COMMUNITY FEST:
As mentioned in last week's Notes, our Community Fest takes place this weekend, from 11am to 5pm. There will be a variety of event going on throughout the day, including the official opening by the Mayor at 1.30pm. St. Mary's Fife and Drum Band will attend to regale the gathering. There will be Face Painting an a Dog Show. And, of course, music always abounds at an event such as this. Tin Whistle and the Men's Shed famous Bodhrán Group will be there and to top off the day's festivities we have Mc and Music by Rachel Quinlivan. So, come along nd join the fun! We hope the weather is good on the day. Well doe to all the organisors of this brilliant annual event!
PARISH OFFICE CLOSED:
Our Parish Office will be closed for the months of July and August 2019. Any enquiries can be made to the sacristy on 061 416300 on any morning between 8.30am and 9.45am.
A DEFIANT BISHOP:
So reads the minor heading in a recent edition of that vey popular magazine "Ireland's Own" dated July 12th, 2019. There is a full page article by Joe Lonergan, together with a fine picture of the said Bishop, Edward O'Dwyer, where the subject matter deals with how Bishop Edward dealt with British rule in Ireland. Back in 1916, our then Bishop became a hero for advanced nationalists in Ireland because of his spirited reply to a letter from General Maxwell.
A TALE OF TWO BOATS:
In the above-mentioned magazine of the same date, our popular native writer and national broadcaster, Mae Leonard, has an article entitled "A Tale of Two Boats" where she relates true event which took place in her late teens, when one might readily agree, life was taking on an altogether different veneer! Her father, Leo Clancy, went on a mission to rescue his old boat as summer raised its happy head once again. A firm pal of this boating man, Mae herself wishes that the said boat is 'past its sell by date!' "Won't last much longer," Dad says, "this summer at the island will be her last one." That would be good news for Mae, as she has recently discovered an altogether far more interesting 'leisure venture' that of Boys, yes Boys! Where on earth had that 'species' been all her life? They sail from Athlunkard Boat Club, up the Abbey River and hopefully the old boat will survive the trip to Thomas's Island. As is her wont, this article exhibits an amount of local place names in a tale beautifully told, with a delightful flush of literary lore and English that is admirable, to a degree that in the telling of a story, we are given the pleasure of actually enjoying the language.
SUNDAY MISCELLANY AT FIFTY:
Just to mention because of Mae's frequent appearance on this radio programme every Sunday morning 9.10am to ten, there is a ten week radio programme on RTE Radio 1 every Wednesday and Thursday evening 10pm tp 11pm. And believe it or not, Mae headed the first programme last week as she related a hilarious tale about he wedding day! Yes indeed, Mae did take time out of her very busy life to actually get married. And, I understand there will be a publication containing all the essays from these ten programmes.
GERRY THE SOCCER STAR:
Many people will have been saddened upon learning of the death of a very popular local man, Gerry McCarthy, Thornbrook, Westbury. A noted and extremely talented soccer giant, Gerry had a vital and last input into our local soccer team, Star Rovers. Possessing a most endearing and outgoing manner, he also possessed a sterling character. In the 50s he and his future wife, Anne, cut what was the termed, 'quite a dash!' And believe me, neither had to do much to achieve this, as they were a naturally attractive couple, and this attractiveness did not abate as life progressed. In short, not alone when together, but individually, they had the ability to turn heads! We offer our heartfelt sympathy to his loving wife, Anne, his daughters, Marian (Hurley), Annette (Coffey), his son, Ger, and his numerous relatives and friends. At dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. Just as I type this piece, the late Gerry has featured on 95fm news.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC AND GERRY:
I just happened to be in the old McKern's Printing Works on Glentworth Street, recently and there framed up on the entrance wall space was the dashing man himself, the late Gerry back in 1956. Surrounded by his adoring workmates, he is pictured being presented with a memento by Works Manager, John Ryan, (my father and pal), John Ryan. The occasion celebrated the famous soccer player's move to Charlton Athletic. This memorable picture can be seen in "A Stroll Down Memory Lane" number 11, by San Curtin.
