‘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.