Nicole O’Sullivan, daughter of Sandra and Noel, Hillside Drive, Athea ,who graduated with a Master of Science in applied exercise for Health from MTU Kerry.
Fair Day
The Fair of Athea will take place on Saturday, November 5th.
Office Closed
The Credit Union Office will be closed on Saturday 5th November due to the Fair Day in Athea. We will be open on Friday evening 4th from 6pm to 8pm. Normal hours to resume the following week.
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
The government are once again tinkering with the opening hours for licensed premises. I have been amused by these laws over the years and I can see no sense in most of them. They have been influenced by religion and by those anti-drink fanatics who fear that if we, consenting adults, are left to our own devices we will spend every waking hour propping up the counter. Pubs could not open on Christmas Day and on Good Friday due to pressure from the Church who had great influence over politicians in days gone by. Sunday mornings were also excluded but that did not stop people nipping in the back door to have a quick drink after Mass. The guards knew it was going on and turned a blind eye until they were forced to make a raid by a new sergeant or inspector trying to make a name for themselves. The same thing happened at night when regulars were allowed to stay back behind closed doors for a bit of aftertime, There was one occasion in Abbeyfeale when the guards took action, mainly due to reports from the general public. They raided all the pubs and found people drinking in most of them. They filled their notebooks and all those “found on” as well as the publicans had to appear before justice Maguire the next court day. One by one, the pub owners took the stand and made their excuses. One man said they were trying to finish a game of cards while another said he was catering for a crowd coming home from a funeral and hadn’t the heart to throw them out. Yet another said his clock was slow and he didn’t notice it until it was too late and the drinks had been filled and paid for, Jim Lane R.I.P. took the stand last. The justice asked him what fable he could come up with to which Jim replied:
“ it was a fair cop your honour. I was trying to make a few extra bob and got caught”. Cyril Maguire looked at him and said: “ The only honest publican in the room, case dismissed” he went on to fine all the others while Jim and a big crowd went down to his pub in New Street to celebrate their good fortune. At one time closing time on Sundays was 10pm. In the summertime it would be still bright when we were all thrown out onto the streets. It was the custom for the guards to call at every pup at closing time and clear the house. As soon as their backs were turned certain customers were allowed in. At that time I used to play at Dan Gleeson’s pub, The Three Counties, and because I was technically employed I was allowed to stay on. We often played cards for an hour or two and were still home early. In the cities pubs had to close at the usual time buy night clubs could stay open until 3 am so drink was always available to those who wanted it. What a waste it was of police resources having to be physically present to make sure pubs closed on time. All it did was make sure that crowds appeared on the streets at the same time and there was many a disturbance due to this. I have always been of the opinion that pubs should be allowed to open whenever they like. People have more sense than they are given credit for and will make their own closing times. I saw this in operation when I was in Hew York where the pubs could stay open until 3 in the morning. There was no rush for last drinks or trying to squeeze in an extra one be gone home by midnight. You would have a few bar flies left and people coming off late shifts but that’s all but over here we couldn’t be trusted to do that.
The last thing pubs need at the moment is too much regulation. In rural Ireland the pub trade has gone away down and premises are closing week by week. When I was going to school in Abbeyfeale there were 42 licensed premises in the town. There are only a fraction of those left now. When we started doing the Community Council Lottery there were eleven pubs in Athea; today we have four left so it is easy to see the way things are going.. Of course there was too much drinking going on, especially in the ‘seventies and ‘eighties when first Tarbert and then Aughinish brought great employment to the area. When small farmers got the dole there was great celebrating in the pubs on the day it was paid out and everyone had a good time but wasn’t it wrong that money should be wasted like that. Even today, I know of pubs in Dublin put on music on the day the children’s allowance is paid out. Anyway, the pubs may be allowed to open until 12.30am everyday and night clubs can remain open until 6 am. Whatever about the 12.30 why would anyone want to be in a night club until 6? It is a formula for alcohol abuse and we all know the health risks associated with that. We must also remember that the sale of alcohol is highly taxed and is a big cash cow for the government. I loved having a drink in the local pubs. It wasn’t really about the alcohol but the company and the banter and we all need to let our hair down every now and then so I sincerely hope we don’t lose any more licensed premises in our village.
St. Bartholomew’s Church Athea
Ide Naofe Pastoral Area – St. Bartholomew’s Church, Athea, Co. Limerick.
Fr. Willie Russell 087 2272825. Canon Tony Mullins 087 2600414. Fr. Denis Mullane 087 2621911.
Priest available to take emergency calls this Sunday Rev. J. Cussen 087 7810960
Mass Intentions next weekend Sun. Nov 6th at 11am
Patrick & Elizabeth O’Sullivan, Glasha. Mary & William McAuliffe, Bridget McAuliffe and her son James.
Josie & Patie Mulvihill, their daughter Mary McFerran and granddaughter Tara Barrett.
Ministers of the Word: Caroline Pierse & Linda Hunt
Ministers of the Eucharist: Mary Hunt / Betty Ahern
Masses this coming week: All Saints (Tues Nov 1st.) 9.30am. All Souls (Wed Nov 2nd.) 7pm.
Friday, November 4th (First Friday) 7pm. Confessions after Mass on Friday evening.
Eucharistic Adoration and Devine Mercy Chaplet on Tuesday morning after Mass.
All Masses are streamed live on https://www, churchservices. tv/athea
Deaths We offer our sympathy to the family of Kitty Moore whose funeral took place on Friday.
Parish Office: Mon-Fri 11am-1pm. Call 087-3331459 or email [email protected]
Changing Times In line with the agreed plan as outlined in the Newsletter ‘A New Springtime in our Parish’ which was issued shortly after Fr. Duggan retired, the weekend celebration of Mass will switch to Sunday morning at 11am from next Sunday Nov 6th. The Pastoral Council discussed the change of Mass time at it’s October meeting and it was agreed to stick with the plan as outlined in the Newsletter. However, the Pastoral Council also agreed to keep the celebration of weekend Mass times under review as some parishioners had expressed a wish for the weekend Mass to remain on Saturday evening. It was also agreed by the Pastoral Council that during the wintertime Baptisms in Athea will be celebrated on the 4th Sunday of the month at 12 noon.