GAA News from Conor Killeen

Championship date fixed

The draw for the first round of the senior football championship has been made and Shannonbridge will face Gracefield in the first round of the SFC in Tullamore on Saturday the 19th of May.

This is the first year that I can remember that the County board has set in stone a championship fixture so early in the year and it is greatly welcome by all clubs and especially players.

The County board can often come in for criticism but on this occasion they must be commended for their organisation. They have also set out a full schedule of league fixtures for the coming season.

When the County board sets out these fixtures early in the year it gives players the opportunity to plan their holidays, work etc for the coming year and makes life alot easier for Managers to gear their training for their respective teams.

Communication between the County board and the clubs has some times left a lot to be desired over the years with major Championship fixtures been handed out just a couple of weeks before before the game, which often left clubs without players as they may have pre-booked holidays or had prior work commitments.

Top marks goes to the GAC for this simple yet much needed communication and this will be of great benefit to the GAA in Offaly.

League fixtures

Shannonbridge Junior and senior footballers will open their league campaigns this weekend with two home games. Our Juniors take on Shamrocks on Saturday at 4pm while the senior footballers will face Edenderry on Sunday at 3pm.

Shannonbridge will be hoping for their loyal supporters to turn out in numbers for the opening weekend and get behind their club for the coming year.

Membership

Membership is now due from anyone who wishes to become a member of Shannonbridge GAA club for the coming year. The fee is just €15, subscription can be paid to registrar Declan McEvoy or indeed any official of the club.

Lotto

There was no winner of last weeks Shannonbridge/Doon GAA lotto. Congratulations to all our match three winners. Last weeks jackpot was a whopping 17,400. Good luck to all who take part.

O'Connor park tickets

Tickets for the redevelopment of O'Connor park GAA grounds in Tullamore are currently on sale from Shannonbridge GAA club. The club must sell a certain quota of tickets for redevelopment of the grounds.

Tickets are for a monthly draw which goes on for the year with prizes on offer such as cars, holidays and large amounts of cash prizes. They are €100 and can be obtained from any club official. Your support is greatly appreciated.

A site worth visiting and maybe subscribing to is the Irish Times newspaper site which is found at The Irish Times/www.ireland.com using a Google search or whatever you fancy.

Today the paper had a handout poster dated 24^th February 07 titled ’A Night to Remember’ about the Ireland England rugby match in Croke Park.

Lent is here and the Spring 2007 St Joseph’s Advocate published by Mill Hill Missionaries (e.mail: josephmhm@eircom.net) has an interesting line up.

The editorial reminds us –

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers

We have wider highways but narrower viewpoints

We buy more but enjoy it less

We have bigger homes but smaller families

We have more degrees but less common sense

We have more knowledge but less judgement

We have more medicine but less well being

We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values

We have learned to make a living but not a life.

Elsewhere in the Advocate is featured Finis written by Sean Mac Cartain, retired

Chief Education Officer County Offaly V.E.C. It goes like this –

Finis

He praised the pure of heart

And those who watched and prayed.

Such old fashioned stuff.

They said.

He turned the Cana water

To wine that was rich and red.

It was mass hysteria.

They said

He blessed a Lenten lunch

Five thousand men were fed.

He had caches of food.

They said.

He wept for a rotting corpse

And raised it from the dead.

Collusion with friends

They said.

He walked on the turbulent sea

To a friend drowning in dread.

Better tricks in Rome

They said.

He was friend of the outcast poor

Sharing their fish and bread.

He’s a glutton and a sinner

They said.

He cured the sick and the blind

And the cripple prone on his bed.

He’s in league with the devil

They said.

He said he was Son of God

You’re a carpenter, born and bred,

A blasphemer, too

They said.

They took him and hung him high

With a thorn crown on his head.

That’s the end of him

They said.

The Sacred Heart Messenger monthly magazine

for March 2007 has a photograph of a man praying on

the back cover with a few lines from Saint Patrick’s

Breastplate that I feel the Irish rugby team may have

Used for their game on Saturday. It goes –

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Find under www.jesuit.ie if you wish

To have your monthly copy posted.

Finally one for the birds.

This morning I was telling Frankie Norton

That I was topping up the bird feeders

As about fifty assorted small birds use the feeders.

Frankie says “it’s all right if I don’t get

The Bird Flu”

Dated 26^th February 2007

Apologies for lack of input recently but a new update of Google and Blogger left access to the website beyond my reach and also Father O Hanlon’s weekly parish bulletin. Thanks to David and Cary hopefully we are back on track. Thanks to Bill from Bath who telephoned last week to ask why the web was not updated.

The weekend of the 17 /18^th February last turned out to be most enjoyable as about seven cousins from Ireland joined with his family and friends in celebrating John Francis Killeen four score birthday. The party was held in the Manchester United football grounds and of course we travelled into the event in a luxury eight seater limousine with champagne on route, A guide took us on a detailed tour of the stadium and dressing rooms and we had photo line-ups in the seats used by the manager and team.

Afterwards we had a steak dinner in one of the bar / restaurants that are used to service a number of the reserved boxes that only cost 60,000 a year I heard. Our waitress had an Irish accent and Bridget told us that she was from near Ballymote. A three piece second generation group played live music that would make you homesick. At the party was Louisa Killeen who is a daughter of Vincent and a grand daughter of John Francis. Louisa told us that she has been working in Dublin for four years and lives in Drumcondra. She has promised to hit Shannonbridge some weekend soon hopefully. John Francis was delighted to receive a birthday greeting from the manager Alex Ferguson.

On our way to the airport we stopped off at the Boat Show in Ballsbridge. I was telling Brendan Smith from Silverline Cruisers Banagher about travelling up by train and attempting to use the toilet at the railway station but failed when an entrance fee of 30Cents caught my eye. I had not got 30C so I held my ground. Brendan told that he had a similar experience during that week and also did not have the 30C. In his case he needed to use the facility and he approached a uniformed employee and told his story.

The man asked if he had any money and Brendan produced a 50 C coin which the uniformed gent took and then opened an independent entrance and allowed Brendan free access to the 30C facility for 50C if you understand the gist.

On the plane to Manchester I noticed a face I recognised but did not know his name. At baggage retrieval we met again and he told us that he was Tom Kenny, a nephew of Pat Gleeson and of Mrs Michael Ryan of Mullaghature. After coming home Mrs Ryan told that he was on his way to meet relatives that had only recently come to light. I think their parents were drowned on the ship Mauritania.

Good to see Michael and Claire Green and their daughter Courtney (11) home for a visit from Boston.

Just home the past week is Tom Mc Evoy who has been looking at cattle in Sydney Australia since early December. Tom had also planned to visit Perth but stayed in Sydney. He met Johnny Coleman and family and Johnny and Mrs Coleman are planning a visit to Ireland and England in July.

Also home this week is Mr O Rourke from New York – sorry I have forgotten his Christian name – the brother of Mrs Tom Guinan and the late John Joe O Rourke from Correen.

Some recent deaths include –

Myra Macklin, sister of the late Oliver Macklin whose funeral Mass took place in Shannonbridge with burial in her native Rush in County Clare.

Anthony Hynes brother of Kieran Hynes.

Paddy Kenny Clonmacnois who lived in a house across from Pat Duffy.

Peter Murphy, Wexford father of Eileen Gill Templedew and Paddy Murphy who is a regular visitor to Shannonbridge when gardening permits.

Kieran Molloy Glebe who was a brother of Mrs Maureen Cahill from Belmont.

Mrs Theresa Kenny nee Higgins Liberty Ballydangan wife of the late Michael and mother of Theresa Kenny.

May they all rest in peace.

Saturdays rugby international against England in Croke Park was played in great spirits and of course Ireland winning 43 to 13 points was icing on the cake.

Later on Saturday night Lorraine Devery Tim Devery’s niece celebrated her 21^st Birthday in Shannonbridge with her many friends. Lorraine is a great player on the accordion and wishing her all the best on her birthday.

Cousin John was telling us that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was in Roscommon last week and stopped off for a while in Millars of Ballydangan. He was also in Roscommon Town and visited Ballinasloe to turn the sod on a new 25 Million nursing home and assisted living facility that is being built in River Street Ballinasloe opposite Murrays Shop.

John Toher had his picture taken with Bertie and he told us that Bettie’s father worked in All Hallowes College in Dublin for fifty years. Toher remembers him obliging the students by taking in chocolate for them as they were not allowed out on the town.

Two regular fishing Moore boys were fishing in Shannonbridge at the weekend. They caught a 5 Lb pike while fishing from the jetty and were going to fish the afternoon at the Hot Water outlet at the power plant. The flood waters eased back well but then stopped and may have risen slightly. Some new bird feeders picked up in Manchester last weekend are being well used and at times over fifty birds are feeding or waiting.

Enjoyed a bridge card tournament in Athlone on Saturday and Sunday which marked the setting up of the first contract bridge tournament by four ladies 75 years ago.

Last Sunday we all thought that Ireland would hang on to a slender lead against France in the first rugby international played at Croke Park last Sunday but a last minute try settled our cough. Sorry the game clashed with Gay Byrne's Sunday Miscellany last radio show on Lyric FM. Good to hear he will be back again soon.

Last Saturday Genevieve Wynne was married in Birr and the reception was held in Kinnity Castle . The bride is a daughter of Mr and Mrs Joe Wynne Arigna. Joe is a brother of Mrs Keena and he went to national school in Shannonbridge.

By the way the sale of Kinnity Castle has fallen through so you are not late yet.

Saturday was baptism day for baby Niamh Flannery, Crevagh, daughter of Seamus and Patricia and a welcome sister for Sean. Congratulations.

Welcome this week to a new family for Shannonbridge. Brendan and Mary Dee purchased Seamus and Celine Grenham's famous Bungalow B+B as a residence and the family moved in on Monday. Welcome and may they be very happy in Shannonbridge. Mary tells us that her mother is moving from Salthill and will live with them in Shannonbridge.

Good to see John and Jimmy Brown and their family from Manchester in Shannonbridge this week. The two boys are sons of the late Margaret Brown nee McEvoy and are nephews of Mary Liz Coughlan and of Shannonbridge's late Mickie Mac Evoy.

Good to see Patricia Carry and her two boys over from England for a mid term school visit.

Lots of water came down at the weekend and again yesterday. It is strange but the flood water seems to be easing back although the land is soaking Eamon Mc Manus tells us.

Temperatures are around 10C but a cold rainy day yesterday was replaced by a sunny dry day today.

On Sunday Rory from The Dublin Pike Anglers and friends were fishing on a boat at Shannonbridge. Did not hear how they fared out.

The short story writer, critic, journalist, broadcaster and seanchai Brendan Kiely has died , aged 87years. May he rest in peace.

Ned Kenny Dublin and Moore has died in Dublin. He was a brother of the late builder Michael Kenny and he was married to Dympna Kilduff, sister of P.J.Kilduff and Eileen Mc Manus. He was buried in Dublin. May he rest in peace.

Got a welcome phone-call from England during the week enquiring when the Ballinasloe Horse Fair was on this year? For your information it starts on the weekend of 29/30 September and the Country Fair is on Saturday 6^th October.

Another phone call from the cousins in Manchester to tell us that John Francis Killeen is celebrating four score this weekend and at least five of the Irish cousins are making the trip for the party on Sunday. Wishing him all the best on his birthday. And we plan to enjoy it.

Welcome home to Michael and Clare Green from Boston and their eleven year old daughter Courtney who are here for a flying visit.

Posted on behalf of Derry

Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter
Sunday 11th Feb 2007 - 6th Sun C
Tel (090) 9674125
Fax (090) 9674267
E-mail. clonmacnoispn@eircom.net

Shannonbridge
Masses: Each day @ 10am
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €442. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: G.Brennan, D.Deeley, C.Quinn
Eucharistic ministers: Group 1
Readers for next Weekend: D.Finnerty, C.Doolan
Altar Servers for this week: Megan, Michaela
Mass on next Sat eve for the late Tom Nugent
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Clonfanlough
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €370. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: B.Higgins, D.Guinan
Readers for next Sunday: H.Coughlan
Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group A
Eucharistic minister for next Sunday: K.Kelly
Mass on next Sun for the late Tom Mannion


Meeting of Parish P.C Mon19th Feb in Clonfanlough @ 8pm

11February, Our Lady of Lourdes
This is celebrated as the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.
We are encouraged to visit them, and pray for them that they may never feel abandoned by God, but be helped by the goodness of others: “when I was sick you came to visit me”.

Message of Pope Benedict:
'I now turn to you, my dear brothers and sisters suffering from incurable and terminal diseases.
Trust that your sufferings, united to those of Christ, will prove fruitful for the needs of the Church and the world. I ask the Lord to strengthen your faith in his love, especially during these trials that you are experiencing. It is my hope that, wherever you are, you will always find the spiritual encouragement and strength needed to nourish your faith and bring you closer to the Father of Life.'
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Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes: 27th May – 1st June
Anyone who would like to go with the invalid section should inform the PP as soon as possible
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West Offaly Training
Computer classes will start soon, ranging from Basic Introduction for absolute beginners to ECDL, & advanced for the more proficient.
For more info call Carmel on057-9152003.
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Ballinasloe Flower & Garden Club
'Cooking with Herbs' - talk & demo by John White in Haydens Hotel on Wed 14th Feb @ 8pm. (Adm for Non-members is €5.)
Growers Competition: Collection of Garden Foliage in a Vase / Jar.
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Fatima 2007 - 90th Anniversary of Apparitions
Depart 27th Sep, including 2-Day Tour of Shrines of Northern Portugal, visiting Balazar, Sameiro, and Braga.
5 Nights FB in Hotel Avenida, Fatima; 2 Nights HB in 4* Hotel Braga. Cost €759. (Plus Insurance €25 if required.)
Spiritual Director is Fr John Naughton, Eyrecourt.
For details contact Nuala on 090-9675148.

Mass every Wed in the Prayer Centre Clonmacnois @ 7.30pm

Dated 6^th February 2007

Some sports results from the weekend. In rugby the Six Nations Tournament got under way. Ireland beat Wales 19 – 9 in Cardiff.

France beat Italy 39 – 3. England beat Scotland 42 – 20. England had Johnny Wilkinson playing after a two year lay off and he was excellent.

Next weekend Ireland will play France in Croke Park under lights.

First match played under lights was the Dublin Tyrone league match last weekend with Tyrone winning.

Mayo beat Kerry in their league match at the weekend.

Pat and Mick went by boat to Shannonharbour on Friday. Weather was lovely and there were a lot of birds to be seen.

On Saturday Mick Doherty took his boat out for a trip in fine weather and he was amazed at the number of birdlife and cormorants to be seen. That day Mary Killeen counted twenty goldfinch using the bird feeders in the yard as well as a variety of other species.

Yesterday the Irish Independent carried a photograph of a nest of four baby robins, aged 14 days. The nest was built in a Christmas wreath on the door of a flat in south west London. Kaye Donegan told us today that robins and some other birds like the corncrake have three or four clutches in the year. Robins generally start nesting around Valentines Day. Weather has been glorious for the past while with sunshine during the day and getting cold and frosty at night.

The Irish Times has their Images of 2006 on view and buy site www.ireland.com/focus/imagesof2006

The railway people Iarnrod Eireann have 150 new railway carriages on order from Korea and some of these will be coming on line in the next few months.

President Mary Mc Aleese was conferred with a Distinguished Fellowship by Athlone IT recently. While in Athlone she took time to visit the Monsignor Mc Carthy Complex, a family resource center.

Weather eye in The Irish Times mentioned Venus being bright at night and it will be brighter still in August.

Yesterday Shay Murphy stopped off on his way to Connemara. Shay worked for a number of years at the building of the extension to Shannonbridge Power Station.

The radio morning programme mentioned a website www.ratemyhospital.ie that allows patients and others to give their verdict on a range of things about any hospital.

Ferbane Bridge Club has a website called http://homepage.eircom.net/~ferbane_bridge/

Soon they are having a benefit night for charity.

Some deaths.

Patrick Mitchell, Moore North, son of the late Ta Mitchell has died. Burial today.

Maura Coleman, Banagher wife of Martin has died. Burial tomorrow.Mr. Murphy, Wexford father of Eileen Gill Templedew died this morning.
Thursday night a gang from Shannonbridge are off to The Concert Hall to hear Matt Munroe Junior and his orchestra perform.

Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter
Sunday 4th Feb 2007 - 5th Sun C
Tel (090) 9674125
Fax (090) 9674267
E-mail. clonmacnoispn@eircom.net


Shannonbridge
Masses: Each day @ 10am
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €504. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: M.Moran, M.McManus
Eucharistic ministers: Group 4
Readers for next Weekend: C.Mannion, P.Duffy
Altar Servers for this week: Ciara, Dylan

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Clonfanlough
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €220. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: C.Spain, C.Guinan
Readers for next Sunday: D.Norton
Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group E
Eucharistic minister for next Sunday: P.Darcy
Mass on next Sun for the late Padraic Devery

'Happiness is a wondrous commodity; the more you give, the more you have.' (Voltaire)

Today is Education in Faith Sunday
The Theme for this year is taken from Our Lord's in the Gospel:
'Put out into the deep'. The focus of Education in Faith Sunday is to develop the concept of life-long learning in faith, and to foster greater links between home school and parish. It also challenges us to recognise that as members of the Church we are all teachers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and share in the responsibility of furthering the reign of God.
The readings in today's liturgy remind us of this task: 'I will go, send me.' (Is. 6.8) 'I passed on to you what I received.' (1Cor 15.3)
'Don't be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.' (Lk 5.10)
The present Pope, some months before he elected, described the essence of Christianity as: 'The love story between God and humanity. Only through concrete experiences and lived witness is it possible to make the reality of the Christian message accessible to people now.'
For more information visit www.catechetics.ie
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Study Theology from Home
The Dominicans are offering a full programme of theology by distance learning, which can be studied for academic credit or for its own sake. For further information contact:
The Priory Institute, Tallaght Village, Dublin 24. (01-4048127)
Website: www.prioryinstitute.com
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Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe
Annual Remembrance Service for bereaved parents of children who died, or who suffered miscarriages will be held in the Hospital Chapel, on Wed 7th February @ 7.30pm
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St Loman's Hospital Mullingar
A Mass of Remembrance will be held in the Hospital Chapel on Wed 7th Feb @ 2.30pm in memory of deceased patients.
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Special Olympics Ireland - News Flash
Liam Lawton will perform in Tullamore's Church of the Assumption on Tues 20th Feb @ 8pm in aid of Offaly Special Olympics.
Tickets available at 057-9321110 / 057-9325600.

Dated 1^st February 2007

Wednesday night was Graduation Night for Shannonbridge pair Declan Ryan and Emmett Keohane who were conferred by University College Maynooth for passing their respective courses. Declan chose the quarries of Clerhane as his subject. Congratulations to them both.

Thursday started with Bob Galligan telling how he spotted two pike fishing boats moored on a piece of land that they had discovered near the mouth of the River Suck. Later the two boats were seen going upstream of the village bridge. No report on their venture.

Father Tom Ryan ha a packed church for his funeral and as expected Arch-bishop Cassidy gave an excellent sermon. Father Tom was 30 years in Africa and volunteered to serve in Arigna and Ballymahon and more recently Clonfad. Both parish priests from Arigna and Ballymahon attended the Mass. Father Sean Tynan from Arigna worked in Africa and also in Ferbane parish. He told us that his parish has two websites www.kilronan.ie for parish news. They also have www.minerswayand historicaltrail.ie

He reminded us about the Banquets that he organised in Clononey Castle. There is a dungeon attached to the castle and the committee used it to house anybody that got out of hand. He claimed that Elizabeth lived there for a number of years and it is written on a stone at the castle. I thought it was Anne Boleyn that escaped and lived there.

Evelyn Murphy nee Seery, wife of the late Jack died peacefully at her home in Ard Mhuire, Ballinasloe on Wednesday and was removed to the church on Thursday with funeral on Friday. Evelyn was 98 years. May she rest in peace.

News on Thursday night of the death of Sean Corrigan retired teacher in Banagher.

May he rest in peace.

Weather is mild and dry but the forecast is for rain.

Wednesday 31^st Jan 2007

Three funerals in an evening. Father Tom Ryan lay in repose in Clonfad Church on Wednesday evening. After Mass on Thursday his remains will be taken to his order house at Kiltegan for burial.

Frank Somers once drummer with Syd and The Saints, The Evergreens and Foster and Allen has died. His body was removed from his home for Mass on Thursday morning.

P.J.Bannon, publican and once owner of The Green Olive has died. His body was removed from his home in Athlone on Wednesday evening with burial after Mass on Thursday.

The regular Wednesday night table quiz on this Wednesday night in Killeens decided to run the quiz in aid of the Kiltegan Missions on account of Father Tom Ryan. The venture raised 235 Euros.