By Kathleen Mullane

This weekend before all masses the collection will be taken up for our sacristan Carol. Envelopes are available at the Church doors or you can use your own and put your name on it. As we all realise Carol does a huge amount of work behind the scenes also, so your generosity, as always, would be much appreciated.

Sincere congrats and good wishes are extended to Mary and Ned O’Riordan of Clash, Athea who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at the weekend along with their family. A very enjoyable night was had by them all. Here’s to the next “10” and the Big “50”.

Well we are on the last week of January – can you believe it and the 1st day of Spring is on the horizon. Each day is getting a little brighter in the evenings which is great! I was in Killarney on Sunday last and it was unreal – crowds of people everywhere – sitting down outside restaurants enjoying their drinks and food in the month of January – how lucky are we?

Also it’s brilliant to see the GAA track now being used ‘daily’ by so many and of course last Thursday night again attracted over 150 men, women and children. So keep up the ‘great work’ and come along from 7-8pm. Also another group meet on Saturday mornings at 9am.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Services are holding a donor clinic at Ceol Corbraí in Glin on next Thursday evening, February 6th from 5-8pm. Blood is urgently needed and who knows we all at some stage may need blood for ourselves or family. I’m just wondering would more give blood in our own area if there was a clinic here in Athea?

No doubt everyone is looking forward to Athea’s Drama Group production of “Looking for Love” which begins next week. It should be ‘a great laugh’ by all accounts. And as the saying goes “Laughter is the Best Medicine”.

These past few weeks have brought terrible news headlines each day with stabbings and all dreadful killings of one sort or another and three innocent children this past week, so sad. Maybe in Ireland we should speak about our thoughts and feeling if under pressure. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus on seeing the Light”