By Kathleen Mullane

Bits & Pieces 

Sincere congrats to Maria & Pádraig Reidy on the birth of their first baby last week, a little boy they are calling Hunter. Good wishes are also sent to the proud grandparents Margaret & Paudie Reidy of Upper Athea.

Congrats and good wishes are also extended to Chloe O’Connor of Hillside Drive who celebrated her 18th birthday on Saturday night last in Killarney along with her friends and relative – all enjoyed the night.

I’ve been asked by my daughter Denise to extend a welcome to everyone to their Bank of Ireland enterprise weekend which takes place on this Friday, November 25th from 6-9pm and on Saturday, November 26th from 11am – 2pm in the Listowel Community Centre. This is a completely ‘FREE EVENT’ and is open to everyone including families. There will be over 90 exhibitors over the 2 days. After the opening welcome by Denise Mullane, Branch Manager, at 6pm on Friday evening – Gavin Duffy of ‘Dragon’s Den’ will cut the ribbon. Timmy Flaherty (grandson of Joan & Donal Carroll, Dirreen) & All Ireland fame will entertain with his banjo and Darragh O’Donnell of ‘Celtic Steps’ fame will give a ‘few steps’. There will be Cookery demonstrations, hat making with Aoife Hannon (Milliner) and a fashion display at 8.40pm with some familiar Athea faces!. The Ballybunion Choir will close the Friday evening event.

Saturday starts at 11am with the Listowel Church Choir, followed by Zumba dancing and Patrick O’Mahony of ‘Riverdance’ fame – Marc O’Shea and various sports stars will have a sports panel discussion – more cookery demonstrations from ‘Lizzies Little Kitchen’ and TV3 fame!

Entertainment from all the local secondary schools will bring an end to what promises to be a great enterprise weekend.

Also on Saturday there will be Face painting for the kids and goodie bags and entertainment for all the family. Again Denise welcomes everyone from Athea and the surrounding areas, (and you don’t have to be a Bank of Ireland customer).

We’ve been hit with a “cold snap” these past few days, but it’s lovely, dry, frosty weather and thankfully we have no earthquakes or threatened Tsunamis like they are experiencing in New Zealand and Japan. And having spent the weekend in London – I think we should be glad of our ‘open spaces’ and no running and rushing for buses and tubes – we haven’t got it too bad at all !