Athea Drama Group 

Members of Athea Drama Group painting the set on Monday night

Athea Drama Group are currently busy rehearsing for their upcoming production of  ‘Turning Mammy’ by John McDwyer, described by the playwright himself as ‘a comedy with a few serious bits’. The cast is made up of Julie Moloney, Johnny Corkery and Mary Ellen Tierney. The play will be staged at Con Colbert Hall, Athea on March 16th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 23rd & 24th at 8pm. Our booking line is now open. To book and avoid disappointment please text 0876926746.

Healthy Athea

The Athea GAA Healthy Athea Team would like to thank everyone who contributed to the recent street collection in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation which raised the grand sum of €1,203. Thanks also to Paul Collins for allowing the group to set up outside Collins.

Pictured below is Cian Hickey making his donation.

Athea Community Council

Lucky Numbers Draw  26/02/2024

No’s Drawn: 3,  6,  7, 19.  No Winner

Lucky Dips

John Fealy,                          Athea

Ciaran Barrett,                   Dublin

Johnny Mullane,                GAA

Conor Fitzgerald,    H/Side Drive

Sellers Prize: Lal Browne & D. De Barra 

Next Draw:  04/03/’24    Venue:  Batt’s

Jackpot €19,700

The Way I See It

By Domhnall de Barra

I think it was the late Bob Hope who said that Ireland was a lovely country especially when you could get the four season’s weather in one day. I experienced something like that on Friday when I travelled to Clonlara in Co. Clare to pick up some paper. When I left it was cold and raining torrents from the sky so hard that it was difficult to see the road before me. This lasted until I had passed Adare and then I had hailstone and sleet. Just beyond Limerick it dried up and by the time I got to Clonlara the sun was shining like a summer’s day.  On the way home, the sky began to darken again and by the time I got to Ardagh it was snowing. It was really heavy in Carrigkerry and the whole place was covered in a thick blanket of white. It got lighter as I travelled on and by the time I reached Athea there wasn’t a sign of snow. People were looking amazed at my car which was covered in white so I experienced a diversity of weather in a relatively short journey through the County Limerick. There is no doubt that we are getting a lot more rain than usual and I suppose it is down to climate warming. At least we are getting the flood relief scheme which will be a comfort to those living near the river.

Thanks to everyone who congratulated me on my appearance on the telly last week playing with the Liverpool Céili Band. People have asked me what was my connection with the band so I tell them that it goes back to the late ‘60s when I lived and worked in Liverpool. I actually got married in Liverpool and my first two children were born there.  The Liverpool Ceile Band were famous at the time having won the All-Ireland, toured America and appeared on “Sunday night at the London Palladium” the top entertainment show on TV at the time. I joined them when Kevin Finnegan went to America and Frank Horan returned to Ireland to take up a teaching job in Roscommon. The band was centred around the leader Seán MacNamara, a Liverpudlian who had connections in  Co. Clare, and Eamonn Coyne also born in Liverpool with Sligo connections. As a matter of fact, I was the only one who was born in Ireland. They were without doubt, the best musicians you could get but they were also full of fun and devilment. We played a few times a week and had a session every Sunday morning in the Irish Centre which was usually jam packed for the couple of hours we were there. I came back to Ireland in 1973 to take up a full time job as Munster organise for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann but that did not end my connection with the band. I joined them every time they came to Ireland and I used to go over every so often especially if they had a big gig on. Those years with the Liverpool were the happiest times of my life but sadly none of the original band are still alive. I am the only one left but others who joined the band in later years come together every so often to keep the spirit of the Liverpool alive. Two years ago, Sean MacNamama’s son-in-law, Ray Rooney, wrote a book on the band and we got together for the launch in Ennis. That is why we gathered again at the All-Ireland in Mullingar and appeared on the TV show from there. People also ask me why we were jumping up and down to the music. Well, this was started by Eamon Coyne in his hayday and it has been a kind of signature of the band ever since. Playing with the band was always about enjoyment and passing it on to the audience. We should never take ourselves too seriously especially playing music that is all about enjoyment. We are getting together again to play at Fleadh Nua in Ennis to mark its 50th anniversary. I am looking forward to that.

