Shannon Technology

Many thanks to Councillor John Sheahan who has informed us that Limerick City & County Council have agreed to take the footbridge into their charge. This will remove the burden of future maintenance on the people of Athea.

& Energy Park (STEP)

This is where the proposed Power Plant & Terminal is to be situated between Tarbert and Ballylongford. We all remember the big boost to the area by the construction of the power station at Tarbert and the Alumina plant in Aughinish. There could be something similar with this development and they are looking for support as they apply for planning permission. People with a green agenda are opposing such a development but we are nowhere near being able to produce enough electricity fro natural sources so we will need backup facilities well into the future. This is the link to their virtual web page so please log on and have a look.

https://step.consultation.ai

Athea Utd Soccer Draw

The draw will continue on Mondays. The Jackpot stands at €12,000 and will take place at Brown Joe’s

Tickets on sale from Collin’s Shop, Brown Joe’s Bar, Batt’s Bar or from any committee member.

Athea Community Council Draw

The draw will resume on Tuesday, July 27th and will take place at the Community Council Office. The Jackpot stands at €12,300.

We are grateful for all the support you have given us in the past and we appeal to you to continue helping us to make improvements in our community.

This is our only method of fund-raising and the future of the local CE Scheme depends on it.

If anyone could sell a few tickets for us please contact us at the Community Council Offices.

St. Bartholomew’s Church, Athea

Mass Intentions next weekend

Sat July 24^th 7.30pm: Micheál Kiely and The Crowley family (Knockfinisk). Nancy O’Connor.

Margaret O’Sullivan and all the deceased members of the O’Sullivan & Casey families.

Sun July 25^th 10.30am: Patsy Collins. Thomas & Kit Woulfe. Danny Mulvihill. Bridie & Eamonn O’Riordan.

Readers: Sat: Kathleen Mullane.

Sun: Bernadine Enright.

Eucharistic Ministers: Sat: B Ahern / M Donoghue.

Sun: Y Roche / M Hunt.

All masses and funeral masses are live streamed on the Church Services TV network via the following link https://churchservices.tv/athea

The Church is open daily for private prayer. If you wish to book an anniversary mass, a wedding or get a mass card signed please contact Fr. Brendan on 087-0562674 or Siobhan on 087-2237858.

Baptismal Information Any parent who wishes to baptise their child must have the baptismal course completed – for further details please contact Theresa on 087 1513565. Next course date: Tues 10^th August.

The Way I See It

By Domhnall de Barra 

I recently wrote about the dangers of making assumptions, but little did I know I would fall foul of it myself so soon after writing the article. Last week we published a photograph of the cartwheel at the Community Hall lying on the stone in bits. It had been put there by John O’Halloran when he was supervisor of the then FAS Scheme and had been in bad repair. The Community Council had plans to replace it so when I saw it, I assumed, wrongly, that it had been vandalised. The Tidy Towns Committee also have plans and they were in the process of removing it so, I got it wrong, and I apologise for that. I am glad that it wasn’t vandalised because that would mean we had a problem with some people in Athea so, happy days!

I often wonder if we aren’t losing the run of ourselves like what happened at the time of the big boom before the bank collapse. Everything seems to be getting more expensive nowadays, especially the cost of accommodation. I know that the hotels and B&Bs have had a lean time over the past year and a half but that does not excuse the huge hike in costs they are foisting on people who have decided to holiday at home. It depends on where you want to go. There is still good value out there but stay away from the well-known destinations, especially along the Wild Atlantic Way. If people are prepared to pay whatever is necessary, there will be no change. On that topic, I could not believe my ears, while listening to the news the other night, to learn about the existence of a “super loo” in Clifden, Connemara. This is a privately owned enterprise that charges €3.50 to pay a visit and €15 if you want to have a shower. It is well looked after and cleaned after every visit but who, in their right mind, would pay that much to either use the loo or take a shower. Suppose a family of four, visiting the area needed to go, it would set them back €14 without a shower. I thought the local authorities had a duty to supply public toilets and look after them. I remember, long ago, it cost one penny to gain entry to a toilet at railway stations and other public places, hence the term “going to spend a penny”.  Those days are long gone and all toilet facilities at railway stations, airports etc are free. Public toilets in towns and cities are not as easily found as they used to be. There are a couple of reasons for that. When they were available, people did not appreciate them and look after them properly and they were also  a Mecca for drug addicts and pushers. There is however a need to cater for the public, especially during the holiday period when they may find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.

I heard an expression the other day, “we muddled through”. It is a great word and a perfect description of what most of us do throughout our lives. The beginning of life is not too bad and we are looked after by our parents and teachers until we reach the age of puberty. Now all of a sudden our cosy little world is turned upside down by conflicting emotions, sometimes adult, sometimes childish, that drain our confidence. Nobody understands us and we are unsure of how we are going to get through this phase in our life but, we muddle through and eventually we enter the adult world, or so we think anyway. Next comes relationships. Unlike my time long ago, children know a lot more about physical relationships today but nothing prepares you for your first love affair. Despite all you have been told and seen in films and TV, you think you are the only one in the world to feel like this. Most first loves end in disappointment and heartache and we are left feeling rejected and unworthy of being the object of someone’s affection but somehow we recover, get back into the game and, yes, we muddle through. Then there is marriage. When you have found the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, the future looks rosy but, there is an old saying; “if you want to know me come and live with me”. That person you’re madly in love with and seems so perfect may have annoying little personal habits that drive you to distraction. You, of course, put up with them because you do not want to do anything that would hurt or upset until one day you come to realise that maybe you have some habits yourself that may be annoying your partner. Nobody is perfect and it is in accepting each others faults that we learn to live together. It may not be easy but we muddle through. Then, if we are lucky, the children come along. You can prepare all you want for the arrival of the first baby but nothing else in your life will make such a monumental change. The baby takes over the house and needs constant attention. You worry if it is too  hot or too cold, if it is eating enough, getting enough sleep, if it is crying for no apparent reason and all the time you are not getting enough sleep or rest yourself. That baby is your whole life and though, at times, you are completely lost as to what to do, you muddle through. The children eventually grow up and everything is ok until they become teenagers. Now, all of a sudden, you know nothing, in their eyes, and your only function in life is to stop them enjoying themselves. You try to shield them from making the same mistakes that you did at that age but you are now dealing with moody indifference and it is an ongoing battle. Nobody knows exactly how to deal with this phase in life but , in the end, we muddle through. It now gets easier as you watch them getting married and having their own kids. Now your muddling days are over and you are full of advice on how to deal with all problems. You have been there and done that, bought the t-shirt, as it were. You can now spoil the grandchildren and hand them back to their parents full of fizzy drinks and sweets. There might yet, though, be a bit of muddling to be done. Now the end is approaching and we don’t really know what, if anything  is facing us on the other side. Some believe in a life in Heaven, or even Hell, while others believe that we are reincarnated and will return in a different state. There are all kinds of beliefs and none at all so, at the very end, we will just have to MUDDLE THROUGH.