by Peg Prendeville

The Abha Bhán Players, after many months of rehearsing, are ready to stage THE FIELD by JOHN B KEANE in the Parish Hall, Ballyhahill. Starting on this Saturday April 26^th  and 27^th and again next Tuesday and Wednesday 29^th   & 30^th April . Doors open @ 7.30 pm. Performance @ 8pm. Booking with Eilish at 086 8458821. Pay at the door. Cash Only. Admission €15 inc Tea/Coffee. Students €10.  Raffle on the night. All welcome. There is a large cast to this play including some young children so it is a mammoth task. Thanks to the patience of Eleanor McSweeney, the director, it promises to be a huge success. The cast include Tony O’Shaughnessy, Norma Nolan, Jim O’Brien, Terence McSweeney, Caroline Gee, Denis Sheahan, John Buttery, Martin Halpin, Peg Prendeville, Majella O’Connor, Tom Denihan, Denis Sheahan, John O’Brien, Dylan Ambrose, Michael Beazley, Dara Moloney,  Clara Gee, Ógie Prendeville, Robyn Daly, Sarah Daly Gibbons, Áine Prendeville, Cleo Daly. Backstage trojan workers are Eleanor herself, Edel Buttery, Tricia Flannagan, Bernie and Teresa Stack, Helen Hayes, Brigid Hayes, Jayne Daly Gibbons, Fiona Prendeville, Andrew Buttery. As you can see that is a lot of people working happily together to bring entertainment to you all. Get booking those seats before they are all gone. You don’t want to miss the wrath of the Bull McCabe!

As I type up these notes I hear the cuckoo outside my window. I just love that sound every year. Summer is surely on the way when the cuckoo arrives. Let’s hope so.

Congratulations to Saibh Prendeville, Glenbawn, who got 1^st place with her pony Sunny, in the Irish Pony Club National Dressage Competition, in the U12 category in Coilóg Equestrian Centre in Kildare last week. Last year she came 1^st in the Eventing competition. Saibh has a great love of pony riding and has won lots of rosettes. Here she is showing her trophy, sash and rosettes from Coilóg to her Granda Jim Prendeville. Meanwhile Congratulations too to Eimear Ambrose, Tenekilla, who got 3^rd place in the Intermediate Section. Well done to both girls who are keeping Ballyhahill on the map.

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Roger O’Sullivan, Glin  last weekend having suffered a stroke a few days previously. Sympathies to all the O’Sullivan families. Roger was a great entertainer down through the years with his fiddle music.

It’s the end of an era for the Taste Cafe in Glin. Shantha finished up on Sunday last and is sad to be leaving. It has been bought by Rachel Adams who intends to open her own cafe there in the near future. And I hear that Batt’s Bar in Athea closed down too. Lots of changes.

It was no surprise to hear that our Pope Francis gave up the struggle. Sure he has been very sick for so long. I admired how he forced himself to give the Easter blessing on Sunday. He was a good man I think. May he rest in peace now that his job here is done. We wait and see who follows.