By Tom Aherne

The death has taken place of  Annie McMahon, nee McEnery, Glensharrold, Carrigkerry,  peacefully at Lystoll Lodge Nursing Home on Friday, April 5.Wife of the late Patrick, and mother of the late Mary, she was 89 years old. She was a native of Castlemahon where she grew up and attended the local school. She married Paddy McMahon from Glensharrold when she was 21 years old. They raised their family of eight children on their small farm, which Paddy supplemented with work in the Forestry. When he died in 1972 Annie was left a widow of 42 years. She toiled endlessly inside and outside to raise and  provide for them. She lived a simple life caring for family and overcame many obstacles by getting on with life regardless. She got great enjoyment in later life  from her grandchildren. Annie was blessed with a long and healthy life up to a few months ago when she entered Lystoll Nursing Home. Annie and the late Bridie Kiely, her neighbour, were great pals and were always ringing each other and attending the Social Club in Ardagh and the Desmond Complex in Newcastle West.

She lay in repose at Reidy’s Funeral Home, Newcastle West on Sunday, April 7, from 5 pm followed by removal  to Saint Mary’s Church, Carrigkerry. Her Requiem Mass was concelebrated by Fr Michael Noonan and her next-door neighbour Fr Tom Mangan on Monday, at 11.30 am. The symbols of Annie’s  life  brought to the altar included  The TV Times, and two novels, Daniel O’Donnell CD and a piece of Jewellery. They showed her love for reading, song, music and style. Fr Michael told the congregation of his First Friday visits to Annie, and her granddaughter on behalf of the family paid her a tender and complimentary tribute. A special thanks also to her home help carers Betty and Joan who were so kind to her in her later years.

The funeral cortege passed Annie’s house on the way to burial in the family plot in Churchtown Cemetery, Newcastle West. She will be sadly missed by her family and select group of friends. Life around the Grove, and the venue for the  Platform dancing is a lot quieter now as the older generation pass on to their just reward. We extend our sympathy to  her sons John, Michael and Thomas, daughters Julie, Moyvane, Margaret, Glin, Bridget and Kathleen,  14 grand-children, great-grand-children, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. May she rest in Peace.

The Butterfly Club Rathkeale have issued a special thanks to all who supported their church gate collection held in Ardagh/Carrigkerry over the April 5/6 weekend. Thanks also to all the volunteers who stood at the tables and raised  €494.82.

The following are the Lottery results from Moore’s Bar on Monday, April 8. The numbers drawn were 14,15,16, and 28, and there was no Jackpot winner. Congratulations to the five lucky dip winners who won €40 each: Mike and Eileen, c/o Josie, Paddy and Kay Daly, Ardagh, Catriona Copse, c/o Nora Dineen, Frances Aherne, Coolcappa and Margaret Collins, c/o Moloney’s. Next week’s Jackpot will be €16,400 and the draw will be held in Neary’s Bar,Ardagh.

Congratulations to Mike Young and Mike Mahoney who were prize winners at the Flag Floor card game held on Wednesday, April 3.

Congratulations to Niamh Foley, Old Mill and St Mary’s Athletic Club, Rathkeale, who recently won the All Ireland girls U 18 60 Metre Hurdles at the National Juvenile  Indoor Track and Field event  at AIT in County Westmeath.

Saint Kieran’s were defeated  2-15 to 1-6 by Newcastle West  in Round 2 of the County Senior Football Championship at  dry and cold Knockaderry on Saturday April 6.  St Kieran’s trailed by 1-5 to 1-3 at the interval  and were outclassed by a powerful  display in the second half. TEAM Robert Bradley, Diarmuid  Mulcahy, Johnny McCarthy, Kevin Meade, Anthony Mullins, Brendan McCarthy,  Liam Kennedy, Darragh Treacy, Jack Ben Harnett, Ray Cahill, Paudie McCarthy, Noel Callanan, John Hayes 0-1, Anthony Molyneaux 0-1, Sean Mc Sweeney 1-3,  SUBS Seamus Mangan 0-1 , Killian Enright, John Doyle.

