
Parishioners working hard at making St. Brigid’s Crosses in the Church
All Systems Go!!
The good news came through this week that planning permission has been granted for the refurbishment of the Community Council building on Con Colbert Street. When finished it should be a great asset to the local community with meeting rooms, housing for the CE Scheme, women’s and men’s shed space, office space, living quarters and a reception area with facilities for coffee, tea etc. The plans are on display and anybody is welcome to call into the office any morning to have a look at them. Athea Community Council are grateful to the people of Athea who have supported all their projects over the years by buying the weekly “Lucky Numbers” draw tickets
Making St. Brigid’s Crosses in the Church on Wednesday
“Sharon’s Grave”
Bookings for this production by Athea Drama Group are open from today. It will be staged in Con Colbert Memorial Hall on Feb. 27th., March 2nd., 6th., 8th. & 9th at 8pm
Bookings via Text/Whatsapp
087 6926746
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
I am giving over my space this week to highlight a very important letter from Tom Ahern
Letter to the Editor
Is there a future for West Limerick 102fm and where is the Van?
Dear Editor, I have taken great interest in the progress of West Limerick Community Radio, since it was founded back in 2005 and since, I have got great pleasure from its programmes and presenters. I have been a founding member, board member and contributor and feel it necessary to raise the following concerns. Its arrival was a great fillip to community life, allowing its people a great platform to showcase their past achievements, current happenings and future aspirations. Now 19 years later despite its well documented troubled history it has served the listenership area very well with its interesting and varied programme content covering many aspects of community life. It has been a lifeline for many people living alone and in isolated areas, keeping them in contact with local and current affairs etc. The many people involved in the course of its history deserve to be recognised and thanked for their efforts in keeping the station on air.
The Station has overcome many ups and downs after a very ambitious launch and a fully paid staff that was unattainable. A large debt emerged as a result and kept rising and bankruptcy was on the horizon. Over the years the paid staff members were replaced by loyal and committed volunteers, who helped steer the Station along through rocky airwaves. This initial debt yearly impacted on the daily running of the station, grants could not be applied for, and control was taken out of its hands.
Newcastle West businessman Pat O’Donovan took over as chairperson of the Board of West Limerick 102, over five years ago when the Station was €300,000 in debt and facing an eviction notice. With a small number of board members and volunteers assisting, they did Trojan work in fundraising and dealing with the debtors (Pat’s business experience proved invaluable in working out a settlement) to turn its fortunes around. With community goodwill and support they held concerts, dances, snooker events, Go fund me etc and introduced the 50/50 weekly draw which was a great success continuing up to date. Pat’s robust style to get things done can make him an easy target to shoot at and many egos may have been bruised along the way which may have built up resentment.
Pat and other board members stood down at the AGM held on Tuesday July 23rd, 2024, leaving the Station a few thousand in the black and covering a month’s running costs and also able to apply for grants from programmes/documentaries made. They also left a fully equipped outside broadcasting unit/van which was the envy of most other community stations. This allowed walk in interviews similar to within the main station. With every village and town holding various events throughout the year, plus sporting attractions it presented an ideal way to interact with the general public. This would secure more sponsorship, gain more supporters and boost listenership. What a bonus this fully equipped and fully insured for 2024 van was for the new executive to hit the ground running, alas a missed opportunity and it was not used. Only for Pat’s guidance and the community support there would be no West Limerick 102 on the airwaves at present. I have seen little acknowledgement or thanks paid to them for all the voluntarily work they did in the past since the AGM. After all fair play is fine play and deserve to be made known and acknowledged.
The departure of award-winning presenter/producer Shirley O’Regan from West Limerick 102fm left a massive void in the weekly programme schedule. In her short time at the station, she was a workaholic presenting several programmes, The 2-hour long Exchange on Monday and Friday, Gaeilge Bhriste on Sundays, Wellness Wednesday, County News round up on Mondays, history programme on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the late historian Tom Toomey. She compiled award winning documentaries and podcasts and made grant applications securing finance and was a general all rounder who understood all areas of broadcasting.
The new executive following the AGM are now in place for 5 months and they have issued 3 press releases, in the first month, outlining their plans. They describe it as a new rebirth, a complete re-dedication and reset of the broadcasting policies. They sought the assistance of the general public to get behind them and get involved as volunteers and by becoming members. They promised a lot of change, new board members, more community involvement, political fairness, improved service, etc. Also, a platform was to be provided for the movers and shakers within the franchise area.
Two further press releases followed in September and October, promising a new winter schedule of programmes and the return of a few former presenters. They were to hold the first full board meeting of the board of directors on October 31st. No more press releases since and listeners are disappointed as they expected to see the names of the board members and the new winter schedule of programmes covering all the areas they promised, politics/community affairs, farming, agribusiness, trade, industry, trade union affairs, Irish language, sport. I haven’t recognised any new changes in presenters/sponsors etc. The General Election came and went without any political input to guide undecided voters.
In conversation with other people in recent times, they told me that the quality of programmes from the station had deteriorated week on week. While on holiday from work over the Christmas and New Year I got to listen to a lot of West Limerick 102fm. What I had been told proved to be true apart from a few live programmes, including Michael Hastings who presented a lovely show on most of the days. The station came on air in May 2005 and we are now in the second week of January and a new 10 year licence will have to be applied for shortly. From what I heard on the station in the past few weeks, a lot of work remains to be completed to have a chance of getting a renewal of the licence. The application under the broadcasting rules is strict and time consuming.
I hope the new executive have not underestimated the task in hand for the listeners sake. After nearly 6 months in situ listeners have noticed little change in the programme schedule. County Views which had a large listenership on Wednesday nights has not been replaced along with other popular shows. The Exchange has been a hit and miss after the first few weeks. Filling the gaps and repeating many programmes from the archives and repeating ( many times) documentaries will only last so long. This will impact on securing new sponsors and listeners will turn the knob to other stations.
The new executive management team have a hard act to follow and hopefully they will deliver as stated. If they fail to full fill their promises the Station will close and the licence will be lost forever and all the good work done in turning around its finances by the previous management, and the go fund me supporters will be for nought. At the end of the day the communities and loyal listeners will be the real losers. I hope the West Limerick 102 changeover was not just egoistic and will not peter out like a puff of smoke. If this comes to pass I will really miss my remaining favourite shows, including Tommy Rivers, Mary Doody, John Dully, John Harold, The Trad Scene and other music content. I wish the executive well and await further developments. Hopefully they will prove my concerns wrong as I type this on Saturday January 4th.
Yours in radio
Tom Aherne.
Church Notices
Priests: Fr. Tom Mangan 087-2348226, Fr. Willie Russell 087 2272825, Fr. Dan Lane 087 2621911.
Masses this week- Tuesday morning 9.30am, Friday evening 7pm and Sunday 11am.
Eucharistic Adoration and the Devine Mercy Chaplet every Tuesday morning after mass.
Mass Intentions: Liam & Noreen Mullane and Kitty Danaher. Nora Quinn & John Ahearn.
Mick Enright. Margaret & Timmy O’Donoghue and Margaret Slowey and her husband Gerard.
To book a Mass intention contact the sacristy after mass or contact Siobhan on 087-3331459.
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 10/02/2025
No’s Drawn: 4, 8, 14, 30. No Winner
Lucky Dips
Eleanor Denihan, Knocknagashel
Nora Matthews, Athea
Eilish Geoghegan, Athea
Ann & Timmy Sheehan, H/side Drive
Sellers Prize: Eileen Fitzgerald & Collims’ Shop
Next Draw: 17/02/’25 Venue: White’s
Jackpot €24,300
Removing the Mural