Archive for May, 2015

Sports-27/05/2015

Athea Utd Soccer

SYMPATHY

All at Athea Utd were shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Denis Quaid last Friday. Denis was well known in Athea and beyond and part of a well known and respected sporting family. Denis played soccer for the club back in our early years and was an accomplished player and could read the game brilliantly from his role as sweeper. I never had the privilege of seeing Denis play for Athea Utd but have been told by his then team mates that it was a joy to be on the same pitch as him.

Denis is the first Athea Utd player to sadly pass away and on behalf of the club I would like to extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to his brothers Billy, Michael and Tom, sisters Breda, Ellen and Nora Mary and extended family and friends.

May The Light Of Heaven Be Eternally His.

AGM
Athea Utd held its Annual General Meeting last Saturday night, May 23rd 2015 at The Top of the Town.

OFFICERS ELECTED FOR THE 2015/16 SEASON –
Chairman Denis Murphy. Secretary Pat Mulvihill. Treasurer Clare Ryan. Vice Chairman Ned White. Asst-Secretary Pa Walsh. Asst-Treasurer Kevin O’Keeffe. PRO Pat Mulvihill. Child Welfare Officer Pat Hayes.

MANAGERS

Next season Athea Utd will be having only one junior team but we will be entering a youths team. We will be looking for a manager for our junior team as well as our U8s and U12s Those interested to contact Secretary Pat Mulvihill on 0877934417.

SYMPATHY

At the AGM, a vote of sympathy was extended to the family of Denis Quaid, Dirreen who passed away suddenly last week.

SPORTSWORLD SUMMER SOCCER SCHOOLS

Sportsworld are the sponsors of this ears FAI Summer Soccer Schools and once again Athea Utd will be hosting an FAI Summer Soccer School at The Vales. The important dates to remember are from Monday, July 27th to Friday, July 31st. The camp is open to boys and girls from the ages of 6 to 14 years of age. Again all participants will receive full kits, backpacks and footballs. Like last year the cost is €65 per child with a family discount for each extra child attending the same camp.

All coaches are Garda Vetted as per FAI Policy and all coaches have completed the required coaching courses in order to coach at the FAI Summer Soccer Schools.

BOOKINGS – Bookings for the Summer Soccer School at The Vales, Athea can be made online atwww.summersoccerschools.ie or by calling 1890 653653

ATHEA UTD LOTTERY RESULTS FOR MONDAY, MAY 25th

The results of our weekly lottery draw for Monday, May 25th at White’s Bar are as follows –
Jackpot was €19100. Numbers drawn 9, 18, 22, 27.

No Jackpot Winner.
Lucky dips to the following – Karina & Mike Buckley, Athea. The Meehans, Ballybunion. Nora Cronin. Ardagh. Bett

Walsh, Listowel. Ellen Quille, Athea.

Sellers Agatha & JP’s.
New Jackpot €19,200 at Brown Joe’s on Monday, June 1st.

Athea GAA

Special General Meeting:

There will be a Special General Meeting for all members to discuss the pitch improvement plan and associated funding requirements this Friday evening at 8.30pm in the Clubhouse. All Club members are invited to attend.

Club Draw 2015:

It’s that time of year again when our ticket sellers will be out and about shortly selling tickets for our Club Draw. There are eight draws again this year, with a total prize fund of €11,800 to be won. Please contact Mairead Donovan on 087-7703673, if you have any queries.

Fun Run/Adventure Run:

Following on from last year’s very enjoyable Adventure Run/Fun Run, the Club has decided to hold another Fun Run/Adventure Run on Sunday June 7. If anyone would like to help out or get involved in any way, please contact Kevin O’Keeffe on 087-7636568.

Sympathies:

The club would like to extend its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Marion White (née O’Connor) Gortnagross who passed away on Thursday last and also to the Quaid Family, Dirreen on the passing of Denis Quaid. We would like to offer our sympathy to Denis Sheahan and family, Templeglantine on the passing of his sister Alice O’Connor recently. May they rest in peace.

Intermediate Football Championship Draw 2015:

There are two groups of six teams who will contest the Championship.

Group 1: Claughaun, Feohanagh/Castlemahon, St.Senans, Mountcollins, Hospital/Herbertstown & Bruff.
Group 2: Oola, Mungret, Galbally, Cappamore, Athea & Glin
Round 3: Athea V Galbally, June 5-7
Round 4: Athea V Mungret, August 7-9
Round 5: Athea V Oola, August 28-30

Quarter-Final: September 5

Semi-Final: September 19

Final: October: 3

Athea Coiste na nÓg:

Fixtures:

Monday June 1: U14:

Our U14s have a match at home to Mungret/St. Pauls on Monday evening June 1 at 7.15pm. Players are asked to be at the field for 6.45pm and must have gum shields.

