PROLOGUE: You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.

DONATE A CALF FOR CANCER: in conjunction with The Listowel Mart. We are asking farmers to bring their calf or calves to the Listowel Mart on March 24 and donate the proceeds to Palliative Care. For more information, please get in touch by email at info or by phone at 087 1755324. There is also a Go Fund me page if you’d like to donate some cash.

KNOCK: Congratulations to Knock which was elevated to International status by the Pope last Friday. The apparition site there is now of the same stature as Lourdes and Fatima and no doubt, when life returns to a semblance of normality will see pilgrims coming from all over the world. A new museum opened in a small town outside Rome in honour of the famous Italian sculptor Lorenzo Ferri. In 1960, Ferri created the beautiful statues which portray the Apparition scene at Knock and which now stand in the glass Apparition Chapel, on the spot where 15 ordinary villagers witnessed something extraordinary 136 years ago.

CLEAN-UP; Team Limerick (TLC) clean up year 6 will go ahead this Good Friday April 2. It was not held in 2020 due to Covid-19, and our communities show all the signs. The event will have to be Covid compliant as we could still be in Level 5. Individuals and groups are asked to register for the clean-up by logging on to www. teamlimerickcleanup.ie More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

DANGER: Pre-schoolers who use electronic media regularly are more likely to have social issues, according to recent reports.

LEGION of Mary will hold its Annual Consecration to Our Lady on Palm Sunday at 3.p.m. via the Killarney Cathedral Webcam. www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral. Please join us in making this consecration to Our Lady. This is the Centenary of the Legion of Mary 1921– 2021. The Legion of Mary will celebrate 100 years in September 2021.

SUMMER TIME: British summer time officially starts at 1am on Palm Sunday.

HEARTBEAT PRESENTS A SPECIAL ZOOM NIGHT FOR CARERS. Dr. Margaret Clifford Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Care with Kerry University Hospital will talk about special care and services in home and hospital. Zoom Meeting Monday March 29 sign in 7.30pm for 8pm. Receive the codes by texting Billy at 085 1773 910 or Email heartbeatkillarneykerry

ST. PATRICK’S DAY CONCERT IN CHURCH: PP Fr. Tony Mullins writes “Our sincere thanks to the Murphy family and Denis Curtin for the wonderful concert that they put on in the Church after the Vigil Mass for St Patrick’s Day. We know that there were over 1,100 links to the concert through the Church Services TV Network. Our intention was to reach out to parishioners both at home and abroad so that we could celebrate St Patrick’s Day. The music and song along with the celebration of Mass prior to the concert, certainly gave a much-needed lift to our spirits during this time of lockdown. We are grateful to Donal Murphy for organising the concert and to Riona Curtin and Katie O’Connor for the beautiful music and song during the celebration of Mass which Fr Dan celebrated in Irish. From messages received all was very much appreciated by parishioners both in Ireland and from around the world from Dublin to Dubai, from New York to London.

OUTREACH TO FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS: Fr Chris O’Donnell and the Pastoral Outreach team are offering another opportunity for front-line healthcare workers to take time out on Thursday, March 25. There will be two sessions on the day, one at 3pm and another at 8pm. You can register on the link below to receive the Zoom link:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/healthcare_breather

REVIVE YOUR LIFE: Live Streamed Event for Young People

Tired of being bored? Frustrated with life? Are you restless? Why not join The Holy Family Mission for Music, Prayer and Sharing. ‘How God has worked in our lives! On Friday, March 26 from 7.30pm -8.30pm. Live-Streamed on www.HOLYFAMILYMISSION.IE Holy Family Mission is headed up by Fr Patrick Cahill who is a regular visitor to the annual Abbeyfeale Parish Faith Camp.

DARKNESS INTO LIGHT 2021: You can join us at Sunrise – Saturday, May 8.

Sadly this year again we can’t come together as a community and walk together, but we can still join Pieta and Electric Ireland for a special Darkness Into Light sunrise, and give the gift of hope to those impacted by suicide and self-harm. Join in any way you can – walk, swim, and bike or simply share your sunrise moment. While we know the majority of people will want to rise on the morning of May 8, you can still wear your yellow t-shirt and do your own walk or challenge at any time that suits you. We know that the yellow Darkness Into Light t-shirt is very important to a lot of people, with many wearing it as a badge of honour. T-shirts are available this year as part of the registration, but if you have an old Darkness into Light t-shirt we would love if you could reuse it. This keeps our running costs down and is kinder to our planet. Our Early Bird tickets are in place until March 31 : Adult – 18+: Early Bird €21; Standard €26. Concession – Early Bird €16; Standard €21. Child – Early Bird €5; Standard €5. Baby/Toddler – €0; Standard €0. Family (max 2 adults + 5 children €52; Standard €6

Or can Take the Challenge. Raise vital funds for suicide prevention. Create your very own Darkness Into Light Challenge – whether you choose to organize a 10k hike, run a marathon, skydive or sea dive, your fundraising will support lifesaving suicide prevention services. All funds raised through donations and fundraising will go back into funding the services that Pieta provides, free of charge to those who need them most. Sign up to Darkness Into light before March 31st and you’ll automatically be entered into a draw to win a year’s free electricity from our proud partner Electric Ireland. A big thank you to all at Electric Ireland for this amazing prize and their continued support of Darkness Into Light. Visit www.darknessintolight.ie to sign up.

