by Peg Prendeville

We are into March and the start of Lent. I’m afraid Lent does not mean as much to this present generation as it did thirty or forty years ago. I think it may have been too severe then but it is being watered down altogether now and does not hold the same power at all. However it is good to mark in any small way we can.

Isn’t Pope Francis putting up a great battle to stay living. I hope he is not suffering too much, but it doesn’t seem so. Hopefully his faith will be a great source of comfort to him no matter what happens.

I really enjoyed the Abbeyfeale Drama “The Troubled Bachelors” at the weekend. Great acting and humour. This coming Sunday I will be in Athea at Sharon’s Grave. I am hearing good reviews also.

Due to circumstances beyond our control the Abha Bhán Players have postponed their play THE FIELD til the end of April. Something to look forward to when Lent is over. And indeed we really need things to look forward to with the state of the world at the moment. I came across a quotation this week written by the late Jimmy Carter former president of the USA. It reads as follows:

“A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It’s a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity.”

The current USA President could do with a read of it. Let us hope and pray that things can be sorted out in a just way before we are all destroyed.

Meanwhile we are happy here in Knockdown with our brand new shop. It has become a meeting point for many people again.