By Kathleen Mullane

Transition year students Allanah Scanlon and Sarah O’Connor of Athea and Coláiste Íde agus Iosef in Abbeyfeale will be travelling to Calcutta in the not too distant future and they are presently trying to raise over €2,000 for their trip to help the needy there and experience what life is in one of the poorest cities. They will speak about their forthcoming trip before the masses this coming weekend and your support for their Church Collection would be appreciated.

Sincere sympathy is extended to Betty Murphy of Gortnagross, Athea on the recent death of her sister Bridie-Anne O’Neill from Rathmore, who passed away at Cork University Hospital. Sympathy to her family also. ‘May the light of heaven be hers’.

The committee of the Colbert Memorial Hall will be holding their Church gate collection before all masses on the weekend of 24th/25th November. The hall is a huge asset to our community – the sports hall is a ‘gift’ to our young people especially for all their games. It’s constantly used for birthday parties, drama, bingo, after funeral meals, schools P.E. and a lot more. So your support is earnestly requested to help continue with this wonderful service and their continued upkeep – insurance etc.

Well, I paid a visit to the Listowel Food Fair on Sunday and it was great to see such beautiful crafts, baking, paintings and a whole lot more from all the entrepreneurs dedicated to their various business. And ‘Athea’ can be very proud with ‘Athea Honey’ on sale made by Andrew Sheehy of Clash and another Clash man there John Joe O’Connor  with his son, a brilliant young craftsperson, who had made fabulous battery powered Christmas Churches and hay barns etc – indeed a gifted boy.

Well, the date has been fixed for the Athea GAA fundraiser – it will be held on March 1st in The Devon Inn. This year it’s going to be a change from the title Lip-Sync to S.D.C. which is Singers – Dancers – & Chancers!. If the last Lip-Sync is anything to go by this should be brilliant. We look forward in anticipation. Incidentally all volunteer groups and individuals interested in taking part contact Julie Finucane, Lower Rd. (head of organising), Mary Woulfe, Tina Mulvihill and hopefully the “Mothers & Others” will have a good input as well as the Ladies and Men’s football teams. All help is needed to help offset the pitch and lighting debt.

Fr. Duggan has got a table made for the school, out of the old altar which was in the Church years ago. He hopes to also have an altar made for Holy Cross cemetery, out of the remaining marble and sandstone.