By Kathleen Mullane

Birthday Celebrations 

Sincere congrats and good wishes are extended to two parishioners this week who celebrated important birthdays! Firstly Nora O’Mahony of Markievicz Park who, along with her family, had a lovely 70th birthday at The Devon Inn Hotel on Saturday last. Here’s to continued health and happiness to Nora.

Also on Saturday night last Norma Collins-Zgagga, Templeathea had her 50th birthday celebrations at the Top of the Town along with family, relatives and friends. Everyone had a great night.

“Birthday celebrations” were in abundance at The Knockdown Arms on Saturday night last when Ta, Ita and Val celebrated its 30th birthday. Champagne was the order of the night for everyone, the ‘Wild Rovers’ belted out the music and finger food was enjoyed by all. Best of luck to them for many more years to come.

Congratulations to Ned Mahony of Templeathea who was the very lucky winner recently of over €22,000 in the Golf Club Draw in Newcastlewest. He has been an avid supporter of the club for many years and well done to him.

Sincere congratulations and good wishes go to Tommy and Sophie O’Mahony who are based in England at present and who were blessed with their first baby, a little boy, they are naming Cian, recently. Best wishes are also sent to Tommy’s mother Mary in Coole West who has become a grandmother again.

Great to see Athea Drama Group getting ready for their latest production “The Hen Night Epiphany” – it sounds good anyway and with 5 smiling bubbly ladies pictured in last week’s Athea parish news, no doubt it should be a great laugh!

Sincere sympathy is extended to the relatives of Seán O’Halloran of Gortnagross who passed away last week. Many came to pay their last respects at Seán’s home, many of whom were fellow County Council workers who had worked with Seán over the years. Seán was a man who loved walking and chatting to those he met on his walks. He was laid to rest in Holy Cross cemetery following requiem Mass. ‘May the light of heaven be his’. 

Well done to the Athea Vixen’s Basketball teams who, on Sunday last, played extremely well against rival Killarney teams. The boys U-12’s and U-14’s won their games and the girls teams also did themselves proud. It was also great to see a lot of support for all the players and players from the surrounding parishes being part of the Athea teams.