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

In this week's newsletter...

• SPORT

  • Clan Na Gael GAA

  • Dunhill GAA

  • Dunhill Squash Club

  • Fenor Road Bowling

  • Na Gaeil GAA

  • Motocross

  • Solas Run & Walk For Life

  • St. Anne’s Camogie & Ladies Football

• COMMUNITY & SUPPORT

  • Dunhill Ecopark

  • Lifetime Achievement Award

• EDUCATION & LEARNING

  • Dunhill NS

  • Tiny Tots Playschool

• NATURE & ENVIRONMENT

  • Dunhill Tidy Towns

• MISCELLANEOUS

  • Video Of The Month

  • Trivia Question

  • Job Notices

  • Property

  • Death Notices

  • Weather

  • Join The Copper Post Business Directory

SPORT

Clan Na Gael GAA

Congratulations to our victorious Minor Football team and mentors on winning the Div 3 County Final against De La Salle.

Clan na Gael started strong, but following pressure from DLS and a bad mistake from our lads, DLS scored a goal, bringing it back to a 2-point game at halftime.

CNG had a great second half, with each player stepping up to defend well and play very good football.

Final Score:
2-13 Clan na Gael to 1-6 De La Salle

Best wishes to any of the players moving on to their adult clubs next year.

Dunhill GAA

1975 Anniversary Celebrations

The spirit of 1975 was rekindled as the community gathered to honour the legendary Dunhill team on the 50th anniversary of their county football final victory.

The celebrations began with a special Mass celebrated by Fr. O’Halloran, remembering departed teammates. The focal point was the gathering at the Dunhill GAA Centre at 3:30 pm (the same time as the match), where past players, mentors, and mascots were reunited.

The 1975 final saw Dunhill face rivals Tramore in a historic match. Against the odds, a superb team performance secured a famous victory, with a final score of Dunhill 1-8 to Tramore’s 0-4. The win sparked joyous scenes and days of celebration throughout the village.

At the event, players were presented with commemorative gifts by then Chairman Jim Dunphy and current Chairman Tombo White. Stories were shared, and a brilliantly crafted video by Helen Laffan was shown (video can be seen later in the newsletter below).

The team photo from the day was recreated (see above), same people, same positions. The deceased members were represented by members of their family.

The day was a powerful tribute to the men who brought immense pride to their village.

Too numerous to mention here individually, a big thank you to everyone who helped make the day happen and contributed in any way. It was very much appreciated.

Healthy Club Silver Award

At the 2023 AGM of Dunhill GAA Club, Rosie Murphy was elected Healthy Club Officer (HCO) and immediately set about applying for Healthy Club status with Croke Park. The club’s application to Phase 6 of the Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs Programme was successful in January 2024. Following this, Rosie completed her Healthy Club Officer training, and in March 2024, both she and Rachel White attended the Healthy Club Programme Orientation Day in Croke Park. Here, they learned about the three award levels: Foundation, Silver, and Gold, and the criteria involved in each.

The first step involved forming a Healthy Club sub-committee, which was quickly established in April 2024 with 10 volunteers from the wider community, including St. Anne’s. The Dunhill GAA Healthy Club was officially launched on 13th July 2024, with events such as social hurling, a wellness walk, a mindful scavenger hunt, and wildflower planting.

The club had until August 2024 to complete the criteria to meet the Foundation Award. However, the array of activities offered during that time frame, which included physical activity programmes, training, policy development, etc., far exceeded the required criteria for the foundation level. The club had enough work completed to proudly receive the Silver Award at the Healthy Club Awards ceremony on 14th October 2025. Going forward, the club will continue its work and strive towards Gold status.

Committee Members: Rosie Murphy (HCO), Rachel White, Niamh Ryan, Dermot Dunphy, Martin Harney, Hilary Murphy, Joanne Freyne, Elaine Pundure, Steph Golds, Louise Murphy, and Ciara Crowley.

Anyone who would like to join this sub-committee, please inform any of the current sub-committee members. We are always looking for new people with good energy and fresh ideas. (Rosie Murphy, Healthy Club Officer)

Consistently Inconsistent Take On The Solas 10K

Members of the local fitness group Consistently Inconsistent proudly took part in the Solas 10K Run on Saturday, October 12th, and had a fantastic time taking on the challenge together.

