Tom O’Connor receiving the Desmond League Referee’s Fair Play Award with Liam O’Connor and Tony Fitzmaurice at the Courtenay Lodge Hotel on Monday night last

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann

 The annual Church Gate Collection will be taken up at all Masses this coming weekend, May 19th and 20th. Proceeds go towards the County Fleadh which will be held in Limeick University over the June Bank Holiday Weekend. Every branch in the county has to contribute €400 to the fleadh fund and also €75 towards the running of the Munster Fleadh which will be held in Dungarvan in July. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Draw Night at the Top of the Town.

 On Friday May 18th Athea Golf Society are holding a night of music, song grub and craic at the Top of the Town. There will be a major draw on the night for prizes includung €300, other cash prizes and numerous spot prizes. Every member of the society was given draw cards to sell and the response is fantastic All proceeds go to “Brú Columbanus” a charity that looks after the  accommodation of seriously ill patients while they are in hospital. Everybody welcome.

WEST LIMERICK CRAFTS AT HUNT MUSEUM:

 West Limerick Craft Businesses will be among those showcased at the “Voluntary Arts Week” programme which will run from May 12^th-20^th in the Hunt Museum Gift Shop in Limerick City.  The local craft businesses are among a group of eight who recently completed a five week “Developing Your Craft Business” training course which was organized exclusively for the craft sector by West Limerick Resources under the Rural Development Programme.

WEST LIMERICK LOCAL HERITAGE AND RURAL RECREATION SEMINAR

 West Limerick Resources will host a local heritage and countryside recreation seminar in the Courtenay Lodge Hotel, Newcastle starting at 9.30am on Saturday May 26^th.  The seminar aims to raise awareness of the development potential of these sectors for both the private and community and voluntary sector and of the funding and supports available from West Limerick Resources.  Further details to be announced shortly.

Katie Byrne, Gortnagross, 4th place in U8, and Kathlin Enright, Lower Direeen, Gold Medal, (1st place) in U10 , in the Limerick Gymnastics Community Games held in Foynes on 9th May. Kathlin goes on to represent Limerick in the Community Games finals in Athlone in August.

Lucky Numbers Draw

12/ 05/ ‘12         4, 19, 25, 29.    No Winner

Lucky Dips

€50        Josie Mulvihill, Toureendonnell

€30        Katie O’Connor, Hillside Drive

€20        Breda & Nicole, Hillside Drive

M, G & N Ahern, Rathronan

Gerry Griffin, Brookfield House

Mark Griffin, Coole West

Sellers Prizes:     Jerry Brouder

A.M. Sweeney

Next Draw:  19/05/’12            Jackpot: €5,500

Venue: Batt’s

by Kathleen Mullane

‘Out and About’

Sincere congratulations and good wishes go to Mary Ita Casey (daughter of Peggy and Bill) who celebrated her 30^th Birthday at the weekend with a great barbeque attended by family and friends. A great night was enjoyed by everyone.

What a beautiful ceremony here in the Church on Saturday last when the 18 girls and boys of 2^nd class received their 1^st Holy Communion.. First impressions as one took their seats prior to the ceremony was the lovely colourful pictures on the Church walls with their photos etc., indeed a lot of work went into them. The national school children sang beautifully led by the teachers. Each and every one of the First Communicants did themselves and their families proud and were very involved in the ceremony. All the hours of practice paid off. Fr Bowen PP was the main celebrant, assisted by Canon Kelly. The boys in their suits and the girls in their dresses were indeed “a sight to behold”. Above all what a glorious day it turned out to be considering it hadn’t stopped raining for days previous and days since. Congratulations to all the children, their parents, their teachers and all who helped to make the day the very “Special Day” that it was.

Well, done to the U-11’s Athea Basketball team who did extremely well on Sunday evening last in Rathkeale meeting St Senans, Drom/Broadford and Limerick in the Community Games. They ended up in joint 2^nd place in the Munster’s. Staying with Basketball the season is nearly at an end and the teams all had their “Fun Day” on Sunday last in the Hall. A brilliant day was enjoyed by all the young players – from games to prizes all organised by Trish Phillips Aherne and her family. There is some great up and coming young basketball players and well done to all of them for their enthusiasm.

I was talking to a young mother recently who was very annoyed with young teenagers – for the reason that when she took the effort to “salute” and say hello girls to all of them (having been incidentally in her son’s class and had now moved on to Secondary) that they played dumb and never even answered. Is it that the days of “Chivalry” and “Manners” are gone out the window? God be with the days when young people opened the doors for their Teachers and all those older than themselves and took their books into school for them, helped the elderly across the road and saluted people they met on the street, not saying every teenager doesn’t make the effort to say hello. As the saying goes “Manners cost nothing”.