Peg Prendeville

Sorry for no News last week. The gremlins were busy!

It has been an exciting week in the parish of Loughill/Ballyhahill with the newly formed Abha Bhán Drama Group scooping the Overall Winner at the West Limerick Drama Festival in Knockaderry. Six plays had been entered for the competition which was run over two weekends. Well done to Knockaderry/Clouncagh on running such a successful and well organised competition. The Abha Bhán team, Tony, Pat, Martin, Brendan, Gerard, Terence, Helen, Jayne and Laura did us proud with their performance on competition night and was a winner in our eyes anyway but imagine the excitement when the judge, Pat Nolan of Fair City fame, thought the same and awarded them the Overall Winner. To crown it all, Jayne Daly, aka Mena, won Best Actress! The judge commended our Directors Eleanor McSweeney and Caroline Gee and Edel Buttery and said how much he liked the play. I am delighted and proud to be part of this talented group. Hopefully we will go on to do more next year. Thank you to all of you who supported us from the start.

I have to mention my neighbour Jack O’Grady who got a stent in recently. Jack is 94 years old and felt unwell which resulted in a few nights B&B in Limerick hospital. Thankfully he is back home, in great form and with this stent I am confident he will see the 100th birthday. We all hope so.

This seems to be a year for new babies. Belated congratulations to Helen and John Sheehy, Dromagarraun on the birth of a new granddaughter:  Georgia Helen Engeman was born to their daughter Josie and husband Daniel in New Zealand on February 21^st. And congratulations to Fiona and Johnny Costello, now living in Glin, on the birth of their son Jack Costello last weekend.

Ballyhahill NS Parents Association sent me the following:

Dont forget that our Quiz night is on this Friday night the 15th in the Knockdown Arms. €5 per person at 9pm sharp. There will be a raffle on the night. The first prize for the winning team is €100. All welcome. Thanks to all who have sponsored a school window box so far. We are very grateful. We are still looking for a few more however so if there is anyone who would like to sponsor one we would be very appreciative. As we said before we would love to add some colour to the school this year. The only way we can do this, however, is if people sponsor a box. The cost is €25 each. If any family or individual would like to sponsor a flower box to the school and brighten it up for the summer months please get in touch with one of us or to the school directly.

Last Saturday night I was listening to the Radio “South Wind Blows” when I heard a woman fiddle player from Chicago mention that her grandfather came from West Limerick around the Ballyhahill/Shanagolden area. This caught my attention, obviously, and I waited to hear who her grandfather was but no name was mentioned. This woman’s name was Liz Carroll from Chicago. So being the nosey, curious person that I am I checked Facebook for that person, found her and contacted her through Messenger. The power of social Media! Next day I had a note from her to tell me her grandfather was Tom Cahill from the Monemohill area where he had a farm one time. Isn’t it a small world? She is a fine fiddle player and obviously well known throughout USA and Ireland.

Lenten Station envelopes will be distributed this week. Dawn Mass will be celebrated in Kilteery as usual on Easter Sunday. The time will be decided nearer to the date. Trócaire boxes are available in the Church porches.