By Peg Prendeville

Peg Prendeville, Helen Martin, Anne McGroder and Marian Cummane
The beautiful weather is a blessing to us all. To make the best of it my family and I had a lovely day in Tullig Woods on the Greenway on Sunday last. Armed with food and drink for a picnic we started out at the Devon Road station. Our group comprised of four adults, including two senior citizens, and eleven children ranging in age from two months up to 12 years. We had two wheelchairs and three little bikes so it was a motley crew. It was a very easy pleasant walk from Devon Station to Tullig Woods, stopping periodically to let the children explore and have fun. There were lots of walkers and cyclists out enjoying it like ourselves. Then on returning to Devon station we had our picnic which was enjoyed by the whole gang. Of course there were many little rows and scary moments trying to ensure that all the children were safe and not in the way of other Greenway users but all in all I really enjoyed the day. Of course the day could not finish til an ice cream was bought in Collins’ shop on the way home. A successful outing made all the more pleasant because of the blue skies.
Congratulations to U12 GB Rovers FC players who made history for their club Monday last claiming the Division 1 Limerick Desmond School Boys/Girls League title. Last year the same group claimed the U12 Division 2 title and all players were a year younger! What an amazing achievement to climb the ladder to the top. A very well deserving team of both titles, with every child pulling their weight and determined in every match and training session. Their hard work has paid off. Congratulations to the parishes of Loughill, Ballyhahill and Glin for producing top quality players and to the managers for their time and dedication to the team.
Team: Honor Mulvihill, Noah Daly, William Delee, Cathal McCarthy, Gavin Wallace, Jamie Buckley, Jack Lonergan, Jimmy Mullane, Dan Healy, Harry Wallace, Tadgh Costello and Tomek Zawodny. Their managers are John Wallace, Diarmaid Daly & Colin Wallace.
I had the above notes written when word came through that my very good friend, since we were six years old, had died after a hard battle with sickness over the past three months. So it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye to Marian Cummane, nee Mullane, Knockdown. Marian and I were in class together in Clounleharde, went to Dublin in 1971 to the Civil Service and both of us ended up back in the Knockdown rearing our families and giving each other backup when needed. Numerous cups of coffee were consumed along the way and many of the world’s problems ironed out. When in Dublin there were five of us who lived together. Margaret Moran from Toureen has already departed this life and now Marian has joined her which leaves Anne, Helen and me. Thankfully Mike Cummane and his family generously opened their house this week to all Marian’s friends and neighbours and so the “three musketeers” as she called us were able to have one last meeting with her on Wednesday last. I am so grateful for this blessing as we used to try and meet together every year if possible. Marian was a friend to everybody and was a mother figure to her children’s friends also. Everybody loved Marian. Having worked in various shops over the years she never sought the limelight or wanted for much only to be at home feeding her birds and cats and anybody who called to the house. She had the greatest patience with the young generation and often gave them a bed after a late night at the pub as well as a breakfast next morning even though she was not a drinker herself and not a lover of pubs. After the past three months in hospital she came home just the day before she and Mike celebrated 42 years of marriage and just a week later departed this life. Sincere sympathies to her heartbroken husband Mike and her sons Paudie and Cathal and their families and her daughter Mairéad and all the extended families of the Mullanes and Cummanes. Her suffering is over now and she is resting in peace. We take comfort from that. But she will be missed by many.