PROLOGUE: There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing. Aristotle.
DEATHS: Sincere sympathy is offered to the family of the late Ita Corbett, The Belfrey,and to the O’Regan family Ardagh on the death of Sheila. May they rest in peace.
FLEADH BY THE FEALE: Only a couple more days until Fleadh by the Feale 2021 kicks off!! All events will be on our Facebook page from Friday, April 30 – Monday, May 3. Guaranteed to be a jam packed weekend of music, song and dance. Bígí linn!!
Artistes include: John Forde Jackie Murphy Laura O Donoghue Adrian O Leary Ian Sheehy Muireann Hickey Comhaltas Teampall An Ghleanntáin-Templeglantine Brogan McAuliffe Thomas Ahern Elle Marie O Dwyer Music, Billy McComiskey, Joseph McNulty, Fuinneamh, Máire Ní Chonchúir, James O’Connor, Micheal Broderick, Padraig Enright, Eibhlin Healy, Jackie Healy, Natasha Sheehy, Husband and wife : Mairead Corridan,Gearóid Keating, Darragh Horan, Greta Curtin, Jessie Healy, Singing Sisters: Eibhlín and Catherine Broderick. Liam Broderick, Louise Mulcahy, Michelle Mulcahy, The Murphy Family, Denis Curtin.
CAMPAIGN TO STOP ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVOUR IN ABBEYFEALE: Cllr. Liam Galvin is seeking signatures on the following petition: “ That the Minister for Justice enacts legislation or amends current legislation, as necessary, to put the onus on parents of children under 16 who are gathering /loitering in public areas and engaging in anti-social behaviour, to be responsible for their children and that sanctions be imposed on parents whose children are engaging in such behaviour by means of fines and that these fines would be recovered by means of attachment of earnings, if applicable.” You can sign on line on Cllr. Galvin’s FB page or the Abbeyfeale Community Group FB page. You can also contact Cllr. Galvin on 087 9850435.
CONGRATULATIONS: Sr. Agnes Fitzgerald, Sr. Consillo’s sister and a native of Brosna, was awarded Person of the Month in Limerick, she has spent 39 years working in Cuan Mhuire.
DEGREE: Pre-Degree course for adults, closing date May 31, details from University of Limerick.
ACTIVE RETIRED; We are inviting expressions of interest from all Active Retired Groups to host an event/ activity for older members of your community during the month of May. All event organisers must ensure that their event is on-line, or alternatively events must be adhering to the public health guidelines that may be in place at the time.
https://www.sdcc.ie/en/news/bealtaine-festival-may-2021.html
COOKING: Certificate in Culinary Arts (Food Preparation and Cooking) starts on Monday, May 10. The course is fully funded, so no fees are payable. It runs for 20 weeks full time and aims to develop a range of basic food prep, cooking and culinary arts skills. Each learner will be based in an industry standard production kitchen at Kerry College’s Clash Road Campus and will have their own workstation. Apply here now: https://kerrycollege.ie/full-time-courses/food-preparation-and-cooking-culinary-arts-tralee/
SEARCH FOR VOLUNTEERS: West Limerick Mental Health Association are always searching for volunteers and they say “Our volunteers play a crucial role in our organization and our community. Without the dedication of volunteers, many projects offered by our local branch would not be possible. We truly appreciate the dedication and initiative of those who unselfishly contribute their time and energy to further our mission. Volunteering is at the core of our organization. It is about giving, contributing and helping other individuals and the community at large; it is working with others to making a meaningful contribution to a better community.Give the gift of yourself, your time, your effort, and discover the benefits of volunteering. You are always welcome. Contact : [email protected]
CHURCH RADIO107FM: The signal from the Church Radio has been extended to a radius of 3 miles approximately. Parishioners can tune into all Masses and Church ceremonies on 107FM. This service will be of benefit to parishioners who do not have access to the internet and the church webcam. We ask you to assist elderly parishioners in tuning in their radios.
“LAST ONE FOR THE ROAD” UPDATED!: An updated version of “Abbeyfeale. Last One For The Road” by Raymond Fennelly has just been released. (although some may claim that it probably escaped!). Over twenty new stories, articles and illustrations have been added to the original publication which was first launched in 2016. The book is not on sale locally due to covid restrictions. The late Ann Lyons, The Square, would usually be the first to stock it in normal times. Ann was a great supporter of local writers and artists and is sadly missed. May she Rest In Peace.). However, copies are available on line from Amazon US and Amazon DE. (It may not be for sale on Amazon UK at present due to Brexit.) Hopefully “Abbeyfeale. Last One For The Road” will prove to be a gentle distraction during these difficult times.
CHURCH NEWS: Mass Intentions: Thursday 10am Ann Romain. Sean O’Mahony, Caherhayes 8th Anniversary. Friday 10am Deceased members of the Hughes & McEnnis Families. No Saturday morning 6.30pm Mai & Tade Collins, Ballaugh. Sunday 10am Mary & James Scully, Mountmahon. Denis & Ellen Collins Purt and deceased members of the Geary family. 12noonStasia & John McGill and deceased family members. Sincere thanks to parishioners who continue to support the church through their weekly offerings. Your weekly contributions enable us to keep the parish functioning and we are grateful for that. As well as using the weekly envelopes, parishioners can also use the DONATE button on the parish website www.abbeyfealeparish.ie. An increasing number of parishioners are opting to use this electronic donating system. It is a completely secure and confidential method of supporting the church. . Fr Tony Mullins 0872600414, Fr Dan Lane (Retired) 087/2533030, Fr Denis Mullane 087/26219.
WEST LIMERICK MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION: WLMHA have a Face Book page open to the public. Log on and share for news of courses, help lines, inspirational words etc.
TAKEOUT AVAILABLE: We all need something to look forward to during these months of pandemic so why not treat yourself to a meal from Leens Hotel. Available from 1-8pm seven days a week. Ring 068 31121 to place an order. Conor Mc Carthy’s Kitchen Table has also reopened for Takeaway and the Green Gourmet in Convent St. is open for takeaway until 3pm Monday to Friday.
DARKNESS INTO LIGHT 2021: You can join us at Sunrise – Saturday, May 8.
Sadly this year again we can’t come together as a community and walk together, but we can still join Pieta and Electric Ireland for a special Darkness Into Light sunrise, and give the gift of hope to those impacted by suicide and self-harm. Join in any way you can – walk, swim, and bike or simply share your sunrise moment. While we know the majority of people will want to rise on the morning of May 8, you can still wear your yellow t-shirt and do your own walk or challenge at any time that suits you. We know that the yellow Darkness Into Light t-shirt is very important to a lot of people, with many wearing it as a badge of honour. T-shirts are available this year as part of the registration, but if you have an old Darkness into Light t-shirt we would love if you could reuse it. This keeps our running costs down and is kinder to our planet. Our Early Bird tickets are in place until March 31 : Adult – 18+: Early Bird €21; Standard €26. Concession – Early Bird €16; Standard €21. Child – Early Bird €5; Standard €5. Baby/Toddler – €0; Standard €0. Family (max 2 adults + 5 children €52; Standard €6. Take the Challenge. Raise vital funds for suicide prevention. Create your very own Darkness Into Light Challenge – whether you choose to organize a 10k hike, run a marathon, skydive or sea dive, your fundraising will support lifesaving suicide prevention services. All funds raised through donations and fundraising will go back into funding the services that Pieta provides, free of charge to those who need them most. Sign up to Darkness Into light before March 31 and you’ll automatically be entered into a draw to win a year’s free electricity from our proud partner Electric Ireland. A big thank you to all at Electric Ireland for this amazing prize and their continued support of Darkness Into Light. Visit www.darknessintolight.ie to sign up.
WEST LIMERICK COMMUNITY RADIO: Community Radio is very distinct from Local Commercial radio, providing access for rarely heard voices, diversity in programming including music, and acting as a means of community expression. As part of its licence a very strictly enforced rule is that no more than 50% of revenue can come from commercial sources and at least 25% must come from the community they serve. WL102fm are relying on tickets sales for their weekly draw to keep them on air as this is the only fundraiser that they can hold at the minute. Tickets are available in Kathleen’s Food Store, Convent St., Mikey’s stall in the Square, Moss the Farmers’ and also in the Siopa Nua. I would ask everyone to put €2 aside every week and purchase a ticket. You can see the value of community radio when you can receive Mass broadcast into your home every Sunday.
NOTICE TO PUBLIC: As a result of the Coronavirus, all West Limerick Resources events, Training Courses, Workshops and Face-to-Face Meetings are postponed until further notice. Staff are available to respond to clients and community groups by email or phone in relation to West Limerick Resources work and projects. Please check our Website on www.wlr.ie or Facebook on https://www.facebook.com/WestLimerickResources for further updates or contact the main office landline 069 62222 with any queries and you will be directed to the appropriate staff member.
LOCAL ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE: Are you interested in developing or expanding your social enterprise? Have you an innovative approach to addressing community needs? ‘Cooperating to Succeed’ is an imaginative yet practical programme designed to support social entrepreneurs, providing a year-long training and support package, tailored to your current needs. For further information please contact [email protected] or 069 66294.
JOBS: Follow facebook.com/WestLimerickJobs for daily posts on job vacancies and training opportunities throughout West Limerick.
