Community News
Updated 15/02/021
CATHEDRAL LUNCHTIME LECTURE:
Join us virtually every Tuesday in February for our Lunchtime Lecture Series. Take a break and listen to our wonderful speakers as they share the life and times of people like Maureen O'Hara and Napoleon Bonaparte. Please follow the links provided each week. The lectures begin at 1.15pm and usually take about 45 minutes. A welcome distraction during this time we hope.
Week three focuses on Florence Nightingale. “The Lady with the Lamp”. Florence Nightingale- a nurse, a statistician, a social reformer and the founder of modern nursing. What was her link to Limerick? Find out more and join us virtually as Noreen Ellerker explains all on Tuesday 16th February at 1.15pm.
Login to www.churchservices.tv/limerickstmarys
ISLAND FIELD 1935:
Browsing through the archives of the 'Limerick Leader' recently, I happened upon a very interesting article having to do with our parish “At the opening of the Island Field housing scheme (380 houses) on Sunday, August 1935, the Mayor, Mr. James Casey, congratulated the new tenants, whom he said had been rescued from the slum districts, unsanitary houses and unhealthy surroundings. All the city bands attended and an open-air dance, at which a string orchestra provided the music, was enjoyed by the tenants and the many thousands who joined in. The Mayor visited Mrs. Hurley, who was the mother of the first child to be born in the scheme and promised that he would act as godfather to the infant.”
A PARKMAN TO THE CORE:
In keeping with the memory of the late Christy Hannan, I am pleased bring my readers to the attention of a poem I penned back in the early 90s, a poem I understand that the late Christy cherished so much that he had the poem framed. It is entitled, “The Park Danes” and consists of five verses with a refrain intermingled throughout. Space allows me to publish but one of the verses and the refrain.
THE PARK DANES
Three town-lands stood outside the boundary,
Lower Park, Singland, and Rhebogue,
These three town-lands merged as one,
When horse and donkey were in vogue.
At the north-east corner of the city,
Were tucked thatched cottages in two rows,
Where Cunneens, Quilligans, McNamaras and Hannans,
Their turnips and their cabbage grows.
Oh, the Parkmen were a sturdy race,
Who with the homely earth kept pace,
They cheerfully rose with the morning lark,
And diligently toiled till after dark.
Maureen Sparling
This poem can be found in my earlier collection entitled, “Reflection of Life” and the complete poem can be procured by emailing me at the above address. It is interesting to note that the poet, Canon Richard Ross-Lewin (
Kilmurry) wrote a poem entitled, “The Men of Park” This gifted poet died in February 1922.
