The wedding took place last Friday of Anne Flavin formerly of Glenagragra, Athea and Templeglantine and Michael Fennelly. The Nuptial ceremony was performed by Fr O’Gorman. The bride was assisted by her two sisters Carla and Maria and cousin Sarah Flavin. The best men were the groom’s three brothers and the pageboy’s Conor Fennelly and Caine Brouder. A great day was enjoyed by everyone at the Ballyroe Heights in Tralee. Congratulations and good wishes to them both.

With little or no work available here many have taken to foreign shores for employment. But now we see that the Irish are ‘Down and Out’ Down Under and emigrants are turning to hand outs in some cases as work dries up in Australia. Irish Nationals are falling on hard times and struggling to find work. Young Irish people have wrongly formed the impression that the streets of Australian Cities “are paved with Gold”!! Employment is no longer a guarantee as economic conditions tighten. It has emerged that Irish backpackers are being forced to turn to charity organisations and soup kitchens as they are unable to pay for food. So maybe our own shores “aren’t so bad”.

Well this Wednesday sees the arrival of May 1^st and no real improvement in the weather! Long ago May Eve was a day that the whole house, yard, cow sheds, fields, animals etc were blessed with Holy Water for protection. The Blessed Well here in Templeathea was visited on the day by so many, walking, cycling – paying their annual visit, hanging little mementos on the tree near the Blessed Well, everyone wishing for a safe and trouble-free year. These customs, mannerisms are no longer practised and if so rarely. However, ‘May Eve’ is still a day that people remember and will do for some time to come by our older generation.

Saturday last proved to be a great fun day out for the U-10 and U-12 footballers and the Coiste na nÓg coaches etc when they travelled to Parnell Park where they played the local team and then on to Croke Park where they were delighted with the result of the Limerick game – a great experience for all of these young players who, you never know, may make the Limerick team at some stage. When young people are involved in sport of any kind it makes a great difference in their lives.