By Peg Prendeville

I love to hear of new babies being born and so I am delighted to congratulate former  parishioners Ailis (Cummane) and Brian Ahern on the birth of their baby girl, Maggie: Carol (Mullane) and Anthony Duriez on the birth of a baby boy, Oscar; Ciara (Bradley) and Stephen O’Sullivan on the birth of baby Molly. Congratulations to the grandparents Pat and Alice Cummane and Ta and Ita Mullane and Pat and Rosemary Bradley. All mothers and babies are doing well thank God.

It is great to hear that the Ballyguiltenane Rural Journal, which was postponed due to the unexpected death of Thomas O’Donoghue, will be produced this year and will be on the shelves this coming weekend Jan 23rd/24th. Of course, we are all aware that since Tom’s death another founder of the journal, Pat Brosnan, has passed to his eternal reward. May they both rest in peace. The journal has been going since 1977 and it is good to know that Thomas’s son James is continuing the tradition this year. It had been almost ready for production when Thomas got ill in early December. I am sure that all journal readers will be glad to see it in the shops this weekend.

Tarbert School Library would welcome any book donations in the following areas – Sports, History, Geography, Cookery, Guinness Book of Records from 2010 on.  If anyone has any books they wish to donate they can drop them to the Loughill Resource Centre on Thursday evening between 7-8 p.m. or contact Pat Noonan on 087 2331568.

It was lovely to read all the tributes to Pat Brosnan last week but what was more lovely is the fact that he got told all these things at a special tribute to himself in November 2013 in Fr Casey’s Hall in Abbeyfeale so he knew the esteem in which he was held. I am sure he is smiling in his corner in Heaven with Mary laughing by his side. 

I have just been reading Kevin Murphy’s Photography blog. Kevin is son of Bridie and Stephen Murphy, Glenastar and grandchild of Paddy Faley. Following in his mother’s footsteps he took up photography a few years ago and is going from strength to strength. He received 12 international awards for his photography in 2014 and has been nominated for 2015 Portrait Avant Garde Photographer of The Year in London, the results of which will be announced very shortly. This competition is open to all top world photographers and is not to be dismissed lightly. We wish him luck! Watch this space. And for those of you who, like myself, did not know what avant garde meant it is the term commonly used in French, English, and German to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art and culture. Sure we learn every day.

News just in is that Kevin Murphy was awarded

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR! Well done Kevin.