Kathleen Mullane
“Welcome” & “Good Luck”
Well, this week we welcome Canon Tony Mullins as our Parish Priest in Athea. He said his first mass with us over the weekend. As an introduction he said he spent many happy days as a child in Athea when he enjoyed many a music session with his parents at “Lynch’s Bar” – the highlight being a bottle of Nashs Red Lemondade and a bag of Taytos! Also many good memories he had of time spent with his aunt Nellie in Upper Athea and her husband Donaleen O’Connor. He looks forward to working with the Athea parishioners in every aspect. After mass everyone met him outside the front door and welcomed him.
Fr. Brendan Duggan arrives here in Athea this week from Monaleen parish in Limerick, having spent time in the Missions and in New York. He will celebrate mass on Wednesday and Thursday morning and adoration also on Friday evening . He is welcomed also as Curate to our parish.
At the same time we extend our good wishes to Fr. Bowen and thank him for the past number of years he has administered here in Athea. Mary Daly, his dedicated housekeeper and a friend to many is wished all the very best too. It’s hard to leave friends etc but I suppose there are always new friends out there.
Well, to say the Mayo/Dublin All Ireland final was exciting was putting it “mildly”. What with Mayo being the ‘underdogs’ and the 2 own goals – not to mention with seconds to go the ‘equalizing point’ by Mayo. They live to fight another day! My own Curry family and grandchildren need ‘new hearts’ after the game and have to do it all over again on October 1st. I’m sure Margaret Barrett and Seanie were at their ‘wits end’ also – hope I’m not leaving out any ‘Mayo’ people in our parish.
Congrats to all those in the parish who received their Junior Cert results this past week. No doubt they all did extremely well.
Well the Listowel Races are over for yet another year and once again they were very lucky with the weather and the sun shone out for the duration of the races each day. Friday – ‘Ladies Day’ was once again a huge crowd attraction and there was many “feathers flying” – the style being lovely to look at. Saturday being “Vintage Day” all agreed was lovely with many dressed in their ‘mothers’ and even ‘grandmothers’ clothes – lots of nice stories attached to their ensembles.
Athea Horse & Pony Races take place this Sunday, September 25th at 1pm at Helen & Mike O’Keeffe’s farm in Glenagower, Athea. On Saturday night there will be a ‘Video Race Night’ at the Top of the town which should be enjoyable. All the money raised from the Races will go to Milford Hospice, indeed a very worthy cause. Hopefully the sun shines out on Sunday – it’s a real family day out.
This week is ‘Carbon Monoxide’ awareness week, so make sure you have an alarm in your house, they cost little and could save your life and families live.s
Thought for the Week: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up again”