Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my weekly report.
Apologies for my absence last week. My laptop decided that it needed a little attention and don’t we all from time to time. Lucky for us that we have an expert in the town who makes short work of our modern day elect problems. His premises at the Bridge is the place to go for repairs, for parts or to buy a new appliance as well as much more.
It’s hard not to get excited, the very mention of freedom get minds into overdrive following all the months of Lockdown and regulations. Monday morning of this week dawned bright and sunny just the kind of weather to put everybody in a good mood add to that the euphoria of little children as they return to school for the first time in a very long time. Some since Christmas. Home schooling did a wonderful job, Teachers and pupils have to be commended for the way they kept the lid on things. Children in the main never like going to school but covid19 has changed all that. They never thought they’d miss their friends and indeed their teachers so much. The importance of routine, interaction and discipline came home to them when they were apart from it And now that the long wait is over, we have to offer them God’s Blessing and all the good luck in the world that their young lives will be free from disruption from now on. No doubt the lessons learned in covid19 will live with them for the rest of their lives.
Every day we hear of more and more people getting vaccinated, which is great. But it still doesn’t give us the full freedom that we so eagerly long for. We will never get to like the wearing of the awful mask, especially those of us who wear glasses. They get so fogged and we are still not free to visit one another in our homes. So we can only pray for fine weather so that we can sit out and enjoy a friendly cup’o tea, or a glass of our favourite tipple with a friend, but more importantly is the fact that more people can return to work. So many young lives have been put on hold because they could not proceed with the building of their houses. Young couples who put their weddings on hold last year find themselves in the same dilemma one year on. A few more guests are a far cry from the luscious banquets of their dreams. And our beloved Churches, well what can we say, we will never be able to imagine why our places of worship were forced to close their doors on us. Churches are spacious places where there was plenty of room for us the safe-distance, families could all sit together, there should be a way around but alas no.
Our church alter was ablaze with light and colour on Sunday both for Mass at 11.30 and the closing of the Divine Mercy Novena at 3pm which started on Good Friday. In spite of the restrictions Canon John made it a truly divine and Blessed occasion. The ceremony was the nearest thing to perfect against all the odds. The Blessed sacrament was exposed and Julie’s flower arrangements of the alter and Deirdre’s lovely organ music made it all so special. Many people availed of the chance to get some divine objects blessed by Canon John. The cameras were left on for the rest of the day enabling people from all over the world to be part of the closing of our popular Divine Mercy Novena. Many thanks to all those who made it so special.
Outdoor pursuits were never so popular and the fine weather always helps. We are blessed to have wonderful scenery, mountains, lakes and rivers on our doorstep. The number of national walks passing through our town is also a great advantage. The mighty Bearra Way runs the full length of the country since they joined it up with the North of Ireland from Leitrim in the recent past. When it was at the planning stage the organisers made sure that each day’s walk would end in or near a town. I have been informed that a team of experts have been appointed to visit each town along the Way and find out what each town has to offer people at the end of their day’s walk. The Community Council are making a list of our best assets by way of accommodation, food outlets, taxis as well as all the other attractions which may be of interest or entertainment to our visitors. These findings will be sent to those in charge of the Walks.
What can we say about our gardens and the Countryside as a whole. It makes a beautiful picture and those of us who have the time should stop once in a while and study really study the beauty of Nature. The rich green grass waving in the breeze shining in the sun. Farmers busy preparing the land, some ploughing ,others planting grass seeds. But times are changing, the old methods are in their final hours now as young well educated lads and very often ladies ,apply modern technology to the ground that our ancestors tilled when times were very different. There is a picture on our website this week of a donkey outside where the Bush Bar is now. To look at the poor animal would break your heart. Head bowed to the ground, skinny body yet tackled to a cart. In spite of his poor condition he still had to work. Probably his owner no better off. The stony fields and rough roads and poor conditions , spring to my mind at the sight of the poor little animal. How can I explain to anyone the true feeling of having come from that to where we are today. It didn’t happen over night, we didn’t have a plan as far as I know. But I can remember that we did want things to improve. Physically we felt that life was hard. But as it was the same for everybody, complaining wasn’t an option and today we are not complaining because in looking back we were all happy. Each learned from the other, copied, borrowed from each other, stopped and talked . It was great.
The current pictures of yesteryear on the web are great many thanks for putting them on for our enjoyment,
Always tune in to Sean’s lovely shows both on Sunday after 11.30 Mass and tonight and every Tuesday night from 9.30 on Cork Music Station.
Log on to Paddy Murphy’s web. www.soundcloud.com for his wonderful collection of songs from the past.
I wonder did anybody see ‘The Restaurant’ on TV on Sunday night. It was on at the same time as Fair City so some surely have missed it. The great world snooker champ Ken Doherty was the cook, well he planned the menu anyway and his meal was one of the best ever. It was my first time seeing goat meat being used. Even the judges were pretty sceptical about it passing some rather snide remarks at the idea of having it on this select menu but on tasting it they were lost for words. Loud favourable compliments came from all over the room. I wonder how many of my readers have ever eaten goat. Like those in the ‘Restaurant’ I can visualise many upturned noses. Goats seems alien today. Gone from the scene as it were. This gamey fun loving little animal was very popular in bygone days. Farmers very often kept a goat because they were deemed to be lucky when running with the herd. Goats eat everything , they’d chew on clothes on the line, old boots, rags, leather straps and every shrub in the garden. Farmers kept them because they eat an herb in the land which was bad for the cows causing them to abort their calves. Goats milk was beneficial for babies very often it was the only milk that didn’t make them sick. Many people who had no cows for milk kept a goat or two to supply the house. A nanny goat had a kid or two every year and their progeny was a much sought after delicacy at about six weeks old. Kids would be sold at the Fair at a young age so as to save the milk for the household. Goat farms are popular in other countries. My friends in Nebraska have one and there is a good market for their meat. Goats cheese is a favourite at many a table and I think it’s time this humble little animal got it’s due credit.
The recent touch of frost gave the last rights to my camellias. Mine come out too early and fall prey to early frosts. The little pea, carrot and parsnip seeds that I planted are still in the bed of clay waiting for the sun. I wouldn’t expect a spud to be up yet but when it does I’ll be glad to see them. Not all the birds have found a building site yet. How I’d love to open my door and let them in. This week a little one nearly did. I found him trying to lift the laps on the hob extractor outside , but sadly I had to let him know there was no room for him in the Inn.
Please take good care ,now that we’ve been given a little more room to manoeuvre. Some workers are allowed to resume and children back to school, there will be a mass increase in traffic ,and perhaps speed in order to catch up with lost time. Please be safe.
Slan, Agus Beannacht de leath.
