Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my weekly report.
I’m putting pen to paper on the longest day of 2021, June 21st. A choppy breeze is blowing outside but the bright sunshine makes it feel and look like a real mid-summers day. I got my lawn fed at the weekend and the welcome showers have made it look greener already or has it, maybe I’m imagining it. I suppose we can make ourselves believe what we want to believe and maybe that’s the attitude that has kept us going all our lives. Nobody of advanced years, has come through all those years without experiencing some make-believe along the way. The world stands still for no-one and if we are to be part of it we have to stay abreast of it’s many changes and challenges. We learn this lesson from childhood. The smallest child playing with her dolly really believes that dolly can be put to sleep and wants everybody to be quiet in case they’d wake her. The same with a little boy with his toy gun when he makes it go bang bang his pal has to fall down or the game of make believe doesn’t work. It starts there and goes on all through life. Good times are great but it’s the bad ones that teaches us and lets us know where our true strength lies. How many times when thinking of some major stumbling block have we said “oh, I could never do that, I’d die” but when confronted with it and left with no choice but to go forward, then we find the grit that we need to deal with it after all. Very often telling ourselves that yes we can. Needless to say the power of God has a lot to do with it as we move on. For people who believe in his infinite power and goodness there is always a plan B to call on when everything else fails. I think that our religion is the best and most important aspect of our entire lives. I don’t know what it’s like for those who do not Believe. I suppose we had the advantage of it being drilled into us since day one and anything that came our way to try and make us stray from it never succeeded. Believe me it wasn’t always easy, when faced with some obstacle be it sickness or failure in business or in love and the Good Lord was in no hurry answering or plea, how we often swore that we’d never talk to him again or go to Mass but in the end we always got our answer and held on. Maybe not what we were asking for but definitely another angle which fulfilled our needs and how often we agreed that His Way was the best Way after all. When you grow old you can’t be blamed for thinking that you know it all. All the bridges that you’ve crossed must surely count for something. We’ve come so far and managed youth, marriage, childrearing, retirement and surely the rest is plain sailing as we reach the stage where we can watch the world around us with some degree of ease and comfort. But then along came Corona Virus, Covid19, the pandemic, call it what you like but it hit us where we’d never been hit before, utter confusion and our learning was only starting. It was always said that you’re never too old to learn and we became proof of that in a very short time. Looking back on the past 18 months, I think we’ve been bloody marvellous. To put it in lay-man’s language. Life had never been so good for the aged, foreign holidays, coach tours, group parties ,trips to the shops were all part of our daily lives and we took them all for granted like there was no tomorrow. Then wham, something very mysterious came creeping up but of course ‘someone’ will look after that and we can motor on regardless. But but, but, what is this we hear, there is NO ‘someone’ out there, so we must start learning again and teaching ourselves to play our part in our very own survival and that of those around us. So we cancelled our way of life and took up another one , and we beat the bug at it’s own game , repeating once again ,as we have said so many times in the past, that you’re never too old to learn. But it ain’t over yet, having spent so long in captivity ,we must teach ourselves now, how to re join the outside world. Some are finding it difficult to get a footing on it If the local cafes were open they would provide a great launching pad where we could meet up with old acquaintances and plan some more social events. Already some have joined friends for cards etc. while our Pitch ‘n Putt course is extremely busy. We all need a fresh start and in danger of sounding a bore, it’s up to ourselves to make the start. If driving out for the first time following a long non driving term, please take extra care. Roads have become very busy and our judgment is not the same until we get familiar with the traffic again. The world is waiting for us again and if we believe in ourselves, that will take us a long way.
I have an important message here from Reen’s Pharmacy to say that you can ring them at 029 70044 and book you vaccine for this Friday, June 25th It’s the Jansen, single shot for over Fifties. If you belong to that category ring them right away.
Our very best wishes go out to all the students who are nearing the end of their exams. It has been a difficult time for them and we wish them many months of a Happy Summer to unwind. Our prayers and good wishes also goes to anybody who is sick or worried in our community .
Sean Radley likes to start ‘em young. He gave the little ones from the Convent School a full guided tour of the town on Friday in brilliant sunshine and took many pictures for them which they will treasure in years to come. Meanwhile the little ones at the Creche got a guided walk in the Park on the same day. Well done to all involved.
