Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my weekly report.
The first week of June is already over, in little over another week we will have the longest day of the year on June 21st. Some years ago accompanied by two family members we were delighted to be invited to Finland by a guest of my B&B to come and spend that mysterious night with him and his family. They set up the party on their island which was a short boat ride from the mainland. We didn’t go to bed, we wanted to experience the phenomenon first hand. It being so far North, nights can be cold in Finland but our hosts made sure that we were fully supplied with padded zip up body suits to make sure that nothing was going to spoil the occasion that we came so far from to see. There was no dawn. The previous day just continued on into the next. Days were brighter but nights were far from being dark and I found it hard to go to sleep but a couple on nights awake soon took care of it and we slept sound after that. During our stay we learned a lot about how they live in Finland and especially on an island. There is never a shortage of fresh fish, they use nets to keep them alive in the sea until they need them but only a few days supply at the time. No need to stock up, the sea is at hand all the time. The sea at that point was dotted with lots of similar islands and at midnight they all lit their fires and waved and greeted one another because of the night that was in it.
Our June Bank Holiday was blessed with fine weather. T.G. I was on the prowl for a couple of days and how great it was to see crowds of people out and about, Cork City of Friday was ready to explode, with traffic hundreds of people all loaded up heading out of town. Some for the first time in months. They were leaving in every sort of vehicle. Towing caravans. Tiny trailer tents. Camper vans to sleep a large family. The list goes on. All Irish. The mass exodus started early on Friday, everybody wanting to be ahead of the long queues. Filling Stations and food stores, BBQ food suppliers all did a roaring trade. Next day on my way the Beara, it was more of the same and on the eve of further openings of business places, it was both enlightening and pity able to see the lengths that business people have had to go to in order to get their livelihood up and running once more. Outdoor dining has found a new home in the world of Covid19. It mystifies me as to how they could even get all the material they needed to build these new places for eating out of doors. The fine weather played into the hands of those who brought their own and it was great to see where the government has placed dining tables all along the way. ,especially in scenic areas. Whatever the weather, the country is looking great. It abounds with flowers and shrubs of every ilk and colour and the trees weighed down with the weight of the beautiful leaves, busy streamlets show themselves here and there, the blue sea lapping against the rocks and the mighty waterfall in Beara can be seen for miles cascading down the slopes of Hungry Hill. Hungry Hill plays no small part in providing both a challenge for the not so feisty and a mere hop for those who ‘gives the run ‘up there every day. I suppose not matter how good things look in your eyes, there is always a ‘but’. Mine is, having covered many miles from Cork City to Beara and Killarney over the weekend, the big but is or are the Rhododendrons. We all know what they’ve done to Killarney and it does not please me to see how they are creeping up on all the places all over Cork and Kerry. I felt alarmed at how they have spread. But that’s me again. I doubt if anybody will do anything about it, but at least I’ll be able to say, I told you so.
One of the great advantages of Staycation is that because our people cannot go abroad, so they engage in many of the activities and visit more of the places which were usually frequented by foreign tourists. Boat trips off the coast, visiting islands, engaging in different walks etc. Needless to say the old enemy, the lack of toilets was common to all and along the way, cars could be seen in unusual places for only one reason. But as the need was common to all, nobody paid any attention when a degree of decency was observed.
It grieves me to say that Jerry Collins has retired and his lovely homely tyre enter is closing. Jerry has served us well for the past thirty years, his Tyre Centre at the edge of town was much more than that. In spite of the many unusual, sometimes crazy things that I’ve done all my life, I have never filled my car with petrol and I never had to because Jerry was always there to do it for me and if he wasn’t the ever helpful Jamie (O’Sullivan) was. Women and cars are a bad combination. If it opens and if it starts and if it keeps going and if it stops when you press the brake, then that’s it. We rarely look any further and for the past thirty years I didn’t have to know anymore because Jerry looked after the rest. Air in the tyres, condition of the tyres, a rattle somewhere or bring up a few bags of coal and don’t forget the kindling. He never did, he was master of his trade and always did it in a good-humoured way. There was time to have a word about current affairs, the weather, the recent deaths or newly borns. The trouble is that in losing Jerry, we are also losing his right-hand man, Jamie, who has worked there for the past sixteen years. Time moves on and changes come whether we like it or not and we can only wish Jerry and his lovely wife Patsy, many many happy years of retirement . Time to catch up on all the things that they had no time for up to now. I know how it feels and it can bring a wonderful new beginning and find you asking yourself why didn’t I do this long ago. Jamie is still young and the world has a place for one who is so reliable and dedicated. I want wish them God’s Blessing and thank both of them for all their wonderful service over the years. The bright side of it is that Jerry premises is about to be taken over and a different business set up. We’re not sure yet of what it will be but the main thing is that it will not be another boarded up site.
