St. Conleth's Parish Newbridge - Newbridge Parish
St. Conleth's Parish Newbridge - Newbridge Parish
St. Conleth's Parish Newbridge - Newbridge Parish
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My Day at The<br />
Curragh Racecourse<br />
By Matas Misevicius<br />
I raised my hand and said the<br />
turning hammer and I got it<br />
right, naturally. Donal said if<br />
he worked really fast he would make 40 a<br />
day but he also has to fit the horses with<br />
the shoes. My teacher said I can take the<br />
horse shoe home at the end of 5th class.<br />
I was overjoyed when she told me. I<br />
couldn’t help but smile.<br />
Now we finally got onto the racecourse.<br />
Another gentleman taught us about the<br />
racecourse. He pointed out holes in the<br />
ground. They were there because when<br />
horses race, mud and dirt from the grass<br />
gets stuck to the horses’s hooves, leaving<br />
holes in the track. To repair and prepare<br />
the track workers put sand, silt and grass<br />
seeds to make better racing conditions<br />
for horses. Then the man told us about<br />
the plastic barrier around the track. It’s<br />
plastic because if a jockey fell they would<br />
bounce right back. People go around the<br />
track to put the barrier there. One person<br />
puts the shaft in place horizontally and<br />
another puts a shaft down to hold it (he/<br />
she is called the legs).Then he told us<br />
about where the horses start to race at<br />
the red pole. He also taught us when 2<br />
horses are really close to the finish line<br />
and we don’t know which one won,<br />
a camera then takes a picture and the<br />
judges can see who won. At the end we<br />
had a race from the red pole. It was really<br />
tense and there was not enough space for<br />
everyone but it was still cool. Everyone<br />
ran swiftly but the winners won a cap<br />
or a shirt.<br />
After the racecourse we went to the<br />
jockey changing room. We met Paul<br />
The Curragh Racecourse<br />
Foxe a jockey master. He explained to us<br />
what he does. He gets all the gear for the<br />
jockey ready and makes sure the jockey<br />
has the right colours on. Paul passed us<br />
the equipment and we all took a look<br />
at them. There were pants, boots (the<br />
boots had a sort of horse shoe to prevent<br />
slipping), breeches, goggles, saddle and a<br />
number cloth. He said if a jockey is too<br />
light he puts metal plates in the saddle to<br />
make it heavier.<br />
Then an actual jockey came in. His<br />
name is Jamie. He talked to us about<br />
the dangers of being a jockey and about<br />
horses being badly injured that they have<br />
to be put down, but sometimes they can<br />
survive.<br />
Then Paul showed the scales where they<br />
weigh jockeys to see if they can race.<br />
After the race they get weighed again.<br />
Then we went to the <strong>St</strong>ewards’ Room<br />
(Paul said it was the jockeys Principal’s<br />
room). Jamie told us that jockeys go in<br />
there to be told what they did wrong like<br />
hitting the horse too much or bumping<br />
into other horses.<br />
After that we finally went back to<br />
school, where I sat and pondered about<br />
my wonderful day in”the Curragh of<br />
Kildare”. People travel from all over the<br />
world to visit “the heart of Irish racing<br />
“at the Curragh Racecourse. I’m so<br />
grateful that I have it on my doorstep!<br />
Matas Misevicius, Scoil Mhuire Senior<br />
Ballymany, 5th Class, 11 years old<br />
Teacher - Ms O’Toole<br />
Farrell & Nephew<br />
Savings Club Now Open<br />
Join today and spread the cost of<br />
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Free book covering<br />
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No. 8 Main <strong>St</strong>reet, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />
045 431708<br />
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Teeny Weenys<br />
Playschool<br />
Ballymany Manor, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />
Caring Qualified <strong>St</strong>aff<br />
Register now<br />
for E.C.C.E.<br />
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Contact Christine<br />
087 1233240<br />
“Ecoplumb”<br />
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59 Great Southern, <strong>Newbridge</strong>.<br />
045)432444. 086)2564875.<br />
Contact us for all your plumbing<br />
and heating needs.<br />
We install Gas, Oil, Solid<br />
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Registered with RGII, Oftec & SEAI.<br />
GLENNONS FUNERAL<br />
UNDERTAKERS<br />
<strong>Newbridge</strong> & Surrounding<br />
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15 years in the undertaking business<br />
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Contact John Glennon 045 860110<br />
Jim O’Connor 045 431891<br />
086 8093492<br />
NEWBRIDGE WOMEN’S<br />
HEALTH CLINIC<br />
Curragh Grange, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />
(Beside O’Reilly’s Chemist)<br />
Registered for New Cervical<br />
Screening Programme<br />
1 day Ante-Natal Classes<br />
available<br />
Run by a female gynaecologist<br />
For appointment, phone 045 435499 / 085<br />
7274382, Email: womenclinic@hotmail.com<br />
Web: www.womenhealthclinics.com<br />
Ken Eustace<br />
Landscaping & Maintenance<br />
Paving, Planting, Kerbing, Gravel<br />
etc. and all aspects of garden<br />
maintenance and pruning<br />
Contact Ken<br />
086 8262245 / 045 438762<br />
9<br />
Laura’s Flowers<br />
& Gifts<br />
Athgarvan, <strong>Newbridge</strong><br />
Fresh Flowers and Wreaths<br />
Full Delivery Service<br />
Gifts for all occasions,<br />
Christening, Weddings etc.<br />
Full engraving service<br />
A CALL to Laura’s in<br />
Athgarvan IS A MUST!!!<br />
Tel: 045 480622 / 087 2866487