Jim Prendeville and three of his grandchildren and three dogs enjoying the sun
“Ceol by the Gale”
The local Comhaltas branch will host an evening of music, song, dance and craic on the riverbank by the bridge on Saturday Aug. 5th (weather and midges permitting!!) at 6pm.
There will also be a free bar-b-que with sessions afterwards in pubs with a traditional singing night at Batt’s Bar
Everyone welcome
Camino Challenge 2023
I have signed up to take part in the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Camino Challenge 2023. Along with 30 others from Ireland, we will take on a challenging 114km walk over five days along the First Stage of French Camino – crossing the challenging Pyrenees in September. Each participant funds their own expenses, with a target set for fundraising €1,200, which will go directly towards furthering the work of the Irish Hospice Foundation, striving for best care at end of life for all. This charity rely on voluntary fundraising to support and maintain this work.
I would be most grateful for any support you could give by way of donation by contacting me on 0879042477.
Tugaim buíochas leat roimh ré as do chabhair.
Damien Ahern
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
The weather is the most popular topic of conversation in this country and is a great ice-breaker when meeting other people. It certainly gives us plenty to talk about, especially this year with the extremes we are getting. There seems to be no happy medium, we are either roasted or drowned. June brought the hottest weather we have had to date and now it seems to rain constantly with no real end in sight. Saturday last was St. Swithin’s Day and, according to folklore, whatever weather we have on that day will be repeated for the following 40 days. If there is any truth in it we may as well start building another “ark” now! All jokes aside, there is no doubt that there is a big change in weather patterns throughout the world. We are lucky in this neck of the woods because, although we complain, we do not get the extremes they have in other places. As time goes on we see more homes being destroyed by floods in one place and wildfires in another. The rising temperatures will have a huge effect on crop production with many areas in places like North Africa now barren deserts incapable of producing any type of crops. This will have a huge effect on migration with millions looking towards Europe as a place of refuge. Already, thousands take their lives in their hands trying to cross the seas in tiny boats. Many are lost but those who profiteer from shipping these poor unfortunates will not shed a tear. It is big business and those being transported have to pay a high price for the chance of a new life in another continent. There has to be a co-ordinated effort by the world leaders to deal with the increasing influx of those seeking asylum. There are many who will not want to have anything to do with migrants and are ready to send them back to where they came from. There are also many right wing elements who want to close their borders to all who are not like themselves and they are growing in number every day. This type of nationalism is what caused the second world war where the Nazis felt they were the “clean” white supreme race and all others should be treated as vermin. We often hear the phrase “this is our country”. Ireland is my country but what choice did I have in that? I am Irish by an accident of birth. I could have easily been born in Africa, America, China or any place else. What does being Irish mean anyway? Who are the “true” Irish”. It is a matter of where, in history, you stop the clock. All nations are a mixture of other nations who, in days gone by, regularly invaded each other. Some married locally and settled down. If I take my own name, de Barra, it is obvious that my forefathers came from Normandy. We are a mixture of Scandinavians, Normans, Anglo Saxons, Spanish and many other different races and cultures. In recent years we have many from Africa, Eastern Europe, South America etc. There are those who think that the ideal Irish person is somebody who is white, with red hair, Roman catholic, native Irish speaker with a fainne and a pioneer pin on a lapel and a card carrying member of the IRA. The reality is so different. An Irish person today may very well not be white, have any religion or none, speak a different language at home but is proud to be called Irish and takes part in local social and sporting events. Many of today’s GAA players trace their ancestry to foreign countries but they will give their all for the county jersey and the pride of the parish. This is the new Ireland which is greatly enriched by this diversity. We are so much better off with a mix of cultures that will include everybody than with a narrow view of nationality that will impoverish our way of life.
Have funerals in Ireland got a little bit out of hand? Time was you attended a funeral if you were a neighbour or close friend of the deceased person’s family but now, if you ever had an acquaintance with a 31st cousin you feel obliged to go in case you would be missed. The set up in funeral homes is not ideal. All the relatives form a line at each side of the coffin and each sympathiser walks along the line, shaking hands with everybody. That is ok but the reality is that you may know only a few of the family and you end up shaking hands to people you don’t know and you have never met before. It is also an ordeal for the mourners who have to stand or sit there for three or four hours also shaking hands with many people they don’t know either. I know people mean well but surely there is a better way that will allow mourners and sympathisers to meet the people they really want to meet without having to do the whole rounds. I don’t know myself but I would welcome any suggestions or comments any of you may have.
