By Peg Prendeville

Sincere sympathy to Marcella O’Grady and her family on the tragic death of her grand-nephew Darren Whelan after a fall in the Greek Island of Ios on Sunday. Sympathies to all the Whelan families in Loughill and Kildimo.

Sympathies too to the family and friends of Eileen Moran, late of Bishop’s Street, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick who died recently. Wife of the late Paddy Moran. Deeply regretted by her brother Dan, cousin Nora Roche, relatives and friends.

I am delighted to hear that the BRJ is in the process of being digitised and will be able to be read online in www.limerick.ie   in the near future. A Patrick O’Neill from Brisbane, Australia, whose ancestors came from the Kerryline, has been doing some work in his own time and is offering the result of his work to the library services for us all to read. I will let you know more later. We should all be able to see when it is put up on the council website under libraries and local history journals.

Life is coming back to Loughill village with the re-opening of Taylor’s shop after many years of being closed. It will be a welcome sight to all who use the local playground and park and a great boon to the parish. We wish the Bowerings the best of luck in this new venture.

Lots of new houses have gone up in the parish in recent years which is lovely to see. But some old ones have to die to make way for the new. So the family bid a fond farewell to Johnjoe Dillane’s house this week. Always known to us as Johnjoe’s I have lovely memories of visiting him when we were young children. My mother would take him homemade bread and steal away his clothes to wash them. He was well able to look after himself when she died and learned how to bake his own bread and  to cook for himself. He was a happy man and loved to have neighbours call for a chat. I hope my son Seán and wife Bernie and their children will be just as happy in the same plot.

Glin Library reopens this Tuesday. I wish Danielle the very best in her new role.

Great to hear that we are in for some warm, sunny weather this week. Let us all enjoy it while it lasts.