Dominic West, Ann Shanahan, Peg Prendeville

Athea Craft Group Rescheduled  Christmas Open Day

Athea Craft Group Christmas Open Day Saturday 14th December 11am – 4pm at the Carnegie Library In Athea. A variety of crafts will be on display and available to purchase. A raffle for some lovely prizes will also take place on the day. Complimentary tea/coffee. Everyone Welcome

Credit Union AGM

Athea Credit Union AGM will be held on this Sunday, December 15th at 11.30am after mass. All are welcome to attend.

Athea Gun Club Fundraiser Dance 2019

At the Top of the Town on Sunday, December 29th. Music by O.C. Trio

1st. Prize – 43″ Panasonic 4k Smart TV. 2nd Prize – €200 Hamper. 3rd Prize – €100 euro hamper

Lines on sale at the usual outlets.

Garda Sergeant Tom Barrett Honoured

Retired Garda Sergeant Tom Barrett of Lower Dirreen is one of 17 Gardaí from the Limerick Division who will feature on a wall of honour, recently unveiled at Henry St. Garda Station. All 17 Gardaí received Scott Medals for exceptional bravery. Tom received his medal in 1995 while stationed at Roxboro Station. He disarmed a man who was carrying a loaded firearm. Ex-Sgt. Barrett was on his own at the time.

Chief Superintendent Gerard Roche paid tribute to each of the recipients during the unveiling ceremony.

Athea Parish Journal

Will be on the shelves this week at the usual outlets, Collins’ Shop, Athea, Moloney’s, Carrigkerry, Knockdown Shop, Holly’s, Moyvane & Ann Lyons’ Shop, Abbeyfeale.

That Time of Year

By Domhnall de Barra

 

Coming up to Christmas, my mind always wanders back to days of yore when the world was indeed a different place. There are huge changes since those days, most of them for the better, but there are also some good things that have been lost along the way. The biggest difference between the middle of the last century and today  is how more well off we are now. Today, thank God, there is little or no poverty in our area. Back then it was an entirely different story. The years after the 2nd world war were lean ones indeed with no employment and a real scarcity of money. Families were usually big; 9 or 10 children being the norm but some were much bigger. Small farms were dotted around the parish, most of them with 10 or 12 cows to milk, and they barely survived. The farm was handed on to the oldest son so all the other siblings had to find work. The only employment available was to work for bigger farmers, most of whom lived on the good lands down the County Limerick, or working for shopkeepers and publicans in the village or nearby towns.

There was only so much of this to go around so, as soon as they were old enough, the boys and girls from Athea emigrated to England or America to find a better life for themselves. There was many a tear shed at the railway station in Abbeyfeale or Ardagh as young people, who had never seen the outside world, embarked on the long trip to some foreign city, not knowing what they were facing. There was hardly a house in the parish that was not affected by this mass exodus of our finest young people. It was however the saving of this country because those who found work with McAlpine, Murphy, and the likes sent home a few pounds every so often to help the family left behind. The postman was a welcome visitor bearing the letter with the English or American stamp. People would also send home parcels, especially coming up to Christmas. You didn’t have much growing up in that era. You had two sets of clothes, one for weekdays and one for Sunday, well, when I say Sunday I suppose I really mean for going to Mass because as soon as you got home the clothes were taken off in case they got dirty!.  The ordinary clothes were often hand-me-downs from older brothers and sisters and might have been repaired and altered many times. The mothers, in those days, were deft with sewing, darning and mending. When a shirt collar got frayed it would be “turned” and it looked like a new garment. The socks were made of thick wool and worn all the week. Naturally they got damp in the wellingtons, our main type of footwear, so we hung them over the fire at night . In the morning they would be stiff as pokers and we often had to beat them off the floor or a nearby chair to make them pliable enough to put on. There was no such thing as an underpants in those times or indeed belts for the trousers. A pair of braces did the trick and kept the trousers from falling down. That is why the parcel from abroad was so welcome. The new clothes they contained  transported us into a different world and we felt like kings in our modern outfits.

The food was also simple but wholesome. Bacon and cabbage or turnips was the norm at dinner but sometimes we would make do with a couple of fried eggs and mashed potatoes or “pandy” as we used to call it. The eggs were from our own hens and had a taste you will not find today. Sausages were a rare treat and of course we looked forward to a bit of pork steak and puddings when a neighbour killed a pig.

Education was basic national school level, except for the few who could afford the fees for secondary school so, all too soon, childhood was over and the next group took to the emigration trail. There was great excitement at this time of the year because most of those who emigrated, especially to England, came home for Christmas. Their arrival at the station was eagerly awaited on the last few days before the festive season and we were in awe of their demeanour as they stepped down from the train dressed in the most modern of clothes with their hair in the latest fashion. There was much rejoicing and a nearby hostelry was visited where the porter flowed freely as those who came home were very generous to those who had stayed behind and had no disposable income. It was now time for a change of diet because nothing was too good for the visitors and we gorged ourselves on fresh meat from the butchers and “town bread”.

Midnight Mass was a special occasion with the church full of people all wishing each other a happy Christmas. The crib was a great attraction for the children who  looked in awe at the baby Jesus in the manger. There was a solemnity about it and a sense of celebration at the same time. The Christmas dinner was a real feast with a goose or a turkey  filling the middle of the table surrounded by spuds, Brussels sprouts and other vegetables. Jelly and custard followed and it was like manna from heaven!  I don’t think many of today’s youngsters will be as excited as we were or cherish every moment in the company of family members who would soon take the lonesome trip back across the seas.  Even though, today, we have more than enough I would give anything to go back to that  time when I was a boy and experience the magic once more.