Friday/Saturday June 5/6: U10:

Our U10s have a home Blitz in Páirc na nGael on the weekend of June 5/6. More details to follow closer to the time.

Friday June 12: U8:

Our U8s have a home Blitz in Páirc na nGael on Friday evening June 12. Players are asked to be at the field for 6.15pm. All players must have gum shields.

Wednesday June 17: U14:

Our U14s have a match away to Rathkeale on Wednesday evening June 17 at 7.15pm. Cars leaving the village at 6.15pm. All players must have gum shields.

Training:

Friday May 29: U6, U8 & U10:

Training continues for U6s, U8s and U10s this Friday evening May 29 in Páirc na nGael at 6.30pm. All Players must have gum shields.

U14:

Training continues for U14s in Páirc na nGael this Friday evening May 29 at 7.30pm. All players must have gum shields.

Tuesday June 2: U12:

Training continues for U12s in Páirc na nGael this Tuesday evening June 2 at 7pm. All players must have gum shields.

Cúl Camp:

This year’s Cúl camp will be held on the week of July 6th to 10th. Further details to follow or please contact Jacqueline on 086-0670091.

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News-27/05/2015

Some of the attendance at the recent meeting about the upgrading of the Athea Sewerage System including  Aisling Buckley and Paul Cremin from Irish Water

Some of the attendance at the recent meeting about the upgrading of the Athea Sewerage System including Aisling Buckley and Paul Cremin from Irish Water

Upgrade For Athea Treatment Plant

At a joint meeting of Athea Community Council and Athea Tidy Towns Committee, held at The Library on Tuesday evening last, Irish Water representatives Aisling Buckley and Paul Cremin outlined plans to upgrade the sewerage treatment system in Athea. A survey of the existing pipework is to carried out straight away and it is thought that some of the line may have to be replaced. The treatment plant on the Glin Road, which is totally inadequate, will be replaced with a more modern, higher capacity facility. The money is already in place for this project and, all going well work should commence in the early part of next year. The meeting was organised by Pat O’Donovan, TD who has championed Athea’s quest for this long awaited upgrade.

Athea GAA Fun Run & 5k Adventure Run

Following on from last year’s very enjoyable Adventure Run/Fun Run, the Club has decided to hold another one on Sunday June 7th starting at 1pm sharp  from the GAA Grounds. Registration will take place from 12-12.45pm. There is a €50 prize for the 1st man & woman to finish and €20 for the first child to finish. There will  be a Barbecue at Collin’s Bar afterwards where the presentations will be made. Loads of spot prizes also on offer.

Athea GAA Club Draw 2015

Ticket sellers will be out and about shortly selling tickets for our Club Draw. There are eight draws again this year, with a total prize fund of €11,800 to be won. Fully paid up Members Prize €1,000.  €80 per Ticket or €10 per Draw. Prize Money Per Draw: 1st €500, 2nd €250, 3rd €150, 4th €150, 5th €150, 6th €150

The Telephone

We have seen, during the last few years, the disappearance of the telephone box from the streets of our towns and villages. Hard to believe it now in the days of mobile phones, Skype etc.   but at one time very few people had their own telephones and the local box was well used, people often having to queue to make a call. The early ones did not even have numbers on the dial. To make a call you had to twist a handle to get the attention of the local operator in the post office and tell them the number you wanted. They then patched you through to the regional exchange who connected you to whatever town or village area you wanted and they in turn connected you to the local number in their area; a complicated procedure. To make matters worse, when people started to get their own phones they were put on “party lines”. This meant that three or four phones were on the one line and were identified in the exchange by one, two, three or four rings. They all had the same number and if one person was on the line, nobody else in the group could make a phone call. There was no privacy as anyone in the group could listen in to others conversation just by picking up the phone. The local exchange managed the switchboard until 10 o’clock at night and it was then switched to the regional exchange in Listowel. If you happened to be in the middle of a call at 10pm the line just went dead and you had to try and reconnect through Listowel. Switchboard operators were not supposed to listen to calls but, human nature being what it is, some did. There is a story told about the late great Brian McMahon of Listowel who had a song that the BBC broadcasting company in England were interested in recording for a program on folk music and song they were doing at the time. Rather than having Brian make the long journey to England the recording could be made over the phone if a suitable quiet hour could be arranged. The local postmaster in Listowel was contacted and it was agreed that the recording could be made on a Monday night at midnight from the phone box in The Square. At the appointed hour the phone rang and Brian was in place to answer the man from the BBC. After exchanging pleasantries he gave Brian a count  down from ten and he began to sing his song. There was nobody moving about Listowel at that time of night so there was little fear of any interruption. Everything was going well until the end of the first verse when there was a shout on the line from the exchange, “good man Brianeen”. The operator had been listening in and forgot himself being so engrossed in Brian’s singing. Needless to say the BBC were not too amused and the operator was lucky to keep his job.

