By Kathleen Mullane

Thankfully the Parish Journal is going ahead so “the final call” is on for the last few remaining articles and photos. So “get the skids on”, put your club and organisation pieces together and it will be “full steam ahead” then for Domhnall and Lillian to put it all together – but it’s everyone’s help that makes it easier.

Well, we welcome new babies into the parish this week. Firstly to Karen and Dan Enright in Upper Athea we send congratulations – their first baby, a little girl they are calling Clara has been welcomed. Also to Breda Sweeny and Seán McCoy of Hillside Drive, congrats are extended to them on the birth of their baby boy Óisín recently. Glad to hear all is well with the newly extended families.

Well the Christmas countdown is on and our T.V.’s are beginning to be bombarded with ads urging everyone to buy “this and that”. A lot of families have cut out giving to other family members – friends etc. and have opted for “The Chriss Kindle” solution, where one name is picked out of a hat and each person gives to that one person that they pick out. I heard on T.V. a woman in England who is having 16 relatives for Christmas dinner is charging the adults £40 and the kids £20 for their dinner. She claimed it was costing her too much to pay for everything to eat and drink. Indeed food for thought!

There has been a huge amount this week in the papers and on T.V. about ‘Climate Change’. Families involved in the survey done were shocked by how much they were doing wrong. The misuse of gallons of water – some were taking showers for 25mins instead of 5mins – especially the teenagers! Most families weren’t using their blue re-cycling bins correctly or their brown bins for composting. Others were driving endless journeys in their cars instead of walking or cycling to work. After one week’s practise doing everything as they should – each family were ‘astounded’ at the difference they had made to their lives – I suppose we should all strive to “do our bit” so that those that come after us will hopefully have healthy lives. 

This weekend before all masses, the Church-gate collection for our Colbert Community Hall will be taken up. Your continued support for your hall would be gratefully received and the money will be used for ongoing improvements, the Hall being our great asset.