By Kathleen Mullane

Sincere congrats go to Laura and Tom Brosnan of Upper Athea on the birth of their new little baby boy they are naming Luke, a little brother for Jamie. Congrats are also extended to the proud grandparents, Geraldine & Vito Missorici and Micheál Brosnan.

The death took place during the past week of Birdie Aherne of Gortnagross, Athea. Birdie was a lovely, quiet woman who had a deep faith. Many came to pay their last respects at Kelly’s funeral parlour on Saturday evening. Requiem mass was on Sunday followed by burial to Holy Cross. It was strange that Bridie was brought to Athea church on the same night that anniversary mass was being celebrated for her late husband Denny. ‘May she rest in peace’.

The death also took place of Helen Ahern of Rooska during the past week. Helen was the wife of the late Eugene and was from Ballyhahill originally. She reposed at Reidy’s funeral parlour in Newcastle West on Saturday evening where sympathies were extended to her daughters, sons and relatives. Burial took place on Sunday after Requiem mass in Ardagh. ‘May the light of heaven be hers’.

Congrats go to Paudie Reidy of Upper Athea who celebrated his 60th birthday with a family meal at Leens Hotel in Abbeyfeale on Saturday night. This was followed by a ‘surprise party’ at Brown Joe’s pub here in Athea which is run by his son Mark. A great night was enjoyed by family, relatives and many friends.

Congrats to Molly Cluney who celebrated her 18th birthday on Saturday night last at her home in Gortnagross with her friends and family and later on at The Mermaids in Listowel. All had a lovely night.

I read in one of the papers recently that many of the children nowadays haven’t heard of ‘Jack & Jill’ or ‘Mary, Mary Quite Contrary’ or other such nursery rhymes. They are being called “The Peppa Pig Kids” – Albert Einstein said and to quote “read children fairy-tales, stories, nursery rhymes and the like, as they will help a child’s imagination.

I don’t know if you have seen David Brophy’s ‘Choir of Ages’ on RTE 1 – it’s brilliant to see the kids up to 10 years old mixing and singing with the elderly men and women – some of them facing 90 years old. They all have made such friends and the kids are learning some of the old songs and the elderly are getting to know all about Ed Sheeran and One Direction and the like. Wonder would it work here in Athea ? No doubt it would.