By Kathleen Mullane

Summer Ends 

Another week of new babies last week. We send many congrats to Helena and Arthur Mooney who have been blessed with their first baby, a little girl they are calling Nancy. Mary Ellen and Denis Collins of Templeathea are the very proud grandparents, congrats to them also.

‘Down Under’ there was a first baby for Karen and Tom Walters, a little boy they are naming Thomas – we send good wishes to Noreen and Andy O’Riordan of Dirreen who have become grandparents again.

This weekend sees the end of ‘Summer Time’ and unfortunately all the clocks go back on this Saturday night and with the lovely, frosty, fine weather we’ve been experiencing it’s a pity that it’s going to be much darker an hour earlier. However, ‘Tempus Fugit’ or in plain English ‘Time Flies’ and before we know it we will be looking forward to Spring and the longer days again. Why is it that we are constantly wishing our lives away?

Well, preparations are now underway for the GAA fund-raising Lip-Sync which will be taking place on February 4th at ‘The Devon Inn’ and make sure you keep this night available, it’s going to be so much fun to say the least! Athea has supported the Dog night at Tralee track previously in huge numbers and hopefully the ‘Lip-Sync’ will have the same support from Athea and the surrounding areas.

The pitch, which is now looking great, needs flood-lighting, fencing and the running track to be finished and the debt is gone from a large figure down to approximately €70,000. so it’s another great project backed by our Athea community. We now have a very safe bridge, a much used Community Hall, a great soccer pitch, beautiful graveyards and church and of course with the Tidy Towns doing tremendous work throughout the year we are indeed blessed to say the least, considering some small villages don’t have a shop or post office, never mind a resident doctor, chemist and much more!

Well, Mary Anne at the Credit Union is a “dab-hand” at window dressing and the Halloween theme is lovely in the window next to Brouder’s Shop and she gets the message across to beware of the ‘Moneylenders’ and have a talk with your local Credit Union here in Athea which again is another great asset to our parish. If Mary Anne is ever out of a job, window dressing is her “Forte”. 

“Happy Halloween to one and all

and Happy Trick or Treating to all the kids”