By Kathleen Mullane
Can I start off by wishing a very happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone next Tuesday. Everyone throughout the world claims a bit of “Irish Blood” in their veins on that day. In the USA they have the “green beer” -in Australia the Sydney Opera House is illuminated green and in many places all over the world they celebrate this great feast-day. There will be parades all around us in Abbeyfeale, Listowel and Newcastle West and of course all over our island of Ireland with the big parade in Dublin being televised and attracting bands and groups from all over. Enjoy the day – “don the green and the shamrock” and be proud to be Irish!
Don’t forget this Friday night, March 13th the Grand Table Quiz at the Top of the Town at 9am as a fundraiser for our hall. Please come along, have a fun night with lots of spot prizes and a raffle and support your hall.
A few congrats this week (which I may have missed out on last week and have just heard about).
Dick and Marian Chawke have celebrated 40 years of “wedded bliss” recently – best wishes to them.
Also Joan & Timmy Enright of Templeathea reached a milestone in their married lives (not sure how many years) good wishes also to them.
Congrats to Joanne & Timmy Aherne, Gale Bridge who were blessed with their new baby girl Abbie today, Monday, a little sister for T.J. We also congratulate the proud grandparents Dr. Kieran & Val Murphy and Ted Aherne, Upper Athea.
Congrats also to twins Tara & Luke Zgaga of Templeathea who celebrated their 21st birthdays over the weekend.
Also Katie O’Connor, daughter of Teresa and Tom, who had her 18th birthday on Saturday night last also here in Athea.
Well I’m just back from the Parish Meeting at the hall where Fr. Eamon Fitzgibbon and Donal Fitzgibbon spoke about the forthcoming Synod in 2016. The Athea Parish Synod delegates namely Mike Hayes, Pat Higgins, Mary Ita Casey-Collins and John Redmond organised the meeting which was well attended and where parishioners gave their views and what new ideas they would like to have spoken about at the Synod. There were many ideas put forward from various groups – the main point being “how do we get our youth to come back to the Church”? Hopefully something good and concrete will come out of the 2016 Synod. We live in hope and confidence.