The group, which trains as part of the GAA Healthy Clubs Initiative in Dunhill, is led by Michelle, Julie, and Hilary. Their sessions focus on fun, fitness, and community spirit — and the enthusiasm shown during the Solas Run was a great example of that energy in action.

Training takes place every week at 6.30 p.m. at the Dunhill GAA Centre track, and new members are always welcome. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just starting out, Consistently Inconsistent offers a friendly and supportive environment to get active and meet new people.

Well done to everyone who took part — and here’s to many more runs ahead!

📞 Hilary: 086 080 9678

Community Climate Action Programme

Dunhill GAA Club and Sports Centre are very grateful to receive funding under the Community Climate Action Programme through Waterford City Council and the Government of Ireland.

This funding allows us to achieve sustainability and future-proofing goals. We have successfully installed solar panels, wall insulation, and attic insulation for the sports centre. We have planted new trees, with more scheduled for planting soon.

We are very excited to begin trialling our pre-loved sports equipment scheme. As we all know, children grow up so quickly — many of us have hurleys, helmets, boots, and clothing gathering dust in our homes. By creating a pre-loved equipment scheme, we are giving good kit a new lease of life and reducing waste. We will be using new storage containers for this very purpose. Watch our social media and WhatsApp groups for these calls.

We look forward to updating you on our next phase in due course. Thanks again to Waterford City Council and the Government of Ireland for funding this work.

Dunhill Sports Centre

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

All at Dunhill Squash Club would like to thank our outgoing Chairperson Mr. Padraig Cunningham for all his dedication over the years. He was a true ambassador for the club and handled every situation to the highest standards. Best wishes to our Joint Chairpeople, Tomás Dunbar and Eoghan Dunphy.

We are approaching the end of our first club league, with semifinals and finals being held over the next two weeks.

The Club Championships will be held from 12th–15th November.

Congratulations to Dylan Dunphy, who was runner-up in the Boys U11 category at both the Connacht and Ulster Open. A wonderful result for Dylan!

We will be hosting a One-Day Fun Competition on Sunday, 2nd November.

If anyone is interested in trying out squash, please email: [email protected]

Fenor Road Bowling

The club would like to say a massive thank you to the Cremin Family for entrusting us with the honor of holding a day in memory of their dad. A big thanks also to the many people and businesses who gave up their time and expertise, either for free or at a reduced rate, including Eddie O'Donnell Headstones, local blocklayer Brian Farrell, Clem Jacob Tool Hire, Sheridan Trophies, Waterford City & County Council, and all the men and women who traveled from near and far to play and help on the day.

Special thanks to Wendy’s Van – it proved invaluable 😜. To the Senior bowlers who gave up their time to play on the Fenor Road Bowling Club road, and to all the local and passing traffic – thank you for your patience and understanding.

Thanks to the inaugural 9 Teams and the Senior score (results in a separate post), €800 was raised for Lady Lane Retirement Services and Meals on Wheels, with a plaque dedicated to remembering the man who taught so many of us how to throw a bowl.

Jerry Cremin Memorial Event Results:

• Senior Exhibition:
  Martin Coppinger/Hannah Sexton defeated Gary Daly/Denise Murphy. €1600 a/s

• 1st place in Team Event (1680m after 15 shots) to Hartleys:
  Daniel Quirke (Conna)
  Liam Power (Fenor)
  Anna Power (Fenor)

• 2nd place (1550m after 15 shots) to Cowman’s Wall:
  John Nagle (Rosscarbery)
  Kevin O'Donoghue (Killea)
  Tim Barber (Fenor)

• 3rd place (1515m after 15 shots) to Cowman’s Wall:
  Ritchie Lawton (Timoleague)
  Padraig O’Leary (Fenor)
  Chrissie Kirby (Killea)

• Long Throw Winners:

  • Men’s: John Nagle (Rosscarbery)

  • Ladies: Aisling O'Callaghan (Fenor)

• No fastest shot as the speed gun didn’t arrive from Mick Hurley 🤔

Kevin O'Donoghue accepted the 3rd place trophy on behalf of Chrissie Kirby, and Aiden Sexton accepted the 1st place trophy for Daniel Quirke (Conna).

Na Gaeil GAA

Mick White Tournament

What a day for our Mick White Memorial Tournament 2025 💚❤️ The rain cleared just in time, and we had a morning full of fun, skills, and community spirit!

