The Crack of Dawn

 Easter has always been my favourite time of the year. The whole shebang of longer days, better weather (hopefully!) leaves bursting out on trees, lambs, chicks and chocolate eggs all bring a bit of optimism and good cheer to the world,,,and God knows we can do with it in this political climate at the moment.

Anyway, Dawn mass was being held in Kilcolumb  which is just down the road from me. It is a very old cemetery which was overgrown for many decades up until recently, when it was cleared and an altar and seating area were built in it. Dawn mass has been held in it every Easter for the past number of years but I've never dragged my lazy ass out of bed to go to it. This year I decided to go just to get the experience of it. Also it was my turn to read at mass so I was going all in!

I honestly didn't think there would be that many people there at that hour and was surprised when I drove down and could hardly get parking there. But I should have known from last week that Raharney people tend to turn up in their droves!

As I was walking up the hill I couldn't help but think of the various stories I had learned in school. Firstly, there was good old St Patrick, who in 433AD got into trouble with the High King as he lit his Paschal fire on the Hill of Slane before the king had lit his pagan fire on the hill of Tara...a big no no!

Our fire

Then just as mass was about to begin a nearby cock began to crow as if to say "Get on with it".

I was reminded of a history lesson on The Penal Laws, when it was illegal for Catholics to attend mass under pain of death. As a result secret masses were held outdoors at "Mass rocks", usually on a hillside so that approaching soldiers could be seen and people could flee to safety. I was wondering how many of us would have been there today if it could have led to our execution, and I guess very few.

 I certainly wouldn't have been! 

It came to the readings.

I had a microphone in one hand and an iPad in the other. As time went on the tablet was getting heavier and heavier and I thought I was going to let it fall. I thought of Moses dropping his tablets and smashing them! 

Thankfully it didn't happen to me :)

As the dawn broke, the sound of the Dawn Chorus filled the air. There was no need of an earthly choir. Putting the religious aspect aside, it was one of the most spiritual experiences I ever had.

By the time it was over it was bright, a new day. People filed away, mainly to The Third Place where there was tea and goodies for everyone. We deserved it for getting up so early.

I wrote this piece last night and let it sit for a while before publishing it. Word is just coming through about the death of Pope Francis. I am so glad that I went to this yesterday.

Yes, this is a painting not a photo!

 I am SOOOOO proud of my nephew Niall, whose painting has been chosen as a finalist in the Royal Hibernian Academy for Arts 195th exhibition.

Over 4,600 works were selected for the second round and 420 artworks made it to the final round. Niall's painting see above is one of those.

The annual exhibition will open to the public on  Monday 26th May 2025 and close at 5pm on 3rd august 2025.

To say that it is so well deserved is an understatement and this is just the first milestone in Niall's very promising career.

The Little Village that Walked for a Day

 I know the title sounds like an Enid Blyton book from the 60's but no, this is a modern day fairytale.

Recently I was asking my family and friends to sponsor me for a 24 Hour Walkathon.

"What???" they exclaimed. "You're going to walk for a full day!!!"

I had to explain that no, I wasn't undertaking such an endurance test. Rather, Raharney Hurling and Camogie clubs were in need of 80,000 euro to develop the local pitch and amenities. They had come up with the idea of having a day long walk, where 24 different groups of people would lap the pitches for an hour. After the hour they would pass the hurl*

* the stick that is used to play hurling and camogie, a bit like a hockey stick, for all my non-Irish readers!

on to the next group to continue, like the baton in a relay race.

Now considering Raharney is a small village with a population of around 300 people, raising that amount of money would take about 2-3 years, according to the committee.

Anyway all hands on deck. I was drafted into the church choir group                                 The Saintly Crew, bearing in mind that I can't sing and am not a member. But that was irrelevant, I could walk, couldn't I?

Not only did we get sponsorship, every group also came up with their own fundraising events...and this is where the fun began. For the past month there were all sorts of shenanigans going on...tractor run, car washing, scrap metal collecting, designer clothes sale, rock-paper-scissors competition, plate painting, road hurling competition, busking (obviously done by the choir) the list goes on and on.  The big push was that the more money your group raised the better the time slot you got for your walk! After all, no one wanted the graveyard shifts in the middle of the night.

The walk started at 5pm on Friday evening. We mustn't have done too badly as we got 9-10 AM on Saturday morning. The sun shone down on us as the hurl was passed from the previous group to ours.

 Off we set and 1 hour and 7 laps later we were finished. Into the marquee for a well deserved cup of tea and a sausage roll!

So it continued until 5pm. Everyone returned for the last lap. 

Then time for presentation to the Championship winning team of 1973. It's amazing the things we remember.

I was 9 years old at the time. After their win, the team was going on a trip to London. That was so exotic in those days. Mam and Dad went too...along with the rest of the village. Everyone boarded the bus in the car park outside our school. Us kids went out and serenaded them off with our tin-whistle playing. I remember it because Dad and Shay Murtagh gave money to buy sweets for the whole school. Again that was back in the day when sweets were NOT a daily occurrence. And THAT has stuck in my memory every since.

Anyway, after all the presentations and raffles were over, and we had all eaten our fill of curry and lasagne, it was time for the grand reveal 

HOW MUCH MONEY HAD WE RAISED IN THE FOUR WEEKS?

Bear in mind, the target was for 80,000 euro over two years... and in a month we raised

73,000 euro!

Absolutely bloody amazing for such a small village. But it is a testament to the strong community spirit that exists. And apart from the money raised, the biggest outcome of the venture was the craic and laughter that was had by everyone doing it. PRICELESS.

During the evening there was a moment when we all stopped to remember deceased members of the club who are unfortunately no longer with us. I thought of my good friend Ger Flynn who was a staunch Raharney supporter and who would have been in her element organising the whole event.

Ger, you are sadly missed x

Put your best foot forward

 

I had my second ballet class yesterday.

Afterwards i was talking to another Silver Swan and she told me that I could get my ballet shoes in a nearby shoe shop.

So off I headed.

I asked an older shop assistant if she had any ballet pomps in a size 6..

Okay, she was probably younger than I am.

She asked

"A kid's size 6?"

"No. For me."

She looked at me quizzically and wandered off in the direction of the store room. On the way she stopped at another shop assistant and asked her a question. 

All I could hear was

"Blah, blah, blah...over 55s...blah, blah, blah"

She had obviously stopped to ask what on earth that auld one was doing, asking for a pair of ballet shoes FOR HERSELF! Luckily the other lady knew about the classes for "the more mature lady"!

Anyway, I got my new ballet pumps and to quote Freddie Mercury

"DON'T STOP ME NOW!"

It's the little thimgs...

 One of my most heart-warming memories from Lockdown is the sporadic appearance of a bunch of daffodils at my gate from a mystery source.

 It was only when restrictions were lifted, and after some Miss Marple-esque detective work on my part, that I discovered which neighbour was responsible.

I thanked her profusely for the flowers but I don't think she fully realised how that seemingly small act of kindness really helped keep me going in the darkest depths of isolation.

So imagine what a lovely surprise it was today when I arrived home to these on my doorstep.

Still brings a smile to my face.