Malin to Mizen Cycle by Denny Mulvihill

 3^rd to 6^th September 2020

Denny Mulvihill with his family at the end of his long ride

Just want to thank everyone who sent best wishes to me for my Malin to Mizen cycle last weekend, and to everyone who donated for Cystic Fibrosis and to those who took Sponsorship Cards from me for the event.

The 1^st day Thursday, it took me 7 hours to cycle to Bundoran, conditions were not great as I had a head wind all the way and a few heavy showers, covering approx. 155km that day. My cousin Pat O’Connor and his wife Patricia came from Glenties to meet us here and supported CF.  Norma Collins & her daughter from Athea passed me near Ballyshannon going north and recognised me, so she turned around to meet me and wish me well…. I couldn’t believe it was her so far north.!

The 2^nd day to Oranmore was worse as I had torrential rain and a head wind much stronger than the day before, it took 8.5 hours to do 175km.

The 3^rd day to Mallow was much better, dryer and milder T.G. It was a great boost to have 7 friends join me in Patrickswell for the last 45km to Mallow, arriving at approximately 5 pm after completing 165km that day in about 8 hours. The friends who joined me were TJ Reidy, Kevin O’Keeffe, Paudie Lynch, Bobby Woulfe, Micheál O’Callaghan, Mike Shields and Francie Collins. They were from the Athea Cycling Club and Newcastlewest Cycling Clubs, I would have had more from Athea join me only Communion was on that day in Athea. My sister in law Josephine Browne, Danny and Maighread along with TJ’s wife Carmel were in Patrickswell also to cheer me on.  

The 4^th and final day, I left Mallow at 8.15am for my journey to Mizen Head, a total of 155km. I was surprised to be joined again today by a good friend of mine, TJ Reidy after 15km, who was to cycle with me as far as Macroom. On the way we encountered heavy rain between Millstreet and Macroom and it was there I got another surprise as I was joined there by my son Jonathan. In Macroom the 2 boys decided to cycle the last 100km with me to Mizen head and I was thrilled to have the company again and the help. The weather improved from Dunmanway and when we turned for Durrus, I got a mechanical fault in my gear selection. This made it harder but knowing the road from previous cycles down there, I managed to select a gear suitable for the terrain and left it in that gear to the finish line at about 4.30pm. In Durrus, myself, TJ and Jon were joined by Alan Hickey from the West Cork Cycling Club, a friend of Tina’s for the final leg. At the finish line I was greeted to my surprise by my daughter Tina, son Shane, Linda, Ashley & boys, Vincent & Carol, Ella and other friends including TJ’s wife Carmel who did back up for him. I had no idea that they would be there and felt very emotional crossing the line.  I was glad it was finished, my 6^th trip but it was worth it, as it was for a great cause Cystic Fibrosis. We even got money for CF on route.  Over the 4 days I completed 650km.

This would not be possible without my backup, namely my wife Mary T who sometimes got lost on route but was always close by.

Míle Buíochas to everyone who contributed or helped make this event possible.

“ Keep active, keep fit as it keeps you young ! ”

Denny with some of the local cycle club who accompanied him on the final stage of his ride

St. Bartholomew’s Church, Athea

Mass Times:

Sunday & Thursday mornings at 10.30am

Friday & Saturday evenings at 7.30pm

Readers:              

Sat 19^th Sept –       Angela Cafferkey

Sun 20th Sept – Tom Denihan

Eucharistic Ministers:     

Sat 19^th Sept –       Margaret Enright / Eilish Geoghegan

Sun 20^th Sept –      Mary Hunt

Mass Intentions this week:

Thurs Sept 17^th 10.30am:  Patrick, Maurice, Josie & Francis Danaher, Nuala Missorici.

Fri Sept 18^th 7.30pm: Pa O’Connor (months mind).

Sun Sept 20^th 10.30am: Timothy, Margaret & Nicholas Leahy.

  Collections:        Sept 12^th/13^th                       €680.00

Pastoral Meeting – A pastoral meeting will be held on Friday night at 8pm (after mass). The meeting will be an open meeting to discuss our way forward in the current pandemic and we welcome new members and any ideas/suggestions which would be helpful to the parish in moving forward together in the current environment. We are very thankful to everyone who is helping to keep our church open and active every week.

Church Opening Hours – Due to the recent increase in the COVID 19 Virus the church will only be open during mass times for the next few weeks – we are taking this measure on health & safety grounds to protect each other. If you need to book an Anniversary mass etc. or get a mass card signed please contact Fr Brendan on 087-2600414 or Siobhan on 087-2237858.

