Eily’s Report 18th August

 

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my report.

The month of August is certainly living up to it’s name as being a season of floods and change with many places in the County paying the price with their homes and places of business destroyed by flash floods. But it is not all doom and gloom, there is always something to be cheerful about and the recent past being no exception. We have to put all sob stories aside and think of  happy things.  Take the two young men who saved young lives at sea  during the week. One lad in Dublin threw his own safety to the wind and jumped in and saved two youngsters from being drowned. Meanwhile off the West Coast a young lad out on the fishing boat with his Dad, was the first to spot the two ladies as they clung to a lobster pot for 15 long hours  and what young lad of his age wouldn’t change places with him  for being the knight in shining armor to rescue two damsels in distress from a watery grave in the deep. All night the country held it’s breath and prayed that the cousins would be found safe.  The pulse of the nation took a leap next morning  at the wonderful news that they were found safe and well . No doubt the two heroic lads will have a great story to tell for the rest of their lives. bBuíochas le Dia.

There is good news too for people who are making an effort to get their businesses up and running again, The County Council has doubled their initial funding of €2,000 to €4000, with prospects of further increases along the way. Details can be viewed on our website ,or on line at www.YourCouncil.ie and good luck.

Our town is being treated to some beautiful murals on the walls of our Post Office complex within the Garda Barracks Yard, the second on the gable of O’Riordan’s wall in Minor Row at the exit from the Fairfield.   Others are to follow such as the on the end house in Church Street. On the Macroom Road my plea will never change which is to paint the chimneys on the lovely Church Street houses. What an entry it would make to our town.  Maybe it’s just a dream, but one that I intend to hold on to.

The sultry weather is doing little for the roses and many other soft petaled flowers ,but the begonias which our Tidy Towns Club have planted are a wonderful blaze of colour around the town, never fails to give an uplifting  feeling to the passer by.

And the Lotto Draw is back. The first draw was held at the Wallis Arms Hotel on Sunday night. There was a Jackpot of €8,400 which was not drawn in March because of the pandemic.  To say it wasn’t easy would be an understatement but the brave members soldiered on. Social distancing was paramount, representatives of all three partners were in attendance, and Secretary Marie Twomey saw  that  sanatisers and masks  were in plentiful supply, she even supplied wet sponges, so that those who were checking the tickets don’t have to lick their fingers.  Everybody wore a mask or viser which made it very difficult for the exacting nature of their work .Fogged up visers and hot masts didn’t help but the dedicated crew completed their task. The draw which should have been held 22 weeks ago, went ahead and the Jackpot of €8,400 was not won. Tickets for next week were distributed. But with the closure of the pubs and with many sellers not feeling safe to return  some difficulties lie ahead.  Many supporters like to contribute in advance some pay by the month,others by the half year or the full 12months. Such support would be much desired in the present situation. For the foreseeable future the weekly draw will be held at the Wallis Arms Hotel,by kind permission of the owner.

It’s in everybody’s interest to help the Lotto.

Do all you can do to help it grow to the great  institution that is was.

    Here are the results of Sunday nights draw.  Numbers drawn 8,27,28,32.  €100 went to Our Diet Coke Mother c/o Michelle Whelan .E50 Denny and Sineád.

. E20 each Elina ,,Millstreet, Ann Marie Buckley, c/o the Camogie Club, James,Ryan & Adan c/o number 10. Gordon O Keeffe, Priests Cross, Cloghoula School, Mollie Keane Millstreet,Enright Family, Station Rd & The Twomey Grandkids c/o Chris, Jackpot for next week €8,600 .The draw at the Wallis Arms Hotel. Starts at 9.30.

Great news about our precious Pipe Band. Band member Marie Twomey informs me the IRD Duhallow have approved a grant to the tune of €25,000 towards the cost of new uniforms and other equipment amid high praise for their many years of loyal  dedication . Naming  events such as Beal na mBlath, The Rose of Tralee Festival, Munster Finals  and a host of other of other occasions that they have graced over the years. We would like to congratulate our Pipe Band on the wonderful grant in recognition of all they do in our community and beyond.

Further improvement are afoot in our town,this time at Clara Road where the sewage system is being brought up to date. It hasn’t been changed since the development of the Industrial Estate in Mount Leader. This will make a welcome improvement to this important service.

I thought it was too late for setting spuds, I did, until I saw Diarmuid Gavin planting them on his program on TV during the week. According to him if we plant a few in a bucket with compost now, we’ll have our own new tubers for Christmas, He only put in a small amount of compost at first and as the stalks come up ,keep adding more loam. I must try it. Rising to the spuds, or the garden as the potato field was often called, was a task that had to be done every year when people grew large amounts of them. Like as the man on the telly said,to keep adding the earth,to support the plant as it grew  longer.  When the stalks came up to a certain height it was time to rise to them. Small plots were done manually. When the earth between the drills or in some cases ridges was loosened up,using a hoe or spade, then it was picked up with a shovel and spread around the roots . In a larger gardens where there were often a couple of acres, the horse and scuffler were brought into action. This job was often left to late in the day as it was deemed that the plants stood up more erect at that time. The trusty horse would nimbly pick his steps between the drill and rarely if ever break a plant. On reaching the headland he would make drive to reach the ditch and grab a bite of lust juicy grass before turning into the next drill. When every drill was done the scuffler was put aside and the horse hitched to the plough which raised the loosened earth up around the stalks, giving them new support and making sure that the new tubers were well covered in their bed of clay.

Back to school is looming and every parent and child is hoping that nothing will prevent it from happening. The long months have weighed heavy on the young and on their parents. Some having to play the part of múinteoir for many weeks. Youngsters longing to meet their friends,everybody knows the story and now that there is light at the end of the tunnel, let all our prayers be that nothing will happen to put it out.

 It’s sad to say that dog rustling is still very real and many treasured pets have disappeared. Losing a pet can be very upsetting  so it’s up to each one of us to keep an eye out for any suspicious movements in our own areas, Our TextAlert system is working very well and it’s great when the Gardai can tip people off. If there is anybody out there who is still not a member of  Text Alert

It is not too late to join. Ask any member of the Community Council.

Our Masses in the Church are going very well. As time goes on there isn’t the need for so many ushers as the people know the rules and they obey them in detail. Masses on line are no exception now and there is a wide range of choice available at all times of the day or night.

The great Meals on Wheels service continues to bring fresh cooked dinners to a great number of people five days every week.plus a cooked dinner ,which can be reheated, available for Saturday . The contact number 02970926.

I want to extend our deepest sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones in the recent past. Covid19 has made it very difficult. Communities at large miss the get together that funerals bring. Sad and all as a funeral is, it brings people from all quarters together. It leads to many conversations, tracing of family relations. Meeting old school friends and just seeing people that you haven’t  seen in years. It’s a way of life that is sadly missed and it is our dearest hope, one that will come back again.

I must offer our special sympathy this week to the wonderful Kelleher Family Aubane to Kathleen and her wonderful family of eigh, on the recent passing of John, treasured husband and Dad. Outstanding  member of the community. May God reward him for his great work and grant his soul Eternal Rest.

Sin a bhfuil de a cairde,have a great week, look on the bright side.Keep safe and keep on praying that a vaccine will soon be found to stamp out  the worldwide pandemic . Slán.