Some of the organising committee presenting cheques from the proceeds of
the Cancer Awareness Weekend
Athea playground Fundraiser
Athea playground fundraiser in conjunction with Athea Drama Group & Comhaltas will be presenting “Dear Mr. O’Connor” an evening of letters & characters from the great John B Keane including music with Comhaltas on Thursday 24th October. Saturday 26th October & Sunday 27th October at Con Colbert hall. An evening of great entertainment and laughter galore. Booking lines are now open. Text or What’s App 087 6926746
Coffee Morning
The recent Coffee Morning in aid of Milford Hospice raised €2,060.
Sincere thanks to all who helped out and all who supported this worthy cause.
Comhaltas Session
Athea CCE will host a session at Flynn’s, Knockanure on Saturday, Oct. 19th from 9 to 11pm. Everybody welcome for an evening of music, song and craic.
Grow Mental Health 0818-474 474 Www.grow.ie
Friendly Community based, peer support groups for anyone experiencing mental health issues. Connection, Hope and Identity by empowering members to nurture their positive wellbeing and personal growth. Ennis- Maria Assumpta Hall Monday 8pm/ Tuesday 4pm.
Limerick-33 Henry Street(morning and evening groups).
Contact Celia 086-1526966/ Danielle 086-1588626
Dylan Griffin. Winner of the Longest Drive at Ballybunion Golf Course on Saturday last, receiving his prize from Athea Golf society Captain, Joe Kelly.
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
I have been citing the waste of tax-payers money by the government in recent weeks., much of it due to a culture of charging enormous amounts of money for public contracts. I thought I had heard it all until Monday morning when it was announced on the news that a government department was paying consultants to advise them on productivity. Two of theses consultants were earning €1,000 a day. Eamon DeValera once famously said that no man was worth £100 a week, well I say no advice is worth €1,000 a day. It seems that the first thing departments do is hire firms of consultants to give them advice. What for? If they are not up to the job themselves they should be fired or else we might as well hand over the running of the country to consultants altogether and cut out the middle man. I don’t blame the civil servants, I blame our elected representatives who either haven’t the guts or the ability do get the job done. I am, however, not totally surprised because our political system does not take ability into consideration when ministerial posts are handed out. Being a T.D. is one of the few jobs where you don’t need any qualifications at all to apply for the it, you just need enough votes and theses may be decided by how strong a particular party is in an area. Then the ministerial jobs are given, not on ability or qualification to do the job but, according to regional representation and party strength in a particular area. When these people go into their ministries, they very often know absolutely nothing about their portfolio and depend on the civil servants to guide them. There was a program ob English TV a few years ago which lampooned the relationship between elected politicians and the civil servants who ran rings around them. It was called “Yes Minister” and was a really good comedy but , alas, it wasn’t too far from the truth. I don’t blame the politicians entirely because they are ill prepared for the jobs they are supposed to do. Should anyone intending to run for election to the Dail have to study politics before being eligible? There is a case to be made for it and maybe then we wouldn’t need to be hiring the most expensive advice in the world.
I was at the Gary McMahon Singing Weekend concert and award ceremony at the GAA Clubhouse in Abbeyfeale on Sunday last along with Jerry Brouder, the Broderick family and Mike Barrett. We were providing a bit of music at intervals between the singing which was of a very high standard. Some of the singers came from as far away as the North of Ireland and it got me thinking about the importance of having events like the Gary McMahon weekend to give singers from all over the country an opportunity to come together and enjoy each other’s songs and different singing styles. Our traditional songs are like pages of history recording for us the happenings of bygone days. They tell us tales of love, war, emigration, sporting events and many comical happenings that brightened up many a winters night in the rambling houses of old Ireland. Athea was a haven of songs and song writers. Almost every townland had a poet or two who put pen to paper to record all the events of the day. Cairde Duchais made a collection of these over twenty years ago and there is a book of Athea songs from that collection. Unfortunately times have changed and there are no poets, that I know of, in the parish composing songs at the moment. That means we have no songs about the current times to pass on to those who come after us. We need contemporary composers, especially for younger singers who are now singing about times and events that are completely alien to them. We are fortunate in Athes to have a good traditional singing class organised by the local branch of Comhaltas and there are some really good young singers reaping the benefit of it but I fear that if we don’t have songs of this era, composed in the traditional style, we won’t have any in the future. I wonder why people have stopped composing poems and songs. Are we too busy on our mobile phones and social media that we haven’t the time to consider making a verse or two. I can’t believe the ability to make rhyme is dead and gone. Just a few years ago we had Paddy Faley, Pat Brosnan, Dan Keane and others who gave us a regular supply of new compositions. Alas they have gone to their eternal rewards and there is a void left. It would be a great pity if the talent that surely must be out there was not realised and encouraged. If any of you have any suggestions, please send them on to me and we will try to do something to keep alive a great tradition in our community. I am tempted to start a singing session once a month in Athea to give local singers a platform and maybe encourage others to learn a few songs. Music is a gift but most of us can sing a verse or two. You don’t have to be really good at it, just enjoy it. Let me know if you think it is a good idea or not and I will proceed accordingly.
Good to see The Gables getting a facelift along with other buildings in the village that have been lying idle for some time. It is a great sign of progress and a good omen for the future of our village.
Church Notices
Parish Pastoral Unit (Athea/ Abbeyfeale/ Mountcollins/ Templeglantine/ Tournafulla).
Fr. Tom Mangan 087-2348226, Fr. Willie Russell 087 2272825, Fr. Denis Mullane 087 2621911.
Masses this week- Tuesday morning 9.30am and Thursday evening 7pm.
Eucharistic Adoration and The Devine Mercy Chaplet on Tuesday morning after mass.
Bible Study continues in Athea Library every Wednesday evening at 7.30pm.
Mass Intentions: Saturday Oct 19th at 7.3pm – Loretta Barrett (1st Anniversary) and her parents John Joe & Kitty. Mary Cullen (nee McCoy) and her husband John. Joan & Pat Boylan.
Michael Broderick & Joan Palmer Wilson
All masses are streamed live on https://www.churchservices.tv/athea
Baptisms take place on the fourth weekend of the month. Parents who wish to baptise their child in the next few months should contact Siobhan on 087-3331459.
Parish Administration: Tues-Fri 11am-1pm. call Siobhan on 087-3331459, outside of these hours text or email [email protected] Facebook: Athea Parish Church Community
Athea Community Council
Lucky Numbers Draw 14/10/2024
No’s Drawn: 6, 14, 23, 31. No Winner
Lucky Dips
John Matthews, Athea
Jim Sullivan, Lower Road
Leo & Eilish, Athea
Ned Carroll, Templeathea
Sellers Prize: Agatha Barrett and Collins’ Shop
Next Draw: 21/10/’24 Venue: Batt’s Bar
Jackpot €23,000
