by Jer Kennelly

HAPPY New Year to all our readers and helpers, many people in the background, help to keep the wheels rolling, unknown to vast majority of observers. Some of us at times are inclined to put on the brakes, hindering others , hoping our light outshines them, a vain hope.

PARISH Presbytery/Office: 068 49308, Please note the Parish Office reopened Tuesday 4th Jan.’22.

DEATH of Father Kevin so sudden and unexpected, brought a great outpouring of expressions of shock at his death and reflection on all the strenuous and caring deeds of a priest who did his very best both as a Christian and human, who brought solace and easing of the pain, which is part of this world. Many of us are reflecting on our own failures in Christian charity and now will make a real effort to come out of our comfort zone, as a tribute to Fr. Kevin.

DEATH James Browne, Mountcoal, Listowel and late of Cloghane, Knocknagoshel, on December 30th, 2021. Predeceased by his wife Anne, sister Kathleen and brother Diarmuid. Survived by his sons Jim, Fr. Jerry, Jack and Donal, daughter Joan, his 11 grandchildren, sisters Siobhan and Eileen, son-in-law, daughters-in-law, partners, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nephews, nieces, grandnephews, and grandnieces.

DEATH has taken place of Nora Costello (née Cox), Tullamore, Ballybunion and late of Asdee East. on December 24th, 2021. Predeceased by her sister Bridie Long and grandson Martin Joseph Keane. Survived by her husband Martin, son Martin, daughters Marie, Breda, Elizabeth, Nora and Josephine, her 12 grandchildren, sisters Mary (Moyvane) and Kathy, daughter-in-law Miriam, sons-in-law Buddy, Jimmy, Damian, Eamon and Mickey, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nephews, and nieces.

ANNIVERSARIES: Pat Mullane, Peg Joy, Dan Keane, John Francie Ahern, Bill O’Connell, Fr. Denis Quirke, Dolly Hennessy, Catherine Ann  Fitzpatrick, Peg Werkman, Sr. Theresa Murphy, Donie Mulvihill, Brown Joe O’Connor, Pat Brosnan, Hannah Mai O’Connor, Tom McMahon, Patsy O’Sullivan, Nora Gould, Brenda Dineen, Josie McNamara, Kitty Barry, Kathleen O’Connor, Mary Bourke, Noreen O’Sullivan,

MASS: Sat.1st Jan.’22 at Moyvane for Martin & Mary Mulvihill (Anniv.) Leitrim East at 7.30pm; Sun.2nd Jan.’22 at Knockanure for Teresa & Micheal Bambury (Anniv.) Gortagleanna at 9.30am and mass Moyvane for  Margaret O’Connor, Month’s Mind, Formerly Aughrim, Late of Coolaught at 11.00am; Mon.3rd Jan.’22 NO MASS in Church; Tues.4th Jan.’22 at Moyvane for      Bridget & John Holly, and Emma and Jack O’Brien, The Village, (Anniv.)  10.00am; Weds.5th Jan.’22 at Knockanure a Private Intention at 10.00am, and mass in Moyvane a Vigil Mass   at 7.30pm; Thurs.6th Jan.’22 at Knockanure for          The Epiphany of the Lord, Holy Day at 9.30am, and mass Moyvane a Private Intention at 11.00am; Fri.7th Jan.’22 at Knockanure a Private Intention at 10.00am; Sat.8th Jan.’22

Moyvane for Kitty McInery, (1st Anniv.) Tubertoureen at 7.30pm; Sun.9th Jan.’22 at Knockanure for Michelle Foley (Anniv.) and her Grandfather Michael Keane at 9.30am, and mass Moyvane for Dick Cunningham (1st Anniv.), Brother Donal Cunningham, Kilbaha, Sister Breda & husband Andy Thomas at 11.00am.

Covid Update, remember a face mask or covering must be worn by all those aged 9 or over. Given the spread of the Omicron variant there should be no exception to this guidance. People who may not be able to wear a face mask or covering for whatever reason should be advised that they can participate in the Mass online and full details of Parishes providing services online can be found on the Diocesan website, www.dioceseofkerry.ie. No face mask or covering, no admission.

ALONE manage a COVID-19 Support Line for Older People, a national support line and additional supports for older people who have concerns or are facing difficulties relating to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). If you or someone you know needs support this Christmas, please call our National Support and Referral Line on 0818 222 024 from 8am – 8pm, seven days a week. ALONE operates 365 days a year so we will be there to take your call when you need us most

Samaritan’s can be contacted 7 days a wk, 24 hrs a day. Free Call 116123.

SUPPORT: Anam Cara Kerry, the organisation that supports bereaved parents, is holding it’s monthly Parent Evening for bereaved parents on Tuesday 11th January at 7:20pm in the Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee Co. Kerry. This event is free and open to all bereaved parents regardless of the age your child died, the circumstances of their death, or whether their death was recent or not. Subject to change in accordance with government advise. For more information, call our Information Line on 01 4045378.

