Archive for March, 2013

News-27/03/13

Flowers boxes being put in place on the roadside to the GAA field as part of the Tidy Towns Village improvement scheme

Flowers boxes being put in place on the roadside to the GAA field as part of the Tidy Towns Village improvement scheme

 

Flower Beds 27th3Flower Beds 27th2

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Kathleen’s Corner-27/03/13

 ‘Happy Easter’

Well ‘Summer time’ is with us this weekend so remember to put your clocks forward by one hour on Saturday night, at the moment it doesn’t feel very much like summer, with the bitterly cold conditions we are experiencing. However, other parts are much worse off than us with heavy snowfalls – a big change from this time last year when it was 21° – still it’s better we get ‘March’ weather now and hopefully then a good summer – we live in hope.

Will all those who have received an invitation from the Athea Pastoral Committee to the social evening n the Hall (in appreciation for helping out in the Church) on April 7th please respond to the invite by Monday, April 1st by ringing any of the mobile numbers on the card. This is necessary in order to calculate numbers for the food.

Wishing all readers, fellow correspondents etc a very happy and peaceful Easter and if you had given up anything for Lent enjoy again on Easter Sunday and don’t forget Monday, April 1st is “Fool’s Day” – Bill Casey will remember it I’m sure – I’ll say no more!

Well I went to see “Many Young Men of Twenty” on Sunday night last and what a great production it was. It played to a packed audience on the night and had some great laughs. It was unbelievable that it had been “21 years” ago since it had been performed here in Athea and the worst thing is we could remember it well. How the years fly!. Well done to all. A real credit to everyone concerned.

Please support Athea NS on their fundraising walk which takes place on Friday, April 12th at 11.30am. They hope to raise funds for their new English Literacy Series which is costing €3,000. All families have sponsorship cards, so if you have a Euro or two to spare you might help out.

You will be all glad to hear that the debt remaining on our Hall is now “NIL”. We thank everyone for supporting all the fundraising efforts over the past number of years. The last and final hurdle was the €60,000 owed for the last number of years which is now cleared through the scrap metal collection, céilí’s, bingo, walks etc.

We didn’t have a draw this year as we felt everyone was under pressure. However the running costs of the hall (i.e. heating, lighting, insurance, maintenance etc. comes to around €12,000 a year).

Fundraising has to be ongoing so we are having another mountain climb in June at Ballymac which should again be great fun – more about that later.

 

 

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Knockdown News-27/03/13

Just as I told you last week, Knockdown was inundated on Saturday night last for the fundraiser in aid of Aid Cancer Treatment. The event which was organized by Carol Noonan of Clounleharde began with a raffle and auction on Saturday night in the Knockdown Arms and continued next morning with a gathering of both vintage and modern tractors and vintage cars which lined up in Knockdown. At 12.30 pm the cars headed for Athea and Moyvane while the tractors did Ballyhahill, Loughill and Glin and all arrived back in Knockdown again where the drivers and supporters ate their fill. Carol wishes to sincerely thank all who supported the night and claims she is indebted to her family and to the Knockdown Vintage and Estuary Macra  group whose members worked with her and supported her in making the weekend a true success. She wants to thank all who sponsored numerous prizes and who donated items ranging from teddy bears to silage bales for the auction. The total amount raised has not yet been added up but you will be notified when it has. All profits will go to Aid Cancer Treatment.

It would have been a very happy weekend but for hearing the sad news that Mike Collins of Coole had died suddenly on Friday night/Saturday morning. Mike’s death, at 60 years of age, shocked everybody. We extend sincere sympathies to his wife Eileen (Brosnan), his children Deirdre, Anthony and Mark and to his extended family. May he rest in peace.

Glin Development is launching a new website on Easter Sunday night in Conway’s Bar in Glin. It will also be promoting the walks around the Glin area. Well done to all the members who are always coming up with new ideas.

This is Holy Week. Ceremonies in Ballyhahill at 8pm on Thursday night, 3 pm on Friday and 10 am on Sunday morning. The Saturday vigil will be in Loughill at 8pm. This week always reminds me of the bog as my father took the opportunity of the school holidays to get started at cutting the turf. No matter how tired we were after the day’s work we would go to the Holy Week ceremonies that night.

It was heartening to hear that our new Pope Francis is breaking with tradition on Holy Thursday night and having Mass in a juvenile prison and washing the feet of twelve prisoners. He says “True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.” We wait to see the fruits of his labours. It promises to be a different pontificate.

Jim and I had our 5th grandchild almost a month ago – Lucy Hutchinson from Abbeyleix. Lucy has spina bifida myelomeningocele and already has had surgery and hip harnesses and leg casts fitted. The reason I am telling this is because I have a spent last week in Lucy’s home with her Mammy, Daddy and sister Lily and am amazed at how calm the little baby is and how easy she is to look after in spite of all the interferences. She feeds and sleeps as if to say “that is all that is important right now. Let the future take care of itself.” It is a lesson to us adults to take each day at a time and “All will be well.” Thank God for Lucy. She will keep us anchored.

 

 

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