Penny Woulfe and Kristine Reidy,
Castlemahon enjoying the Cúl Camp in Athea last week
Tommy O’Mahony, winner of the €1,000 prize at the first G.A.A. draw with
Jacqueline O’Connor and Raymond Brouder
This photo was taken in 1959 and was sent to Peg Prendeville recently by a cousin in Canada. Nell Faley, her sister Mary Curtin, her father Paddy White. with children Peg, Helen and Bridie Faley in front and Chrissie, Josephine and Raymond Curtin in middle row
‘The Banks of the Abha Bhán’
Donie Nolan from Kilcolnam launched his new CD recently at the Devon Inn Hotel. It is available for sale for €15 at Brouder’s Shop, Athea and in all the following outlets: Moloney’s Daybreak and Moore’s Bar, Carrigkerry Curley’s Post Office, Ardagh Hanley’s Shop Creeves Cross, O’Connor’s Newcastle West, Lyons’ Abbeyfeale and also in shops in Glin and Paddy O’Rourke’s Shop, Ballyhahill.
Boxing Tournament at The Viking Boxing Club
First annual Tournament at the premises in Colbert’s Terrace, Abbeyfeale on Sunday, July 24. Admission €5. Admission for adults €10 per Noel Healy.
15 fights on the day, weigh in 12 noon. Refreshments available. Contact Noel 087 4360339. Denis 087 7614462.
Good and Evil
At school we were taught that at one time there was insurrection in heaven and a mighty war ensued between Satan and God. The forces of God prevailed and the devil and his followers were cast into hell. Although he was beaten he did not lose all his powers and from that day forth he has been an evil influence in the world.
Whether we believe that or not there is ample evidence of dark forces at work throughout the world. It seems that man’s inhumanity to man knows no bounds as atrocities become ever more unbelievably savage and disgusting. We have always had wars and armies have been a great hiding place for all types of psychopaths who had an excuse to practice their evil deeds under the guise of fighting for their countries.
At least, until this century, battles were fought by professional soldiers who knew the risks they took when they joined up. That all changed when the second world war saw the use of aircraft to drop bombs on innocent civilians on both sides of the divide. They were called “collateral damage” but in reality they were targeted to break their spirits. America then dropped the atom bomb on the people of Japan. How could that act of warfare ever be justified? Imagine the effects on a whole nation of people, some of whom are still carrying the scars today. Hitler brought cruelty to a new level with his bid to exterminate the Jewish people but he could not have done it alone. He had the backing of most of the German nation who were brainwashed into thinking that they were superior to every other race and had a right to rule the world.
We saw many atrocities in our own country during the time of “the troubles” in the North. Guerilla warfare was invented to fight against superior armies that could not be confronted in the orthodox way. By its very nature it is underhand and dirty but in the eyes of those who resort to it “the end justifies the means”. What went through the minds of people who left bombs in crowded places to be detonated with disastrous effect. How can killing innocent people ever be justified? Is the attainment of a goal worth the sacrifice? I don’t know but the fact is; it works.
It has now been taken to new heights by Isis. From the destruction of the Twin Towers to the latest episode where a man drove a big truck into a crowd of people in France and deliberately zig-zagged through them to kill and maim as many as possible before he himself was killed. And this is done in the name of God and religion!
What kind of a God wants innocent people maimed and murdered in his name? These fanatics who blindly carry out the wishes of the leaders in the knowledge that they will die are promised a place in heaven for their actions. It is hard to believe how it has got to this state and that so many people, some highly educated, are so easily radicalised and recruited. Is Satan at work here. If there is a constant battle between good and evil, I fear that evil is winning at the moment. It is not confined to religious fanatics. What about the people in America who walk into classrooms and other crowded places and open fire killing innocent people? Most of those are not religious at all and have no hope of reward.
Apart from the indiscriminate killings there are so many other types of evil in our presence at the moment like the sexual and physical abuse of young children by those into whose care they were entrusted. Elderly people in nursing homes have also suffered neglect and abuse while some of those entrusted with the running of charities have no qualms about feathering their own nests at the expense of the needy for whom the money was donated in the first place. Even in local disputes things have changed. Not too long ago, if a fight erupted at a dance hall or outside a chip shop, it was settled with fists and the worst outcome was a black eye or a split lip. Now it is settled with a kicking to the head or with a knife or bullet.
Human life has become less precious and respect seems to have gone out the window. There is a saying which goes; “for evil to flourish, it takes good people to do nothing”. There are a lot of good people in this world and they have to be on alert to counteract the forces of evil. Yes, the devil is alive and his followers are having a field day.
The leaders of the free world need to come together and devise a plan for the future, eradicating the forces of evil, otherwise the way of life we have enjoyed up to now will disappear and it will all end in chaos. It was France last week, could it be Ireland’s turn in the near future? The sad answer is ‘yes it could’.
Domhnall de Barra