By Peg Prendeville

The Christmas festivities are over for another year. As usual it was lovely to see the churches full for the Christmas Masses, allowing everybody to meet up with friends and neighbours, some of whom were home from foreign parts for the holidays. It was also great to see the wrenboys out on St Stephen’s Day bringing joy and entertainment to all of us. Christmas in my family was very exciting with a new grandchild being born on Christmas Eve morn. Congratulations to my daughter Lisa and her husband Diarmaid from Dromagarraun on the birth of Robyn who made it home Christmas Eve night to be in time for Santa! Robyn’s brothers and sisters were delighted.

The Gerald Griffins Wrenboys are organizing their annual party for the Senior Citizens on this coming Sunday 12th  in the Parish Hall. It will be a poignant occasion as there will be a few absent this year, the most obvious being that of Ned O’Connor who was one of the founders of the Wrenboy group. However it is a day which everyone enjoys.

Fr Austin thanked all who contributed so generously to the Christmas Dues for which he is always very grateful. He also thanked those people involved in the various ministries of the church. These volunteers work away quietly every week and help to keep the parish going.

The Abha Bhán Players have been invited to stage the play SIVE in the Glórach Theatre in Abbeyfeale on January 24th and 25th. So this local drama group is back rehearsing once again. It is great to welcome a new member to the cast. James Chawke, Clounleharde will replace Ger Stack as Carthalawn. James is the 3rd generation of Chawkes to tread the boards. His family, along with others from the Clounleharde area, were involved in drama in the parish during the early 1960’s. Riordan’s house in Clounleharde was the venue for rehearsals with Mrs O’Riordan doing the directing.

Two weeks notice should be given to book the Parish Hall in Ballyhahill. Contact Mary Stanley @ 087 1463208 to do so. Thank you.

A lovely Christmas Newsletter was distributed to all parishioners in the Pastoral area before Christmas. This was put together by a group representing our Pastoral Unit of Glin,Loughill/Ballyhahill,Foynes/ShanagoldenRobertstown, Cappagh/Kilcolman. It contains all the information one needs about Church ceremonies through the year as well as updates on the various schools and committees in the area and highlights all the work that goes on in the background in all the parishes.