Local operators could be very helpful as well. I remember one time trying to ring home from England. This procedure involved about six connections and when at last the call was connected to Athea I could hear Edsie O’Connor, R.I.P., who was then the local post master, telling the English operator,      “ there is no good in trying to ring them. I just saw them a couple of minutes ago at the carnival”.

Those days seem so far away now but in reality it is but a short space of time. In the late ‘seventies I had to wait for three years to get a phone installed and it was not until the late Albert Reynolds took over as Minister for Post and Telegraphs that things improved. Fair play to him he sorted the backlog out in a very short time and soon anyone who wanted a phone was connected straight away. Now the phone is in danger of disappearing, just as the boxes have with the advent of the mobile phone, an item we don’t seem to be able to live without.

Domhnall de Barra

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News-20/05/2015

 

 

The Goold Monument

The Goold Monument

Laura Curry, Corinne Gibbons and Aisling O’Shea who were presented with Certs at the Tarbert Awards Night

Laura Curry, Corinne Gibbons and Aisling O’Shea who were presented with Certs at the Tarbert Awards Night

Derek & Tina Byrne with their son Adam and daughter Katie who made her communion last Saturday in Athea.

Derek & Tina Byrne with their son Adam and daughter Katie who made her communion last Saturday in Athea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Athea Tidy Towns

In the past week some fantastic progress was made at the site of the Goold Monument. The boundary ditch has been cleared and replaced with timber fencing which widens the area considerably and makes the area more inviting for visitors. Also the magnificent piers at the entrance have been raised which allows us to fully appreciate their unique design. A professional cleaner is also currently attending to the monument which will return it to its former glory.

Efforts are continuing on gathering information on our planned heritage trail which will involve erecting plaques at 20 points of Heritage in the village and mapping them in a brochure. This will also include erecting a plaque at Gale View House – the home place of Con Colbert which will coincide with the 2016 centenary celebrations next year.

The committee would like to offer our sincere sympathies to Pat Higgins and family on the death of  Darragh Lanigan R.I.P. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

The “Going to England”

There is a lot of talk, particularly since the fall of the Celtic Tiger, about emigration. There is a big difference between emigration now and what happened in the middle of the last century. After the 2nd World War there was abject poverty in this country which was just trying to find its feet after 800 years of British rule. Everybody was in the same boat except for the few who were lucky and wealthy enough to get an education and become teachers, civil servants etc.  Very few went beyond national school and some didn’t even complete the full term there as they were required to work on the family farm or take any kind of work to supplement the family income. Jobs were few and far between at a time when there were big families in every house so emigration was the only answer. England had been devastated by the war and needed building up so there was an opportunity for employment on the building sites and roadways. “Going to England” in those days took as long as going to Australia today.  I remember in the early ‘sixties getting the train from Abbeyfeale at 8am on Friday. There was a change at Limerick for Limerick Junction, then onto the train to Kingsbridge where we changed again for Dun Laoghaire. The boat was very primitive by today’s standards and was used to ferry live cattle as well. Most people sat in the open air all night. Arriving in Hollyhead, we took the train to Crewe where we waited for the London train. On then to Rugby and the final change to the Coventry train which got into the station at 8.15am Saturday morning; a full twenty four and a quarter hours travelling !  Those who arrived first made it easier for those who followed on because they were in a position to put them up for a while and point them in the right direction for employment. The Irish were not generally welcome in Britain in those days. Boarding houses often had the sign “No pets, no blacks, no Irish”  printed on the front window but they were needed to do the work and gradually became accepted by the majority of the English who are in the main a very fair race, in fact they were much better to the Irish workers than some of their own who exploited them. Girls got work in factories, hospitals and as maids in big houses while the men mainly worked on the buildings. Much of the work was sub-contracted to Irishmen who were known as “subbies”. They would arrive at a central point in the town on a Monday morning where the men looking for work gathered. They took as many as they needed and if any of them did not come up to scratch they were not taken the following day. As in all walks of life there were good and bad subbies, some treating their men well while others overworked and underpaid them while lining their own pockets. Going home to Ireland often was not an option. No cheap Ryanair flights in those days and the travelling time was too long. Many of the men spent their wages in the pub (staying in the digs all night was not an option) and only came back home for funerals.  Others sent money every week to help those at home. Indeed many households depended on the letters from abroad to survive.  The Irish communities in England gradually grew and  eventually became an important part of the country’s development. They became involved in all walks of life, including politics, and made a name for themselves.  The beginning though was tough; hard work and the heartache of being separated from family and friends in a foreign land. Today’s emigrants have no such troubles. They are all well educated and are only a couple of hours away at any time. They can thank the early travellers for the opportunities that exist for them today.

 Domhnall de Barra

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