PROLOGUE: “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire
GLÓRACH BINGO: Lorcan Curtin reports: “ Fantastic attendance once again at the GAA grounds, with the fine dry weather once again playing its part, although the breeze coming up from the Feale would cut through you at times. While the upbeat feeling on Sunday could also be attributed to the recent lifting of restrictions, it will be a while before we run bingo again in the Theatre space. Too many false hopes over the last two years have not made us cynical, but most definitely cautious, and any decision to move indoors will be taken with due care and clarity. Look forward to seeing ye on Sunday, January 30th at the usual starting time of 1.30 pm.”
FEAST DAY OF ST. BRIGID: February 1 is the feast of St. Bridget. Her cross is thought to keep evil, fire and hunger from the home in which it is displayed. Many will be making the cross over the coming days. There are several tutorials on how to make her cross on You Tube.
WRITE A SHORT STORY: If you are a member of the ICA you might consider entering their competition to write a short story entitled “The Window” max 2,000 words, the closing date is January 28 for entries.
MEDJUGORJE PILGRIMAGE: Departing from Shannon to Mostar September 7th to 14th Half board accommodation full religious programme operated by Marian pilgrimages Fare €725 for names received before Jan 31st Details from John O Brien Group Leader Doon Co Limerick 086 8586304.
MOTORSPORT EVENT FOR CHARITY: Kerry motorsport community are running a car show at the Brandon Car Park in Tralee on February 13.
SIAMSA TÍRE: Learn traditional Irish music, song, and dance with a range of online and in-person classes starting at Siamsa Tíre at the end of January. These classes will be taught by four members of Siamsa Tíre’s professional cast of performers: dancer Jonathan Kelliher, musician and composer Tom Hanafin, and singers Joanne Barry and Martina Ryan Murphy. More details (https://kerrycoco.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b3755ab5575cb711eac9566f8&id=0e0267a91a&e=57e387efec)
GREENWAY in North Kerry, a 10km trail along the old railway line from the Limerick county bounds into Listowel, will be complete in June. Greenway https://youtu.be/u8LqehMpHPs
CITIZENS ADVICE: They are available to deal with queries Monday to Friday between 9.30am – 4.15pm and can be contacted by phone on 0761 07 5780 or by email on limerick
FESTIVAL: Ballydonoghue Bardic Festival 2022, will take place this year from – March 24th to 27th. Closing date for entries to the writing competitions is February 28 https://ballydbardfest.com/
WRITING: Kerry Writers’ Museum are now taking bookings from primary schools for their free creative writing workshops delivered by Fighting Words Kerry.
Pupils will create an original story & get it published with illustrations by one of their volunteer tutors. Suitable for pupils from 3rd-6th class. More details (https://kerrycoco.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b3755ab5575cb711eac9566f8&id=dfe0807534&e=57e387efec)
CHURCH NEWS: Fr Tony Mullins 0872600414, Fr Dan Lane (Retired) 087/2533030, Fr Denis Mullane 087/26219. Fr Dan Lane will be on call every Wednesday. Fr Mullins will not be available on Wednesdays. Fr Lane can be contacted on 087-2533030 fealechurch Church Sacristy 068 -51915 Parish Office 068 -31133. To book a |Mass intention contact the church before or after Mass on 0668 51915. Mass Intentions: Wednesday 10am Anna Mai Lane, Killarney Road and deceased members of the Murphy and Lane families. Thursday 10am Daniel Sheehy. Saturday 6.30pm Marion Oakley Killarney Road 1st. Anniversary. Aoife Collins, Dromtrasna Collins 5th Anniversary. Tom and Mary White, Athea. Betty Mc Carthy, Knockbrack. Sunday 10am David Ward, Ballaugh. Nicky Bowden 2nd Anniversary. 12 noon. Eily Lane, New Street. Paddy and Nancy Fitzgerald, Meenahela. Matthew Dillane, Kilmanihan 1st. Anniversary.
Baptisms Saturday 5pm or Sundays 1pm. Monthly Mass for the sick of the parish will be celebrated at 10am on the last Friday of the month. In the event of a funeral the Mass will change to the previous Thursday.
A GOOD NEWS STORY: Huge Congratulations to Abbeyfeale’s Jack and Nick Cotter, sons of Nicky and Jackie Cotter, Dromtrasna following the announcement that the University College Dublin AgTechUCD Accelerator Programme has named their company, Cotter Agritech winners of the inaugural UCD Agtech Start-up of the Year award which included a €10,000 prize sponsored by AIB and Yield Lab Ireland. Cotter Agritech helps farmers to reduce chemical use in agriculture.
