Christmas came and went without any major incidents in the locality and the celebrations were a little low key compared to other years. A number of people returned to be re-united with family for the holidays, and we hope they all enjoyed their stay. The Christmas Trees lit up the local villages, once again, and a less number of houses, were highly decorated as in previous years. The weather was very stormy  and wet, at times, with nice dry and mild spells as well allowing people to move about to the many attractions that were on. The Church attendances were on a par with the previous year, and we compliment all the choirs, on their performances, and all people who participated in the ceremonies. The usual number of Wren Groups were out and about calling to the houses and entertaining the people, with their own traditional brand of music song and dance. Thankfully we had no major accidents or deaths around the locality. We send get well messages to everybody who was sick over the festive holiday and a return to good health for 2014.

Carrigkerry/Old Mill Development Association held their annual Church gate collection, on the week-end of Saturday 14^thDecember in Ardagh, and Sunday 15^thDecember in Carrigkerry. The group are sponsors of the FAS project which has been very successful over the years, and through the good work of the participants has enhanced the appearance of both areas. People were asked to be as generous as possible with their donations, as funding for the project has been reduced a lot in recent years. They duly obliged and the combined total collected was €500. The Association thanks all all who contributed and also to the collectors, who took up the collection.

The following are the Lottery results from the Old Mill Bar, on Monday 16^th December. The numbers drawn were 14,16,29,30, and there was no Jackpot winner. Congratulations to the lucky dip winners as follows. €60 Denise O’Connell c/o Josie. €60 Patsy Madigan, Lisgordan, Ardagh. €60 Mary A O’Neill c/o Denis Greaney. €30 Mike Liston, Glenastar, Ardagh. €30 Pa Wilmott c/o Denis Greaney. €30 Marion O’Connor. Next week’s draw will be held in Peadar’s Bar, Ardagh and the Jackpot will be €9,000.

Congratulations and best wishes to John Greaney, Kilcolman who celebrated his 21^st birthday with family and friends at The Ballintemple Inn Newcastle West on Friday 20^th December.

Congratulations to Mike O’Mahoney and Mike Young who were prizewinners at the Flag Floor card game held on Wednesday 11^th December.

Ardagh/Carrigkerry Social Club would like to thank Gerard Barrett, and fellow cyclists who recently raised € 100 which they presented to the club.

Ardagh New Burial Ground received second place, in the Modern Section in the Newcastle West area Burial Grounds Awards ceremony held in Limerick County Hall on Wednesday 11^th December.

Ardagh/Carrigkerry Comhaltas Branch held their annual Christmas Concert in the Community Centre Ardagh on Sunday 15^thDecember. They would like to thank everybody who helped to make the night such a success. All the proceeds from the night will go to the Tuesday Social Club. All classes will resume on Tuesday 7^th January. The senior bodhran classes return in the Community Centre Carrigkerry on Wednesday 8^th January.

Coolcappa Hall Committee would like to thank everybody who supported the Christmas Raffle, and the people who sponsored the prizes.  The winners were announced on Monday 16^th December. Estuary Oil Voucher Ben Hough Ballykenry. Turkey and Ham Jackie Geoghegan, Lisgordan. Christmas Hamper Mary Nestor, Kilquane.  Christmas cake and brandy Cilian Meade, Lisbane. Wine winners Mary Egan, Ballykenry. Tommy Liston, Clounagh. Darragh Walsh, Clounagh. And Joan Stack, c/o Helen Stack.

Saint Kieran’s drew with Shamrocks, 3-8 to 0-17 in the quarter final of the County Premier U-21 Football Championship in Kilbreedy on Sunday 15^th December. They defeated them in the replay by 2-8 to 1-9 in Kilbreedy on Sunday 17^th December.

