Lisette Sheehy, Glin, daughter of Tom and Elizabeth and Michael O’Sullivan, Athea, son of Jim and Phil, who were married in Glin Church. Fr. Crawford officiated at the ceremony. The couple held their reception in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel, Tralee.
Evan Wallace who recently made his Confirmation in Rathkeale pictured with his grandmother (also sponsor) Betty O’Connor, Coole West.
Café Conversation
Café Conversation discussing death, dying & loss and the Good Neighbour Partnership will be held in Athea Community Centre on Wednesday 20th May 7pm – 9pm Contact: Denis 087 654 4070 Pauline 087 923 4049
All welcome, come join us for a cup and a chat.
Sponsored Walk
Catherine O’Connor will be doing a sponsored walk on Carrauntohil in aid of the Nepal Disaster on Sunday, June 28th. Sponsor cards are in all the local shops and your help and generosity would be greatly appreciated
Sewerage System Upgrade for Athea
Patrick O’Donovan T.D. has informed us that the sewerage system is to be upgraded at long last. This is good news for Athea.
O’Donovan welcomes commitment to Athea Sewerage Scheme
Limerick Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan has welcomed the commitment he has received from Irish Water today that the sewerage scheme in Athea is to be upgraded. This follows a number of meeting and discussions Patrick has had recently with Irish Water and the Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly TD in relation to the sewerage scheme. Irish Water plan to use the scheme in Athea as pilot project for schemes of a similar nature across the country.
“Following my many meetings with Irish Water and the Minister, Irish Water carried out a review of existing proposals for the Athea Wastewater Treatment Works as well as an on-site inspection and determined that a re- scoped project would be both sufficient and viable. Irish Water will now appoint a consultant to design an upgrade of the existing plant over the coming weeks. This design will accommodate the upgraded works on the existing site and will provide full secondary treatment in the most sustainable manner.”
“I have asked Irish Water for a timeline in relation to the proposed works and they envisage that the design works will take 3 months, during which time planning permission will be sought from Limerick County Council. On completion of detailed design and receipt of planning permission, they expect that they will be able to deliver an operational plant within 12 months. Irish Water will also be carrying out a separate review of the existing pumping station and core elements of the network, so that these can be addressed in tandem with the plant.”
“I know from the time I was a Councillor during the years 2003-2011 and since I became a TD that the issue of the sewerage scheme in Athea is a major issue in the community there. At several times during the years of the Celtic Tiger the area was promised that the scheme would be prioritised. Instead of making progress it was bundled together with several other schemes and none of them progressed an inch. I asked both the Minister and Irish Water to begin unbundling these schemes and unravelling the bureaucracy around them so as to get them started. I also impressed upon them the need to have realistic size projects designed for these communities rather than the elaborate grandiose schemes that were designed during the so-called boom years and which would never be built.”
“We know that for donkey’s years that untreated and partially treated effluent is being pumped out from Local Authority operated waste water treatment plants. This would not be tolerated if it was from industry or farms and yet for years nothing was done. I’m glad that at least now there is a plan to tackle these and I am glad that Athea is being prioritised and the model used in Athea will be used across the country”
I am delighted that the strong case I put forward for Athea has been acknowledged by Irish Water with their commitment today. I am very anxious to see progress made on schemes across the County like Athea now that a utility like Irish Water has been established. I have asked Irish Water if they would meet with the local community regarding the scheme in the coming weeks and they have agreed to this request.
Going to the Creamery
It is hard to believe but it’s not that long ago since we had not one but two creameries in the parish, Cratloe and Athea. Cratloe stood on its own until amalgamating with Athea and of course they eventually got taken over by Kerry Co-op. Joining with Athea was not a unanimous decision and a lot of people fell out over it. As things eventually turned out they probably would have been better off staying independent and thriving as Moyvane and Fealesbridge are today. Cratloe creamery was built just outside the Abbeyfeale border. There was no creamery in the parish of Abbeyfeale because Fr. Casey wouldn’t allow them to be built. He felt that they would destroy the cottage industries that existed before the creameries when farmers churned their own butter and took it for sale to Cork. It was a long journey by horse and cart but some people did it on a regular basis earning the nick name “Carter” in the process. Other creameries on the borders of Abbeyfeale parish were; Devon Road, Meenahela, Fealesbridge, Kilmorna and Tour. Cratloe creamery had a shop on both sides of the bridge, Leahy’s and Collins’. A third at Healy’s forge was only a few hundred yards away. They all did a lively trade in the morning while farmers were waiting in the queue to deliver the milk. Money seldom changed hands as all goods were put “on the book” until the creamery cheque was cashed. Shops were very different in those days. Everything had to be weighed and measured and then parcelled up. Small items such as sweets were put into a “toisín”, a piece of newspaper or brown paper twisted into a cone. Tea and sugar etc. came in big chests that were much in demand when empty. Many children spent their younger days standing in an empty tea chest. This was the forerunner of the play pen and ensured the child came to no harm while the mother went about her daily chores. Dairy farming was very hard in those days. Remember there was no electricity so everything had to be done by hand including the milking.
At daybreak the cows were brought in and milked. The milk was emptied into a churn, or tank as we used to call it, which stood on a stand to make it easier to load onto the car. There were different sizes according to the amount of milk. Small farmers might have a ten gallon tank while the bigger farmers would have a few twenty gallon ones. Some people who had only one or two cows had a five gallon tank. This was usually picked up by a neighbour. When the cows were milked, the horse or ass had to be tackled and the tanks were loaded. A quick bite to eat and off to the creamery. While they were waiting in the queue there was great conversation between the farmers. The news of the day was broadcast; who was dead, unwell, had a bit of luck (good or bad), a bit of scandal and the odd lie thrown in to get things going. It was a great social occasion, especially for farmers who lived in remote areas and wouldn’t meet anybody from one end of the week to the other. It was also a blessing for the postman who got rid of most of his letters at the creamery. This meant he did not have to cycle up and down the long passages into remote farmyards. He also was a great source of news and kept them all informed of what was happening throughout the parish and beyond. The horses and asses soon got used to the routine and would move on by themselves as the queue shortened. The milk was delivered at the front and then the “back milk” was collected at the other end and it was time to go home.
Modern technology has made life a lot easier but at what price to those who now have no social contact and live a lonely life.
Domhnall de Barra