by Marian Harnett
WELCOME FR. DAN LANE: We are delighted to welcome Fr. Dan Lane who has retired to Canon Neville’s house at the church and wish him many years of health and happiness here in Abbeyfeale.
Mental Health Ireland: The Mental Health Ireland Art & Photography Competition is now open for entries to all Secondary School, Special Education and Youthreach students! The deadline for entries is 5pm on November 12.2020 has been a turbulent time for many of our young people. They have faced new challenges and continued to grow up in a reality very different to the one they were prepared for at the start of the year. With this in mind, the theme of our 2020/21 Art and Photography competition is ‘Reflecting on How I’ve Grown’ – in the face of the uncertainties and challenges of the year. This is a celebration of our young people, and we want to give them the space to reflect on what they’ve learnt and how they’ve grown during these tough times so help us spread the word to the young person/s in your life! National winners in all four categories in both Art and Photography will receive a One4All Gift Card, feature in Mental Health Ireland’s calendar alongside four additional Judge’s Choice entries and their pieces will be publicly exhibited in 2021! As a partner piece to this year’s Art & Photography Competition we are hosting online Five Ways to Wellbeing workshops for Parents, Guardians and Teachers of secondary school students.
EVENING CLASSES: New Courses starting in September/October 2020 in the Further Education & Training Centre, Abbeyfeale (The Old Tech). The following free classes are starting up soon: Beginners Art, Painting Level 5, Cookery class, Machine sewing, Furniture Upholstery, Furniture Restoration (Level 5), Beginners Art. If you wish to register for any of the above free classes, please call Mary in the office: 06831198 or log onto www.learningandskills.ie, click on ‘our courses, and select the location as ‘Abbeyfeale’. You can also enrol for Autumn courses at Kerry College contact 066 714 9696 or sign up on line at www.kerrycollege.ie
COFFEE MORNING FOR THE HOSPICE: A couple came to live in Meenkilly some years ago and that was the lucky day for Abbeyfeale because Mary and Hughie McArthur got involved in so much voluntary work. Hughie has since passed away but Mary continues the work and last Thursday held a coffee morning for the hospice at her home. She raised €625 each for Kerry and Milford Hospice.
ABBEYFEALE COMMUNITY ALERT: Now that the winter is on its way be sure and check that your security lighting is in working order. Check the panic button is working by pressing it and speaking to the monitoring service – that’s why they are there 24 hours a day and why you are paying a yearly monitoring service fee. Gardai are asking people to let them know when people call selling goods or offering services on 068 30010. We are still accepting donations of €10 to help run our text alert system as the funds we raised some years ago have now run out. When you reach the age of 65 and live alone or with a person/s aged over 65 you are entitled to receive a monitored alarm system. But if you have younger people living in the house who are out for long periods of the day then, because you are spending hours alone you are also entitled to the system provided that you are over 65. The free equipment is provided by Pobal following an application from Abbeyfeale Community Alert, there will be a monitoring fee to be paid from the second year of installation to the installing company of €72. There may be some confusion over the word free – the equipment which costs in the region of €400 is provided free of charge by Pobal as is the first year of monitoring but after that you will be charged by the installing company for the monitoring. If you fulfil the criteria for a panic button the installing company will drop the gear to your door and then let you set up the connection yourself with assistance over the phone from their staff. I have been assured that it’s only a matter of connecting a cable and anyone can do it. I have not included the phone numbers of the committee in this notice but if you want to get a panic button then ring Abbeyfeale Garda Station on 068 30010 and they will contact one of us. Should you not have a landline the installing company Task provide a sim card at a rate of €7.50 per month payable from day one. Then, in year two you will also receive a bill for the monitoring fee so in year one the bill will be €90 and in year two and every other year after it will €162 approx. If you wish you can arrange a direct debit and pay this amount off monthly. We recently received a query about the application of VAT to the monitoring charge, your bill shows VAT but it is included in the cost not extra to it. Committee members are Michael O’Kelly N.T., Seamus Stack, Mossie Gleeson, Kathleen Collins, Mary McArthur, John O’Sullivan, Billy Quirke N.T., Cllr. Francis Foley, Catherine Daly, Maurice O’Connell, Marian Harnett.
DEATH: We offer our sympathies to the family of the late Veronica Doyle, Glenashrone on her recent death. We also offer sympathy to Margaret, Maura and the extended family on the death of Mossie McEnery, Dromtrasna Collins. May they rest in peace.
ROSARY ON THE COAST: For Life and Faith on October 11 at 2.30pm, on Ballybunion Beach. Fr. Mockler will lead the prayers at 2.30pm. Rosary in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glin, at 3:00 pm.
PRAY THE FAMILY ROSARY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER: Archbishop Eamonn Martin has asked families to pray the rosary together in what is called the Family Rosary Crusade.
PROLOGUE: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
Ben Franklin
Veronica Doyle ( Nee Reidy) Irelands first single Lung Transplant recipient ( 2005) sadly passed away on Sunday the 27th of September under the care of the staff of UHL. Raised in Basin View Tralee County Kerry. Veronica after a time in the UK returned to Abbeyfeale to raise her 3 children.
After a period of serious illness, 56 year old Veronica, received the unexpected but welcome news on the 11th of May 2005 that a donor lung may be a match. The phone call received on that day to her home in Glenashrone, Abbeyfeale was the beginning of many years of a new lease of life for Veronica. Relieved of 24 hr oxygen, Veronica embraced her new beginning with both hands. Regular trips to Castlegregory and Tralee ensued. Adventures in her car with her sisters Eileen, Katie, Marie and brother Denis began.
Veronicas new lease of life allowed her to complete educational courses in Abbeyfeale, gave her the ability to do what she loved baking and cooking. Her home baked produce was always welcomed by her many friends who regularly visited Veronica. Not many people left her home without tasting her beautiful Quiches, tarts and scones or left without a photocopy of a recipe to try at home. Veronica’s favourite thing was discussing the perfect pastry, stuffing or sauce.
Veronica’s love of photographs leaves a lifetime of memories for her three children Geoffrey, Jeremy and Emma and her grandchildren. There is a photo on hand to reminisce from almost every excursion or event Veronica attended in the last 15 years.
Veronica never forgot her Donor, each Christmas she would write a letter of gratitude to the anonymous donor and family. This letter would include thanks and also stories of her adventures that she had undertaken that year and which would not that would not have been possible without the selfless act of Donor organ Donation.
Veronica remained under the excellent care of the Mater Hospital, Professor Jim Egan and his team until her death. The continued support and guidance and medical attention that she received from the team was always acknowledged by Veronica with the highest regard.
Veronica used her ability at public speaking to represent the Irish Lung Foundation and this was very much appreciated. Veronica always spoke from the heart and this came across in whatever radio programme, television or newspaper article that was published about Lung Organ donation and Veronica Doyle.
As her health began to deteriorate, the home support provided by the HSE was essential to support Veronica’s family in enabling her to stay in her own home. Her children and family will always be indebted for this support. Her GP Dr Mike O Donnell was a constant support and guidance for Veronica throughout and before her illness.
Veronica left a lasting impression on many people and will leave a huge gap in their lives.
RIP Veronica
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis”
“Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann”