Day: November 2, 2021

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my weekly report.

Welcome to the Month of November. It’s is the month in which we think of our beloved dead and pray for them as well as getting Masses said for the repose of their souls. Check our website for details of all the Masses and ceremonies that will be held in the days and weeks ahead. The month starts off with All Saints Day on November 1^st and All Souls Day November 2^nd  and make a note of  Saturday November 13^th. Mass will be said at Tubrid Well that evening at 5 pm.

The minute the sun comes out we tend to forget what it was like earlier. I’m writing this today November 1^{s t} All Saints Day, weather wise  it is a mixture of sun and showers and the sunny spells give us a cheery feeling  which tides us over the wintry shower that follows. But the closing days of October gave us no such relief because it rained incessantly both day and night. Floods ran down the streets and yards as people like me, viewed them from the safe havens of our homes.  I like looking at the rain and floods, if they are no threat to life and property around me. In the old days  when farmyards were devoid of any solid foundation and were a far cry from the state of the art creations of today,other than the earthen base which bore the weight of all the farm buildings leaving humps and hallows which trapped every morsel of animal sewage. In Summer they dried up during  the long sunny days but it was another story in winter.  With all stock and fowl housed and toxic pools grew bigger and deeper. Small children often fell into them and following a quick rub down, resumed their play. Such conditions were part and parcel of every rural farmyard. There was seldom a mention of any sickness or blood poisoning even though cuts and bruises were common. Looking back on life the sun seemed to shine all the time. But the one time I can recall about the rain was how the men made great use of a wet day to brush the yard. The heavier the rain  fell the better. Rainproof wear was not only scarce,  it was non-existent and I can still  see the Fear a’ Tighe  in his knitted geansie and old trousers and hobnail boots course brush in hand and he giving vent to the muck, helped on in no small way by the floods of rain falling from Heaven. Didn’t always change his clothes after the task was done but continued on see to his stock before calling it a day. Was it any wonder that so many of them died of the ‘pains.’  My own yard gets lots of sticky residue  washed in from the passing traffic,on the busy road outside and I make no wonder of reaching for the coarse brush and taking the help from the passing showers to rid my patch of anything from fallen leaves and other muddy stuff , that I can do without.  Old habits die hard.

[read more …] “Eily’s Report 2nd November”