by Peg Prendeville

Is everybody getting very tired of this weather and power cuts? I hope you are all coping. I am not giving out about all the brave men and women who are working long hours to try and get the power back but after the snow and storm Eoywn we have had enough power cuts for this year. I’m sure you all agree. To be fair we could all be in a worse position, like the people in war torn countries etc, but when one is cold in the darkness and cannot cook our thoughts are not always that rational. So we hope that bright days are in store from now on.

A huge crowd attended the meeting in Glin library last week. Councillor John Sheahan and Noirín Ó Neill from  Library HQ assured all that normal service will be restored very soon and that the reduced hours could not be avoided due to current lack of staff which will not be for ever.  “Glin Library is our gem,” Noirín said, “and we are very proud of it and know how important it is to the community.” All were glad to hear this good news.

Both local drama teams are busy rehearsing for the upcoming plays. Sharon’s Grave in Athea and The Field in Ballyhahill. It is great to have such talent in the area providing great entertainment. Amazing too of how popular are John B’s plays always. People still keep asking for them.

Monday, January 27,  marked 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. I visited it in February 2013. It is hard to imagine all the evil things that happened in that place. It was a cold day when I visited and I shuddered to think of all those people in the cold and misery standing in the yard for hours during the daily roll call not to mention the torture and gas chambers etc. I’m sure that everybody that goes there prays that such things will not happen again but sadly they have and they will. But we must focus on the many good deeds that happen in the world too. There will always be light and dark.

We have a Bank Holiday coming up this weekend to honour St Brigid. We hope she has influence over the weather and that it will be a good weekend. There is a lovely St Brigid’s well and grotto up in Faughart, Co. Louth which I visited when Jim was in hospital. I see that a huge tree fell beside it last week during the storm. I’m glad that it did not damage the grotto. There are many stories of healings from there.