Local Notes: Kidney Association fundraiser, new calendar, heritage website, a very special birthday and much more
Frankie Whelan, a legend of Waterford hurling, recently celebrated his 80th birthday.
Birthday We would like to wish a Happy 80th Birthday to our club legend, the one and only Frankie Whelan.
One of the finest men to ever wear the jersey and winner of multiple Senior County titles in the 70s, starring alongside his equally celebrated brothers Mossie, Jackie and Peter, Frankie is a true club legend and loved by all in the club, young and old.
Enjoy the celebrations Frankie and we wish you many more.
It’s that time of the year again where the annual Christmas jumper night is coming up! It will take place on December 23rd in the Forge bar, Portlaw. Music by Carraig Brog. Your support would be greatly appreciated in aid of the Irish Kidney Association.
We have spent the last few months putting material together to populate the website content, supported by Deise Design, our partners in the project. We are delighted to announce the launch of our brand new website and the address is www.portlawheritage.ie The aim of the website is to enhance the visibility of the village and we are deeply grateful to The Heritage Council for their support on this project. We hope you find the information in the new website easy to access and that it provides a centralised platform showcasing the town's industrial heritage, sharing stories, promoting events and making our story more accessible to local residents and international visitors. We will continue to add more stories and articles to the website at regular intervals as we expand the content. The factory complex, streets and buildings of the village provides the backdrop to our lives; our past, present and most importantly our future. The website is particularly relevant as we mark the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Malcomsons, and the 40th anniversary of the closure of the leather industry in 1985. We will bring more news of the official launch of the QR code walking trail in the New Year. We are indebted to the Heritage Council for providing support and funding for our new website
It was a fantastic night in St Patrick’s Church, Portlaw, as Michael English treated the community to a wonderful evening of music and reflection. The atmosphere was warm and uplifting, and it was great to see some of our society committee once again delighted to lend a helping hand in making the night a success. Well done to Michelle, Rachael, Niamh and Stephanie for giving up their time this evening. A truly enjoyable evening was had by all who attended, and well done to everyone who helped organise such a memorable event for the village.
Once again our streets were filled with the colours of thousands of Christmas fairy lights and the noise of tractor horns. The Christmas Tractors of Carrick-on-Suir came to town and once again gave the town great enjoyment. A great turn out this year, so many tractors. Thanks to all involved.
Mark your calendars and save the date for the Tractor/Truck/Vintage Car Run happening on Sunday, December 28, at 12 noon from Portlaw GAA Club. €20 per vehicle and refreshments served. All in aid of Portlaw U15 and Minor Hurling trip to New York 2026. Still a few weeks to go, but this one’s not to be misse. Start polishing those wheels.
There has been an increase in volume of calls from the United Kingdom lately. Scammers are spoofing UK numbers (like +44) to trick people into answering. If you don't recognise the number or there is no apparent reason for someone from the UK to call you, please never answer. Legitimate callers will leave a message. These callers can be automated voices or live scammers, sometimes purporting to be working for private companies or tech support for a bank or other organisation, and they will usually attempt to get some personal or sensitive information from the person being called. If you answer, it notifies them that the number is active. When a number is active, it can be sold to telemarketers for a higher price or to another scammer, leading to more unwanted calls. If you respond/answer a question, the scammer might record your voice. Your 'Yes' response could be recorded and used to voice-authorise charges to an account. Please don't engage.
The Supporting Waterford Communities Fund 2026 is now open for applications and will remain open until 4pm on January 16th, 2026. Waterford City and County Council is committed to encouraging communities and empowering residents to make a difference to their areas. To support this, the Council has made a fund of €239,838 available to assist Residents Associations, Community Groups, Sports Clubs and other groups/committees engaged in community activity, providing community services or carrying out improvement works in their communities. Groups may apply under one the following three funding strands: 1. Residents Association Fund – to provide grant assistance to resident’s associations, groups, or committees, who are engaged in community activity, or carrying out improvement works within their own estates/ neighbourhoods/ areas; 2. Community Activity Fund – to assist communities or a combination of communities, to work together to develop a local plan for their own area(s), to establish sustainable structures enabling communities to identify and meet their own needs. The Fund can also be used to up-grade or replace equipment; 3. Sports & Recreation Fund – to aid sports clubs and recreational organisations who are engaged in community activity, providing sports opportunities across all ages and abilities. The fund aims to assist sports clubs to provide or improve the range of sport and leisure opportunities to their communities. Further details on the Supporting Waterford Communities Fund 2026 and application process, are available on the Waterford City & County Council’s website. To be considered under this fund, application forms must be completed in full on the Councils Submit online platform by Friday, January 16th at 4pm. (For projects wishing to apply in Irish, Irish application forms can be arranged by contacting the Communities Team at communitygrants@waterfordcouncil.ie). Late or incomplete applications cannot be considered. The Community Grants Team, in collaboration with the Waterford PPN, will be holding an online Workshop to assist groups wishing to apply for this funding. Further notification of the workshop will issue in the coming days, through the PPN network and the Council’s media channels. All eligible community groups and clubs are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance their local facilities. If you have any queries please feel free to Call/Text/WhatsApp Cllr Declan Clune on 086 0555007 or email cllrdclune@waterfordcouncil.ie
The Portlaw Calendar 2026 is on sale at Fogarty's, Portlaw Post Office and the Martin Centre. This is a fundraiser for the Dr Martin Centre.
It’s that time of the year again where the annual Christmas jumper night is coming up. It will take place on December 23 in the Forge bar, Portlaw. Music by Carraig Brog. Your support would be greatly appreciated in aid of the Irish Kidney Association.
Portlaw U12’s: Portlaw 3-1 Piltown. A hard fought win and great match all round. Evan Kiely with 2 goals and Mason Dee O'Connor added the other.
A big thank you to everybody who supported our Santa Meet & Greet experience last Saturday at Portlaw GAA in aid of our U15 and Minor Hurlers trip to New York in 2026. Much appreciation to everyone that helped out, in particular our amazing organising committee, our photographer Frankie Cullinane, market sellers, those who baked cakes, the boys for helping out, our elves, Santa, helpers and many more. A special mention to the amazing Ann Nolan for all her help and expertise in transforming our dressing rooms into a Santa's Grotto. Happy Christmas to everyone.
