Eily’s Report – 21st April

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my report.

Fondest greetings, as we settle down to yet another week of total lockdown. The mind boggles at the enormity of it all. We are still trying to grasp the fact that people in the minutest corners of the world are restricted like we are and toeing the line accordingly. The One World Together global concert on Sunday night  on RTE2 brought it home to us again as if we needed reminding. With singing stars from every corner of the world saying the very same as we are here. We dare not ask  when will it all end or what is the world going to be like by then. I started a jigsaw of a thousand pieces a few days ago and its going to take me months and months to put it all together again. I think that is the way I feel about the world today, it is broken up  by sickness, by massive closures and mass unemployment. Some businesses will never open again.  But there will always be a need for people, perhaps they wont be doing what they did before but they will be needed when the world picks up again and with the Corona virus experience behind them I think it’s going to be a better place.

The world knows that the pandemic is a great leveller, we are all in it together which has seen more human kindness than we’ve ever seen before. I thought the Global Concert on Sunday night was great.  We were taken into the sitting rooms of the Stars from all parts of the globe where they entertained us without make up or fancy costumes or loud accompaniments which I found great because I can never get the words of modern songs as a result of those trimmings. You often get the idea that these people live in mega mansions but from what we could see their homes are no different from our own. In fact I saw one little ornament in Oprah’s sideboard the very same as one I have myself. It’s an imitation birdcage with an imitation little bird in it. Ryan Tubridy is conducting  the Late Late devoid of any war paint or well groomed locks. The locks seem to be a world wide pain in the rear. It comes up more than a lot of other minor problems. I saw a clip from USA  TV one evening where the policeman was busy sorting out the traffic.  One lady who wasn’t too pleased, stuck her head out of the car window and demanded when were they are going to let people go back to work, saying she can’t get her hair done and showed him her white roots to prove it. When I was at that stage in life when my locks began to loose their youthful luster I took it upon myself to do something about it. There was very little hair-dyeing  done professionally that time. So armed with a packet of ‘Loving Care’ I got the job done, and it worked very well for some time. Then one day I got a quick call to go somewhere the hair had to be done, so I applied the needful, put up the rollers, dried it and sat in front of the mirror to admire my work. My little grand daughter Michelle, of about five was with me and I asked her, how did she like my hair. Oh, Nana she said,’ tis beautiful, ‘tis all different colours. My dye died that day.

Again our Church services were great at the weekend, with a wide range of Churches to choose from on line. As well as the masses there was the closing of the Divine Mercy Novena, which was started on Good Friday and finished on Sunday afternoon at 3. It was always attended by large crowds but this time it was different.  Sadly funerals have changed dramatically on account of the lockdown, preventing people from being with their friends and neighbours at such sad times. I’d like to send our sincere sympathy to the relatives of all those local people who passed away, both at home and abroad in recent times . RIP.

The People of Carriganima, Clondrohid and Muinefliuch, had plans  to hold  a  centenary celebration in memory of their renowned priest, an Athair Peadar Ó Laoghaire, Priest and Author. His book Mo Scéal Féin graced our childhood school books, as we learned it almost by heart. Due to the Corona virus pandemic all plans for their gala celebration had to be cancelled. However part of their program was to bring out a book to mark the occasion which would set the history and folklore of past one hundred years in stone, and be there for all future generation to savour. The plan was to launch the book at the celebrations but as it  didn’t happen, the committee decided to put the book out for sale. Entitled “Mo Scéal Féin” it is on sale at many outlets in the local area. Again the shutdown interfering with it’s distribution.   It can be had from locals, including  the Post Office in Clondrohid, at €20  each. It contains a fine selection of stories, photos and details. Compiled by Seamus O’Laoghaire, it is dedicated to the Late Fr. Batty Desmond and all proceeds from the sale will go to local charities.

All is well in the garden T.G. New seedling popping up every day and the Blackcurrants and gooseberries are well on their way. I like to have them planted here and there in my garden among the other shrubs and there nothing nicer than to happen upon them when they are ripe and sit down and savor their sweetness on a fine summers day. The nettles are making their presence felt and while they were never a welcome plant. In times gone by because of their iron content it was the done thing to have two meals with boiled nettles in April and two in May. Other than that they were taboo  until now.    The world it taking a different view of the nasty stinger. They say nettle tea makes a drink that it very high in iron and good for you.   The water in which nettles are soaked makes an excellent feed for your flowers. Other plants that we were told were poisonous in our day are coming into their own too, such as the Dandelion, I’ve seen them used in salads.  The only use we ever made of the long ago was to chop them up and feed them with hard boiled eggs to baby turkeys.   I couldn’t believe it recently when I saw a professional cook using chick weed in salad, claiming it resembled water cress. Chick weed was the arch enemy of drills of turnips and magnolias and other root crops that had to be kept clean on bent knees. Too bad their food value wasn’t discovered earlier.

 More and more people are availing of the wonderful catering service that is provided  daily by our Canon O Donovan Center. They send out in excess of 200 orders a week with more being added all the time. The menu varies every day.  €6 for dinner and €2 for dessert, delivered piping hot to your door. Well done to Marie and her staff and all her volunteers.

Buíochas le Dia, the fine weather is still with us. Sunday was raining as was the previous two Sundays, Palm  and Easter, then the sun comes out again. The smell of a freshly mown lawn never fails to bring joy.   The lockdown is giving lots of quality time especially to families where parents and children can work and play and engage in hobbies. It’s so lovely to hear the sound of children out at play in gardens around the place. Others are using their free time to do some DIY or do a house clear out that is long overdue. We must continue to keep our spirits up and help each other. This will all go down in history and we will get through it,  with the help of God,so keep up the prayers.  Slán.