Athea Drama Group are ready to take to the stage for this year’s production “Turning Mammy” which will begin at the hall on March 16th and run for seven nights. It is traditional to have plays at this time of the year because of the laws of the Church that reigned supreme a few years ago. Lent was strictly observed with fasting and abstinence the rule. People took it very seriously and it was thought to be a great sin if someone had meat on  a fast day. I remember my father at a time when he had a lorry and sold turf for a living. He was down near Knocklong on a very cold, miserable March day dropping off a load of turf. The family were Protestant and when he was invited in for tea  he was given a plate of rashers and sausages. He did not want to insult the woman of the house so, even though he knew he was doing wrong, he polished off the food. That did not stop him feeling guilty so, the next Saturday night, he went to Confession. He told the priest he had eaten the meat and the circumstances. The priest said to him, “you were hungry and cold so you did the right thing” and gave him his penance. Needless to say he was mightily relieved coming out of the  confessional box. Dancing was forbidden during Lent so there was no entertainment on Sunday nights. That’s when the drama groups started and there was a play in most parish halls for the seven weeks until the bands returned again. That practice has stayed with us and it is a pity because all the plays are on at the same time. If they were staggered throughout the year we might get a chance to see all of them at our leisure instead of trying to cram in three or four a week. The best one I have seen lately was the Abbeyfeale production “The Banshees of Crokey Hill”.  It is a good play but what impressed me most was the standard of acting which was bordering on the professional. Looking forward now to seeing our local group in action.

Break a leg.

Church Notices

rish Pastoral Unit (Athea, Abbey Feale, Mountcollins, Templeglantine and Tournafulla).

Canon Tony Mullins 087 2600414, Fr. Willie Russell 087 2272825, Fr. Denis Mullane 087 2621911 and Fr Dan Lane 087 2533030 (retired).

Weekday masses this week Tuesday morning 9.30am and Friday evening 7pm.

Eucharistic Adoration and The Devine Mercy Chaplet on Tuesday morning after mass.

Lay Liturgy with Stations of the Cross on Friday morning at 9.30am.

Mass Intentions this week: Friday 1^st March at 7pm- Jimmy O’Sullivan (months mind).

Sunday Mar 3^rd at 11am- Peter Stackpoole. Hanora (Nan) Hurley.

All masses are streamed live on https://www.churchservices.tv/athea

RIP We remember in our prayers this week James Casey late of Clash, Athea.

Lenten Scripture Reflection: A Journey through the Bible, Every Wednesday evening during Lent in the Library, Athea from 7.30pm-8.30pm. Followed by a cuppa and chat. Presented by Pat Higgins 087=2034626 and Sean O Mocháin 087-2321375.

Bereavement Support: An information evening on bereavement support will take place in Milford Care Centre, Education Department on Tue 27th Feb. 7pm – 8.30pm

Baptisms are on the fourth Saturday of the month, contact Siobhan for further details.

Parish Administration: Tues-Fri 11am-1pm. call Siobhan on 087-3331459, outside these hours text or email [email protected]

Letter to the Editor

A village under smoke

Dear Editor,

I would appreciate the opportunity to highlight a local concern among your readers. During the winter months it is well known that our village often resembles the smog-like appearance of a major city such as Beijing or New Deli. The level of burning turf, coal and timber increases from September each year and can last well into March creating huge volumes of smoke resulting in very difficult breathing conditions for vulnerable people or anyone with asthma / respiratory problems.

Within the environs of our village, we are lucky to have numerous sporting facilities, a school and pre-school, and many more organisations that attract people into our village including a potential new playground which will be developed in the near future. It is hard to imagine that one could enjoy any of these facilities under current conditions. Go for a walk around our village and see for yourself the level of smoke that is on every street, on every footpath and in every green space.

In the interest of our children and grandchildren, friends and neighbours would people consider a smokeless alternative? Our village has a lot to offer but for everyone to enjoy it we urgently need to address the poor level of air quality that is here.

Together we can make Athea a better place to live, work and enjoy. Will you play your part?

(Name & address supplied)

–Newcastlewest Swimming Pool Needs your HELP!

Lorraine Higgins, CEO, with Voluntary Board members Shane Kelly, Clr. Jerome Scanlon, Michael Finnucane and John Lynch at the launch of West Limerick Sports Complex Car Raffle.

West Limerick Sports Complex (Formally Killeline Leisure Centre) is a not for profit Social Enterprise operating the only public Swimming Pool and leisure facilities for Newcastlewest and the wider region. The Chief Executive Officer is Lorraine Higgins, an Athea native, who has successfully run the business for many years, scaling it from a small privately owned company to now a thriving Public Facility that has reached capacity and needs development.

The Sports Complex now caters to over 2000 people per week, with a wide catchment area that includes people from Athea, Carrigkerry, Abbeyfeale, Glin, Ballyhahill and Loughill to name a few! There are also many schools, local groups/organisations and disability services that greatly benefit from the facilities and services.

The facilities and adjoining 2 acre site are going up For Sale and must be purchased by WLSC so that they can continue to offer the current services and develop to a Regional Sports Complex – deserving of the County Town and surrounding catchment areas.

A huge fundraising effort is underway with their biggest Fundraiser to Date –Win a NEW 2024 Peugeot 2008 Car!

Please help support them and save a vital public amenity that has huge potential to expand and will benefit generations to come by purchasing tickets.

Tickets are available at Reception, over the phone on 06977551 or at a link on the top of our website www.wlsc.ie