We are taking on a very devout atmosphere at the moment as we celebrated the Golden Jubilee many priests with connections with Millstreet. Some of us can clearly recall when they were ordained fifty years ago. Two stand out among the others because of their direct connections with us over the years. Fr.Jim Kennelly, who was born in Millstreet and has served in nearby Boherbue and Kiskeam, for many years, often coming the our Church on special occasions such as when visiting priests came to hear confessions and so on. Always lovely to see him. Fr.Tom Crean the present day parish priest of Kenmare, he was curate here in the 70’s and touched many of our lives in a very meaningful ways during his time with us. Because of Covid people were not able to come out and show their appreciation of these wonderful men who served our people so well in every parish where they worked. However people did their best by lining their way to when they came to church to celebrate their Jubilee Masses. No church and no Hotel could hold the crowds if things were normal. . But their concern for safety prevented them from being there and the best way of showing their love was to stay away.
May the Good Lord Bless Fr.Jim Kennelly, Fr.Tom Crean and Fr. Tom Leane in the years ahead and all the others who were ordained fifty years ago.
The longest day continues bright and sunny into the evening, the worst of the silage rush seems to be over for the moment, but the people who have turf in the bogs are making use of the suitable weather to attend to it. Some turning it for the first time, others contemplations the arduos task of footing it. The weather as always is the deciding factor. There is no better feeling in the end than a shed of fine dry peat, all stacked up and ready to cook the meals and warm the house for the long Winter months ahead. Thanks to modern methods, bringing home the turf is no longer a daunting task. Tractors and huge trailers make light work of clearing the banks. It’s a far cry from the horse and crib and ever the humble little donkey of the old days. In our case the bog was at least five miles away, and day after day the little ass made the long trek, to bring home the turf, if the horse was busy at another task on the farm. The greatest hazard of that time was the turn of Keim. The down hill incline and the slippery tar road, made life very difficult for the little donkey to hold back his load and negotiate the bends at the same time. Big changes there too, I’m sure if we asked any young person today about the ‘turn of Keim’ they wouldn’t know what you were talking about . Little did we know then that this whole craggy area would be broken up and drawn away to make or repair other roads ,many miles from Keim.
Watering the flowers is a daily tack in this harsh dry weather but expanding hoses take the hard work out of it and the colourful blooms makes it all worthwhile. Different birds come and go, swallows and wagtails, swoop in and out of my shed at neck break speed barely missing one another but one little lad got it wrong today when banged into my kitchen window, luckily he was not injured and flew off again. I was surprised a few days ago to see a group of herons standing in the field at the back. It’s common to see one but five or six of them all at once, was new to me. Soon they all took flight and sailed away in the wind.
Here are the results of this weeks lotto draw which was held on Sunday night. Numbers drawn were 6,7,21,32.and the Jackpot was not won. €100 went to Breda O’Leary ,West End, the Seller was Centra and they got €50 sellers Prize, €50 went to Niamh O’Mahony, Incheleigh, €20 each James O’Mahony, c/o PJ Creedon, Mary Golden c/o Reens, Paul O’Connor, Lackabawn, Helen Kelleher, Aghabullogue, Might Trio, c/o Michelle Whelan, Our Croissant Man c/o Michelle Whelan. Peggy O’Sullivan ,Coolclough, and Patsy Dineen ,Rathmore, C/o Capabue.
Next draw will be on next Sunday night with a jackpot of €13,200. Tickets are available in shops and stores in the Town or can be paid in advance. Details from any member, the Millstreet Lotto is run in aid of the Millstreet GAA, The Town Park, and the Community Council for the Youth Complex. Please give it your best support as it is the life-line of our community.
Well done to Marie Twomey who spares no effort in improving peoples lives at the Adult Learning Centre in the Main Street. Her latest addition to her program is an eight bay tunnel where people will be trained in the rudiments of growing plants etc.
Be reminded that the newly refurbished Thrift Shop is open in Minor Row. Open for business five days a week from 9.30 to 3.30. Volunteers are needed both at the Thrift Shop and at the Sheltered Housing. If you can help please ring 029 70926. Their wonderful Meals on Wheels Service continues and all going well they hope to open the Day Centre in the first week of July.
Don’t miss Sean Radley tonight from 9.30 on Cork Music Station, it can be sourced from our website and his request program on Sundays from 12 noon another show not to be missed.
Slán agus Beannacht libh go léir.
