Enjoying St. Patrick’s Day in Brisbane. Pat Hunt and his wife Tova meet up with Jamie Hayes, son of Patsy and James, Templeathea.
Pat is son of Thady Hunt, Coole West.
Pat and Anne Fitzgerald and her husband Eric meet up in Rio for St. Patrick’s Day. Far away from the Railway Bar in Abbeyfeale.
The Bingo Is Back!
After a break of two years Bingo returns to the hall in Athea this Friday night. This is a major fundraiser for the community hall and deserves all the support it can get so, get your pens and pencils ready, eyes down and away we go!!
Knockdown Vintage Club
After a two-year absence Knockdown Vintage Club is back with its Annual Charity Vintage Run taking place on Sunday 27th March 2022. This year the proceeds are in aid of the Irish Community Air Ambulance.
Donations can be made at www.idonate.ieKnockdownVintageClub2022
Registration for Vintage Cars and Vintage Tractors will commence at 12 noon at the Knockdown Arms. The Vintage Runs will commence at 1pm.
Light Refreshments will be served from 12 Noon.
The Vintage Club welcomes all Vintage Cars, Vintage Tractors, Vintage Trucks, and Vintage Bikes. Unfortunately, on this occasion the Club are unable to accommodate Modern Tractors. This is due to Health & Safety issues.
A raffle and Auction will also be held on the day with numerous prizes.
Come along for a Fun Day out with all the family.
1st Prize:€150.00 Hotel Voucher for O’Donoghue/Ring Hotels.
2nd Prize: €100 Voucher for Home Heating Oil sponsored by Macoil.
3rd Prize: Monster Hamper
And numerous other prizes. Tickets €2 each or 3 for €5.
A special draw for all those who participate will take place immediately after the Runs. An Auction will also take place, and we hope that this too will add to the entertainment.
Big Maggie & Billy will provide the entertainment between 4 and 6pm.
Search for Jack Keane
Thanks to everyone who helped in the search for Jack last Sunday. Sadly no success but there is still a small section of the map that needs to be checked out. If anyone could spare just a few more hours this Sunday again at the Water Tower at 10am. it would be much appreciated. Thanks.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S CHURCH, ATHEA
Weekend Masses
Friday 7.30pm: Feast of the Annunciation. Saturday 7.30pm and Sunday 10.30am.
Lenten Programme (All services available through the webcam)
Tuesday 9.15am : Mass followed by prayers and rosary for Ukraine.
Wednesday 7.30 pm: Evening Prayer Service *
Thursday 3-4pm: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Devine Mercy prayers.
The Rosary will be recited before mass on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
*The Pastoral Council would like to invite you to our prayer gathering at our Lenten Garden every
Wednesday evening during Lent at 7.30pm.
A petition box will be available for your intentions and we encourage you to bring symbols of you
loved ones which can be placed in our Lenten Garden.
We appeal to you to make a special effort during Lent as it offers a great opportunity for
reconciliation.
First Holy Communion will take place next Saturday morning at 11.30am.
Baptismal Information: Any parent wishing to baptise their child must have completed the baptismal course. Please contact Theresa for further details 087 1513565.
Ministers of the Word and Ministers of the Eucharist
Sat 26/3 Tom O’Keeffe / Betty Ahern Sun 27/3 Tom Denihan / Mary Dalton
All masses/services are streamed live on https://www.churchservices.tv/athea
If you wish to book a mass etc., text/phone Siobhan on 087-2237858
or email the parish office at [email protected]
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
A man died last week who brought joy and happiness to people in rural Ireland for most of the last century. His name was Tom Duffy and he was born in a field, as he said himself, in 1929 while his father was supervising the erection of the Big Top for the Duffy’s Circus performance that day. He learned his trade, as did all his relatives, while growing up with the touring group who visited towns all over the country with the exception of a couple of months in the wintertime. In his early days he performed as a trapeze artist but he was adept at all the disciplines and eventually took over the running of the circus. Back in the last century, at a time when there was no electricity, it was a major feat to come into town in the morning, erect the big top, perform two shows, take it all down again and get ready to move on to the next venue the following morning. At the time, animals played a great part in the circus life and all these had to be fed and cared for as well as the crew who did all the manual work as well as the artistic performers and musicians who supplied the entertainment. They had it down to a fine art and it was a joy to see them go to work. As a young lad I watched them erecting the tent in a field across from where the NCT station is now situated in Abbeyfeale. Large pegs were driven into the ground to hold the stay wires that connected to the poles. I watched as four men hit the peg with four sledge hammers in turn so that it was hit four times while one man swung the hammer. It was synchronised to a fine art and it fascinated me. It created great excitement at school when we first found out that Duffy’s circus was coming to town. In those days we did not have e-mails, messenger, instagram or indeed any of the social media platforms; we didn’t even have phones, so it was usually a big poster that someone saw in a shop in town or news that travelled from the creamery. Anyway we were on high doh waiting for the day to arrive and we saved up our few pennies for the great day. We usually got a half day for the circus and, looking back on it, the teachers did not try to do too much with us that day, there was no point as our minds were on one thing only, the circus. Eventually we were left out and ran home as fast as we could. The journey home that normally took 40 minutes was covered in half that time and we hurried to put on our “Sunday” clothes and make our way to town. People walked, cycled, rode in horses and traps, with a few in cars but there was always a throng of people approaching the field for the matinee. It is hard to describe the atmosphere but there was a sense of excitement in the air and we could hear the music and find the strong smell from the animal enclosures. Eventually we got in and seated ourselves on the wooden seats that surrounded the ring that was the main area of activity. There was an entrance at the back of the tent above which was a platform where the band were situated. They played music that was upbeat and exciting and filled us with anticipation for what was to come. Then Tom Duffy appeared with his red swallow-tailed coat and top hat to introduce the show. From then on we were treated to a feast of performances from acrobats, tumblers, clowns, horses, lions, elephants and tigers. There was also a bucking mule and a challenge was thrown out to the audience for anyone who dared to try and ride it. There was one lady in Abbeyfeale who always took up the challenge and, in hindsight, it was easy to see she was in cahoots with the circus. She was fitted with a safety belt around her waist which was attached to a rope from one of the high poles. When she was thrown from the mule, a man pulled on the rope and she was sent flying through the air displaying her bloomers to all and sundry. Harmless enough but we thought it was great craic. During the show a girl would go through the crowd selling ice cream. This was one of the great things about the circus because this was not the usual penny or two-penny ice cream we got in the shops; this was ice cream in a tub with a little wooden spoon to scoop it out. It had a different taste to all the other ice creams and we scooped up every last bit, even resorting to licking the inside of the tub. All our emotions were challenged from the fear that the man on the flying trapeze would fall to the ground or the lion tamer would be eaten to the happiness the clowns brought with their ridiculous outfits and uproarious behaviour. All too soon it came to an end and we made our way home with our heads full of what we were after experiencing. That was the matinee and there was another show that night after which Tom Duffy and his crew started the huge job of dismantling the big top with all the furnishing, loading them onto wagons ready to roll on to the next town the following morning. The circus experience was special and I will always be grateful to Tom Duffy and his band of performance who brought a bit of magic into our lives when there really wasn’t much to celebrate. May he rest in peace.