Month’s Mind Mass for Tommy Moran (Dublin and late of Toureendonnell,) on Friday, April 21st in St. Bartholomew’s Church, Athea, at 7.00 p.m.
St. Bartholomew’s Church Athea
Friday Apr 21st 7pm : Month’s Mind Mass for Tommy Moran (Dublin & late of Toureendonnell).
Saturday Apr 22nd 7.30pm – Intentions : Josie O’Sullivan (Toureendonnell) and her husband Patsy. Eileen Brosnan. Michael Scanlon Snr, Michael Scanlon Jnr , Dolores Chandra & Sharrath Chandra. Rita McLoughlin (Nee McAuliffe, her husband Jimmy & parents Kit & James McAuliffe (Park) and Kathleen O’Halloran.
Ministers of the Word: 1st Communion Programme
Ministers of the Eucharist: Mary Dalton & Eilish Geoghegan. All masses are streamed live on https://www,churchservices.tv/athea
Baptisms on the 4th Saturday of the month at 2.30 from April to Oct incl. Next baptism course on
Tues evening May 9th at 8pm.
Parish Office: Mon/Wed/Fri 11am-1pm. Call 087-3331459, email [email protected]
Thank You: Fr. Tony and Fr. Willie would like to express their thanks and gratitude to all who
contributed to the recent Easter Dues collection in support of the clergy.
Trocaire Boxes can be handed at any mass during the week or at the weekend from now on.
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
There is a great programme on Radio 1 called “The Doc on One”. It covers unique stories and real events from around the country, things that happened some years ago and goes into them in depth. I was especially interested in one episode mainly because it was relatively local and recalled an event that happened in Brosna and Mountcollins and I knew many of the people involved because my father came from Brosna and I spent a lot of time there when I was young. It concerned the exhumation and re-burial of a Brosna man by the name of Con Carey. Con was a well known character who spent his young days working for farmers down Co. Limerick and, because of the treatment he got from those who hired him, he developed a dislike for farmers and wasn’t slow to voice his opinions over a pint or two. Despite this he was very well liked as he was a great wit and had a ready answer for any question. Con collapsed and died on his way home from the village one night and was found the following morning on a building site. He had nobody belonging to him so he was taken by the undertaker and was buried in the clothes he was wearing which were dirty from where he had fallen in the site. He was buried in the cemetery in Mountcollins but there was unease in the Brosna community because they felt that Con hadn’t been given the dignity he deserved so, one night, a plan was hatched to dig up Con’s body, clean it up and put decent clothes on him. This of course was highly illegal so twelve good people, afterwards known as the twelve apostles, secretly went to the graveyard in Mountcollins, and carried out the plan. Not a word was said afterwards but there was a sense of satisfaction that the right thing had been done. I remember Con well and he always referred to me as “young Barry”. His wit can be seen in the following true story. Con was living in a small council house which needed some repair so he went to the late Dan Spring T.D. who had a clinic every so often in Brosna. Dan told him he would get the work done for him but it hadn’t happened by the time the next clinic came around. As Con entered the room Dan said, “ I know what you are going to say but everything is in hand. Two men left this morning to get sand and gravel and stuff for your house so it will be done in no time”. A week later Dan was at a funeral in Brosna when he saw Con approaching him. “I suppose you’re worried about your house”, said Dan. “No”, said Con, “that’s not what worries me at all but was anything ever again heard of those two misfortunes who went for the sand and gravel?” Con was just one of many great characters who were a product of their time. Every town and village had a few of them and Athea was no exception. It was the custom long ago to go for a pint or two before the supper when the day’s work was done. The banter that went on in the local pubs was entertainment at it’s best. Alas those days are gone and so have the characters but the story of Con Carey demonstrates how much they were liked and respected in their own communities.
The Grand National was on last Saturday and it made the main news because the start was delayed due to protests by animal rights activists. There was a time in this country when the Grand National was one of the biggest events of the year and was the talk of the day for at least a week in advance. Even as children going to school we knew all the runners and riders and we all picked our own favourites to pass the post first. The vast majority of people had a flutter on the race even though they knew nothing at all about horse racing. It was only a bob or two with some backing more than one horse in the hope of being on the winner. Much of this money was given to the postman to lay the bets in the local betting office as there was no transport and even though they were having a bet some of the women in particular wouldn’t be seen dead entering a bookies office. This is how one famous bookmaker got his start. He was a postman and, after a couple of years, he realised that he was taking in far more money to the bookies than he was bringing back to the punters so he decided to keep the money and pay out the winnings himself. The profit was so good that he soon gave up the post and opened his own office which is still in the family hands and thriving up to today. In those days we didn’t have television so we would run home to hear the race on the radio. The commentators made us feel excited as they described in detail what was going on and the excitement was palpable as they announced “they’re off”. We had no idea what was really going on but our imaginations painted great pictures of horses soaring over high fences and crowds cheering them on. After the race we would set up our own racecourse in the field near the house with makeshift fences and we imagined we were Pat Taffe or one of the other jockeys as we jumped over the obstacles with gusto. Happy days and innocent times, never to come again. Maybe the animal rights protesters have a point though. Three horses died at Aintree this year and hundreds have died or been injured in jump racing over the years. The safety of horse and rider have to be taken into consideration so maybe it is time to have a look at the course again and make it a bit easier so that there will be no need for protesters to make their point. I know it is a great trial of horse and rider and a spectacle for all but the death of even one horse is too much.
Joe Aherne would like to thank everyone who sponsored him in his 100 mile challenge for the month of February.
The total amount raised was €1,235 for The Mater Foundation.