We raised over €2600 and are absolutely blown away by your generosity – a heartfelt thank you! 🙏🏼

👏 Huge well done to all our players – from Mini Gaeils to Na Gaeil & St. Anne's Camogie and Ladies Gaelic Football Club teams – showing off amazing talent and effort across every game

🎓 We had a graduation for our older Mini Gaeils followed by medals + goody bags for all our young stars

🔥 There was plenty of excitement with the long puck competition & the crowd-favourite Beat the Backs 

🏆 A special thank you to Daragh Murphy & Cillian Brennan who came with the All-Ireland winning minor cup – inspiring our future champions

🍰 The cake sale & raffle were a massive hit – thank you for all your generous donations.

🙏 A huge thank you to:
🔴 Our players, parents & supporters for turning out in numbers
🟢 Dunhill GAA for hosting + donating shop sales
🔴 Fenor GAA Club for generously matching the donation
🟢 All our coaches, committee, bakers, parking helpers, gear donors & our raffle prize sponsors.
🔴 And of course, the White family for sponsoring medals & making the day possible

The raffle winners were:
- Joanne Freyne - Smart TV
- Caitriona Casey - Peter Flanagan voucher
- Bryan Crowley - Smyths voucher
- Zack Butler - Sweet treat hamper

P.s. With thanks to Sarah Cunningham for putting together the brilliant video above that really captured the day.

Blitzes

Our U8’s took part in a Waterford Coaching & Games Development Deise Og football blitz in SETU Arena last Saturday morning! Bitterly cold weather, tough opposition (Stradbally, The Nire, and Kilrossanty!) but great fun had by all. Super effort from everyone!

Our U10s played in their last matches of the season in the De La Salle Tournament! ✨
They played super games against Butlerstown, Barrow Rangers from Kilkenny, Sarsfields from Cork, and a final against Mount Sion!

Our U11s played a hurling challenge against Mount Sion. In beautiful conditions, both teams played out a very competitive and entertaining game! 👏🏼💪🏼

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.

Motocross

Ryan Flynn, age 13, from Dunhill, has once again done his community proud after being selected to represent Ireland for a third time on the international motocross stage. Ryan competed at the prestigious Coupe de l’Avenir in Quiévrain, Belgium, on October 4th and 5th, where Europe’s top young motocross riders battled it out across multiple classes.

Riding in the 85cc category, this was Ryan’s second appearance at the event, having first competed for Team Ireland in 2022 on his 65cc bike. He also represented Ireland earlier this year at the Junior World Motocross Championships in France.

Ireland’s youth team performed strongly at the Coupe, finishing eighth overall in the 85cc class, with Team Ireland’s manager, former Irish Champion Wayne Garrett, praising the riders’ determination and teamwork.

Solas Run & Walk For Life

Congratulations to Noel Murphy who claimed victory in the 10K Run at this year’s Solas Cancer Support Centre’s Run and Walk for Life in Waterford City event in a time of 00:34:16.

The event, the charity’s main annual fundraiser, supports the Solas Cancer Support Centre’s extensive range of free weekly services, including counselling, complementary therapies, life coaching, and wellness programmes.

Noel followed it up with a brilliant top 50 finish out of 18,694 runners in the Irish Life Dublin Marathon in a time of 2:30:36.

St. Anne’s Camogie & Ladies Football

St. Anne’s Defeat Local Rivals to Return to Senior Ranks

St. Anne’s LGFA claimed a thrilling and hard-fought victory over local rivals Tramore in the Intermediate County Final on Saturday, October 7th, in Kilgobnet on a scoreline of 1-12 to 1-09. With this win, St. Anne’s secured promotion and will compete in the senior ranks in 2026.

Tramore settled more quickly into the game, despite playing against a strong wind, and were first on the scoreboard with two early points. However, once St. Anne’s found their rhythm, sparked by a superb goal from Aleshia McDonald, they took control of the first half. Dominating possession and territory, they went into the break with a well-earned 1-05 to 0-03 lead.

The second half brought renewed intensity, and the St. Anne’s defence stood firm until a goal from Tramore’s Ali Mulcahy reignited their challenge. Even after being reduced to 14 players on two occasions, St. Anne’s clung to a narrow one-point lead as the game entered injury time.

In dramatic fashion, Tramore edged in front with two quick points in the 34th minute. But St. Anne’s showed remarkable resilience and determination, working the ball upfield to win a late free, which Becky Kavanagh calmly slotted over to level the match at 1-08 apiece. Referee Larry Power’s final whistle signalled extra time.

