Corpus Christi procession last Saturday night
Well Done
To Athea Tidy Towns Committee who have done great work in making our village, not only clean and tidy, but looking really lovely with all the flowers, hanging baskets etc. These volunteers give of their time and put in many hours for the cause. The committee could always do with a pair or two of extra hands so, if you have a bit of time to spare in the evenings or at the weekend, why not contact Damien Ahern. He will be glad to hear from you.
Athea United AGM
Will take place at the Clubhouse, V94ESR3, on Friday 11th July at 8.00pm
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
I had to laugh to myself when I heard that the British police were checking footage of Kneecap’s, and other groups’, performance at Glastonbury last week. Then I thought that it wasn’t funny at all, it was very serious indeed. One of the hallmarks of democracy is freedom of speech. People are allowed to criticise their leaders when they see fit and also to protest at what they do not like. Politicians and governments have always been fair game for protesters and comics and they could say what they had to say, within the law, without fear of retribution. That day seems to be gone. Students who want to go to America are desperately trying to erase content from their phones, laptops and tablets because if immigration officers find any content that is pro Palestine or any uncomplimentary comment about Donald Trump, they won’t be allowed into the US. Kneecap’s crime was to show solidarity with the people of Palestine and poke fun at the British Prime Minister. Where is the crime there? If you say you are pro Palestine you are immediately branded as anti-Semitic. I can say with great certainty that I am not anti-Semitic because I was born just as the second world war came to a close and I remember what suffering the Jews endured at the hands of Hitler’s regime. I also have no time for the Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel on Oct 7th and caused such havoc knowing that they were putting the people of Palestine in great danger by doing so. I do, however, condemn the actions of the Israelis in Gaza where they have shot, bombed and starved millions of people while totally destroying their homes. There is no excuse for not allowing hundreds of trucks full of food and medical necessities into the areas where it is so badly needed. The Israeli and American aid programme is so designed that people have to travel long distances to reach designated relief stations at particular times which are made known at the last minute. Of course there is going to be problems with controlling starving people who just want to get some food for their families but the Israeli army has opened fire on these poor individuals, killing them on a daily basis. Calling this out for what it is, is not being anti-Semitic. It is the British government, who seem not to want to upset Donald Trump, who should be up in arms against this nation that has committed so many war crimes. The world seems to be standing idly by while the people of Palestine are being systematically wiped out by a brutal oppressor. Even by writing this column, I am ensuring that I will never again be allowed into America, even though I have been there on more than twenty occasions in the course of my lifetime. I have some family and great friends in that part of the world but I would not like to live there now with the outrageous behaviour of Donald Trump and the weakness of the elected members of the executive who seem to have no power at all to stop him tearing up the Constitution and doing exactly what he likes just as if he was the supreme leader in a primitive country. He showed just how much of a statesman and a diplomat he was when the used the F word during a television interview. I am not a prude and am prone to use choice language at times but there are certain standards we expect of our politicians and Trump has fallen far short of them. I don’t know where we go from here because things are so unpredictable but, if the rest of the world ignores what is happening in Palestine, then I haven’t much hope for the future.
We are seeing very high temperatures in Europe at the moment and in the south of England . Temperatures are as much as 10 degrees higher than they normally should be and there is no doubt that global warming is taking place, We are due to get some of this heat later in the week and we had better be prepared for it. It is far easier to deal with extreme cold rather than extreme heat. Extra clothes will keep us warm but our first instinct when it gets hot is to remove our clothes. This, in very hot conditions, is very dangerous and should be avoided. I remember working in Africa in the 1970s and 80s. It was my first experience of working in 20 degrees more than I was used to. I was advised to uncover the skin for short periods at a time to avoid getting burned and it worked. After a couple of weeks I had no problem. A young engineer came out to our company from Waterford and , on his first day at work, immediately threw off his shirt. I gave him the same advice I had been given but he told me not to worry that he was used to being in Tramore during the summer and he never had a problem with the sun. I tried to point out that the heat where we were was a different thing but he only shrugged and went away. Now, this fellow was white skinned with red hair!. After a few hours he was as red as a beetroot and by the time we finished work for the day he was breaking out in blisters. When we got home he went straight to bed. He fell asleep but was tossing and turning and, as he kicked out, he knocked the protective screen over the bed and the mosquitoes had a field day. We heard him screaming and, as it was obvious that he was raving and frothing at the mouth, we took him into the hospital. They sedated him and two days later shipped him back to Ireland in a sorry state. It won’t be that hot here but it will be more than we are used to so, be careful and don’t expose your skin for long periods of time. There is also the risk of skin cancer being activated by the suns rays not to mention dehydration which would leave a person very week indeed. Just be sensible.
Church Notices
Priests:
Fr. Tom Mangan 087-2348226, Fr. Willie Russell 087 2272825, Fr. Dan Lane 087 2621911.
Mass Intentions: Friday July 4th, Ann Brouder (1st A/v). Saturday July 5th, Patrick Cotter & all deceased members of the Cotter family. Patsy & Margaret Broderick and their daughter Eileen.
Weekday masses: Tuesday at 9.30am, followed by Eucharistic Adoration and Friday evening 7pm.
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 30/06/’25
No’s Drawn: 7, 20, 23, 31. No Winner
Lucky Dips
Mike Finnegan, c/o Donal & Ann’s
Kathy Collins, Lower Road
Dylan Griffin, Athea
Bridie Brouder, Gale View
Sellers Prize: Collins’ Shop & D. De Barra
Next Draw: 07/07/’25 Venue: White’s
Jackpot €26,300
Corpus Christi Procession
