NATURE & ENVIRONMENT

Dunhill Tidy Towns

Not a lot of activity on the Tidy Towns front at this time of year. However, a big thank you to Anthony Murphy, who trimmed the untidy hedging as you enter the village from the Annestown direction. Also, thanks to Martin Murray for assisting Anthony with traffic management.

There are plans to reposition the old water pump, which was partly obscured on Ballyphilip Road, to a more visible location in the centre of the village.

MISCELLANEOUS

Events Further Afield

The Congreves Of Mount Congreve - A Talk by Julian Walton

On Saturday, 11 April at 11:00am, Mount Congreve Gardens is delighted to welcome historian Julian Walton for a special illustrated lecture in the elegant Large Drawing Room.

Drawing on his meticulous research, The Congreves of Mount Congreve – informed by extensive meetings and correspondence with the late Ambrose Christian Congreve (1907–2011) – Julian Walton will trace the remarkable story of the Congreve family across eight generations and nearly four centuries.

Price: €6 per person (€5 for members)
Location: Large Drawing Room, Mount Congreve House
Duration: 1 hour (11am-12pm)
Garden Offer: Participants may avail of 20% discounted garden admission on the day

Capacity is limited and advance booking is essential. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate walk-ins on the day. The talk begins promptly at 11:00am, please arrive by 10:50am.

All tickets are non-refundable.

Link to tickets:
https://www.mountcongrevebookings.com/Event/JULIANWALT

Dromana House Talks

One afternoon, two talks.

Daniel O’Connell in Caricature By Professor Maurice Bric

This lecture will focus on O’Connell’s unfolding campaigns for Catholic Emancipation and Reform as these were seen by contemporary caricaturists. Often acerbic, these caricatures were intended not only to poke fun at O’Connell but to distort his image in the most unflattering way and thus, by extension, the integrity of his causes. As such, the lecture will be a narrative of the life and times of O’Connell as seen through these often vibrant and colourful pens of a type of artist and propagandist who was as much part of the story of Catholic Emancipation as the Catholic Association itself.

The Real Banner County - Waterford Politics, 1824 -1832 By Julian Walton

The period from the coming of age of Henry Villiers Stuart in 1824 to the passing of the Great Reform Act in 1832 was an exciting one for the voters of County Waterford, who were summoned to the polls no fewer than six times in five years. This year marks the bicentenary of the dramatic election of 1826, in which Stuart, who stood in favour of Catholic Emancipation and was supported by Daniel O’Connell, defeated the sitting MP, Lord George Beresford. In local tradition, the Beresfords are seen as the villains and Stuart as a hero. This lecture presents a more nuanced interpretation, using recently published works and some hitherto unknown correspondence.

Light afternoon tea & cake will follow the talks.

🗓 Dates: Sunday, Mar 1, 2026 from 2:30 pm to 5 pm
📍 Venue: Dromana House And Gardens, Cappoquin, Waterford

Booking essential via Eventbrite, numbers limited.
Further details: email [email protected] or tel. 086 8186305

Trivia Question

Last Month’s Answer

What number replaces the question mark in the sequence below? 7 8 5 5 3 4 4 ? 9 7 8 8

Answer: The calendar was a hint. The answer is 6. Each number represents the amount of letters in the name of each month of the year. The missing number is August (six letters).

Job Notices

Property

Death Notices

Weather

Join The Copper Post Business Directory

📢 Join the new Business Directory for Dunhill, Fenor, Boatstrand & Annestown

We’re creating a local business directory to help people to shop locally, use local businesses and help connect businesses across Dunhill, Fenor, Boatstrand, and Annestown.

📲 There’s no cost and it’s free to join. To be added to the group please fill in this form: https://forms.gle/8bEwDz7CAcypHW2D7 or send a message to 087-6398362 

📲 There’s no cost and it’s free to join. To be added to the group please fill in this form: https://forms.gle/8bEwDz7CAcypHW2D7 or send a message to 087-6398362