St. Anne’s were the better team in extra time, adding two points in each ten-minute half. Tramore’s Miriam Liston converted her fifth free of the day deep into injury time, but it was not enough, and St. Anne’s emerged deserving winners.

This win caps a remarkable journey for the St. Anne’s team. Having claimed the Junior B title in 2020, followed by the Junior A Championship in 2021, they narrowly missed out in last year’s Intermediate Final. Undeterred, they returned stronger in 2025, going unbeaten in the championship to clinch the title. They now prepare for the Munster Championship.

Team Included: Melissa Austin Foley, Aisling Allen, Melanie Buck, Freya Higgins, Grace O’Neill, Leah McGrath, Aleshia McDonald, Hannah McGrath, Abby Murphy, Beth Doonan, Niamh Hally, Rachel Walsh, Niamh McGrath, Becky Kavanagh (Captain), Molly Kearney, Liadain McGrath, Aishling Bonnar, Alice Rainey, Sadhbh Murphy, Sophie Doonan, Doireann Hennessy, Ailbhe Walsh, Lucy Beresford, Eimear Mackey, Makayla Laffan, Chloe McGrath, Saoirse Bonnar, Zoe Spinks.

It has been 12 long years since St. Anne’s played in the Senior Ladies Football Championship. Only two players from the current team were playing then — Saoirse Bonnar (unfortunately injured for this year’s championship) and Becky Kavanagh, our captain. In the 2013 Intermediate County Final, Becky scored the winning point. As history would have it, Becky also scored the last point of the game in this year’s final.

Double Winners

This Intermediate Team did the double by winning the Division 2 League as well. Coincidentally, that match was also won after extra time against Ballyduff Upper in another very exciting and tense game.

COMMUNITY & SUPPORT

Dunhill Ecopark

Dunhill Ecopark team hosted a visit from presidential candidate Heather Humphreys on Friday, 10th October. She arrived at 1 p.m. and departed at 3:30 p.m. – she was originally scheduled to leave at 2 p.m. – with an entourage of national and local media, supporters, and organisers. It was great publicity for the Ecopark and all the project managers who met with her.

She was taken down to the Ecopark Garden, where she met with locals and Ukrainians (20 people). She used a spade to dig in the garden and called into the tunnels, marveling at the work being done there by the large volunteer group. This work takes place once a week on Friday mornings.

She then visited Billy and Mary Sharpe at the Irish Gourmet Butter unit at the front of the Enterprise Centre building and engaged in shaping some butter rolls for packaging. Her next stop was back at the Education Centre, where she met with a number of social enterprise representatives. These included Ecopark, Education Centre, Anne Valley, Dunhill GAA, Copper Coast, and Comeragh Network representatives, who explained their work in the community and the unity that was prevalent among the different groups, leading to many new opportunities for further development.

Well done to Ecopark and Education Centre staff for a job well done, especially with such little notice.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Further Recognition For Dunhill on Rural Regeneration

On Wednesday, 15th October, in the Priory Market, Tallaght, Dublin (a social enterprise), the Department of Rural & Community Development held its first-ever National Awards for Social Enterprise. There were eight categories of social enterprises, with three finalists under each category in attendance. There was also a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The event was attended by Minister for Social Enterprise Jerry Buttimer TD and department staff. On the day, a winner was announced for each category, as well as the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to Senan Cooke, Ballycraddock, Dunhill.

Senan has been involved with Dunhill projects, DFBA, Copper Coast, Comeragh Network, and a wide cross-section of national and international programmes and projects. He is currently a member of the Croke Park GAA Demographics Committee, which focuses on regenerating clubs and communities in rural areas in decline, and in new, highly populated urban areas where new clubs are needed — along with other initiatives to help create viable and inclusive communities.

The citation included his involvement in several government bodies, including the Commission for Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA); his authorship of the seminal book on social enterprise, The Enterprising Community (launched in 2018); his extensive participation in developing Ireland’s policy framework for social enterprise; and his involvement with others in founding seven successful start-up social enterprises.

The citation also highlighted how much the social enterprise sector and its members have benefited from his work. It concluded by stating that he was an incredibly worthy recipient of this inaugural award.

EDUCATION & LEARNING

Dunhill NS

Now Enrolling

We are now open for enrolment for the 2026/27 school year. Below you will find a link to our website where you can access the enrolment form.

Please fill it in and return it by post or email to the school before November 30th.

Visit http://www.dunhillns.ie/resources-for-parents.html to access the enrolment form.

