By Marian Harnett
CONGRATULATIONS: Wedding congratulations to Brid O’Rourke and Kieran McCarthy, Mark O’Brien and Shakira McCarthy, Collette Moloney and Shane Stack , Martina Copse and Eamonn Fitzgerald. Marion O’Keeffe and Daniel Angland. They all celebrated the sacrament of Marriage here in Abbeyfeale over the summer. We wish them every happiness always.
WELL DONE: Leaving Cert student Katie Houlihan, The Hill, daughter of Kathleen and Pat has been chosen as No 8 for under 18’s Munster rugby.
FURTHER EDUCATION & TRAINING CENTRE, MOUNTMAHON, ABBEYFEALE (THE OLD TECH): The following free courses still have some spaces left: Sewing for Beginners, Beginners knitting, Payroll Manual & Computerised (Level 5), Bookkeeping manual and computerised (Level 5), Childcare Level 5, Healthcare Level 5, Sign Language, winter window box gardening, making a podcast, Upcycling Furniture, Local history. Please call the office on 06831198 for more information, Email: [email protected] or register at www.learningandskills.ie.
ABBEYFEALE CONGRATULATES NEW LEADER OF UK UNITE WORKERS UNION: Sharon Graham, whose mother Joan emigrated to London from Purt, has been appointed General Secretary of the second largest Union in England. Joan’s brother Michael lives in the home place in Purt and her other brother Dan in Cahirhayes. Sharon was a frequent visitor to Port as a child and Micheal’s wife Sheila was interviewed on BBC4 last Saturday evening telling about their young visitors exploits bringing home the turf. You can listen to the podcast of her story on; https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000zcky.
YOUNG MUSICIAN AWARD: The Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival applications for the inaugural ‘Patrick O’Keeffe Young Musician Award’ are open to all musicians in the 13 to 23 age bracket. Please note that any videos submitted by minors must be submitted by the child’s parent/guardian and the deadline is Sunday, September 12. Email applications to: [email protected]
BREAKING TRAD: Donal Murphy and friends in the Glórach Friday, September 10 at 8pm, doors open at 7.30pm, tickets €10. Limited seating. Booking 087 1383940. Covid Cert required.
STORYTELLING: Listowel International Storytelling Festival returns in-person to Listowel from September 17th to 19th. Now in its 3rd year the festival will feature a packed programme of events including storytelling sessions & workshops, story & history walks, music sessions and children’s storytelling. We are especially thrilled to have acclaimed storyteller Maria Gillen as our Artistic Director for the festival. Our full programme will be available soon, but follow our Social Media pages or visit www.kerrywritersmuseum.com/storytelling-festival/ for updates on special guests and events.
BLACKSMITHING Fair will be held at Ballylongford on the 25th and 26th of September, it will be a family friendly weekend.
LITTLE BLUE HEROS FUNDRAISER: Cycle on the Limerick Greenway on Saturday, September 11 in aid of Little Blue Heroes Foundation. The Garda fundraiser begins at 11am in Rathkeale and finishes in Abbeyfeale between 1 and 3pm. There will be an Emergency Services Open Family Day at NCW Gaelscoil from 12-3pm (which will be sensory friendly from 11.30 -12). Donations can be made online at: www.idonate.ie/Greenwaygoes BlueForLittleBlue Heros.
NORTH KERRY, WEST LIMERICK: SMART VILLAGES, STRONGER COMMUNITIES: This initiative is jointly led by NEWKD and West Limerick Resources in association with KPMG Future Analytics and University College Dublin and addresses the unique challenges facing Ireland’s rural regions by unlocking innovative new solutions for the sustainable growth and development of rural communities within the North Kerry – West Limerick region. The project will involve a combination of detailed data analysis, extensive public consultation and capacity-training workshops will be used to co-produce an integrated development plan for the North Kerry – West Limerick region. Over the course of the project, the team will seek to engage with communities across Causeway, Ballyduff, Ballybunion, Ballylongford, Tarbert, Duagh , Moyvane, Brosna, Knocknagoshel, Listowel, Ballydonoghue, Lixnaw, Finuge, Abbeyfeale, Turnafulla, Mountcollins, Templeglantine, Athea/Carrigkerry, Glin, Loughill/Ballyhahill, Ardagh and Shanagolden. The project will officially launch with an online event entitled “Co-Developing Smart Villages – Towards Stronger Rural Communities” which will take place over two morning sessions on Thursday, September 30 and Friday, October 1. A conference programme and registration page will be launched shortly.
COMMUNITY ALERT: Abbeyfeale Community Alert committee will be supporting the Little Blue Heros Fundraiser on the Greenway next Saturday with the Garda charity cycle leaving from Rathkeale at 11am and finishing in Abbeyfeale between 1 -3pm. Last week tickets went on sale on line for the Listowel Races and my present husband who has not missed attending the races since his father first took him in 1960 deputised me to buy a ticket for each day that they were available for. We do not buy normally on line so this was the first time I was using the debit card to make a purchase online and within an hour of making a purchase I had got three phone calls from ‘mar ya’ the Bank to say that there had been fraudulent activity and that I should press button 1 for help. Each time I dropped the phone and the following morning I started getting emails with the same message – we were going to be cleaned out of funds if I did not do something urgently – . I am posting about scams on the Community Alert FB page and writing in these notes every week and yet I still got a fright so can fully understand how people do get caught out. Anyway the moral of the story is do not engage with or reply to any unsolicited messages or calls and to quote the security advice from the banks : “ We will never email you requesting your online details – call us on Freephone 1800946764 if you suspect someone has got access to your account.”