What is Wrong with People?

The photo above shows the latest illegal dumping in Athea, this time in a new location –  the graveyard at Holy Cross.  The Community Council, together with Athea Tidy Towns Committee, have spent many hours making the graveyard area clean and tidy including plastering and painting the walls. It shows little regard for their efforts when people throw their rubbish up against those same walls. Some of this is material from the top of graves but not all of it. This year the graveyard is in line for an award from Limerick County Council. I’m afraid we can say goodbye to that if this behaviour continues. The Community Council has no facility for dealing with this refuse; it is the job of Limerick County Council who have enough on their hands.  There has been so much voluntary work put into making Athea a nicer place in which to live and the people of the parish have generously supported this work financially through the graveyard collection and the Lucky Numbers Draw. Don’t let their efforts be in vain.

Athea U12’s who played Knockaderry in Páirc na nGael on Wednesday evening last

Athea U10 Captain Michael Tierney accepting the cup on behalf of Athea team from Sinead Roche in Foynes on Saturday last

We welcome two new babies this week. Firstly baby Adam was born to Anita and Kieran Carroll of Templeathea last week. His two little sisters Courtney and Ciara are very excited with their new brother. Congratulations to the proud parents not forgetting the grandparents Anne and Ned Carroll also of Templeathea.

Aisling McAuliffe and Sean Leahy, who reside in Templeaglantine at present, were blessed with their first baby, a little boy who is being named Sean Óg. We also congratulate the new parents along with first time proud grandparents Denise and John McAuliffe of Lower Athea. Good wishes all around.

The very best of luck to all our students who are starting out on another step of their life. Some heading off to Secondary Schools, others heading out into the world and into college life, having to fend for themselves. We wish them all the very best. A difficult time for parents no doubt – but it’s worth it in the end, we hope!

Just have one eye and ear on the TV as I write these few lines and a very sad programme called “The Forgotten Irish” on TV 3. It’s all about the Irish who immigrated to England in past years, some who never got to come home again to Ireland, having memories of green fields, thatched houses, great neighbours and friends and much more. Some ended up living rough, others got into bad company, more into the throes of drink etc. The Irish Communities in England in the 60’s and 70’s and even 80’s were huge, Céilís were a-plenty and Irish ballrooms like ‘The Galtymore’ in Cricklewood in London were a landmark and a huge gathering place for the Irish. Alas many are now closed down and Irish communities have been taken over by many other nationalities. In years gone by pubs were given to Irish landlords who made names for themselves in the trade attracting all the Irish. Now however most of these establishments are closed down or boarded up. Many of the ‘Forgotten Irish’ use the soup kitchens and the like for their daily meals especially those living alone who have no one else to go to. They still hope one day to return to their native shores even in a ‘box’ they say. In some jobs it’s been written on the gates “no Irish need apply” – someone has added the lines “whoever wrote this – the same is written on the gates of hell”. 

Things are very quiet around Knockdown, which is no bad complaint until one is expected to fill the Knockdown News column! The Co. Council workers were doing some repair work on the Kerryline recently which put me thinking of my father and his fellow workers who used to do a lot of road repair work with the shovels. Indeed he often remarked that the men with the shovels did a lot more than the men in the machines – no offence to the men in the machines! Anyway my thoughts went back to a radio programme called “Dear Sir or Madam” which was broadcast in the 1960’s; my father often contributed to it and won a few guineas now and then. There used to be great excitement in our house as we gathered round to hear if his letter would be read. The following is one which he wrote in 1969, tongue in cheek, in response to a previous contributor complaining about the hard life farmers had.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am sorry for the poor distressed farmers who envy us Co. Council workers and the high time we have and tis a shame so tis for the Co. Council to burden them with the few pence that they levy on their rates for our enjoyment.

Ah tis well for us to be going off, whistling gaily, in the dark of the morning while the poor distressed farmer tosses and turns in his bed for he can’t get a good night’s sleep at the thought of getting only £80 a head for his bullocks.

For the last three weeks we had great sport spreading 360 tons of gravel daily on the road and what fun we had racing each other towards a clump of bushes to play hide and seek with the merry hailstones that came with the whistling wind to laugh and play with us; and what a delight it was to sit down on the roadside for our luncheon picnic without the bustle of women to serve it to us.

Sometimes too we have a fancy dress parade as we clothe ourselves in wellingtons, pull-ups, oilskin coats and caps resembling pirates and astronauts around the moon. And we’re exalted into high humour when our skin is tickled pink by the playful splashes of the pouring rain and we wish then that we had the lonely farmers with us to share and enjoy all this entertainment.

And if at times we stay overlong resting on our shovels who would blame us, for who could resist the pleasure of gazing on the blue curling smoke ascending from the farmers’ chimneys as they kindle the fire at ten o clock after rising from a troubled sleep.

We are glad to be able to recompense some of them by providing the dole which they collect weekly through our increased social welfare employment stamps.

Yours Sincerely,

Paddy Faley, Co. Council worker.

I dread to think of the reaction he got from the farming families around but I am sure they understood it was written in a humourous tone.

Again I must congratulate Athea’s Tidy Town committee for the great work that is done in the village. It is looking so well and hopefully the judges will see that and give them top marks.