Roisín Ambrose, from the  Old Mill club, was a member of the Limerick ladies’ team who defeated Leitrim by 5-10 to 1-12 in the National Football League at Askeaton on Sunday, April 7. Best of luck to Roisín and Limerick in the semi-final. Daniel Geraghty from the club lined out at corner back for Limerick who lost  by 3-15 to 0-10 in the Munster Minor Football Championship at Newcastle West, on Wednesday, April 10. Croagh/Kilfinny defeated Saint Kieran’s by 1-17 to 0-13 in the West Junior A Hurling League semi-final at Rathkeale on Wednesday April 10. Saint Kieran’s defeated Saint Patrick’s by 3-5 to 1-8 in the County  Premier Minor Football Championship at Coolcappa on Thursday, April 11.

Carrig Celtic drew 2-2 away to Newcastle West Town in the Premier Division of the Desmond League on Sunday, April 7. Noel Callanan, and Darragh Breen scored their goals.

St Kieran’s Heritage Association held  their April meeting in Coolcappa Hall on Thursday, 4,   Items  discussed included The Big Hello weekend over the May Bank Holiday, Ballyloughane School 50th Anniversary Re-union,  commemorative statue/plaque to Paddy Flanagan/Jim Quinn finders of the Ardagh Chalice, the Ardagh Chalice Festival, and lots more. People can support the association by placing their blue-chip tokens in the Ardagh Chalice container in Tesco Newcastle West.

The following are the dates and times for the Easter ceremonies in Ardagh/Carrigkerry: Holy Thursday, April 18 Stations of the Cross 7.15, Ceremony/Mass in Ardagh at 7.30pm. Good Friday, April 19 The Lords Passion, 3pm and Stations of the Cross 6.30pm in Carrigkerry. Stations of the Cross 7.30pm in Ardagh. Easter Vigil Saturday, April 20, Mass in Ardagh at 9pm. Sunday, April 21 Mass in Carrigkerry at 11am.

The following are the dates and times for Coolcappa/Kilcolman: Holy Thursday, April 18 Mass in Kilcolman at 7.30pm. Good Friday, April 19 The Lord’s Passion 3pm in Coolcappa. Stations of the Cross 7.30pm in Kilcolman. Easter Vigil Saturday, April 20, Mass in Coolcappa at 7.30pm. Sunday, April 21 Dawn Mass Kilcolman at 6.30am, and at 10am in Kilcolman.

The registration is now open for the fifth edition of TLC, Team Limerick Clean-up which takes place on Good Friday,  April 19. People can sign up at www.teamlimerickcleanup.ie Clean up events will be held in all the local communities, so please get involved in collecting rubbish  which is a blight on our lovely countryside 

The Ras Mumhan cycle takes place over the Easter weekend. On Saturday, April 20 Stage 2 will commence in Listowel and the riders will visit Ballylongford,  Tarbert, Glin, and then on to Athea for the first of three timed circuits through Carrigkerry, Ardagh, Ballyhahill and Glin before finishing up the hill out of Athea

The Old Mill Ladies Football Club are holding a fundraising bag packing day in Tesco Newcastle  West on Saturday, April 20. A clothes collection will be held in early May, and  a fundraising Coffee Morning in the Desmond Complex  Newcastle West on Friday, May 24. All support for the fundraisers will be greatly appreciated.

The AGM of Ardagh Voluntarily  Housing Association will take place on Tuesday, April 30 at 8pm at Neary’s, Ardagh, and all are welcome.

The Trócaire Lenten appeal  is an opportunity for parishioners to give a little to help the less well off in faraway lands of Guatemala, Uganda, and Lebanon. €10 can provide seeds for a family garden,€35 can buy lifesaving medicine for people, €55 can create legal land boundaries to protect a family farm, €65 can defend valuable people against land thefts, €250 can bring clean filtered water to one School, and €1,500 can provide mental health support for ten refugees. The people there live in fear and close to starvation, so any amount people can give in their Trócaire box on this  Easter Sunday will be beneficial.