Drom/Broadford defeated Saint Kieran’s by 2-12 to 1-6 in the semi final played at windswept Mick Neville Park on Saint Stephen’s Day. A poor opening quarter saw them trail by 2-6 to 1-2 at half time. They fought back and cut the deficit to 5 points, but their opponents overall teamwork strength   and pace saw they advance to the final against Sean Finn’s Rathkeale. The players and mentors deserve a lot of praise for their good run to the semi final stage, despite operating from a very small panel. They gave their supporters many enjoyable moments over the seven matches. This Championship provided many exciting matches, and close results despite being played in the most inappropriate time of the year. The general consensus was that players, mentors officials and supporters were harshly treated by the Board. The semi final matches could have been better presented with no team sheets available, and no score board operating. The U-21 Football Championship is very important to the future of Limerick football as they rebuild their senior team and a more suitable date to run it would be of benefit to all involved. TEAM. Dan Madden, Gavin Hayes, James Hough, James O’Connor, Mossie Shine, Brendan Mc Carthy, 0 -1 Cian Lynch, Darragh Treacy, Mike Flynn, Sean Mc Sweeney, 1-4 Ian Mackessy, Ray Brouder, Seamus Mangan, Dean Liston, Cian Shorten, Subs Raymond Noonan, Eoin Moran, Michael Enright, 0-1 Patrick Liston,  Paddy Harnett, Gerard Kiely.

Carrig Celtic defeated Rathkeale 3-0 on penalties after a 3-3 draw, in the Desmond Premier Division League Cup Quarter Final after extra time at home on Sunday 15^th December. Ray Cahill scored a hat-trick in normal time.

Old Mill drew 1-1 with Saint Ita’s at home in Division 1of the Desmond League with Gearoid Whelan scoring their goal.

Creeves Celtic B defeated Glin Rovers B 3-2 at home in Division 3. Damien Shannon, 2 and Denis Nestor scored their goals.

Fr Madden P.P. Ardagh/Carrigkerry has published the following note in the Weekly Bulletin. We no longer have access to the patient list in any of the hospitals. I am relying on family members to let me know when somebody is in hospital. It can be annoying to have visited the hospital, and when you get home to discover there was somebody else there that you should have visited.

The Limerick GAA County Magazine 2013 was in the shops for the Christmas market. It contains 100 pages and it costs €5. It is a different format from the Yearbook of past years, as it deals with the happenings of 2013. It is interesting bright and colourful with lots of photographs capturing the glory days of club and county. It is a souvenir of a very successful year and is well worth a read.

Coillte plans to carry out forest clearfell and regeneration in the following townlands/ properties during 2014. Ballinloughane, Carrigkerry Kerrikyle, Knocknagun, Knocknaclugga, Rooskagh, Barnigue, Moyreen Clounleharde, Regeneration plans including landscape design where appropriate have been prepared for these areas. Interested parties who wish to view these plans may make an appointment by contacting Kieran Quirke, Coillte, Back of the Forge, Castleisland, Co Kerry. 066-7163377 or e-mail [email protected]

Doctor Kieran Murphy Athea has been informed by the Primary Care Reimbursement Service that his dispensing rights are being withdrawn from 31^st December 2013. As a result it will no longer be possible to dispense medication to patients in Carrigkerry Clinic each Tuesday from 10.30am.At present this service is subsidized by the dispensing function, and is in operation in Carrigkerry since 1984. Should this service be withdrawn it may become necessary for Doctor Murphy to terminate this valued service, as without the dispensing it will no longer be financially viable. This service is vital for the people in the village and surrounding areas, and it must be retained. People are urged to contact their local politicians to get them to lobby for retention of the dispensing function so that Doctor Murphy can continue to provide this service in Carrigkerry each Tuesday morning. This is another blow to the rural areas, whose services have been decimated in recent years, by all Governments, who have a majority of rural TD’ s in their ranks. Can they not see what damage they are doing to the fabric of rural Ireland and its people by this agenda they are pushing? Decent people are left without services, while the greedy vultures avail of top-ups in highly paid positions, from money raised by volunteers meant for the needy. A lot stinks in the state of Ireland at present where the good suffer, and the other crowd prospers.