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held in the main church every Friday from after the 10.00am Mass until 6.00pm. In the event of a funeral Mass on a Friday Adoration will begin at 12.30pm. We advise parishioners to wrap up well as the some of the church windows will be open for ventilation purposes.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO GET MARRIED: Accord the Catholic Church Marriage support service is currently offering a four-module interactive Marriage Preparation Programme via video link. This programme is offered to couples preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage in the Catholic Church during Covid19 and is facilitated by professionally trained Accord Facilitators. The final part of this preparation for marriage requires the couple to meet in person with the priest or deacon from the parish of the Bride. In order to participate in the programme couples will need access to the cloud platform Zoom preferably on a laptop or PC. All programme materials are sent by post to the address indicated on the booking form prior to the commencement of the programme. The Virtual Marriage Preparation Programme is collaborative between the couples and the Accord facilitating team. All couple discussions are completely private and confidential. In order to maximise the benefits from the programme couples are encouraged to book their marriage preparation programme a minimum of six monthsin advance of their wedding date. As programmes are delivered through Zoom you are welcome to book through any Accord Centre. We very much look forward to welcoming you on an Accord Marriage Preparation Programme. For further information contact ACCORD at 01 5053112 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm) or Email : marriagepreparation Newcastle West Office Tel 069-61000
Accord CLG Online Counselling Accord also offers support to couples or individuals who are experiencing difficulties in their marriage. In addition to in person counselling, Accord are also offering Online Counselling. For further information email on their dedicated Email Address onlinecounselling@accord.ieThe local office for ACCORD in West Limerick is located at the Parish Centre,Newcastle West, Tel 069-61000.
WALK: The Slí route is one way to spend half an hour outdoors. Start on Main street and continue up to Mountmahon, when you reach Clash Road, stay straight ahead past the Kostal turn.. Follow the signpost left past Abbey Tires, over the bridge and the first road to the left known as the Doctor’s Road passing the Old Work House/ Fever Hospital on your left. When you reach Buckleys Cross, take a left and follow the road which will bring you back to where you started. https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/714802/ten-walks-in-county-limerick-you-can-do-in-2022.html
COMMUNITY ALERT: These are taken from an American website but no harm to have a read after what happened recently in Tullamore: 1. If walking by yourself, get off your cell phone. A lot of people think that being on the phone is safe because the person on the other line can call 999, but that rarely works out. Chatting can distract you; it’s better to be aware of your surroundings. I see people listening to music while walking – they have to be distracted and not aware of where they are.
2. If walking by yourself, hold your cell phone and be ready to make an emergency call. Many phones now have a button on the screen to dial 999 immediately. Go one step further and preset one of the buttons on your phone to call the emergency number.
4. If you return to your car and see that a van is parked right next to the driver’s side, enter through the passenger side. Predators often use vans and will disguise it as a family car, even using "Baby on Board" decals.
5. You return to your car and it has a flat tire. Back away. Return to wherever you came from (restaurant, store, etc) and call for help. Once assistance arrives, approach your car. If someone comes up to you (even if they are a woman) and wants to offer help, politely say, "No thank you." If a man, he could be a predator. If a woman, she could be the lurer.
6. When leaving the mall late at night, ask a security guard to walk you to your car. Do not go up to just any security guard. Go directly to the kiosk and ask for them to assign an officer to escort you. Predators sometimes dress up like men of the law.
7. When the pharmacist asks you to confirm your home address, whisper it to them. Broadcasting your home address among strangers on the line could compromise your safety.
8. Ditto if you’re checking in to a hotel room. If the person at the front desk says your room number out loud, ask them to give you a new room and write the number on a piece of paper. Or when you check-in, ask upfront that they not say your room number out loud. Your room number should be your business only.
9. Before entering your hotel room, make sure no one is lingering in the hallway.
10. Always immediately lock your hotel room door after you enter.
11. When traveling, do not walk with your map in your hand. It is a dead giveaway that you are a tourist. Therefore, you are an easy target.
12. If you call for room service, and you get a knock on your door, do not immediately open. Ask: "Who is it?" Make the person on the other side of the door tell you who they are before you open it.
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13. When asking for directions and someone offers to show you the way by having you follow them, do not go. Just ask for them to point you in the right direction. Often, predators just want to get you to a place less crowded where your screams can’t be heard.
14. If someone tries to grab you, twist your arm up and down and yell, "Stop!" Do anything you can to draw attention to yourself.
15. Always pour your own drink at a party and bring it with you everywhere…even to the bathroom. This will make it a lot harder for someone to drug you via you drink.
16. Watch the bartender as he or she pours your drink. To be extra safe, drink wine instead of a cocktail. Mixed drinks take longer to make. You could be easily distracted and miss the bartender (who could be working with the predator) or someone else slipping something into your drink.
17. When going out with your girlfriends, decide beforehand that you will stick together. Do not let your friend go off alone with a guy.
18. Don’t put your name on your apartment buzzer. If you’re expecting guests, just let them know which number to push. This way, only people who know you know exactly where you live. If you are 65, you 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 or if you spend long periods of the day on your own 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: Bodywhys Eating Disorders Associations of Ireland www.bodywhys.ie Email:
alex 01 210790. If you are experiencing domestic abuse, #CoerciveControl reach out and talk to someone you trust. Call or Text our support team on 057 9351886/0860419154. 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. Depression & Bipolar Disorder Support www.aware.ie Tel: Freephone 1800 80 48
48 (available 7 days, 10am-10pm). Email: supportmail 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 jo National Suicide Helpline (Pieta House) 1800 247 247or text HELP to 51444. 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. . Milford Care Centre, Castletroy, Limerick. Tel: 061 485 800 Email: info
Children’s Grief Centre, Limerick. Tel: 061 224 627 Email info@childrensgriefcentre.
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
Abbeyfeale Gathering Festival 