VIRTUAL FLEADH BY THE FEALE: Do you want to be a part of Fleadh by the Feale’s 2021 virtual weekend? The organising committee have been in touch; “We are looking for any local musicians, singers or dancers to send us a video clip of themselves to be in with a chance of featuring on this year’s virtual weekend! Performers of all ages welcome. Note: Video maximum length of 3 minutes. Video must be taken landscape orientation. Videos must be sent via WhatsApp to 0877419343 by Friday, March 26. At the start of your video please state: Your name. Where you are from. We are looking forward to sharing some local talent with you all”.

WEST LIMERICK MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION: WLMHA have a Face Book page open to the public. Log on and share for news of courses, help lines, inspirational words etc.

BATS IN SPRINGTIME: Spring has arrived and our resident bats are coming out of hibernation and beginning to feed again along the hedges, ditches and woodland areas. Bats are mammals, just like us, not rodents. The female has just one pup per year and a bat lives to be 7 years on average. We have 4 species of bat regularly seen in Abbeyfeale and in the surrounding area. Abbeyfeale Town Park is an ideal place in which to see bats. Irish bats eat only insects and one bat can eat 3000 insects per night. Remember that a bat can only feed at night and only if the temperature is moderate (there are no insects on cold nights). Also nights that are very wet or windy are hungry nights for bats, so a bat needs to eat well on every available night. In 2020 one colony of bats numbering 76 was monitored in Abbeyfeale Town Park and they would consume 1,500000 midges per week. To help our bats along, Abbeyfeale Community Council, under the chairmanship of Maurice O’Connell, has secured a supply of bat boxes. These boxes are placed on trees and give shelter and resting places to bats. Many of these bat boxes will be erected in Abbeyfeale Town Park and we also have some for distribution in the local area. Remember that the presence of bats is a great indicator of a healthy environment. Bats will only live where there is access to clean water, a good variety of plants and no pesticides in use, so if you are sharing your environment with bats, you are living in a healthy place. If you would like a bat box for the bats in your area please contact Maurice (086 163 1639) or James (087 2500 929) and we will be delighted to help.

LOCIAL ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE: Are you interested in developing or expanding your social enterprise? Have you an innovative approach to addressing community needs? ‘Cooperating to Succeed’ is an imaginative yet practical programme designed to support social entrepreneurs, providing a year-long training and support package, tailored to your current needs. For further information please contact kmurray or 069 66294.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: will be aired on the Radio 99.9fm every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 4pm. The Stations are on the Radio only, so you can listen from your own homes.

JOBS: Follow facebook.com/WestLimerickJobs for daily posts on job vacancies and training opportunities throughout West Limerick.

TAKEOUT AVAILABLE: We all need something to look forward to during these months of pandemic so why not treat yourself to a meal from Leens Hotel. Available from 1-8pm seven days a week. Conor Mc Carthy’s Kitchen Table has also reopened for Takeaway and the Green Gourmet in Convent St. is open for takeaway until 3pm Monday to Friday.

WEST LIMERICK COMMUNITY RADIO: Community Radio is very distinct from Local Commercial radio, providing access for rarely heard voices, diversity in programming including music, and acting as a means of community expression. No more than 50% of revenue can come from commercial sources. WL102fm are relying on tickets sales for their weekly draw to keep them on air as this is the only fundraiser that they can hold at the minute. Tickets are available in Kathleen’s Food Store, Convent St., Mikey’s stall in the Square and Moss the Farmers’.

CHURCH CLOSURE: Fr Tony Mullins 0872600414, Fr Dan Lane (Retired) 087/2533030, Fr Denis Mullane 087/26219. Due to current restrictions around Covid-19 parishioners are not allowed to attend Mass inside the Church Building but you are more than welcome to attend Mass in the Church Car Park in the comfort of your own car and listen to Mass on the Car Park Radio on 107fm. Due to current restrictions only 6 people are allowed to attend weddings and 10 to attend funerals. The Blessed Sacrament chapel is open every day from 11-6pm for private prayer. During Lent there will be adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Monday evening from 6-7pm and on Thursday mornings after the 10am Mass until 12 noon. St Anthony Novena take place each Monday evening during the 7pm Mass. Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help each Friday morning at 10am Mass. Stations of the Cross every Friday at 9.30am. Mass Intentions: Thursday 10am Eva White, Killarney Road. Friday 10am Kathleen Clarke nee Kelly, Knocknasna and Dublin died recently. No Saturday morning Mass 6.30pm Patrick Sonny O’Sullivan The Hill. Paddy & Kit O’Donovan and Family. John Brennan Senior & Junior late of NY Killarney Road and Tipperary. Sunday 12noon Mary B Kelly, Julia Kelly and Sr Maria Kelly Knocknasna. Parish Finance: Sincere thanks to parishioners who continue to support the church through their weekly offerings. Your weekly contributions enable us to keep the parish functioning and we are grateful for that. As well as using the weekly envelopes, parishioners can also use the DONATE button on the parish website www.abbeyfealeparish.ie. An increasing number of parishioners are opting to use this electronic donating system. It is a completely secure and confidential method of supporting the church