Please always remember to sanitize your hands upon entering and leaving the church.

Once again we thank you most sincerely for your patience and understanding.

Athea Voluntary Housing  

Has a single occupancy Apartment to let at Colbert Street, Athea.

Applicants must be on the Limerick County Council Housing List.

Applications in writing to the Secretary, at No. 25 Rathronan, Athea.

Closing Date for Applications September 30th  

Enquiries to: 087-7400665

Birthday Remembrance

Penny Woulfe

whose birthday falls on

the 16^th of September 

Missing you on your birthday

Today is full of memories

Happiness and tears

Of  birthday celebrations

We’ve shared throughout the years 

And though we’ll always miss you

The endless joy you brought

Warms our hearts with gratitude

And fills our every thought 

Wherever you are resting

We hope that you can see

How precious and uplifting

Your memory is through the year 

We feel that you are with us

In everything we do

So We’ll celebrate your birthday

But  we’ll spend it missing you.

Happy birthday in heaven mom, love and miss you

No Place Like Home

By Domhnall de Barra

There has been lots of talk this year about holidays, or the lack of same if you were thinking of going abroad. We were all advised to stay at home and that terrible word “staycation” made its way into our vocabulary. I’d love to meet the person who thought up that word and throttle him or her. It sounds so American and phoney but, then again, aren’t we always aping what they do and say across the Atlantic. Young people even talk with a slight American accent from watching programs on telly. Anyway, I thought about Noreen’s father, Jack Hannon, who had worked in England and visited America to see his daughters who were living there at the time. He said to me one day, “do you know something, I have seen England and America but I know nothing about my own country”.  His story is not unique as there are many people, especially from cities, who have been all over the world on holidays but have never been to Leitrim!  I got to know the country through work. When I was teaching music for a living I used to work for DHL and Elan doing courier deliveries with a van in the summer time. I would relieve drivers in different areas when they took their annual holidays so, over a few years, I covered most of the country. I got to see, first hand, the beauty of our own land and the great differences there are from North to South and East to West. We have a lot to be proud of and it is no wonder that people flock to here from all over the world. Great work has been done lately by Bord Fáilte to highlight places like the “Wild Atlantic Way” but there are hidden gems all over the country. You don’t have to go too far; just  take a walk up to the top of the cnoceens and look around at one of the most scenic landscapes you could find anywhere. With this in mind I am not giving you my usual “ráiméis” this week. Instead I offer this poem I composed  a few years ago. Enjoy!!

The Man with the Cap

Two men were standing at a bar, talking of things they’d done,

One had travelled the world wide, the other had stayed at home,

The man who had travelled expounded at length, about sights and places he’d seen,

While the man with the cap filled his pipe and thought of the “cnoceens”

Said the man who had travelled “ I’ve been to the North, the South, the West and the East,

I’ve been on safari to Africa’s plains, and conquered the savage wild beast,

Expeditions I’ve joined to tropical lands in search of exotic wild fowl”

Said the man with the cap as he lit his pipe; “were you ever in Knocknaboul?”

“I’ve been to Alaska, the land of gold and slept in an igloo of snow,

I’ve stood on the Grand Canyon’s lofty banks and gazed at the chasm below,

I’ve been to Niagara to see the falls, I’ve studied Mount Rushmore’s faces,”

Said the man with the cap as he ordered a pint: “were you ever at Listowel races?”

“I’ve travelled to Paris, the city of love and stood ‘neath the Eiffel Tower,

I’ve journeyed through India’s verdant vales and slept ‘neath it’s shady bowers,

I’ve looked upon Naples that city so fair and the Pope in St. Peter’s Square.”

Said the man with the cap as he drank his pint: “were you ever in Knockanaire.”

“I’ve courted fair maidens in tropical lands who longed to stay in my arms,

I’ve dallied a while in the far, far east and sampled the Geisha’s charms,

A young beauty once on the Isle of Capri said she wished I would never set sail.”

Said the man with the cap: “if its courting you want, you can’t beat the barns by the Gale”

You may brag and may boast about places you’ve been and the wondrous sights they possess,

But give me the lark as she rises at dawn to sing over Gortnagross,

And what can compare with the air so rare you’ll find in the bogland brown,

Or the welcome you get in the homes of Coole West if you call on your way from town.

Just let me roam by the Gales sweet banks and fish for the wily trout,

Or wander to Batt’s when the sun goes down for a creamy pint of stout

Oh, there’s sights to behold in the world all right from valleys to mountains tall,

But the man who hasn’t been to the Vales of Dirreen is a man who hasn’t travelled at all.