By Kathleen Mullane

‘Bits & Bobs’ 

Well if ‘Storm Gertrude’ wasn’t enough last week, we’ve now had to deal with ‘Storm Henry’ over the past few days. It seems we’ve had storm after storm. Well ‘Imogen’ is next and I wonder how many more letters of the alphabet we will have gone through before it ends! However, do not despair, Spring is with us at last, today being February 1st – St. Bridgid’s Day – God be with the days when we were all out and about gathering rushes to make St. Bridgid’s  Crosses! Some do say though that Spring starts on March 1st.

Well, every second day we hear ‘one thing or another’ is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for you  as the case may be. One day it’s coffee, next day tea, then it could be butter! Well now let me tell you that the new “Super Food” which is brilliant for you is Black Pudding! Can you believe it? ‘Athea  Pudding’ could be renowned worldwide before long. Great news for Thomas Brouder who started off his pudding making many years ago in Templeathea and has gone from strength to strength.

A major fundraising Bingo will take place at Gaelscoil Ó Doghair in Newcastle West on Wednesday 23rd March. Kathleen Shanahan from Lower Athea is principal there and she invites any bingo-goers to come along and support the night. Anyone wishing to travel can contact me with their names as a bus will hopefully travel.

Well, no doubt the frying pans will be ‘on the go’ next Tuesday it being Pancake Tuesday. Years ago it was the day when fridges and cupboards were emptied of food in preparation for Lent and Ash Wednesday. Nowadays it’s more the usual rather than giving up for instance sweets and cakes etc to “take on something”. Whether it be trying to go to Mass or adoration for Lent, visiting neighbours and maybe people who may not have many visitors. I wonder if our younger people would be able to give up their phones, tablets and Xboxes for a few hours or would they freak out? I always remember Canon Kelly would give up watching The Late Late Show, one of his favourite programmes. Actually he’s doing well TG in St. Catherine’s in Newcastle West.

Athea Vixens basketball teams are really doing extremely well these days.  On Sunday the U14 boys had a tremendous victory over Currow here in the hall on a huge scoreline of 66 baskets to 20 and on Friday evening the U12’s had their moment of glory in Killarney winning 35 to 26.