Congrats and good wishes are extended to Stephen O’Connor (son of Margaret & Mike – Upper Athea) who travelled the long journey home from Australia recently to wed his fiancée Jackie Vaughan (daughter of Rachel & James Vaughan of Moyvane). A great day was enjoyed by family, relations and friends at the Ballygarry House Hotel in Tralee. We wish the newlyweds a safe journey back to Australia.

There are just a couple of tickets left for the fashion show in aid of the Tidy Towns on this Sat Sept 25^th. Rose in Brouder’s Shop has the last remaining few and it promises to be a great enjoyable night with all local models and much more!

Thanks are extended to everyone who came along to the fund-raising Coffee Morning on Thursday last in aid of Milford Hospice. The great sum of €1,100 was donated. Well done as always to the wonderful “baking ladies” who as always had a mouth-watering selection of cakes, buns etc. “Eat your heart out” – Rachel Allen!

Well this weekend sees Athea National School holding its annual Church gate collection. If you have children attending Athea N.S. you are asked to give as generously as possible, or indeed if you have grandkids attending or if you have attended the school yourself at some stage you might like to give a little. Great work has been done in the school over the summer holidays and it’s looking really well now, with the new windows and freshly painted.

The Athea Ladies Football Club wish to send good wishes and a very speedy recovery to young Sarah O’Connor (daughter of David and Jacqueline of Coole) who is now recovering at home after her operation in Cork. No doubt she will be back “on the playing field” very soon. Well done also to Ciana Murphy of Lower Athea, who was privileged to play at half time in Croke Park on Sunday last – in the mini sevens. She played on the Dublin team and was chosen from her school, well done. Unfortunately for all those loyal supporters with Mayo connections in the parish that they didn’t win on Sunday – however Joe Stapleton’s girls are first cousins of Bernard Brogans so at least there is an Athea connection and no doubt they are very proud of the Dublin win! Here’s to the next time for Mayo!

Following a recent survey it was proved that parents who read to their children up to the age of 7 instil into them the love of reading and helps them to use their imagination. Forget the computer games, etc and latch on to a book, as the saying goes – “A house without books – is like a house without windows”…