Dia is Mhuire dióbh go léir a cairde and welcome to my Report.
106 and counting, that is the attitude of the lovely Tessie Kelleher, the lady who is making headlines at the moment because of her advanced years and her spritely disposition. To use an age old cliché, Tessie and I go back a long way. Where do I begin. Tessie worked in a little haberdashery shop in the Main St. when I was a child. It was about next door to Jimmy Hickey’s Bicycle shop on the upper side. Further down you had Murphy’s, Liam was an All Ireland Fiddle player and below that a place called Mrs. Potts. The lady who Tessie worked for was called Han Corkery, a single lady a relation of ours. As you know by now our Mother died when we were very young, I was just over three. She was an only child so we had no uncles or aunties and because our Dad was not very well favoured by her people in the area, we were never told anything about her relations in the locality. It’s amazing how the mind of a child can retain items of things of the past. Han Corkery seemed to have been the only one of my mother’s relations to befriend the Da and as she sold children’s clothes he would go there to get ours. Being the only two girls we needed the “unmentionables ” and small and all as I was, about 4 or 5 I can remember how embarrassed he was at trying ask for our “smalls” Perhaps it was his first time after the demise of our Mom. Tessie worked there and she was always very friendly and smiling and as the years went on and our step-mother came, the trips to Han Corkery’s continued. In time she passed away and her little place closed and life took over. Maybe it was because we were living in an all-male home that the friendly face of Tessie remained solid in my mind. She lived in Cullen which was a world apart back then. I’d get a chance sight of her in the very seldom now and then. But my childhood memories of her never faded.
So you can only imagine the pleasure it was for me to be invited by her lovely daughter Teresa to join them at the Aroma Café last Friday. Our first meeting since I was about ten. Our childhood past left a lot of questions un-answered. Who was this Han Corkery, what was she to us, what was she to our mother and so on. But the spritely Tessie was able to give me a lot of the answers that I have so longingly craved for so long. She told me that the young Mulcahy’s, Annagloor used to come up there every day for their lunch from school because Han was their aunt a sister to their mother. Leaving her a first cousin to my dear mother. Over our pleasant lunch at the lovely Aroma Café that day, Tessie related many more gems from the past for me as well as reciting beautiful rhyming verses of old. Thankfully her devoted daughter Teresa has them all written down for posterity.
Long may my life long friend Tessie live to enjoy many more years and she will in the wonderful care of her devoted Teresa , who takes her to social events and all the things that keeps the mind of a 106 year old or any elderly person, ticking over and longing for more. It only goes to show the wealth of folklore and family information that is lost when so many of our elderly of today are sent to care homes.
Still with things of the past. our Wallis Arms Hotel is the subject of great debate and concern at the moment as it is faced with prospect of being taken away from our people. The Wallis Arms Hotel has been the centre of all things Millstreet since the 18 hundreds. It is our pride and joy and our boast as it set us apart from many neighbouring towns who had no hotel. It is a very imposing edifice in our town Square, but more than that it is the very heart of our town and our people. The place where people can stay or gather for big and small events. Coffee with a friend, dinner groups or a meal for those going home from work, also important for social gatherings. In the world of today lots of people are feeling isolated and sad as it may seem our funerals are fast becoming the only place for people to meet. The reception which follows a burial is a vital place for families and friends to get together. Trace relations and renew friendships . Also social events like tea dances for the active retired, Women’s Christmas party etc. The Hotel is the obvious place. Well done to our Community Council who are putting a strong case against any attempt of closure, they are worthy of our full support.
The AGM of our Community Council will be held on Tuesday night September 10th at the FET Centre from 8 pm. All welcome. Please attend it well.
The Duhallow Choral Society are returning after their Summer break and invite new members to join. Those interested please come to Culturlann MacAmhloaibh, Newmarket on September 3 or 10 at 7.15.
A young man Fr. Sean Murphy was ordained to the priesthood on last Sunday at Glenbeigh and to take a line from our Mass leaflet of last Sunday , “May God protect him and guide him as he begins his ministry for the Diocese of Kerry”
The Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine takes place this Saturday August 24th ,and His Lordship the Bishop wishes all those taking part a very safe and enjoyable trip.
Here are the results of this week’s lotto draw which was held on Sunday night. Numbers drawn were 4, 8, 12, 14 and the Jackpot was not won. €100 went to Katriona Hickey, Kilmeedy. The Seller was Kevin and he got €50 sellers prize, €50 went to S-M-K-M c/o Colemans. €20 each to Ronan & Enda c/o P J Creedon. Rena Cooper c/o McCauls, Margaret Cooper c/o Angela Kelleher. Michelle Forde , Cork, c/o Eily, Oisin , Fiadh, & Sadbhbh c/o Kevin Hickey, Margaret Twohig, Flintfield, c/o Colemans, Sheila O’Connor, Claracleagh, c/o M.Healy, Nanna & Molly c/o Colemans. Next draw August 25th.Jackpot €3.800.
The warm sun shone down on all those involved for the inaugural Blackwater Valley Vintage Group Car & Tractor vintage run which was held on Sunday in aid of Alzheimer Society of Ireland. Starting out at Aubane and following the round of much of the county, before arrived at Carriganima where they welcomed the hot food from the Yanks Chipper to the strains of Tim Joe and Ann and the great Barry O’Hanlon who took time off from his usual pursuits to attend . There was dancing and music and good company, all the things that go at the end of a day well spent. Well done to all involved.
Please keep up the pressure to keep Millstreet a very tidy town. The time rolls on for the competition for the best local garden and so on. In spite of the many showers flowers need watering. Blackberries are ripening all over the place now. There is nothing as nice as to eat them off the brier, soft and sweet and warmed by the sun. But as well as for making jam, they can also be frozen and enjoyed in the depths of Winter.
Slan abhaile agus beannacht libh go leir.
