Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde and welcome to my report.
The long life of our €20.000 Jackpot was brought to a successful conclusion at the offices of our Adult Learning Centre on Sunday night. The lovely Paddy and Mary Golden came to claim their wonderful prize as did Marie Reen to claim her €2 000 seller’s prize. A fine number of members turned up to greet them and a pictorial record of the special occasion was expertly done by Sean Radley, as only Sean can. Mary was well-known to some of the members as a great supporter of Bingo here in Millstreet in the past and now starting off with a jackpot of €6.600 the dedicated team will continue their great work in aid of Millstreet GAA, The Town Park and the Community Council for the Youth Centre. Needless to say it cannot be done without your help, your continued support enables these leading groups to keep Millstreet on the map for people of all ages in our community. So please keep up the good work.
Wherever you go these days the place is a stir with preparations for Back to School. Book shops, drapers, shoe-shops and lots more are at the pin of their collar to cope and to meet with the new demands of our education systems today and also the rules of each individual school expense, nothing short of alarming. One little girl entering the Community School for the first time, her books cost just under €400. It’s a far cry from our day when the same books were passed on from one child to the other in a family or with the neighbours and cousins The same went for school clothes, they were passed on and always with a strict warning not to damage them, take them off when you come home because the next one needed them as soon as they fitted. Patches on clothes was the norm, and the craft told a lot about the Bean’ Tighe. Some mothers were expert needlewomen, while others left a lot to be desired. They had this saying which was trotted out all too often. Patch upon patch is better than a hole. But in the case of a bad job, they’d add but a patch upon that is worse than a hole. This was where the Grannie of the house proved her worth. They were always knitting and turning out lovely jumpers for the family. Little boys never wore underwear and didn’t graduate to a long pants until they were about thirteen. The knee length trousers which they wore were of strong corduroy, with loose legs, and it can only be imagined how cold they felt in the long months of Winter. At least we, the girls wore cotton knickers with elastic at the knees and waist, under a calf-length skirt of serge. Gloves and overcoats were off the Richter scale. Anybody looking for one was just laughed at and chided for being a softie. Getting money for school stuff was like pulling hen’s teeth. Money for a copy from Mary Cronin’s or a nib for a pen, maybe a jotter, met with high-pitched scorn, moreover after a bad night at the track or at the cards. Seasons were a lot more defined that time. Winter was cold with lots of rain and frost and very often, snow. Spring came, again in a rather predictable way, with brighter evenings, less intense weather and a promise of early growth. Summer of course, the joy that was expected of it sunny days, cows in the fields, Birds, rabbits and hares making sure of the future of their line. Autumn the easing off the rush of Summer and securing the fruits of the Earth and man’s labour to make sure that the coming Winter was well provided for.
As I referred earlier to clothing, or clothing in the distant past. The man’s Sunday suit was something of an institution. Worn for Sunday Mass only and changed the minute he came home and carefully hung up until the following Sunday. The suit told a lot about the man in it. The gold watch and chain across a well-formed belly with a stop in the middle where it went through a buttonhole in the waistcoat, told of much wealth , someone who had to be avoided by smallies and treated with a tip of the hat by many grownups. The working man, God help us was very often in hand-me-downs. And didn’t mix in any way with the former. ‘Kept His Place’, which was the popular thinking of the time. The working man’s Sunday attire was only marginally better than his everyday garb for the hard work that he had to do. I can see him now on a hot summer’s day, thick tweedy old trousers worn away well about his ankles, hanging from his shoulders by well sweaty old galoshes, a grey undershirt peeping through holes on a shirt that stared life as white, but not now, topped off with a gansie which was lovingly knitted by some old woman beside an open fire many moons before. But now with gaping holes and evidence of his last meal showing. The customary egg-drop plain for all to see. Where buttons were missing, pieces of wire or an old nail usually stepped into play. The old coat he wore was no better, things like bits of rope or wire stuck out of the pockets, a battered old hat on his unkept head and boots and socks which left a lot to be desired. But he was lovely, kind and gentle and we could always stop and talk to him on our way home from school. He’d tell us some far-reaching tales which we found hard to believe. Or with a piece of twine in his hand he would drive his fingers here and there through it ,and come up with a cat’s cradle .He wore the same clothes Winter & Summer and while we basked in Summer cottons to keep us cool we’d ask him why doesn’t he change into something lighter and his reply was always the same, child, what’ll keep out the cold will keep out the hate.(heat).May God rest him.
I took a visitor from the USA into the church Yard Graveyard recently and it was so pleasing to see some graves newly upgraded. Needless to say more work needs to be done. And as there are many efforts being made to make Millstreet an Age Friendly Town, perhaps a couple of seats here and there in our graveyards would be a welcome development.
With the new changes in our Mass times caused by the shortage of priests, we must all try a make ourselves and the world around us more aware of the need for more prayers and devotion. For people like me it is most alarming to see how many of our well-established forms of prayer have disappeared over time. Many a cross was lifted and many a request granted by those who did the nine First Fridays. Which was indeed a very taxing this to do. It required going to 7.30 am Mass for nine consecutive First Fridays and go to confession the same weekend. I’m involved in ‘Ireland Needs Fatima’ and they are asking us the get involved in doing the five first Saturdays .Again to get Confession the same weekend and spend about fifteen minutes praying to Our Lady. It may seem a little farfetched in today’s World, but if the need is great enough, it’s worth a try. Devotion to the Divine Mercy and the Sorrows of Our Lady are other forms of prayer which are easy to say, but with wonderful results.
Eucharistic Adoration in our Church every Tuesday from 10.30.
Mass every Day of the week in our church. 7.30 Mon & Fri. And ten am on Tues, Wed, & Thurs.
Legion of Mary on Tuesday nights in the parish Centre at 7.30.
Sad to say that the lovely Sr. Columbanus of the Presentation Order, Killarney has passed away. May her Gentle soul Rest in Peace.
Many Congratulations to our wonderful Pipe Band on their fine appearance at the Centenary of Beal na Bláth on Sunday.
Congratulations to Connie Houlihan of Cullen Pipe Band Fame on winning Gold for their Band. Their Church Gate collection will be held this weekend. Please support them well.
The Blackberry Season is well and truly on, Hedges and ditches are strewn with them as well as wild raspberries. All free for the picking.
Here are the results of this week’s lotto draw which was held on Sunday night. Numbers drawn were 5,8,20,32 and the Jackpot was not won. €100 went to Liam Healy, Murphy’s Tce. the Seller was Paula and she got €50 seller’s prizev€50 went to Joan Wall, Station Rd. €20 each to Denis O’Riordan ,Clondrohid, Michael Twohig, Flintfield. Maureen Burke c/o Tom Carroll, Sheila O’Mahony, Kilmeedy, Pamela Brophy c/o The Camogie Club. Teresa Kelleher c/o Centra, Ian Buckley, c/o The Bush. Mary Lane Drishane Rd. Next Draw August 28 Jackpot €6,600.
Fundraising Dance in aid of Air Ambulance, Rathcoole At the CYMS Hall Newmarket on Friday September 2.
Set Dancing to resume in Aubane Community Centre, Monday Sept. 19. Music by Tim Joe and Ann.
Sinn a bfuil a cairde, have a good week. Slán.
.
