by Peg Prendeville

Happy New Year everybody. I can’t believe I have been writing Knockdown News for about twenty five years.

I’m sad to say the New Year is not starting very joyfully in the Knockdown area. Everybody is shocked and saddened after the unexpected passing of Patrick Langan from Glasha on December 28. He is sorely missed by, obviously, his wife Mairead and sons and wider family but also by all the neighbours around as well as the Vintage followers and Comhaltas followers and his friends from near and far. Though, I believe, he did not like the limelight he managed to make lots of friends and was very well known throughout the county and beyond. There is a great sadness in Knockdown at his passing. We are thinking of Mairead, John, Paudie, Eamon, Eddie and Georgie and all his family at this difficult time.

As if that was not enough we are all now thinking of the McSweeney family in Knocknaclugga who have been searching for John Michael who is on the missing list since January 6. It is one of the greatest tortures when a person cannot be found so we continue to hope and pray that this will happen soon. Everybody from the surrounding parishes are out, daily, helping the family search through the forest, where he loved to walk, and the surrounding area. Continue to keep them all in your prayers for a successful outcome.

These two events have put a damper on what was a nice, although very wet, Christmas. Wrenboys were out in force much to all our enjoyment. The North Kerry Harriers were out at the hunt in Glin Castle grounds on St Stephen’s Day, so there was something for all. It is all over now, decorations have been put away and we face into 2024 hoping things will right themselves and that we will all have a reasonably good year. We live in HOPE