Eily’s Report – 10th January

Dia is mhuire diobh go leir a cairde and welcome to my weekly Report.

Here we go, here we go, here we go, bang into another New Year. I hope your Christmas went well and your batteries all charged as we all proceed together to take on the challenges of the months ahead. The arrival of January 7th  always sees me taking down the Christmas decorations. Having lovingly put them up in good time for the Festive season, it’s equally pleasing to take them all down again when the time is right and is there anything worse than when you have them all carefully packed away in the farthest end of the attic to find one or two items that you missed. Maybe it was an age thing, but I must admit that I didn’t go over board with my glitzy pieces this time. But I did stick to the age-old custom of the single candle (electric of course) lighting continuously on the window from start to finish, even times when I was away. The Crib in very important to me also and it took it’s place of honour gaily bedecked in berry holly and streams of fresh ivy  and a couple of lights to brighten up the Holy Family. In all the weeks leading up to December 25th there was an endless array of cooking programs on TV. The poor turkey was bisected and trisected and deboned and stuffed with mountains of butter shoved in under the skin, before it was banished into the oven flat on its back. It mystifies me why is it always placed on it’s back.  Thus ensuring that all the juices of the breast will drain away down to the pan. I always place any bird on it’s breast for most of the time letting any juices from the rest of the body seep down into the breast and for the last half hour or 45 minutes turn it over to brown the breast. Never any need for all this basting every fifteen minutes. But then we’re all different, aren’t we? My favourite will always be the turkey stuffed with lots of bread stuffing smothered with spices and onions and even the pick of the carcass is all the more tasteful next day because of it. Pate is a must at Christmas, made from liver and spices and cream. It comes from all kinds of bird or animal. Spread on a slice of toast or a cracker it never fails to thrill the palate. But this year for some reason the makers decided to add lots of cranberries to the mix, spoiling it entirely. A sweetener in a savoury dish does not go down well with me. Christmas changes with the passage of time. Young married couples like nothing better than coming home to parents for the occasion and in some cases the bride likes to go home to Mom and Dad and the groom to his parents not wanting to miss the tastes that they loved so well. But as time moves on and they have children of their own they want to remain in the home which they have created ,where they build their own tastes and customs that will rub off on the youngsters as time goes by. As I’m on the subject of food, a little word of warning. We all love sticky, crusty chicken wings for a quick snack now and then, but lately I have noticed that the bones are very broken and could pose a danger for children or indeed grown ups. So keep an eye out for them.

For the New Year celebrations this year I went along with Ger & Mick to his ancestral home in beautiful Beara. The ringing-in was spectacular from our vantage point at the foot of the mighty Hungry Hill with its sky-high waterfall cascading down on the rocks with deafening motion. As soon as the clock struck twelve our eyes were drawn to the scene before us. The lights from houses reflecting on the waters of Adrigole Bay and away in the distance Bantry Bay. A sight to behold.

But life can be fragile and you can never tell what the future holds. On the last evening of our stay we decided to treat ourselves to a takeaway from the Chinese restaurant in Castletownbere ten miles away. Ordered ahead for a given time I went along with Geraldine for the spin and to see all the Christmas lights along the way. Our food was ready when we arrived and headed home without delay. About half way along on the lovely calm night, trouble. A car coming against us crashed with an awful bang into the opposite side of the road and almost turned over. Ger. jammed on the brakes, and jumped out to investigate .The next car from the other side also stopped and two girls ran to help. They had to work fast to keep the passing traffic flowing, while at the same time check the car for the occupants and ring 999 for help. Calls kept coming back to her from Garda, ambulances, fire brigades, rapid responses, there was one woman in the car and because of the way she was thrown, she was helpless but not in pain. This had to be relayed back to the services to let them know that the squad car was all that was needed. So while they waited one had to stay with the woman in the car to comfort and reassure her  while the other two managed the passing traffic with the light of their phones. It didn’t help matters that the woman was from another country so there was a language barrier. The Garda in the squad arrived in about 35 minutes. With great care they took the woman out of the car. She was  passed middle age perhaps mid sixties. I was watching it all from the front seat of Ger’s jeep, The food getting cooler in the back seat was far from our minds. Having seen that the situation was under control the two girls in the other car who were not from the area went away and once the woman was safe in the squad car and arrangements in place to rescue her car we took our leave also as the guard placed some warning lights on the road to alert coming traffic. By all accounts the lady had dropped someone off to Dublin Airport that day and admitted that she surely fell asleep at the wheel. She was completely on her own and there was no one that she could ring to come to her. In her broken English she was able to tell Ger where she lived and invited to tea and cake next time she was down. I have to say that I was very proud of the way the ‘girls’ handled the situation. Had that lady  swung the wheel of her Merc the other way we’d have met her on a full head-on collision. Our takeaway back at the house, tasted all the better at the thought of our lucky escape. Baoichas le Dia.

Our Church services were lovely over the Christmas. In spite of small numbers our clergy made time to hold confessions etc. The beautiful Crib and the Choir and all the many things that go to make the Birth of Christ special didn’t go unnoticed and in his words at Mass on Christmas night Canon John thanked all those who helped in any way and wished everybody a Very Happy Christmas.

With the start of the New Year, many of our regular things are starting up again and new things coming on stream. It would be impossible for me to list them all so keep a close eye on the website in case you miss anything. Give Marie Twomey a call for details of the many  services that are available at the wonderful Adult Learning Centre in town. ranging from Horticulture to writing skills and many things in between. 087 7707301.

Cullen & District Special Needs started their annual Weigh-In last night and will continue every Monday night for the next number of weeks.

Millstreet Active Retired Registration for 2023 will be held at the Parish Centre on to-morrow Wednesday January 11  Ffrom 1to 2.30pm. New members  both men and women welcome.

45 Drives continue every Tuesday night in Millstreet, Ballydaly Sunday nights and Cullen Wednesday nights all with an 8.30 start

Contact Tom Dennehy at 0876468658  for the list of pilgrimages to Medjugorje in 2023.

Legion of Mary meeting at the Parish Centre every Tues. night at 7.30.

Eucharistic Adoration  will resume next Tues. Please take note that it will be live streamed every week , and can be done at home if necessary.

Mass every day in Millstreet Church at 10 am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and Monday & Friday at 7.30 subject to change in case there’s a funeral.  Please be reminded that  morning masses are preseeded by the recitation of the Rosary and other prayers from 9.40 and they are also streamlined and can be seen at home by those  who do not like to pray alone .

With the global call for more prayers,  social medias are sending out many special prayers and prayer groups where people can join in or learn prayers privately. It all aims at promoting devotion to God in these uncertain times . Some may feel that it’s silly or childish to pray and this could be a starting place for them. Our world today needs prayer and devotion to God. So for all our sakes, let your New Year’s resolution be to say at least one prayer every day.

I got to see the  film the ‘Banshees of Inisherin’,with Brendan Gleeson & Colin Farrell.  Oh dear I was not impressed. I’d love to know what others think .

Lotto draw will resume this weekend. With a Jackpot of €5,000.

To cope with January blues we are all advised to get out there and do our thing. Be it to lose weight ,get the hair done, or whatever. We all like different things and it’s up to everybody to find what does it for them. In closing my first Report of 2023,I wish you all a very happy New Year and the Grace of God all the way. Slán.