The death has taken place of Michael (Mick) O’Donovan Ballyneety, Shanagolden, husband of the late Kathleen, (nee Danaher) He lay in repose at Kieran Madigan’s Funeral Home, Askeaton, on Wednesday from 6pm, followed by removal to Saint Colman’s Church Kilcolman.Fr Denis Mullane, P.P. Coolcappa/Kilcolman Concelebrated his Funeral Mass, with Fr Michael Daly and Fr O’Donovan family relative on Thursday at 11.30am. His neighbor and friend of 37 years Anthony Fitzsimons paid a very touching tribute to Mick before the ceremony commenced. He described his as a gentleman, good friend and obliging neighbor. His door was always open to friends and neighbours to borrow what they needed and Mick never expected anything in return. He described Mick as a private person who always looked out for the welfare of his family and others. He had a good relationship with the local children, and in wet weather would pick them up after School in his tractor and deliver them home. Family members and neighbours participated in the readings, prayers of the faithful homily and reflection prayer. Fr Denis said Mick was baptized in 1929 and the majority of his time was spent in the locality. He liked his fire and days in the bog and he paid his last visit there over the Christmas. Mick was laid to rest in Kilcolman Cemetery on Thursday 2^nd January. We extend our sympathy to his son Patrick, daughter-in-law Caroline, grandchildren Courtney, and Casey, other relatives, neighbours and friends. May he rest in Peace.

Congratulations and best wishes to Diarmuid McSweeney, Carrigkerry and Elaine Ahern, Killeedy who were married in the Church of the Visitation Monagea, on Monday 30^th December. The Reception was held in the Woodlands House Hotel in Adare. The couple will reside in Ballydoorlis, Kilcolman.

The gates into Saint Mary’s Church in Carrigkerry were hung on Thursday December 19^th and back in place for the Christmas ceremonies. The pier was knocked and the gates badly damaged back in July after a car collided with them. 

Congratulations to Ardagh, native Michael O’Sullivan, Ballynash Foynes, who was recently re- appointed Secretary of the West Limerick G.A.A. Board for 2014. The Saint Kieran’s clubman is also the present Limerick County Board delegate for the Munster G.A.A. Board. 

Saint Kieran’s won the following honours in 2013 The Saint Jude’s seven’s Shield, The 2012 County Junior Hurling League, County U-21 Hurling Championship 13 a Side with Askeaton/Ballysteen, County U-14 Hurling Championship 13 a Side, County U-13 Football Division 2 Championship, and the West Junior B Football League.

Saint Kieran’s held a very successful charity road hurling competition around the Ardagh countryside on Saturday 28^thDecember.

Marion Collins from Drominmacturlough was the featured guest on Pat O’Donovan’s A Story and A Song on West Limerick Community Radio on Saturday 28^th December. Marion is a very talented lady who is well known through the country through her involvement in farming, singing and writing.  With her brother John they run the family farm outside Newcastle West. They have won numerous awards with their pedigree cattle at shows around the country over the years. Marion has been singing since an early age and has released a number of cassette tapes, and CDs during that time. Her songs have received airplay in all the local Radio Stations, and she is in demand to perform at weddings and funerals, at home and abroad. Marion is widely known as an author, and her book on Father Casey the Land League priest, Galtee Come West is an excellent publication. Marion sang a number of songs from her recent CD in between very interesting conversation with Pat. It was a very enjoyable show and well done to Marion and Pat. The programme is on from 3pm to 4pm each Saturday and repeated on Sunday morning from 7am to 8am.

Members of the Glenside Ceili Band held a reunion at Moore’s Bar Carrigkerry on Sunday 29^th December.  A very enjoyable night was had by the big attendance present to recall the glory days of the popular band.

Congratulations to Jim Lynch, and Peg Mulvihill, who were first prize winners at the card game held in Shanagolden Hall on Friday 20^th December.

The new mass times for Coolcappa/ Kilcolman parish are as follows. Saturday evening in Saint Kyran’s Church Coolcappa, at 6.30pm, and  Sunday morning Saint Colman’s Church Kilcolman at 10.30am.

The junior set dancing/céilí classes will resume in the Community Centre Carrigkerry on Friday 10^th January at 6.45pm, and all are welcome.

Set dancing classes resumed in the Ballintemple Inn Newcastle West on Tuesday 7^th January at 8.30pm. Set dancing classes will resume in the Community Centre Monagea on Thursday 16^th January at 8.30pm.

The Munster semi-final of Scór Na Nóg will be held in Millstreet County Cork on this Sunday 12^th January at 2.30pm for the Cork, Kerry, and Limerick winners. We extend our best wishes to the Saint Kieran’s set dancers who will be participating.

The Kilcolman/Coolcappa Senior Citizens party due to be held on Sunday 12^th January has been deferred due to flood damage in the Shannon House Foynes. A new date for the party will be announced in the coming weeks.