Coffee Morning

A big thank you to all who supported the Dunhill NS Parents Council coffee morning on Friday, 24th October. We raised a fantastic €855, which will be used towards various activities for the pupils at the school.

Congratulations to our raffle winners:

• Charlotte Raher

• Michael Breen

• Mary Harney

• Rosie Murphy

• Helena Harrington

• Emer O'Connor

• Peter Ellickson

• Mary Roche Cleary

A special thank you to Mary, Annette, and John Paul of Harney's Bar, who provided the venue, tea, and coffee. Their continued support for everything we do is greatly appreciated.

School Yard Upgrades

Over the summer, the Parents Council organised some bright additions to the walls in the schoolyard. More recently, we added beautiful “Nature Trail” signs displayed around the schoolyard walls.

These signs were the result of a wonderful team effort and a special contribution from the Carty/Harrington family.

From the very beginning, Brian Carty of Optima Signs was on board and most generously sponsored the design, production, and printing of all 20 signs.

The themes chosen were: Native Irish Trees, Insects, Birds, Mammals, Flora.

• Pupils from 3rd Class selected the animals they wanted to feature on each sign.

• Pupils from 5th and 6th Class then carefully researched three types of names—Common, Irish, and Latin—as well as three interesting facts for each of the chosen themes.

A huge thank-you to Paivi and Aila from VESI Environmental, who had their team of experts fact-check all the information.

We are also very grateful to Fergus Cooper, who kindly gave permission to use some of his beautiful nature photographs.

Special thanks again to Brian (Optima Signs), and Aila and Paivi from VESI Environmental for their time, generosity, and support in bringing this project to life. 👏

In addition to the beautiful wall decorations, we were very lucky to receive a generous donation of 2 picnic tables for our yard!

A big thank you to Eamonn Ryan of Viking Carpentry & Roofing for making and sponsoring them.

Eamonn is a parent at the school, a past pupil, and lives in Dunhill. This kind gesture is much appreciated by all at the school. 👏👏

Tiny Tots Playschool

Tinytots Playschool has been serving Dunhill and the surrounding communities since 1991. It is one of the few play-based preschools in Waterford.

Play-based preschools create a balanced, engaging environment where children learn essential skills naturally, while also developing the joy and motivation that fuel lifelong learning.

We offer a fully inclusive, play-centred community playschool located in the Dunhill GAA Centre.

It has been a very busy term, with lots of fun activities, including nature walks, learning all about autumn, and planting vegetables in our outdoor classroom. We finished off the term with a fancy dress party for Halloween. We hope all our little stars have a lovely week off, and we are looking forward to welcoming you all back next week.

Tinytots is hosting a fundraising table quiz in Harney's Bar on Thursday night, 30th October, at half 8. All support is welcome.

ECCE & NCS schemes available.
Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Full & part-time places available.

Contact Bernie on 089 4231867 or email [email protected]

NATURE & ENVIRONMENT

Dunhill Tidy Towns

Autumn Clean-Up was completed in the village — leaves swept, plants trimmed, and weeds removed.

• The phone building in the village is very unattractive and poorly maintained. The facilities manager visited at our request and was very supportive. He will organise a tidy-up. He is also open to suggestions to improve the appearance of the building and the plot.

Ideas on the table include:

• Painting the building

• A mural on the front of the building

• Growing ivy

• Planting low-maintenance trees at the front wall of the site

However, both his and the Tidy Town funds are limited. Ideas to improve the appearance of the site are welcome.

Contact Martin at 087 699 3980. As always, volunteers are welcome!

MISCELLANEOUS

Video Of The Month

The video that Helen Laffan created for the Dunhill GAA 1975 50 Year Anniversary Celebrations can be seen above.

There was a short delay while the background music with non-copyright tracks, so it could be shared publicly. A special thanks to our very talented local musicians, Róisín Groves and Dún Aill Folk who helped out by playing some beautiful pieces for us to use.

It got a standing ovation and is well worth a watch.

Trivia Question

1 = 5
2 = 27
3 = 125
4 = 1880

What does 5 = ?

Last Month’s Answer

I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?Answer: Seven

Job Notices

Dunhill Before & After School Childcare Service is looking for someone interested in doing some part-time childcare.

If you are interested, please contact Ruth on (087) 211 5361 or [email protected], or contact the school at (051) 396383.

If you know someone who might be interested, please pass this on!

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