By Peg Prendeville

The fine weather was much appreciated for the Easter weekend. But even though we had lovely sun most days the sun kept a low profile for the Dawn Mass in Kilteery on Easter Sunday morning so we saw no dancing sun but we heard the chirping birds and we admired the mirror-like still water and appreciated the fact that we were all together in prayer in a beautiful setting where the miracle of nature was all around us. Thanks to Gerard Reidy and his friends who prepare the altar there every year, setting up sound and light. At the end of the Mass Gerard, on behalf of all parishioners, thanked Fr Austin for celebrating the Mass which may be the last one as who knows what the situation will be next year with the shortage of priests in the Diocese.

The lovely weather was instrumental in bringing out a large crowd of parents, grandparents and children to the fun run/walk up the Knight’s Walk in Glin on Monday morning. A short walk into the castle grounds and some warm up exercises got everybody fit and ready to get to the top in no time at all. Water, fruit, tea and coffee was at hand at the end of the race which was appreciated by all. It was lovely to see everybody in holiday mood.

I noticed a few poems in last week’s Observer which was nice to see. One by Michael Herbert had mention of lots of local places around the Ballyhahill area. It is amazing what talent can be hidden in people that we are unaware of most of the time. I believe Michael has written a lot of short little poems, many of them relating to local events as well as some nature poems.

I saw that, last week, Domhnall was writing about our local poets who have passed on and thought I would mention that my own father Paddy Faley was born 100 years ago this week – on 25th April. It is good to see that his name lives on in all the stuff he wrote.

Lots of volunteers in Loughill and Glin and Ballyhahill turned out last Friday to collect the rubbish that others throw freely in our roadsides and ditches. I collected along my own road and next day I noticed that somebody had thrown chip boxes and coke cans on the same stretch again. I will never understand it.

It was nice to see the Ras na Mumhan cyclists passing down through Glenbawn on Saturday at great speed. Well done to Ballyhahill man Barry FitzGerald who was among them. They were lucky with the fine weather for the occasion.