Archive for January, 2014

News-29/01/14

Tidy 1

Tidy2

ATHEA TIDY TOWNS

After a few weeks of hibernation, the Tidy Towns Committee are now active once again and are looking forward to another successful year.

The path at the Giants Garden which was in a dangerous state with rocks jutting out in places was attended to last week by Limerick County Council. The path is now tarmacked and the lead up to Holy Cross Graveyard is now one we can all be very proud of.  Incidentally, a lot of people have expressed delight at the recent illumination of the cross and the caring and loving impression created.

The wall at the old forge across from the Credit Union has recently been raised in preparation for a Heritage Mural which will depict a Blacksmith at work and the activities that took place at this area in times gone by.

Our TUS worker James Kenrick is busy at the moment carving bi-lingual signs for our Wildlife Garden located behind the Memorial Hall. We are lucky to have such skills available to our group.

Last week  we received a further contribution from Airtricity towards our Street Lighting Project. The plan is to replace the current street lighting with energy efficient LED lighting and to place the unsightly wires underground. This project will cost in the region of 250,000 and we are currently exploring other funding opportunities available to us to make this dream of a wire free, energy efficient village a reality!

We must commend the Athea GAA and especially our committee member Jim Sullivan for the work carried out at the GAA grounds recently. The walls have all been plastered and an impressive gate depicting the words ‘ATHEA GAA’ has been erected. Different groups working together for the benefit of the parish is really what community is all about.

Unfortunately, West Limerick Resources has not been granted any additional funding for LEADER projects so far this year. This is very disappointing as we had a project plan submitted and there was great excitement among the group about the various projects.  This will result in less funding available to our group until the next LEADER Programme commences in late 2015. However, where there is a will there is a way and the outstanding generosity of the people of Athea should ensure our work can continue.

If you would like to join us in improving our village and enhancing our community for 2014 please do not hesitate to contact any member of the committee ,  you would be most welcome!

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Kathleen’s Corner-29/01/14

“Laughter is the best Medicine”

Well, having gone to the opening night of Athea Drama Group’s latest production “Stop it Nurse” one could really identify with the saying “laughter is the best medicine”. From start to finish it was a bundle of laughs and those who were making their 1st appearance on stage must be highly complimented of course along with the well seasoned players. In these recessionary times and with the weather being so wet and stormy and January is a sort of “down” month after all the Christmas hype – it’s great that the drama group has brought a bit of sunshine into everyone’s lives. If you haven’t yet gone to see the play – make sure you do – you can’t buy happiness or laughter and everyone nowadays needs a bit of a lift. Well done to each and every one involved. It’s great to see “full houses” each night.

Another group who have helped to make 23 lots of people and organisations very happy is ‘Airtricity’ who last week in the hall gave away no less than €130,000 in cheques. Many organisations in Athea and the surrounding areas benefitting from their annual generosity. Some people complain about the windmills – the noise, their appearance etc but this is an unreal amount of money which is going to be used for lighting, solar panels, water harvesting and much more energy efficient plans for our area. To mention a few who received cheques on the night – Athea Utd, Athea GAA, Tidy Towns, Drama Group, CFR’s, Voluntary Housing, Athea NS, Athea Church, Fishing Club, Colbert Hall and many more. Well done to all and thanks to Margaret Scanlon and Eileen O’Sullivan for preparing all the lovely eats on the night and all who helped out.

Congrats to Christopher Dalton, son of Maureen and Paddy, Dirreen, who celebrated his 21st birthday along with his family at Tralee Greyhound Track recently. Everyone had a great night.

The International “Dark Sky” award, only one of three in the world, has been awarded to Kerry, indeed another great boost for the area. We are so lucky to be living so near Killarney and the area, just 50 minutes and you are in the hub of one  of the busiest towns in Ireland which is great to visit at any time of the year and so much to do there.

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Knockdown News-29/01/14

A Eucharistic Adoration group is being set up in Loughill/Ballyhahill parish at present. The proposed times are on Tuesday between 2 and 6pm  in Loughill and on Thursday between 10 and 2 pm in Ballyhahill. If anyone is interested please contact Fr O’Leary at 06982013.

On display, in Glin library this month, is a collection of local books by local authors. I would appreciate being reminded of any local authors which may not be included in the following list. So far there are books in the library by  the following.

Aherne, Tom: Curtin, Gerard; Dillane, Michael: Faley, Paddy: Kennelly and Carroll: Kennelly and Fitzmaurice: Langan, George: O’Cearbhaill, Pádraig: O’Shaughnessy, Dorrit: O’Sullivan, Jim: Prendeville, Peg: Scoil Naomh Mhuire Ballyhahill: Culhane, Thomas J: Culhane, Thomas F: Wall, Tom: Walshe, Margaret. Anyone is welcome to call in at any time during opening hours. The library will be closed this Thursday 30th January.

St Brigid’s Day (Saturday) is upon us already and the longer brighter evenings are most welcome. Many of us are talking about the “awful weather” which, I will agree, is not very pleasant these days but when we see the cold snap in eastern USA or the heavy rains in Northern Territory Australia or the scorching heat in Southern Australia we have nothing to complain about in comparison. The local rivers are in full flood these days. I composed the following poem last weekend after bringing one of my grandchildren to see the Abha Bhán down by the bridge in Ballyhahill. It explains itself.

 

 

Nature’s blessings

 I took her to the river

To show her the brown flood

Which was in an angry mood today

Full of debris, twigs and mud.

“Where is it going” she enquired

As she watched it tumbling through

The arches of the village bridge

“It’s in a hurry, that’s for sure!”

 

And as we both looked on in awe

My grandchild who’s nearly three

Looked up at me with questioning eyes

And unlocked a memory

Of almost sixty years before

When my father all excited

Asked “Do you want to see the river”

And of course I was delighted.

 

So he carried my sister and me too

In his strong and sinewy arms

And took us through the meadow

Through old George Lynch’s farm.

There at the foot of Knockadillaun

The brown water rushed on by.

To us it seemed a torrent

But was probably a foot wide!

 

And as I held my grandchild’s hand

I hoped that forever after

She’ll remember the excitement

And the power of moving water.

To me it was a sacred moment,

Too precious now to measure.

The resurrection of this memory is

A grace-filled gift that I will treasure.

 

Peg Prendeville

26/01/2014

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