Why are we paying so much for petrol and diesel when the price of crude oil is dropping? They tell us it takes time for the reductions to filter through because the fuel distributors have bought supplies in advance at the higher price. Fair enough, but why does that not apply when the price of crude rises? Whenever there is a rise, the companies put up their prices at the pumps straight away even though they have stocked up at the lower rate. It is just another example of taking us for mugs. The problem is we have got used to it by now and don’t make a fuss. They have us over a barrel because, despite what Eamon Ryan thinks, we need our cars in rural Ireland to get from A to B and have to pay whatever price the stations want to charge us.
Church Notices
Ide Naofa Pastoral Area ( Athea-Abbeyfeale-Mountcollins-Templeglantine-Tournafulla)
Fr. Willie Russell 087 2272825, Canon Tony Mullins 087 2600414, Fr. Denis Mullane 087 2621911
and Fr. Dan Lane 087 2533030 (retired)
Priest on call
Sunday 23rd July: Rev. J. Mockler 087 2342242
Sunday 30th July: Rev. F. Duhig 087 6380299
Baptisms on 4th Saturday of the month at 2.30 pm – next date; Sat. July 22nd.
Next Baptism course on Tues Aug 8th at 8pm, contact Theresa for further details on 087 1513565.
Parish Administration: Mon – Fri 11am – 1pm. Call Siobhán on 087 3331459 or email [email protected]
July Intentions
Fri 21st July @ 7pm Patsy Brosnan (1st anniversary) Knocknagorna.
Sat 22nd July @ 7.30pm Margaret Broderick, Johnny Sheehy (Late of Knocknagorna), Thomas & Kit Woulfe
Danny Mulvihill, Nancy Langan (2nd Anniversary), Patsy Collins.
Fri 28th July @ 7pm Paudie Mullane (1st Anniversary) Knocknagorna.
Sat 29th July @ 7.30pm Michael Kiely and deceased members of the Crowley family (Knockfinisk)
Bridie & Eamonn Riordan (Upper Dirreen), Michael (Mike) O’Connor (Mrk. Park)
11th Anniversry
Graveyard Masses: Holy Cross Graveyard Mass at a later date
Templeathea Graveyard Mass on Wed July 26th at 7.30pm.
DANAHER MCGRATH TRUST SCHOLARSHIP
The Danaher McGrath Trust is seeking applications for a scholarship for third level students.
In order to apply for the scholarship students must meet the following criteria:
• Applicants must reside or have resided in one of the following Parishes prior to taking up their studies:
Athea, Abbeyfeale, Mountcollins, Tournafulla or Templeglantine
• The Scholarship is provided on a means test basis and is for students of limited means. Proof of means will be requested and required under the application process
• Students who are undertaking courses of study in Irish language, Irish literature or music will be
given preference in the application process
- Application forms are available from secondary schools in Tarbert, Abbeyfeale and Newcastle
West and from Purtill Woulfe Murphy Solicitors upon request (068-31106) and via email to
[email protected]or [email protected]
• The closing date for applications is the 31st August 2023 no late applications will be considered
Applications should be sent to:
The Danaher McGrath Trust
C/O Purtill Woulfe Murphy Solicitors,
The Square,
Abbeyfeale,
Co. Limerick
The Scholarship is open to students or prospective students of all third level institutions in Ireland.
The scholarship is an annual scholarship for the duration of the scholarship fund. The minimum award will be €2000 per annum. The maximum award will be €5000 per annum.Students are entitled to apply for the scholarship each year. No student will be awarded the scholarship
for more than 4 years in duration.Where a student fails to pass an academic year they cannot be awarded the scholarship to repeat the
same academic year.The Scholarship will be awarded to full time students only and is not available to part time students.
The Scholarship will be awarded to students of primary degrees only and does not cover masters or
PhD courses of study.No canvassing will be tolerated and the decision of the Trustees is final.