Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde and welcome to my report.
The Merry Month of May is not very merry today (Monday) with rain falling instead of the twenty degrees heatwave which was forecasted. However we must be thankful for what we get, because the grass and flowers won’t grow without the rain and there’s no more to be said. I like to use the wet weather to replenish my stocks of rain water. We cannot store up the sun, but we can store up rain. Old habits die hard and in olden times when every drop of the precious stuff had to be drawn in buckets from the nearest stream for general use and perhaps further away from the nearest well for making the tae or soup or boiling fruit and so on. So the custom of placing containers in strategic places to grab the liquid Manna from Heaven made sense. To put a barrel under the shoot came natural or many barrels under many shoots to make it better. Wetting the feeding for pigs, leaving pans of water out for fowl to drink, water to wash the spuds for the dinner all took their toll on what was in the barrel and when the store was empty there was nothing for it but take the long trek with a bucket in each hand to resume the long haul. From watching those before us we learned to save and spare, and use and reuse. It became a habit ,and gave us a great sense of achievement if we succeeded in our quest. For example if the stores under the spout were not still drained out before the next rainfall we’d be delighted that we made it to the next re-fill. I’m still like that today and count my tubs full of rainwater as a free gift from God every time I dip in my watering can.
Oh dear I’m after coming through a some trying times lately, one because of my personal alarm and the other the renewal of my driving licence and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Any threat to those two items bring “ould wans” like me out in a sweat. It’s a great thing to have an experienced older person in your life. Because the complaints that they had then are yours now. Even the dizzy spells and other aches that they had are yours now and while you may think that it’s going to kill you dead right now, well it didn’t kill her that time so take something and move on. But the written word, the long envelope with the harp on it and the transparent window showing your name and address. Oh horror of horrors. I have vivid memories of my own mother-in-law coming up the road from her own home nearby with the torn open envelope in her hand, all shakes. Look Eily read that, they’re taking my pension off of me and what will I do at all. A sit down and a friendly cup o’ tea and a read of the document later and it was all smiles again. Nothing to worry about after all. I must say I had her in mind these past few weeks when a message came through on my personal alarm on the wall to say that the number on it had been changed and to go on line and then they hung up, leaving me mystified as to what to do next. In the meantime my appliance was not working. Like the woman of old I contacted a younger brain. In the few places where Nora rang, including the number on the back of the alarm, they said they had never heard of me. Finally the break-through came when my daughter asked me who installed my alarm, thankfully I was able to recall that it was installed by Val. Moynihan the well known Val in Rathmore. With the help of Google she soon got his number, contacted him and he informed her that he has a list of folks like me and he’s going around to the houses changing the numbers. So I wait with bated breath and why didn’t the person on the phone first day tell me that.
A friendly notice came to my phone from the ESB to say that they will come today (Tuesday) to install my new Smart Meter.
The saga of the drivers licence renewal, is another experience worth relating, but not now. But a few pointers worth the telling, be sure and use black biro to fill the forms, be sure that if you are like me and need a doctors cert, that the cert is current. A friend told me that when he travelled down to Mallow they found that his doctors cert had expired by ONE day and he had to come home and get it done all over again. Also there is no need to get your picture taken in advance, they will do it at the licencing station. In closing I’d like to say a sincere word of thanks to my daughter Nora and the members of our Gardai at the barrack both male and female for the great help they gave me. All very much appreciated.
The Darkness into light fundraiser got the whole country up early on Friday pm/Saturday am and how edifying it is to see how people power can be put to work when the cause is a good one. Not only does such a venture raise great money for needy causes but it also creates new friendships cements the closeness between peoples from all walks of life. The goodwill which was created at the weekend will live on in the hearts and minds of all, the seniors who may bow out after many years and the first-timers who vow they will never miss it again.
Our Active Retired Group can justly take a bow following the highly enjoyable Tea Dance which they held as part of Feile Na Bealtaine at the Wallis Arms Hotel on Sunday from 2.30 to 5.30. The town was a maze of activity from early on with Sunday Mass at 11.30 and our Vintage Tractor Club embarking on a beautiful scenic trail before ending at the Wallis Arms for a scrumptious meal in the main dining room. Further on in the function room the tables were set, complete with flowers and coloured lights and bowls of sweets and drinks as our brilliant group welcomed supporters from many other places, CastleMagner, Rylane, Macroom, Coachford, to name but a few. The atmosphere was delightful as people who have been starved of social events for so long were hungry for the excitement of meeting old friends again, renewing old acquaintances and filling the floor with dancing feet. All to the musical strains of Peter Lane of Blackwater Sound Fame. Midway through the evening there was a break and lovely refreshments were served giving everybody a further chance to meet and mingle. There was a draw for many valuable prizes and the evening ending with everybody on the floor and nobody wanted it to end. Well done to the organisers, they did us proud, showing once again the Mná na hÉireann are still a force to contend with. Buiochas le dia.
But the day did not end there, as it was the closing night of the popular 45 Drive at Ballydaly Hall, it was marked by a party, local volunteers did the baking and when the last game was played the party began and everybody enjoyed the comradery, but taken aback completely was me fein, when a huge birthday day cake was wheeled with the correct numbers atop. Lost for words I thanked the people for the lovely gesture and ended with the wish that we’d be all here again this time next year. No words can do justice to a lovely surprise like that. I have to take my hat off the Richie O’Connor who soldiered alone to keep the lovey Ballydaly Hall open during the winter months and into the month of May for people who love their game of 45. At the end Richie addressed the crowd and his meaningful words touched everyone. Many thanks to him and to all who helped in any way to give us the many hours of pleasure that we’ve had in Ballydaly Hall, until the next time.
Here are the results of this weeks lotto draw which was held on Sunday night. Numbers drawn were 3,20,26,29 and the jackpot was not won. €100 went to Karen Murphy, c/o Rita,Rita O’Reilly was the seller and she got €50 sellers prize, €50 went Michael O’Brien, c/o N.Tarrant. €20 each to Helen Murphy, Killarney Rd, Joan O’Riordan, c/o Colemans, Jerry Heineken, c/oT.Carroll, Pat & Geraldine Kelleher, c/o Eily, Liz Healy, c/o Colemans. Don O’Riordan c/o Corkery’s, Pauline & Hughie, c/o The Bridge Bar and Dannie O’Riordan, c/o Jackie.
Next Draw May 15th. Jackpot €20,000
I want to wish God’s Blessing on the little children who will get their First Holy Communion this weekend. And hope the weather will be kind.
I’d like to say a quick hello to the Patrick Buckley ,on a weeklong trip from America and his two friends, who dropped by the Castle at the weekend to visit a few cousins of the same name, before going on to Dingle and more parts of the Great Atlantic Way. Have a great trip.
Agus sin a bhfuil, a chairde, have a good week ,Slán.