Our Creamery Store which has been home to O’Flynn Medical for some years is also going through change of business. It will be occupied The Munster Drone Services Centre being the name of the new business in town. It’s great to see this beautiful building being put to good use and being renewed by various businesses who further enhance it every time. The O’Flynn family raised it’s appearance from the simple creamery to a beautifully painted edifice which showed of the beautiful stonework walls and details. It’s a far cry from the humble days when the farmers made the trip every morning with their precious supple of fresh milk, which was really their main income. Going to the creamery was tedious and time consuming, but it was one of the most important time of the day. While waiting for their turn ,the men talked about every aspect of their lives. Their joys and their problems ,their hopes their fears were all up for discussion. Solutions were found for problems, jokes were exchanged, titbits of news were passed around ,and the man who went to the creamery feeling down, more often than not came home with a smile on his face ,having found a solution to his problem or a simple way of how to cope with it. It was only when the creamery closed and the daily meeting of the men came to a halt that its value came to light. It didn’t happen all of a sudden but the drip drip absence of that regular daily get together in the queue at the creamery, was more beneficial to those men than anybody ever realised. We were there to see it happen and it such a pity, a tragedy really. But there’s no use in crying over spilt milk so we have to move on. We wish the new business every success in the years ahead and the O’Fynn Medical with their new place of business in Macroom.
Last week I congratulated my lovely neighbour Margaret Dennehy on her retirement. This Week I must congratulate my nephew’s wife, the lovely, Margaret Corkery, Liscahane on her retirement from her post as teacher at Bishop McEgan College in Macroom following 36 years of dedication to her great work. No words of mine could do justice to Margaret’s outstanding work. Her Pupils held a guard of Honour in her honour from the Castle Gates all the way to the school ,reminding her that the last person to be so honoured was Mary Robinson in 1994. They also compiled a scrapbook of many of the milestones which she created over the years, including the signatures of her pupils since day one. The Town of Macroom added their own tribute to Margaret, to let the world know what her input into their town and Community meant to them, Well done Margaret, I wish you and Michael and John & Conor the best of Luck and Gods Blessing in the years ahead. Teachers tenure doesn’t end until the end of the school year which is August 31. After that both Margaret Dennehy and Margaret Corkery can justly put their feet up and plan some lovely things for the years ahead.
The town was brought to life at the weekend by the the sound of horses and loud speakers and many new people in our shops. The Millstreet International Horse trials were held in the World Class Eventing course at Drishane Castle from June 3-6th and even though it had to be held behind closed doors it created a stir, with the huge horse carriers going through the town. A sight which we got very familiar with over the years and Please God will again in the not too distant future.
Here are the results of this weeks Lotto Draw which was held on Bank Holiday Monday Night, numbers drawn were 8,17,18, 23, and the Jackpot was not won. €100 went to Mags Lehane, Dublin, the seller was Jerry Lehane and he got €50 sellers prize, €50 went to Aua Rea, c/o Willie Rea. Sarah, Aronand Jack OKeeffe, Rathcoole, Phillip Daly, Chef, The Lane Family, Adrivale, Sadbh Kellerer Mount Massey, Fr. Paddy O’Byrne, West End, Chris and Veron Twomey ,Station Rd. Sheila Lane, Adrivale, Patrick Buiche, Murphy’s Tce. Jackpot for next week €12,800 the Draw on Sunday Night.
Please continue to book your place in the church for Sunday Masses. Contact the Parish Office 029 70043.
Slán agus Beannacht libh go léir.
