By Kathleen Mullane

‘Community Spirit’

Well, I’m sure everyone at this stage has enough of the “white fluffy snow”. Most agreed it was lovely for the first day or maybe two, but after that everyone is anxious “to get out and about’ and go about their normal activities. However, it was a few days when families enjoyed time “together” making snowmen, throwing snowballs, sliding on all types of boards and carts down hills, taking photos – sending snow scenes to family and friends away from home and lots of movies!

Incidentally Athea Tidy Towns had some really beautiful snow scenes of Athea, much enjoyed by our emigrants – I’m told.

It was a few days when people visited each other to check and see if everyone was ok, neighbours helping the elderly bringing them the necessities of milk, bread etc if needed. In all it was a time when communities helped out – pulled each other out of snow drifts – filled in for each other at work and even slept at their workplaces in order to keep work and machines going, nurses, doctors, paramedics and the Gardaí in particular.

In a nutshell – despite the inconvenience of the snow it was time well spent – especially for families with young kids who had never seen snow and enabled all to enjoy quality time together, having fun and “the mobiles” and X-Boxes and I-Pads were given a rest.

Well “The Big Thaw” is now on – snowmen’s heads falling off, all looking the worse for wear! Hopefully with the huge amount of snow melting, it won’t cause flooding. We are lucky here in Athea to have had local shops, butchers etc to keep us going, small towns not having the luxury. Even the local bread man P.J. Liston, from Dirreen, travelled to Dromcollogher to pick up his load of bread to make sure everyone didn’t run out – well done and well done to all delivery vans that went beyond the call of duty and all individuals also.

Well done to those men who cleared the church car park in advance of the 3pm mass on Sunday afternoon, some of them in their 80’s

Bernadine Enright is going to be the organizer for the new Community Service for Youth that is coming on board shortly. Community service has been in several countries all along for example in preparation for Confirmation. So many hours of service has to be done e.g. helping the elderly, doing weeding/cleaning for the church etc. So many points are going to be given for the service done and this is even going to help those going to college and to have on their CV’s. I don’t have all the details, but I’m sure Bernadine will be giving all the necessary information about the Community Service in the near future., Contact: 086-0442320.

Thought for the week: “A person who blows their own trumpet is usually a soloist”.