ABBEYFEALE COMMUNITY ALERT: An Garda Síochána is asking the public to be aware of the rise in investment fraud scams. Unfortunately such scams are becoming more prevalent, particularly during the pandemic due to increased online traffic and targeting of the general public by criminals using ever increasingly sophisticated means. An investment fraud scam is a fraud where criminals pose as investment managers, promise quick and high rates of return, and simply steal your money. The fraudster uses various investment schemes such as in rare metals, overseas property, and alternative energy schemes such as carbon credits and forestry. Promises are made of fast, enormous returns, once in a lifetime opportunities and can be seen to be endorsed by reputable business people or celebrities but this is without their knowledge. How to avoid Investment Fraud scams: If it is too good to be true, it probably is. Do your own research and be wary of wild claims. Always seek independent financial and legal advice before making any investments. Check the various registers on the Central Bank of Ireland’s website. Use regulated investment firms where possible (Virtual assets are not currently regulated in Ireland). Do not respond to unsolicited approaches or cold-calls. Don’t click on links for websites that you don’t know. NEVER EVER disclose your bank account passwords or codes. NEVER allow anyone remote access to your computer. Further information on investment and other fraud types can be found on http://www.garda.ieand www.fraudSMART.ie Romance scams have also become very prevalent in the age of Tinder where relationships are built up on social media and eventually he or it could be a she will look for a loan in order to come and visit you – God be with the days of Tobin’s Hall when all he’d want was the convey. Abbeyfeale Gardai can be reached on 068 30010. If the phone is unattended it will be patched through to NCW. Contact will then be made with the Abbeyfeale Gardai. When you reach the age of 65 and live alone or with a person/s aged over 65 you are entitled to receive a monitored alarm system. But if you have younger people living in the house who are out for long periods of the day then, because you are spending hours alone you are also entitled to the system provided that you are over 65. The free equipment is provided by Pobal following an application from Abbeyfeale Community Alert, there will be a monitoring fee to be paid from the second year of installation to the installing company of €72. There may be some confusion over the word free – the equipment which costs in the region of €400 is provided free of charge by Pobal as is the first year of monitoring but after that you will be charged by the installing company for the monitoring. I have not included the phone numbers of the committee in this notice but if you want to get a panic button then ring Abbeyfeale Garda Station on 068 30010 and they will contact one of us. Should you not have a landline the installing company Task provide a sim card at a rate of €7.50 per month payable from day one with a deposit of 6 months payable on the day of installation.. Then, in year two you will also receive a bill for the monitoring fee so in year one the bill will be €90 and in year two and every other year after it will €162 approx. If you wish you can arrange a direct debit and pay this amount off monthly. Committee members are Michael O’Kelly N.T., Chairman Seamus Stack, Secretary Mossie Gleeson, Assistant Treasurer Kathleen Collins, Assistant Secretary Mary McArthur, John O’Sullivan, Billy Quirke N.T., Cllr. Francis Foley, Catherine Daly, Maurice O’Connell, Assistant Treasurer Marian Harnett.

.HELPLINES: COVID-19 Support Line for Older People: The support line is open every day, 8am-8pm, by calling 081 822 2024. Hospice Bereavement Line 1800807077 Monday to Friday 10am – 1pm. Jigsaw support line is now up and running on freefone 1800 JIGSAW (544 729). It will provide free mental health support and advice to young people aged 12 to 25 years old, and parents or concerned adults who live in the Republic of Ireland. Text 50808 to receive support from a volunteer. A helpline for Men suffering domestic abuse operates 36 hours a week on 1800816588. Men’s Aid (Amen) 01 5543811 Monday – Friday 9-5pm. 24 hour helplines for women suffering domestic abuse 1800 341900 or Adapt 1800 200504. Limerick Social Services: 061-314111. AA 061/311222 Al-Anon 086/8143425. Parent Support worker 068/31019. Accord NCW 069/61000. Samaritans Freephone 116123 or text 087/2609090 or email Aware (Depression & Anxiety) 1980 303 302 National Suicide Helpline (Pieta House) 1800 247 247 Irish Advocacy Network (Peer advocacy in mental health) 01 872 8684 Pieta House (Suicide & self-harm) 01 623 5606 IACP (Counselling & Psychotherapy) 01 230 3536 Shine: (Supporting people affected by mental ill health) 01 860 1620 061 – 412111 or Free phone 1850609090 A.A. 061-311222. ACCORD; are now offering over the phone counselling for couples, Individuals & family members during this time of unprecedented stress & pressure during these weeks of COVID-19. Call: 01 5313331. Al-Anon 086-8143425 Bereavement Support: 068 / 31203 068/ 31262 068/51984 St Vincent De Paul Tel 087/1213560. Counselling Appointment 061/314213. .

DO YOU HAVE NEWS: If there is something you’d like covered in the Abbeyfeale notes please contact me on 087 6866450 or email me on marianharnett1


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