Athea Utd Bs,  2011-12 

“HUGE DAY FOR THE B’s”

Next Sunday is another big day for Athea Utd as the B Team bid to win a league title in only their second season in existence

They meet  title rivals Kilcornan B in a top of the table clash at The Vales. See details inside.

Irish Karaoke

Championships 2012 (Limerick Heats)   

The Top of the Town is the place to be on Sunday next at 9pm when the Limerick heats of the Irish Karaoke Championship take place. This is the first time for the event to be held in this venue and a good gathering is expected.

ATHEA COMMUNITY GAMES

Athea was host to the first round of Under 13 girls basketball on Saturday 3^rd March.  Teams from Dromcollogher, Limerick City, Newcastlewest, Abbeyfeale and Athea battled to qualify.  In the end Abbeyfeale and Dromcollogher won through, but that was not to take from the valiant effort form a very young Athea team.  We would like to thank the two sixth class girls who helped their younger team mates – Maeve Carmody and Aine Leahy.  We look forward to the next round in Athea on Sunday March 25^th when teams from Hospital/Bruff, Athea Foynes and Kildimo will compete to compete to qualify for the finals.

The next round of Community Games Art and Handwriting competitions will take place in Shanagolden on Saturday 24^th March at 10 am.

Athea Community Games would like to thank all those who gave so generously to the Church gate collection which amounted to €698.94.  Thanks also to those who helped with the collection.

Parish of Templeglantine

International Eucharistic Congress

Dublin June 10th – 17th 2012

A bus will travel from our Pastoral Area on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the Eucharistic Congress week to the RDS.

Those interested should give their names and contact tel no. To the following as soon as possible: Fr. Bowen 087-6532482, Mike Hayes 087-7751386, Pat Higgins 087-2034626. The cost is €35 approx including bus and entry to the RDS.

The Principal Mass of the Eucharistic Congress will be celebrated in Croke Park on June 17th.

Anyone who registers for three consecutive days of events during the week will be guaranteed a ticket for the closing Mass in Croke Park. There are 30,000 tickets for the closing ceremony set aside for those who attend the RDS events. Therefore anyone wishing to secure a ticket for Croke Park can register for three consecutive day’s events for €60 even if they do not attend these events. These bookings can be done online at www.iec2012.ie or try IEC Dublin.

“Communion with Christ and with One Another” a talks series in preparation for the Eucharistic Conference, in Newcastlw West Pastoral Centre on March 21st and 28th from 8 – 9.30pm

 “Rural Ireland Fight Back” Rally to take                         place in Listowel

A protest rally calling for rural Ireland to fight back against the government’s austerity measures is to take place in Listowel, Co. Kerry on Saturday March 24th at 12pm.

The rally is aimed at bringing together the various differentcampaigns in a united front. These include those fighting cuts to small rural schools, CE schemes, community hospitals, the closure of rural Garda Stations and Citizens against Charges.
Speakers will also outline their opposition to the payment of €3.1 billion for the Anglo promissory note which is due to happen one week after the rally.
Rally organiser and Sinn Féin TD for North Kerry/West Limerick Martin Ferris said:
“Rural Ireland is under attack. The policies of austerity are stripping local communities of essential services – of schools, of guidance counsellors, hospitals, post-offices and Garda stations It is also adding new stealth taxes like the Universal Social Charge, the
Household Charge, VAT increases, motor tax increases and septic tank charges.
“Businesses, shops and pubs in rural towns and villages are closing. Small indigenous businesses, including small farmers, with no real support from the government or credit from the banks, are going under.
Our fishing communities are devastated.
“All of this and the absence of equality of access to public services threaten the quality of life of people living in rural Ireland.

“It is time start the fight back for rural Ireland and rural communities”

Lucky Numbers Draw

17/ 03/ ‘12

4, 10, 12, 20.

 No Winner

 Lucky Dips

 €50      Pat & Liz, c/o Donie’s

€30      Eileen O’Sullivan, Glasha

€20      Eileen Kelly, Hillside Drive

Christina & Noel, Hillside Drive

Bríd de Barra, Cratloe

Kim & Jack O’Grady, Brown  Joe’s

Sellers Prizes:     Mairéad Noonan

Brouder’s Shop

Next Draw:  24/03/’12

Jackpot: €4,700

Venue: Brown Joe’s

by Kathleen Mullane

‘Everything Irish’

Well, St. Patrick’s Eve Vigil Mass was really enhanced by the beautiful singing of the Athea Adult Choir led by Tim Connelly on keyboard and John Redmond as they remembered St. Patrick in song. Also Cathal O’Brien, Shannon Brady and Rosy Connelly retold the story of St. Patrick’s life. Well done to them all for adding a real ‘Irish’ touch to the ceremony.

Parades in the surrounding towns were very well attended, with the weather being an added bonus. The organisers and participants of the parades must be complimented for their input. It’s a day when “peoples of all nations” want to have a drop of Irish blood in them. It was brilliant to see a man from Mozambique on TV speaking fluent Irish and doing some great sean nós dancing, as also an African woman singing “Ár nAthair” (The Our Father) in Irish. It makes us somewhat ashamed that us Irish people are not even able to put a few ‘abairti Gaeilge’ together. However with Bernard Dunne the former boxer – now promoting the Irish language with his Brod Club on Monday nights on RTE 1 it will hopefully make people speak a “Beagáin” bit. He’s looking for 100,000 people to log on and sign up to speak a few words in as far as they can. Bernard wanted to help his children who attend a Gaelscoil. “Ar agaidh linn go léir”.

Well done to Margaret Stackpoole , daughter of Lily and Dan , Lower Athea and a pupil of ‘Scoil Colaiste Ide agus Ioseph’ who represented her school in Sligo recently taking part in the “Takeaway My Way” cookery competition . She came down to the last 16 out of 900 competitors. Well done to Margaret!

On this Wednesday night the Lartigue Theatre Company stage their play “HUMMIN” in St John’s, Listowel until next Monday March 26^th at 8pm. It promises to be a great production. So come along and enjoy.

Don’t forget to sign up as soon as possible for the Ballybunion half-marathon and 10k run. There’s even a 1k run/walk for the younger kids to coincide with the event. Our Slí na Sláinte (the Templeathea ring) seems to be very busy at the moment with so many “ag rith agus ag siúl” in preparation for the Marathon. There’s a great atmosphere there with everyone gearing up and eager to go, many of them running to raise money for a specific charity. Also with obesity on a huge rise amongst children here in Ireland it’s a great chance for them to join in. It takes place on Saturday April 7^th.  A parent was recently asked what was the most difficult question his child had ever asked him – he replied – “Where does the dark go Dad when you turn the light off “- now that’s a hard one or in other words  – “ana deachair”

Daffodil Day

Coffee morning in aid of Daffodil Day this Friday morning 23^rd March in O’Riordan’s Pharmacy from 10am – 2pm . All baking donations kindly accepted. Thanking you in advance.