Thatched Cottage in the Snow at  Gortnagross, Athea.  January 2015 Picture by Damien Ahern

Thatched Cottage in the Snow at
Gortnagross, Athea. January 2015
Picture by Damien Ahern

Athea Ladies Football Club

Athea Ladies Football Club would like to sincerely thank everyone who gave so generously to our Church gate collection last weekend.

The Ladies Football AGM will be held this Sunday, January 25th in the clubhouse at 7pm.

Anyone interested in getting involved and playing are urged to attend. All newcomers are always welcome to come and join in the fun and get fit.

Athea Community Council

Athea Community Council are looking at the possibility of providing CCTV cameras for the village. At the moment we are trying to see where funding could be sourced as it appears that the cost of such equipment is very expensive.

In the meantime it would be worth looking at the possibility of setting up a Community Alert Group. If anyone is interested in taking on this project please contact us.

The Sunday Clothes

Domhnall de Barra

Anyone of a certain age will remember a time when, apart from the local teacher, doctor or other professional, everybody possessed two sets of clothes; one for working during the week and the other for Sundays and special occasions.  In those days money wasn’t as plentiful as it is now and clothes, by today’s standards, were expensive. You couldn’t walk into a draper’s and come out with a suit or a costume. A bolt of cloth had to be chosen and then taken to the tailor or dressmaker to be cut and stitched into shape especially for you. Choosing the cloth was more of a problem for women than men because men usually opted for very conservative colours, more often than not navy blue or “bird’s eye” brown.  Women were more adventurous and were afforded a variety of colours to choose from.

Making a suit or a costume was a slow process. There were  several fittings where minor adjustments were made before the finished article was ready to be worn in public for the first time. This then was the “new suit” and remained so until it was no longer deemed fitting for “good wear” and was worn for work. The first new suit for boys was usually for the First Communion. It would be made a little on the big side so that you might “grow into it” over the next few years. This suit would have a short pants which would be worn until it was time for Confirmation when the first suit with a long trousers would be made. It was a strange feeling having all this cloth around the legs for the first time. Suits were hung in the wardrobe all the week and would be taken out to be “aired” in front of the fire on Saturday night. As soon as Mass was over the suit was taken off and put away for another week.

It may seem strange to today’s generation who seem to dress in the same clothes whether going to a disco or the bog but the wearing of good clothes on Sunday was great therapy and also marked the Sabbath as a day apart, one to be respected.  Of course the suit wasn’t the only item reserved for special occasions. There was the shirt and tie, maybe a waistcoat, socks and shoes and in bad weather an overcoat. The shoes were made of leather and were polished religiously on Saturday night, a job usually done by the women of the house.  Sunday morning was also a social occasion where neighbours met after Mass and it wasn’t unheard of for the men to slip in the side door of a local tavern to share a glass or two.  It was also an opportunity for the women to do a bit of shopping as it might be the only time during the week that people from the country came into the town or village. For the younger age group it was the day when they got the  big treat of a two penny ice cream. I can still remember the taste and trying to suck the last bit from between the wafers –  heaven. The Sunday papers would be bought and if you were lucky you might get the Beano or the Dandy, two very popular comics at the time. What memories to be cherished. I feel sorry for the young people of today who never experience the excitement of a Sunday morning. Being dressed up gave us self confidence and a feeling that we were as good as anyone else. I miss that feeling.