Margaret O’Connor, Lower Athea celebrating her 90th birthday with her family on Saturday night last

Margaret O’Connor, Lower Athea celebrating her 90th birthday with her family on Saturday night last

Congratulations to Margaret O’Connor, Lower Road, Athea who celebrated her 90th Birthday on Saturday night last at the Top of the Town with family and friends

Congratulations to Margaret O’Connor, Lower Road, Athea who celebrated her 90th Birthday on Saturday night last at the Top of the Town with family and friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Athea Vintage Committee who made a presentation of €1,000 to the Butterfly Club, proceeds of the Vintage Run held in Athea recently, at Brown Joe's, Athea on Saturday night last. L. to R.: Francie Flavin, Patrick Langan, Johnny Kelly, Jimmy Kelly, James O'Connor, Colm Leahy and Mairéad Langan.

Athea Vintage Committee who made a presentation of €1,000 to the Butterfly Club, proceeds of the Vintage Run held in Athea recently, at Brown Joe’s, Athea on Saturday night last. L. to R.: Francie Flavin, Patrick Langan, Johnny Kelly, Jimmy Kelly, James O’Connor, Colm Leahy and Mairéad Langan.

 

 

Wanted

If anyone in the parish or outside has a photograph of the opening of the Con Colbert Hall by the late President Childers it would be very much appreciated if you could get in touch. Photo can be copied and original returned.  Ph: 068-42533

Is Respect Dead?

The latest episode in the US presidential battle between the Republicans and the Democrats has reached a new low. A Muslim couple who had lost their son in the army were brought on stage at the Democratic convention to tell the gathering, and of course the world through the medium of television, that though their son made the ultimate sacrifice by dying for his country he wouldn’t even have been allowed into the country if Donald Trump had his way. Donald Trump reacted on a TV show, instead of keeping his mouth shut, and though he wished the couple well, he intimated that the woman, who did not say anything, stayed silent because she may not have been allowed to speak.  This was an insult to Muslim women in particular and an attempt to show that they are somehow, because of their religion and beliefs,  inferior to the great American race.

Is this the same race that is made up of emigrants from all over the world?  Is this the great race that drove the native  Americans, or Red Indians, off their lands sometimes slaughtering them in the process or is this the great race that made their profits in the South off the backs of African slaves?  No country has a right to claim that they are better than any other or that their way of life is superior. I am fast losing all respect for politicians who will stop at nothing to get elected. Where has statesmanship gone?  There are groups of advisers, at this moment, sitting around tables trying to conjure up new dirty tricks to smear their opponents. The Democrats were totally wrong to exploit the grieving Muslim couple. They did so in an attempt to provoke a reaction from Donald Trump and of course he fell for the bait. Trump, despite appearances, is not a stupid man. He is a very successful business man and you don’t achieve what he has without having a brain. I think much of what he says is just  rhetoric to persuade certain sections of the population to vote for him. He plays on peoples fears and tells them what they want to hear. He still persists with the notion of building a wall between the US and Mexico. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so ridiculous. When have walls ever worked anywhere in the world? That is not the point though; the point is that some people actually believe that this will prevent Mexicans from crossing into the country illegally and “taking their jobs”. Most of the Mexicans who live illegally in the US are exploited and work for very low wages often employed as skivvies by the very people who publicly condemn them. Will Americans work for those wages? I think not.

And now for the latest exercise in stupidity and disregard for human life. From this week there is a law that allows students of 21 and over to carry a concealed weapon into the classroom if they have a permit. It is the easiest thing in the world to get a gun permit so the reality is that the majority of students will be armed in school. I wouldn’t like to be the teacher who tries to control a classroom of armed students never mind what might happen in the school yard when disputes arise as they often do. Have they gone stark raving mad?

On the lighter side, let us go a few years into the future and Enda Kenny dies and arrives at the pearly gates. St. Peter greets him and tells him that, before he can enter Heaven, he will have to do penance. He said, “since purgatory has closed down we have had to devise new punishments so you will have to share a room with Mary Lou McDonald for six months”.  “O my God,” said Enda, “she will wreck my head, but I’ll have to do it.”  “Right “, said St. Peter, “follow me”. As they walked down the corridor they passed an open door and Enda could see Donald Trump inside with  Pamela Anderson. “Ah St. Peter” he said “this isn’t fair. I have Mary Lou and  Pamela Anderson is in there with Donald Trump”. “Now, now Mr. Kenny”, said St. Peter, “how Miss Anderson serves her penance is no concern of yours!”