community notices 1st April 2020

PROLOGUE:  Oh Holy Spirit:  Please help me and guide me

DEATH:  Sincere sympathy is offered to the family of the late Mairead Lenihan, Clash Cottage, Abbeyfeale on her recent death.  May she rest in peace.

WHY WE NEED TO KEEP WASHING OUR HANDS:  Following on from the Harnett Reunion last year one of our new contacts sent us an article written by a journalist who had to have a bone marrow transplant which resulted in her immune system being compromised:   “After my transplant, I washed my hands constantly, and I washed them thoroughly. I washed the palms, the backs, my wrists, each finger individually (concentrating on the finger tips), and then I scrubbed my fingernails in my palms. The whole “wash your hands for 20 seconds” thing made me laugh when I first heard it. If you truly wash your hands thoroughly, with the goal of removing any trace of pathogen you may have touched, it always takes at least 20 seconds, if not more. I washed my hands like this after every time I used the bathroom, before I ate, after touching anything in a public place, immediately after returning home from being out anywhere, after working out, after driving my car, after working on my computer, after feeding my pets, after cleaning my house.  If I wanted to scratch my nose, or I needed to put in my contact lenses, I washed my hands first, before ever touching my face.If my hands didn’t physically feel freshly washed, I washed them.  If I couldn’t remember the last time I washed them, I washed them.  I only used hand sanitizer when I didn’t have access to hot water and soap.If this sounds extreme, consider how much simpler and easier this is than being sick. Washing your hands constantly is just a matter of habit. You have to make yourself do it for a while, and you have to really focus on remembering, but once you do that long enough, you create a habit that will protect you for the rest of your life. In a globalized world ripe for pandemics, this is a necessary 21st century practice. If you find yourself wondering whether you’re washing your hands enough, then you aren’t.”

ABBEYFEALE COMMUNITY ALERT:  The most important thing you need to do today is write out your Eircode and place it by your phone.  If, God forbid, you have to call the emergency services this is all the information they require to arrive to your hall door.  Task who are the alarm installers that Abbeyfeale Community Alert work with have advised that everyone who has a panic button presses that button to make sure that it is in working order.  Don’t entertain callers offering to do jobs around the house.  If you need shopping or messages, contact the local committee who have been set up by Abbeyfeale Community Council on 068 31169/068 32080/ 087 7571144 any day between 9-5pm.  The Gardai are also available to help vulnerable people and will call to people, collect shopping or medicines so if you want help ring them.  Do also  ring Abbeyfeale Gardai on 068 30010 (Three hundred ten) if you have concerns over callers/ travelling salesmen, if the phone is unattended the call will be answered in NCW and the local squad car will be notified.  When you reach the age of 65 and live alone or with a person/s aged over 65 you are entitled to receive a monitored alarm system. But if you have younger people living in the house who are out for long periods of the day then,  because you are spending hours alone you are also entitled to the system provided that you are over 65.  The free equipment is provided by Pobal following an application from Abbeyfeale Community Alert, there will be a monitoring fee to be paid from the second year of installation to the installing company of €72.  Please note that this fee has increased by €6 and is payable in a lump sum each year after year one.  Should you not have a landline the installing company Task provide a sim card at a rate of €7.50 per month payable from day one.  Then, in year two you will also receive a bill for the monitoring fee so in year one the bill will be €90 and in year two and every other year after it will €162 approx.  Committee members are Michael O’Kelly N.T., Seamus Stack, Mossie Gleeson, Kathleen Collins, Mary McArthur, John O’Sullivan, Billy Quirke N.T., Cllr. Francis Foley, Catherine Daly, Marian Harnett.

HELPLINES:  Men suffering domestic abuse, operates 36 hours a week on 1800816588.  Limerick Social Services:  061-314111.    AA    061/311222 Al-Anon 086/8143425. Parent Support worker 068/31019.  Accord NCW 069/61000.   Samaritans Freephone 116123 or text 087/2609090 or email [email protected] Aware (Depression & Anxiety) 1980 303 302 National Suicide Helpline (Pieta House) 1800 247 247 Irish Advocacy Network (Peer advocacy in mental health) 01 872 8684 Pieta House (Suicide & self-harm) 01 623 5606 IACP (Counselling & Psychotherapy) 01 230 3536 Shine: (Supporting people affected by mental ill health) 01 860 1620 061 – 412111 or Free phone 1850609090 A.A. 061-311222.  Al-Anon 086-8143425 Bereavement Support: 068 / 31203    068/ 31262    068/51984    St Vincent De Paul    Tel 087/1213560 .  Counselling Appointment    061/314213.  ALONE; has launched a national support line and additional supports for older people who have concerns or are facing difficulties relating to the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Professional staff are available to answer queries and give advice and reassurance where necessary.  The support line is open Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm, by calling 0818 222 024. Hours may be extended to meet the demand.  SPRING FORWARD:   Clocks go forward on Sunday, March 29.  This year’s spring equinox fell on the earliest date in 124 years. The first day of spring occurred on Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 11:50 p.m. EDT for those in the Northern Hemisphere, which is marked by the arrival of the Vernal (Spring) Equinox.

CHURCH SERVICES:  Mass is being celebrated every day in the Church of the Assumption and broadcast on churchservices.tv and Monday to Friday,  the Stations of the Cross are also being broadcast at 3pm.  RTÉ will air Mass every weekday at 10.30am from St. Eunan’s and St. Columba’s Cathedral,  on RTÉ News Now. The church is now locked due to the new regulations announced last Friday. West Limerick 102fm will broadcast Mass on Sunday morning from Abbeyfeale at 10am.   Radio Kerry will also broadcast Mass on Sunday morning during the Horizons religious programme at 9am (Mass will be at 9.30am). On Sunday mornings RTE 1 broadcast  either Mass or Christian worship prayer at 11am . If you have Sky or one of the other TV packages, check out EWTN Catholic religious station for broadcast Masses and prayers. On the RTE Saorview channels, if you keep moving up through the tv channels you get to the radio channels coming through the TV, and on them there is Saroview channel 210 that broadcasts Radio Maria Ireland – a lovely station of Mass, Rosary, prayers and conversations on religious topics.