Dia is mhuire diobh go leir a cairde and welcome to my weekly Report.
The unpredictable wafts of cold breezes go a long way to cool the lovely May sunshine but it doesn’t prevent us from hoping for more settled weather in the near future. For those of us who can choose our time and the right spot can still find little nooks and crannies where we can sit and enjoy a warm spell. On the other hand younger folks can speed up their pace of life, move a little faster and beat the cold breeze at it’s own game. I spent most of last week with a friend enjoying the hospitality of other family friends in Youghal. The name of their place in Rathmore House, a magnificent edifice which was built by a Rathmore man by the name of Walsh in 1929. It commands a clear view of the sea but a safe distance from the wild ocean waves which bombard the rows of other stately ones nearer the sea. Recent development of the promenade have been extended by a modern board walk, inviting you to go further. Plans are afoot to continue the board walk all the way to Midleton, surely every walkers dream.
We’re all invited to Drishane Castle on Sunday next May 21st from 10.30 to 2.30 by our local Vintage Club for a car and coffee event. All Classic Vintage Bikes, Vans etc. are welcome. For details ring the popular Donie Lucey 086 8545873. This is a very exciting invitation by any standards. When I was a small child Drishane was a very forbidden place, run as it was at the time by a French order on nuns who set up their convent in Drishane where they prepared young ladies for a life as a missionary nun for places like Malaysia or Australia. Most of the Irish Sisters no longer work there now, but local vocations are plentiful. Drishane also included a high-class boarding school for girls with a lengthy waiting list. They had a very well-run dairy farm of many hundreds of acres which was run on very professional lines and brought new names into the area. Sexton, Todd, Byrnes, O’Driscoll, to name but a few. A gardener, ploughman, dairy man and many others. The place was mostly self-supporting, There was a brush factory and a knitting factory which employed many local girls. They all got their meals as far as I know and if you look closely today you can still see the bell on the wall of the farmyard which was used to call workers to their meals. By and large it was a no-go area and we didn’t get to know any of the nuns . The beautiful ponds that you see today were created when huge quarries were dug out to provide landowners with lime for their land. Rocks were excavated and set on fire in the huge kilns where they turned to fine white dust for the land or mixed with water to paint houses. Look at the mighty castle, built by McCarthy in 1430’s. When Noel C Duggan started his international equestrian business in the 70/80’s there was no place to entertain the big horsey people who came from all over the globe ,so he asked the nuns if they would allow him to use their hall to welcome them on the eve of the Show. These receptions were the biggest we ever saw, and bag-pipe players were seated at the top of the castle and played their lively music to those below as the sipped their wine ,and enjoyed a choice of lovely food. How we swelled with pride to see the cream of the European Equestrian World enjoying the beauty of our place. Hauntingly beautiful was the only word for it.
Then over the years the gates had to be closed again to house the many lonely people who had to flee their homes in times of war. But now again on Sunday next those gates will be flung open to welcome you and me to the newly beautified Drishane Estate with it’s flowing lawns of the World Class Eventing arenas.
Footnote. The nuns burial ground lies beside the public burial ground in Drishane and is kept perfectly neat and tidy. All women as you’d expect but there is one man in there. Apparently he was a long time worker on the farm and had nobody belonging to him, so the kind sisters decided to let him in further to that he also had an aged sibling who needed a place to lay her head and they laid her down beside him. His name was Michael McCarthy and he died on April 24th 1976 aged 76. His sister Miss Mary Teahan who passed away on December 31st 1999 aged 88. RIP.
Still with nuns, our Presentation National School invite you to celebrate Autism Awareness with them at a coffee morning to be held on tomorrow Wednesday May 17th. In the Parish Centre from 10.30 to 12.30. All funds raised will go towards the purchase of outdoor sensory equipment. Please support it well.
The 10th anniversary Platform Dance will be held in Ballinagree Village on Sunday May 21st from 2.30 to 6pm. Music by Lee Sound followed by C&M Sound. An event not to be missed.
Our ARA club are never idle as they plan nice things for us. Classes were given on Monday afternoon at the GAA Hall where members were tutored on the use of the new walking sticks and on Monday night from 7 to 9 they had the popular Muskerry songster Ger Woulfe who entertained a full house at the Day Centre and they all joined him in a great round of songs. He also played a variety musical instruments and joined them in welcome refreshments before leaving.
A very touching religious event was held in our town Square on Saturday afternoon in honour of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima, Fr. Sean Tucker attended. Special readings were done and Marie Twomey and her Community Singers attended. The motto on their banner read, ‘As human efforts fail to solve Irelands key problems, we turn to God through His Holy Mother asking her for help.’ The plan is to host this meaningful ceremony once a month for the rest of the year. So please look out for the notices.
The Holy Rosary continues at 8 pm at Tubrid Well every week evening during the Month of May and at Aubane Grotto on Thursdays at 8pm.. Please support them well.
The AGM of the Friends of our Millstreet Community Hospital will be held at the Parish Centre at 8, on Wed. May17th. All Welcome.
Millstreet Gramophone Circle will be celebrating the Festival of Bealtaine 2023 on Friday night May 19th at 8.15 in the Canon O’Donovan Centre. Guest Presenter Con Kelleher, Cloghoulabeg.
All Welcome.
If you are troubled by depression etc, help is at hand on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at the Ross Café in Killarney. Meetings are totally confidential. Contact 086 172 6004.
Eucharistic Adoration every Tuesday in Millstreet Church from 10.30 am to 7.30 pm. Sign up for an hour or drop in any time during the day.
The First Anniversary Mass for my Brother Jack will be held at the 11.30 on next Sunday. Today we mourn the loss of his life-long friend Connie(Joe) O’Callaghan, late of Liscahane who passed away in Dublin during the week. RIP.
Here are the results of this weeks lotto draw which was held on Sunday night. Numbers drawn were,11,12,21,29, and the Jackpot was not won. €100 went to Noreen O’Mahony, Park View, the seller was her Dad Jerry and he got €50 sellers prize. €50 went to Tommy & Nigel, c/o The Wallis Arms. €20 each to Nadine Spillane c/o Colemans, Saoirse O’Riordan ,c/o Mary O’Connor, Humphry Hickey, c/o Colemans, Mark & Georgina O’Callaghan, Alyamount , c/o Eily. Jerry Heineken c/o Marie Twomey, Joan Moynihan, Killarney Rd. Sean Feely , Dromagh, & The Groom, c/o Michelle Whelan. Next draw,May 21st Jackpot €8.600.
Agus sinn abfuil a cairde Slán is Beannacht Dé libh go léir.