INTERESTING KILKEE TALKS:
There is quite an eclectic line-up of topics and speakers for July and August in Kilkee this Summer. Run by Kilkee Civic Trust the Talks take place every Wednesday evening at Cutúrlann Library beginning at 8pm and run for an hour or a little more, and entry is free. Here is the programme. Having attended and even participated in these Talks in past years, I can verify to their excellence and many of the participants will have their book on sale following the event if a person wishes to purchase it.
July 3rd Hope and Healing in a Troubled World by Ruari McKiernan
July 10th The Bard of Thomond by Christy Power
July 17th Land War in East Clare with particular reference to Bodyke by John J. Kelly
July 24th Here Come the Yanks (Life of Brendan O’Regan) Brian O’Connell and Cian O’Carroll
July 31st Solo Hiking in Remote Regions by Dermot Cosgrove
August 7th Steaming and Puffing Through West Clare by Joe Coleman
August 14th Pictorial Record of Kilkee by JJ Hickie
August 21st Life in the Darkness (Caving etc.) by Jim Warny
August 28th Emigration from Kilkee and Limerick to New York by Jane Halloran Ryan
COMMUNITY EVENT:
We will be celebrating a wonderful community event here in the Parish in the middle of July. Encompassing an eclectic array of events, I will have the line-up in my notes next week. I do know that St. Mary’s Fife and Drum Band will feature.
SUMMER STORYTIME:
Will take place for children at the Granary Library on the following dates. All take place at 11am on July, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st and August 7th and 14th. So, bring your children along and let them enjoy a story or two.
A VERY BUSY MARY STREET IN 1788:
It is not a bad idea at times to take a look back at the real good commercial times. Taking a look any day as one walks through Mary Street, it is baffling to thinks of a superbly busy street. Well, that is exactly what existed there back in 1788.
GLOVES FOR THE QUEEN:
George Alley (mercer), Thomas Alley (chandler), Abel Allison (cabinet-maker), Ellen Ankettle (wine merchant), James Barry (tobacconist), Alexander Blood (hosier), Barron & West (milliners), Barret (breeches-maker), 2 Bluetts (spirit and wine makers), John Boyce (attorney at law), Thomas Bryan (gun maker), George Davis (apothecary), Edward Flin (printer and bookmaker), Richard Fitzgerald (saddler and bridle cutter), Bartholomew Graves (stocking maker), James Lyons (manufacturer of Queen’s gloves), Denis Kennedy (chandler and soap boiler), Mary Mell (gun maker). What a resilient lot of entrepreneurs they were back in the 18th century as life progressed on into the next century, and one wonders how we are progressing in this century? Certainly a plethora of technology and the like but you’d be hard-pressed to find a decent handyman and I just had a thought: if the plug was to be pulled on all the high-tech gadgets, including computers, email etc, what on earth would we do? I suppose life might slowly return to the type of business ventures we had on Mary Street back in 1788. But the question remains, would people have the graft?
OUR CURCH OF OLD 2:
“Paddy X was feeling very uncomfortable, his liking and capacity for the national beverage was legendary and I suspected that the previous night was a hectic one in his local hostelry. In those days Guinness was only 9 old pennies a pint and a chap could have a good night for £1, (why didn’t we drink more of it at that price I hear someone say). The sight of the skeleton, allied to the effects of last night, was having a more salutary on Paddy than all the sermons on intemperance he had ever heard in church.” I don’t think,” I said, “that is a priest’s skeleton. The priests are buried further up the Church under the four slabs, with their names and other details on them.”
Where the remains were found, would be some six feet or so inside the old church, the front portion of which had been removed some two years earlier to make room for the back wall of the new church. It was decided after consultations with the Parish Priest and the builder, that the remains be re-interred in one corner under the tank, and there he awaits resurrection. It is my opinion that the remains are those of the Spaniard buried by Fr James White in 1746.” (The conclusion of an article written by the late and much respected Sacristan, Willie Bartlett. It formed part of the Golden Jubilee book 1982)