Affordable Live-in Homecare provides live-in Carers for the elderly in your area. If you are looking for a live-in Carer for your relative, please call Eileen or Tom on 087 991 6791 or 087 744 0729. Our website is www.alhomecare.ie

MISSION Jan 16-19th 2022;  Speakers include- Oisín McConville, GAA pundit and counsellor; Kate Liffey, chaplain, catechist and mother; Fr Sean McDonagh, climate justice activist and Columban priest, and Miriam Kerins Hussey, pharmacist, holistic health and wellness coach. For details see Diocese of Kerry Site.

MEDJUGORJE PILGRIMAGE: on June 15th to 22nd 2022, flying Cork to Dubrovnik (morning flight) with Aer Lingus staying in Hotel Leone. Spiritual Director Fr. Ted Sheehan. COVID insurance cover included in cost. Contact Sean at 0862959380

RACING: Horse Racing Ireland published the fixture list for 2022 which will see the overall number of fixtures increasing to 390 next year.

THE four-day Mr Binman Limerick Christmas Racing Festival at Limerick Racecourse from St Stephens Day to December 29, was restricted to 5,000 due to government guidelines. Every year it was a great occasion for racing fans.

SWIM on Christmas Day has a long tradition and continued this year, with weather a bit warmer it encouraged a few more to take part.

WEATHER: Valentia Observatory last year average was 11 degrees Celsius, and the long-term average was 10.8 degrees Celsius. This year we had an average temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius.

FLOWERS: Christmas 682 years ago on outskirts of Bra, Italy, which is on the road to Turin, every year, the blackthorns at this same location flower between Dec. 25 and Jan. 15. Exceptionally rare exceptions were 1914 and 1939, the years both World Wars began.

Locally this year we have some roses and many furze bushes in bloom, the odd daisy also appears, here and there.

FUNDRAISER for St Vincent de Paul organised by Radio Kerry and supported by Garvey’s SuperValu has raised €21,281 this year.

NEW MOON on Jan. 2nd. World Day of Prayer for Peace was on Jan. 1st.

RAPID Response Irish Community Air Ambulance were on 102 missions to Kerry in 2021; compared to 99 call-outs during all of 2020.

AMBULANCE; on St Stephen’s Night, according to Mr Michael Healy Rae, the ambulance services of Dingle, Listowel, Cahersiveen, Killarney, Tralee and Kenmare were all on callouts outside the county.

Media reports; a 12% drop in the past year in the number of people on waiting lists for appointments at University Hospital Kerry.

SUCKLER cow numbers dropped by 43,000 in 2021, Dept. of Agric. Survey show that 40% of dairy farmers inspected do not have enough slurry storage.

ESRI report says, Irish goods exported to Britain was almost 11% in 2015, but that fell to 6.3% in 2021. In 2015, Irish food exports to Britain was 27%; and in 2021, it had declined to 18.6%.

TRAVEL: The French government have said that UK nationals travelling from the UK who are not resident in France will not be permitted to transit France to return to their country of residence unless they are travelling by air.

SOLAR Farm; 350 acre solar farm in East Limerick planned, a 10-year permission and 35 year operation for a solar farm is being sought.

CARBON: The head of the business group Ibec has warned the Taoiseach that planned changes to Ireland’s carbon budgets would hit the economy for almost €8billion a year and cost tens of thousands jobs. In a letter to Micheál Martin on October 6 last, Ibec chief Danny McCoy said the move to include emissions from land usage in the budgets would ‘totally undermine the viability’ of the agri-food industry. Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), also wrote to the Taoiseach, warning that the sector could be ‘destroyed by changing the goalposts on carbon accounting’.

ART: Foreign Affairs dept. has spent €83,705 since the beginning of 2020 on artworks for its embassies, consulates and offices.

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CYCLEWAY Galway to Athlone; The scheme being developed by Galway City Council and Galway, Roscommon and Westmeath County Councils aims to complete the 330km car-free corridor from Galway to Dublin for both cyclists and walkers.

RICE agriculture is one of the most significant human-created sources of methane gas. In a world affected by climate change, growing rice is becoming less and less environmentally friendly.

According to news reports.

HEROD was paranoid, perceiving plots against his throne right and left. On Dec. 28, the Church commemorates the slaughter of the holy innocents. These are the baby boys in Bethlehem that Herod the Great had slaughtered in an attempt to kill the Baby Jesus. He killed one of his wives, Mariamne, and three of his sons: Alexander, Aristobulus, and Antipater. When Herod’s end was near he ordered that one person in every family should be slain so that the whole kingdom would be forced to mourn at the occasion of his death. Caesar Augustus reportedly said, “It is better to be Herod’s pig than son”. The slaughter of the innocents is a reflection of Herod’s character. Being a proud man, he liked to show off, one of his building projects was the Temple in Jerusalem.