by Kathleen Mullane
“Congratulations to One and All”
With enough “doom and gloom” around the place and damp, dreary, misty weather adding to it- let’s look on the bright side of things for a while and congratulate a few people. We will start first, I suppose, with the ‘youngest celebrant’! Angela Stewart (nee Cusack) of Cratloe who celebrated her 40th Birthday on Saturday evening last and enjoyed a lovely night with family, relatives and friends at The Gables.
Next it was the turn of Seanie Brosnan (son of Pat and the late Mary – Knocknagorna) who celebrated his 50th Birthday along with his family and friends at The Kingdom Bar, Listowel, also on Saturday night.
Then it was on to a 60th Birthday celebration when Eileen Prendeville (nee Hayes) of Fairy Street celebrated at her home in Askeaton also attended by her family and relations. Good wishes are sent to all of them.
We also congratulate David Hayes of Fairy Street and Michelle who were blessed with their new little baby boy- Patrick recently. We also congratulate the proud grandparents – Rose and Mike Hayes.
Well done to both the U-14 and U-16 Basketball teams who travelled to Killorglin on Saturday last and did very well winning their games under the guidance of Trish Phillips –Ahern.
We congratulate all those who have put in so much time, effort and dedication into the forthcoming Fund-raising Concert which will start in the Hall on this Sunday night October 16th and continue the following weekend Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd – in aid of “Your Hall” – this is going to be a great “Variety Show” – and there will be something for everyone, young and old, and rumour has it – more than a laugh or two. So everyone is asked to come along and enjoy the show – thereby further lessening the hall debt which is going down rapidly T.G. and thanks to you all again – as I write these notes this Monday night there’s a full skip load of Metal ready to go again to the scrap dealers in the morning. Well Done!
Congratulations to the Athea U-14’s football team who took on Castletown/Ballyagran on Sunday last in the County Quarter Final. We wish them all the very best for the semi-final and hopefully the Cup will be winding its way home to Athea.
I’m finishing up with a nice poem by John Hunt, who is now in his 90’s and has a great love for Athea. John is related to Anne (Danaher) O’Keeffe, Upper Athea and also to Teady Hunt of Coole who gave me John’s poem. No doubt some of you in the parish will recognise the names in the poem! Well done John- keep up the writing and poetry and Athea connections.
Athea Coursing Club
(Introduction)
Athea Coursing Club was founded in c. 1946/1947. This poem gives an insight into the club at the time of its foundation. These verses were composed by John Hunt who was a member of the committee at the time of its inception. John now resides in Chicago and comes on annual vacation to Ballybunion. He loves nothing better than to take a trip to his native village of Athea.
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting him while he stayed with me in Ballybunion on his annual vacation. He recalled vividly what was involved in the foundation of the Club though it is now over 60 years ago. John played an integral part in its foundation. ‘Fairy Street’ was where the coursing was held, within a mile of Athea Village.
The secretary of the club was Paddy O’Connell and Paddy Monaghan was the chairman. The names that are mentioned in the poem were prominent members of Athea Coursing Club at this time.
Thady Hunt
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But now for our collection the funds were so low,
But up forked the boys for they couldn’t say no,
We made seven pounds and ten shillings right there on the spot,
Nice work said Paddy Monaghan one-fifty will do the lot.
Now the Coursing has started,
The men from the parish you’ll see,
We’ll all give a shout and the hare he’ll jump out,
And the lands long ago that were free.
We’ll have the Curate, the doc; yes the painter was there,
Stand back says Paddy Murphy ‘tis a goat or a hare,
Good heavens says the Blake, is that the whistle I see,
Coming down the gale from the ICC.
We’ll have dogs from the Lots, Knockbawn and Dirreen,
Some from Abbeyfeale, Knocknagorna and Toureen,
We’ll have hounds from Cork City, Macroom and Clonmel,
But hey, hey says Edsie Connors, but with mine they can’t smell.
We had Mick Griffin, Bill Quill and the bold Tailor Shine,
The hare he jumps out with his ears on his back,
Three cheers says Tom Barrett,
That’s Neidin’s fish and smack.
Next on the line comes Joe Quaid with the cash,
On that big day he will cut quite a dash,
With his fivers and tenners that way he’ll pay out,
Three cheers says Jack Rodgers, ‘tis Clonanna no doubt.
But then comes Connie Mulvihill, up the hill from Knockbawn,
With two dogs, their colour was fawn,
Out of the corner of his eye, a hare Connie did see,
But he held back the dogs in the land that was free.
John Hunt