By Kathleen Mullane

Well, it’s a busy time for a lot of people these days. Leaving Cert and Junior Cert students are busy studying – preparing for their forthcoming exams which start next Wednesday. We wish them all the very best and hopefully everything will go well for them. A special mass will take place on this Wednesday evening May 30th at 7.30pm here in Athea Church for all those doing their exams shortly.

The last few days have also been extremely busy for the farmers. The roads are hectic with turf-cutting machines, silage rig-outs, balers etc., tractors and machines are getting bigger and more elaborate year by year, God be with the days of “the rotary mower’ – now the silage cutting machines have a cutting ability of a 30ft span! And with that ‘big orange ball’ in the sky that we know as ‘the sun’ and that we don’t see that often – everyone is availing of the lovely, fine days to get turf saved and silage etc. cut. As ‘we never know the day or the hour’ when that ‘orange ball’ will disappear again. 

There were a lot of disappointed ‘Liverpool Fans’ in the parish on Saturday night when REAL MADRID were winners of the European League final – a lot of tears too from young enthusiastic football fans who idolised the Liverpool players. However, great credit is due to them to get to this stage and with the “ Athea Utd Soccer Awards” taking place on last Friday night – there are many great up and rising young soccer players here in our own parish – so you never know – keep up the good work!

The boys and girls of 6th class here in Athea N.S. will have their Graduation Mass on Saturday, June 16th at 7.30pm. This is a lovely celebration for them after all their years in Athea N.S. – as they head off to a further step in their young lives. We wish them all the very best.

There is also a special mass on Friday, June 8th at 7.30pm for Sarah Kiely of Templeathea. Sarah has ‘scoliosis’ (curvature of the spine) and has borne her ailment with much courage throughout her young years. We wish her all the very best.

Well “The Mothers and Others” played their 1st football game at Pairc na nGael on Sunday evening last against a well established Herbertstown team. This being a 1st for the Athea ladies they did very well and  isn’t it great to see them enjoying the fun and craic and not taking it all too seriously. Well done to them all.