No births this week, no marriages, no deaths (thankfully), no engagements, no important matches, so what does one write about, the weather? Well we can’t complain, we’ve had it quite good up to now and hopefully this ‘cold spell’ won’t last that long and above all that people will be able to travel, and that accidents will be few and far between. “Courage” is what’s needed if conditions are dangerous. There are many kinds of courage – instantaneous, planned, enduring, much of it shown by ordinary people. Thee is the courageous story I read about the tanker-driver whose heavy vehicle carrying tons of nitric acid spun out of control on ice going down a steep hill. He deliberately drove off the road and crashed because he knew that at the bottom of the hill was a village. He also knew that he had risked his own life. Fortunately he managed to jump clear, seconds before the cab plunged over the edge of the road. Of course he couldn’t have been sure of this when he made his courageous decision. Yes, we never know then we’ll be called on to live courageously. Be it for the moment, a day or longer. We do know however, that within ourselves are resources of strength and energy, ready to come to our aid when we most need them. It’s a comforting thought, isn’t it? Hopefully we will be guided and protected when we are called up to live ‘courageously’…..

A teacher was recently asking if he taught his students Religion. “I teach it all day long” he said! I teach it in maths by accuracy, in history by humanity and in astronomy by reverence. And I teach it by kindness to animals, good manners and respect to others, by kindness and by truthfulness in all things. Truly religion has a place in everything we do.

Athea Ladies football club hold their AGM at the clubhouse at Paric na nGael at 6pm on this Saturday, January 26th. All players are asked to attend, parents included.

Congratulations to Yvonne O’Brien, daughter of Joan and Tom, Templeathea who recently graduated from the University of Westminster with an honours degree in Journalism.