By Peg Prendeville

Congratulations to Denise Culhane, Turraree who got married last weekend to Carl Collins. We wish them a happy future together.

Fr Austin has promised to offer Mass every day for all of us while this present health scare continues. Please God we will all get through it safely.

To take our minds away from it all I offer a poem I wrote recently while thinking back to childhood and what seemed like safer and less stressful times.

Around the fire

Around the fire we sat each night

Chairs pulled together nice and tight

Dad made sure the turf was in

Mom sat knitting with a happy grin.

From a ball of wool in a wellington

A sock grew longer as the night went on.

The sound of the latch and in comes Mick

Tapping the flags with his blackthorn stick.

We make some room for another chair

Widening the circle gathered there.

Soon the stories would be told

Each one more daring, dark and bold.

Just when we thought we could take no more

Someone would stamp on the stone flagged floor.

The “Panny” mugs with the milky tea

Calmed the nerves and helped us see

That ‘twas all in fun, no need to fear

We were all family gathered here.

Soon cousin JohnJoe would lilt a reel

And we young children danced toe to heel

And Mick tapped the flags with his blackthorn stick

And Mom would raise the oil-lamp wick.

Thus we passed the winter nights

In semi darkness, no strong lights

And all too soon it was time for bed

But not until the prayers were said.

Mom tucked us up in our feather beds

With images of fairies in our heads.

We knew we were safe from hurt or harm

Cuddled up tight, all snug and warm.