Debutantes stopped by to visit Hannah Scanlon, Athea on their way to the Tarbert Comprehensive school debs ball last week.
L-R Callum Buckley, Evan Curry, Hannah Scanlon, Clodagh Scanlon (great grand daughter) & Ella O’Connor (Glin)

Survey

Athea Community Council would be extremely grateful if you could fill up the insert in today’s newsletter and return it to this office within a week. It is important for the development of our building on Con Colbert street which we hope will be of great benefit to the people of Athea into the future.

2412_Athea Community Council Building_SURVEY_240808

Athea Voluntary

Housing Association

Application forms are now available for the houses being built on the Glin Road near St. Bartholomew’s Villas.

Application forms can be got by ringing 087 1233361 and have to be handed in by 31/08/’24 to any member of Athea Vincent de Paul

Mass at the Blessed Well

Mass at The Blessed Well, Templeathea will take place on Thursday evening August 15^th at 7pm, followed by blessing of the graves at Templeathea Cemetery.

Class Reunion

On August 30th there will be a 50th reunion of the class of 1974  from the Convent School in Abbeyfeale. Spread the word  as there are many in the parish who may have been in that class. A great night is expected at The Winners Circle.

HORSE FAIR

 Will take place in Knocknagoshel on Friday, August 16.

Domhnall de Barra with Comhaltas members from Athea and Co. Limerick at the presentation of the Ard Ollamh award to Domhnall at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Wexford

The Way I See It

By Domhnall de Barra

Apologies for not having a newsletter last week. At one time there were a group of us working on the paper but now I am on my own and I had to go to Wexford last week to receive an award at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil. A group of people travelled up from Athea and County Limerick for the occasion which was held at White’s Hotel on Wednesday night. It was great also to have most of my family together for the occasion. They are scattered all over the world and it gave us an opportunity to catch up. There was a great atmosphere in the town which is very different to most other towns in Ireland. It is really old with very narrow streets that seem to follow no distinct pattern, just winding around each other. There are some very old buildings steeped in history and there is a marvellous sea front with a long promenade that was able to accommodate the thousands who turned up for the fleadh. Even early in the week, the streets were full of people with music everywhere. The fact that the weather was good made it all the more enjoyable. There is no doubt that traditional Irish music is continuing to grow in popularity, even in countries far afield with performers with no Irish connections playing as if they came from Co. Clare.  Our own branch here in Athea was represented and congratulations to all those who took part and especially those who won medals. It is good to see all the hard work paying off.  I was humbled but delighted to get the  Ard Ollamh award. As I said in my acceptance speech, it isn’t what I have done for Comhaltas, it is what Comhaltas has done for me. Through the music I have seen parts of the world I would never have otherwise and I have met so many great people, some of whom have gone to their eternal reward but many who remain friends to this day. When I was growing up I suffered from a bad inferiority complex but Comhaltas gave me a focus and helped me to deal with it. It has given me a great life and for that I will be forever grateful. Thanks to all of you who sent your congratulations, it is greatly appreciated.  At one time, the fleadh was just about competitions and they took up Saturdays and Sundays but now there are  a whole weeks full of events with the competitions starting on the Friday. Outside of the competitions I counted over 170 events that took place all over the town throughout the week. Running the fleadh is now a daunting task so hats off to the committee in Wexford who did a wonderful job.

Since the last newsletter was published there was that awful stabbing to death of those three children in Southport. I know Southport really well because it was our local seaside resort when we lived just down the road in Liverpool. It came as a terrible shock to hear what happened and I got to thinking that, if it had been in America, that young man would have had a high-powered assault rifle, not a knife, and dozens more would have been killed.  Why are these attacks on innocent children taking place?  We have always had people who are unhinged and serial killers but I think it is getting far worse. The man who was plotting to create an explosion at the Taylor Swift concerts told police he wanted to kill as many people as possible and he knew he was going to die himself. There is no doubt he was radicalised online and believed he was carrying out God’s will and would be rewarded with a place in Heaven. What kind of a God do theses people think they worship?  Maybe they are not to blame, it is their leaders behind the scenes who fill their heads with hate. We are suffering from something like that here at home at the moment. A small few are influencing a lot of vulnerable young people with messages of hate  and fear of anyone who is not Irish or has different skin colour. Donald Trump is one of those who says continuously that “they are sending them over the borders from jails and lunatic asylums”. Misinformation and disinformation are spread every day and, unfortunately, some people actually believe it. It is time these things were stopped at the source. Anyone spreading hate should be arrested and charged. The “right to privacy” brigade will be up in arms but there is no difference between publishing this rubbish on line that in mainstream media.  The only difference is that anyone doing it on mainstream media will be prosecuted. It is time for the powers that be to get really tough on this before many more people are killed and genuine emigrants who have been living here and contributing to society for years have their businesses targeted by mindless thugs. The fact is, we need immigration to fill the many jobs that re vacant here at the moment. They provide valuable service to our communities as anybody who has had to stay in hospital for a while will testify to. Where would we be without the marvellous doctors and nurses who come here to practice from all over the world? The colour of a person’s skin should never define them. A free and inclusive society is a better society so, over to you politicians. Time to take control and make our streets safe for everybody. Peaceful protest is a vital part of democracy but burning and looting do not come under the banner of peace and should be stamped out.

The Late John O’Connell

by Timmy Woulfe

Colm Danaher (RIP) maintained that you are lucky to have five real friends in the course of your life. He said that you’ll be doing well to count on one hand the number of real friends you have. I consider myself privileged to have had that association with John O’Connell, over a long relationship in actual fact, from when I was 15 years of age. I would claim that John was one of the greatest organisers ever known to this parish. Some of his outstanding achievements about which he never boasted, included his involvement in the local Vincent de Paul, the GAA, the construction of the Memorial Hall and The Credit Union. I never remember him speaking publicly on matters but rest assured, John would be fully involved behind the scenes. For many years he was also the director of the carnival committee, the proceeds of which went to the promotion of the GAA. The local Credit Union branch could be accredited to him as well because at a time when the Credit Union was new to Ireland, a branch was formed in Athea. This was due to the influence of his wife Nora’s relatives in Dublin. Perhaps the most daring venture of all was the construction of the Con Colbert Memorial Hall at a point when the parish was involved with the euphoria of the great Con Colbert. Funds were limited so the committee arranged church gate collections in every town and village in Limerick and North Kerry, the parish making a very generous contribution also. Finance was scarce because our bank manager in Listowel wouldn’t give us the credit needed. However, our parish priest Canon Cussen mentioned our dilemma to the AIB bank manager in Abbeyfeale and straight away he invited the committee to meet him whereupon he offered the required financial assistance. This was gladly accepted and kickstarted the construction of the hall as we know it. The site of the hall itself had been provided by Ellen Anne Colbert and the design was presented by Chevalier PJ Sheehan free gratis. John continued his involvement in all these ventures while he was capable. His contribution to this parish over the course of his life is unparalleled. John passed away a couple of weeks ago at the grand old age of 98. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann. Our condolences to John’s family, Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

Athea Community Council

Lucky Numbers Draw   12/08/2024

No’s Drawn: 3,  7,  27, 28.    No Winner

Lucky Dips

Ann McAuliffe,                  Donal & Ann’s

Mary Brosnan,                   c/o Collins’ Shop

Christopher Barrett,  Lower Road

Angela McEnery,    H/Side Drive

Sellers Prize:  Brown Joe’s & Lal Browne

Next Draw:  19/08/’24   Venue:  Batt’s Bar

Jackpot €22,100