CONFIRMATION
Our local children who attend St. Mary's National School on Bishop Street, will make Confirmation on Saturday, June 14th at the 11am Mass. We wish each of them the very best of the day, also their teachers and parents, who all play a part one way or another in the preparation for this Sacrament. Let us hope that the good weather returns for this monumental occasion in their young lives.
A WONDERFUL STORY
What a most wonderful story that arrived in last week's column of our weekly Community Notes!. That of the visit to our musical and literary conscious city of the great-grand-daughter of the initial founder of McNamara's Band, Patrick McNamara, back in the year 1885, the band that is now known as St. Mary's Fife and Drum Band, with its consummate Bandmaster, Derek Mulcahy, at the helm. Yes indeed, Laurie Oates McNamara, from the USA, visited the Bandroom on Mary Street, that exhibits an ecstatic well-preserved museum, that would dazzle you. From there, she visited St. Mary's Church, with friends of the McCarthy family originally from St. Francis Abbey, where she viewed the very Baptismal Font in which her ancestors were actually baptised all those years ago. This gracious lady not alone traced her ancestry, but also paced the very ground upon which they had walked in the very heart of our parish, The Parish! Long live that musical, melodious, and truly, marvellous Band! And mention was made of our beautiful church in that article. One must never forget, that much praise is due to Canon Donough O'Malley, who during his tenure within our parish, saw ti it that the interior of our church (built in 1932) was expertly attened to by the much-accomplished Ecclesiastic Decorators, Hodkinson's of Henry Street. Great attention was paid to detail and the result was a visual delight!
OUR PRIZE BAND
By Patrick McNamara it was founded
By their playing you'd be quite astounded
With fife and with drum
Sure, they never look glum
And on New Year's Eve by fans they're surrounded!
Our All-Ireland Prize-Winning Band celebrates its 140th birthday this year. St. Mary'a Fife and Drum Band was founded in a humble abode in 1885, one year after the founding of Shannon Rugby Football club. Isn't it great that both thsese outstanding establishments, both musical and sporting, are still vibrant?
PARISH NEWS
We encourage local groups in the area to avail of the weekly Newsletter to promote upcoming events. To include your notice, please send details for both parishes to saint This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with Newsletter in the heading.Our Newsletter is printed every Thursday at 12 noon. Items received after this time will not be included.
LOURDES PILGRIMAGE
Final places are now available on our upcoming Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage. Dates June 18 – 24, departing from Shannon. In particular, limited places are available for Assisted Pilgrims. We are seeking the help of registered nurses to volunteer. Contact Karen at Limerick Diocesan Office 061 350000 (Parish Newsletter)
FLOWERS IN BLOOM
Almost every colour under the sun
And the summer has only just begun,
With an eclectic floral vast aarray
Noel, for sure hath a way!
The few lines above are in joyful praise of our talented and loyal Church Caretaker and Gardender Supreme, Noel. If you happen to be strolling by Athlunkard Street, stop for a moment or two and drink in the massive colourful floral profusion. Transfoorms the mind to a mini-paradise!
MEDITATION GROUP
“...Let us go to a quiet place and rest a while...” Our Parish group meets every Tuesday at 10.45am in St. Nicholas Prayer Chapel. Everyone is welcome.
FLAME OF LOVE CENACLE
Tuesday at 7.00 – 8.00pm at St. Nicholas Parish. New members are welcome. Under 18s cannot be facilitated until further notice. For more information; www.flameoflove.ie or call Rachel at 0857536504.
NICHOLAS STREET 1788
Over in Creagh Lane, there was a man by the name of George Alps and he was an Attorney at Law and a Practor. I found that the latter word means a supervisor of a dormitory or of examinations. While around the corner on Mary Street we had no less than 18 people gainfully employed in the running of one profession or job or another; come to that next week. Around the turn of the 19th century, Athlunkard Street boasted of 16 pig-buyers. However on Nicholas Street, known as the Great Street, back in the year 1788, we find the following trades: Thomas Appleyard, a skin and feather merchant; Thomas Bennis had a hardware house; Richard Clarke was a cabinet maker, an upholder and an auctioneer; Martin Hanan was a tailor; William Jephson was an iron-monger; John McGregor was a hatter (or milliner). while Joseph Jephson was a shoemaker.
