In days gone by: Mary Quinn Keane, Jet Murphy and Mag Murphy enjoying
themselves in Drury’s (now Brown Joe’s) after a Kerry match.

Moyvane ICA Cookery Demonstration

With Lizzie Lyons from Lizzie’s Little Kitchen, Listowel and Ireland AM fame. On Tuesday, October 17th at 7.30pm in the Marian Hall, Moyvane. Admission €5.

Athea Parish Journal

Closing date for material for the Journal is October 31st.  We would ask all contributors, clubs, associations etc. to please send in their material, photo’s etc as soon as possible so that the Journal will be in the shops as early as possible. Photos and articles can be emailed to [email protected] or photos can be handed in to the office for scanning.

Abbeyfeale Class of ’84 Reunion

Did you sit your Leaving Certificate at St. Josephs Secondary School, Abbeyfeale in 1984,or were you part of that class along the way?

If so, join us on our REUNION celebrations on Friday night October 20th @ 9pm, in “The Winners Circle Bar”, Bridge St. Abbeyfeale. €10 at the door includes: finger food & DJ to dance the night away, have a chat, reminisce & a great night of fun. Please reply before Friday October 6th by “texting” either of these numbers: Annette 087 2025359, Maura 085 8473160, Christiane 087 9421608 or Mary 087 2724388.  Looking forward to seeing u on the night!!

Athea Graveyards Collection

The Annual Graveyards collection will take place on the weekend of 28th, 29th October. Envelopes will be distributed to all households. We are currently in the process of putting in a solar panel at the statue in front of Holy Cross graveyard instead of electricity. This will mean that we will no longer have to pay ESB bills to keep the statue lit and will be a great saving.

Difference of Opinion

Domhnall de Barra

There is a saying that goes “doctors differ and patients die” which is not meant to be taken literally as it may be used in a light-hearted manner when different opinions are not easily reconciled. Down through the years we have been given varying medical advice as to what we should and should not eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle. While I would be loath to cast doubt on them  I would advise that some should be taken with a pinch of salt –  oh  sorry, salt is one of those on the avoid list. For decades, young Americans were practically force fed  spinach  because their parents were told that it contained very beneficial ingredients such as iron, a vital component in the development of young bodies. They even invented a cartoon character to perpetuate the myth; Popeye. Those of you old enough to remember that character will know that he constantly devoured spinach to develop huge biceps that helped him with his super-hero efforts. Of course all the young boys wanted to be like him so they swallowed their daily dose of the green stuff even though most of them hated the taste of it. Some years ago there was a bit of research done into the nutritional value of spinach to discover that, contrary to what had previously been thought, it is a very ordinary plant with very little good in it at all. Remember the campaign against eggs? We were told that they were a prime cause of  cholesterol which leads to  heart attacks. It scared some people off eating eggs for life. We now know that eggs are not harmful, if taken sensibly. The same goes for dairy products. Milk, cheese, butter, yogurt etc. all bad for us and the first to be shunned by dieticians. Again, with the benefit of modern research, we know that they are not so harmful after all. People, scared by the advertising, stopped eating whole butter and turned instead to low fat alternatives. Latest opinions are that these “low low” products have far more dangerous ingredients that the whole fat alternative.  Sugar is the latest enemy. Day after day we are being told that young people are at risk of  developing diabetes from the amount of sugar they get from fizzy drinks. The government are getting in on the act by proposing a sugar tax in the budget. Now, when I say sugar tax it can be a bit misleading because not all sugar products are being taxed but the ones that come in bottles and cans and are sold in most shops. Making things more expensive so that people will no longer buy them simply does not work. If you want to be cynical you might say that these types of taxes are more about extra revenue for the government than a genuine attempt to reduce sugar consumption. Is sugar really that dangerous? I remember, when I was growing up, that most people drank several mugs of tea per day. The vast majority put at least  two spoons of sugar in every mug or cup and sometimes three or four. I don’t remember them dropping like flies. Perhaps it is not the sugar content that is the problem but the fact that most young people today do not get enough exercise. We walked a mile and a half to school and back every day and we were  never indoors when the weather was fine. Nowadays young people are driven everywhere and spend most of their leisure time on social media. They simply do not get enough exercise. Of course the amount of fizzy drinks they consume should be limited; that is only common sense but everything has to be balanced.  A huge industry has grown around dieting. We are constantly under pressure to all be like stick insects and there  is no shortage of organisations to advise us –  at a price of course. To be a little overweight is almost a crime, especially for women. This is very unfair as there is not a “one size fits all” answer. The supermodels haven’t  a pick on them but as women they are a bit of a turn off. They look like they are made of hard plastic and are about as sexy as tin whistles. The well rounded woman, on the other hand, has a far warmer appeal and, even if a little overweight, looks healthy and attractive. There is no formula for a long life. Those who follow stringent diets and do regular exercise die as well. There is no point in making your life a misery in the hope that you will be the oldest patient in the nursing home.  I am no medical expert but I firmly believe in the maxim “a little of what you fancy does you good” .  The great heart surgeon, Maurice Nelligan from Devon Road, put it best of all when he said “everything in moderation, including moderation itself on occasions” . Like with everything else in life, a bit of common sense goes a long way.  No two people are alike. What will cure you may kill me so we all have to develop our own individual plan. In the meantime, risk it and take much of the advice from those with a vested interest with that pinch of salt!.