Day: October 22, 2024

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a cáirde and welcome to my report.

The Autumn leaves got a quick shift on Sunday when Storm Ashley swept the land. It blew fast and strong as we made our way out of 11.30 Mass on Sunday.and continued until well into the night.  In the past such gales would be sweeping all sorts of debris in it’s path. But due to modern day methods, and the efforts of our Tidy Towns volunteers ,etc. we have been conditioned into an anti-litter way of thinking, such as picking up papers and general rubbish. I couldn’t but notice that the only thing in its path, were to multicoloured leaves. How things have changed. It’s interesting to note how we’ve all been trained to keep our public and private places  looking good and  litter free. And it wasn’t easy. At my age , I suppose I’m safe to say that we grew up in an untidy world. Anything that was no good was thrown away . In the country side there was plenty of room for old broken buckets , cups and plates, cardboard boxes, clothing , bits of galvenise ,tin cans,the list goes on. They were all fired into some hollow in a nearby hedge or wood ,while still around the yard ,old garments ,torn and no longer used,could be left hanging of an old nail on a haybarn pole or cowhouse or piggery until they eventually fell off and got mixed with the heap of dung , the heap of dung which was a permanent feature in every farm yard.  When planting time came it was no surprise to find a relic of a long discarded knitted guansai amid the dung in the drills as you planted the schilaanes.Everything was ‘thrown’. The skins of the potatoes after the dinner were ‘thrown’ out in the yard to the fowl and the animals. So also the rubbish,it was ‘thrown ‘ out. We lived within striking distance of the town. And every town dweller kept a pig or two ,out the back. But were at a loss as what to do with their waste. So my Father would let them bring it to our dung heap. Needless to say in time it made its way into our ground. And at harvest time or at the time of digging the potatoes, we regularly found bit of crockery or bit of an old garment,  different from any of ours. Letting us know that their heap of dung was also their ‘throw-away’ facility.

It took a long time to change that kind of thinking. The old adage of ‘what’s good enough for my father is good enough for us ‘ was hard to break. As well as that,places were in some cases, badly built, and indeed badly kept, so when the storm came a lot of damage was done . Even the winter snow was a thing to be feared when it fell heavy on a badly maintained  roof .some fell and were never re-built  .   Like so many other changes which have crept upon us with the passage of time ,anti litter and better maintenance is here to stay. In looking back to the way we were,can anybody blame me for the way I felt in the blinding rain and high winds on Sunday morning last,while waiting for my drive , for noticing the passing stream of golden leaves,devoid of tin cans,and glass bottles and rags which were so much part of life  when I was young.

This week we celebrate the twentieth anniversary passing of my beloved husband Dan Buckley. RIP. Our Family has increased alot since then and  I wonder what he’d think of us to-day. I know he’d smile.

I went to the Community Council meeting last Tues. night. Their meetings are held on the first Tuesday night of the month and they now meet at the lovely FET centre on the Main St. It was indeed a very uplifting occasion for me. A brand new trio are at the helm. Anne Collins deputising for Noel Buckley,Marie O’Riondan (O’Sullivan) Treasurer ,and Sinead Corkery (Roche) Sec. And a fine mix of young vibrant members making up a very promising   Community Council in our parish. Their books are full of things to do and they have the support of all the town traders and business people of the area. They even have their own website . As ever, cash  or the lack of ,will always be a challenge. But they have many irons in the fire and they will be telling us about them in due course. The development of the Cinema getting top priority at the moment. Like everything else ,things have come a long way since 1977 when we took it on for the first time.(And I’m the last survivor of that first Council). They deserve the full support of everybody, please help them in every way you can, for the good of our place. At the moment they are gathering material for the 2025 calendar, and they are asking for any photographs etc. which you’d like included. Please send yours to Marie Twomey, Priest’s Cross.087 2802529. [read more …] “Eily’s Report – 22nd October 2024”