ABBEYFEALE COMMUNITY ALERT: A gentleman received a phone call this morning and said that he should have known by the number – it had a 0032 International prefix –“ but in my defence, it was early and I wasn’t fully functioning. The caller, a middle Eastern gentleman, purported to be from an overwatch group for Ireland’s internet service providers including Eir, Sky Virgin media. He didn’t ask for any of my personal details or logins or passwords. He asked me to perform a speedtest on my pc. I used Speedtest by Ookla and he asked for the results. He then asked me to go to Teamviewer.com and at the bottom of the page click ‘download me’. This is a very professional looking website. When the download was complete alarm bells started ringing. It was an application that would have given him ‘Remote Control’ or remote access of my pc.
At this point I rang my service provider and they assured me it was a scam. Virgin media have taken note of it, the phone he used, the process he went through and will report it throughout their organisation. I am computer savvy, I’m usually up-to-speed and diligent with what I do or don’t open with regard to emails AND I was still caught out.
Gardaí are advising people to beware of Romance Scams. Victims of the scam believe they have met their perfect match online, but the other person is in fact a scammer using a fake profile to build the relationship. They slowly gain the victim’s trust with a view to eventually asking them for money. One Irish woman was showered with expensive gifts, including scarves and perfumes, before she was asked to invest in her suitor’s business. Over a thirteen (13) month period, the woman gave the romance fraudster €48,000. The woman initially delayed reporting the fraud to Gardaí as she was married. The extent of the scam is not fully known because many of the victims are too embarrassed to report the fraud to Gardaí. Detective Inspector Catharina Gunne from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau warns: “Romance fraudsters may try to get their victims to send them money using the following excuses: to cover the cost of travelling to see the victim; for emergency medical expenses for the scammer or a family member — typically a child; a business opportunity which would allow them to live together comfortably. In the beginning, the amount of money requested will often be small but increases as the scammer becomes more successful in building the ‘relationship’ and tricking the victim.” Recently, a romance fraudster in the west of Ireland was found guilty of taking nearly €19,000 from a victim. The perpetrator obtained money through deception over a five (5) month period after meeting the victim through a dating website. An Garda Síochána works closely with Europol to disrupt the activities of romance scammers, particularly organised crime gangs that engage in this type of criminality. Dating websites are often monitored for criminality. Romance Fraudsters will: Try to move communications away from dating websites. They suggest that you move to instant messaging, text or phone calls instead. Ask a lot of personal questions. Avoid answering personal questions about themselves. The details that they do tell you seem made up or do not reflect reality. For instance, they may say that they’re university educated, but their spelling and grammar is poor. Try to establish a bond quickly. For example, they may give you an endearing pet name e.g. baby, darling, etc. Ask for financial help. They may tell you about money problems in the hope that you’ll offer to help. Never meet you in person. They will present obstacles and may go as far as making arrangements and cancelling them at the last minute. They may promise to want to see you but offer excuses which delay this, such as financial troubles. What you can do: Use trusted dating websites. Do not share personal details.
Do not send or receive money. Think twice before using your webcam. Trust your instincts.
Are you a victim? If you believe that you are a victim of a romance scam, or think your identity or personal information has been compromised, contact any Garda Station and report the crime. Please be assured that An Garda Síochána will treat all reports in confidence. Red C research has discovered that 55% of Irish people have received a fraudulent text, email or call. Do not answer if you don’t recognise the number and do not click on a link and definitely do not give your Pin Number. Another thing is do not post details on FB like your mother’s maiden name or what type of a car did you drive in your youth because questions such as these are often used as security questions by the bank when you are looking to borrow money. An Garda Síochána is asking the public to be aware of the rise in investment fraud scams. Unfortunately such scams are become prevalent, particularly during the pandemic due to increased online traffic and targeting of the general public by criminals using ever increasingly sophisticated means. An investment fraud scam is a fraud where criminals pose as investment managers, promise quick and high rates of return, and simply steal your money. The fraudster uses various investment schemes such as in rare metals, overseas property, and alternative energy schemes such as carbon credits and forestry. Promises are made of fast, enormous returns, once in a lifetime opportunities and can be seen to be endorsed by reputable business people or celebrities but this is without their knowledge. How to avoid Investment Fraud scams: If it is too good to be true, it probably is. Do your own research and be wary of wild claims. Always seek independent financial and legal advice before making any investments. Check the various registers on the Central Bank of Ireland’s website. Use regulated investment firms where possible (Virtual assets are not currently regulated in Ireland). Do not respond to unsolicited approaches or cold-calls. Don’t click on links for websites that you don’t know. NEVER EVER disclose your bank account passwords or codes. NEVER allow anyone remote access to your computer. Stick a plaster over the web cam and remove for Zoom meetings etc. Further information on investment and other fraud types can be found on www.garda.ieand www.fraudSMART.ie Abbeyfeale Gardai can be reached on 068 30010. If the phone is unattended it will be patched through to NCW. Contact will then be made with the Abbeyfeale Gardai. 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. There may be some confusion over the word free - the equipment which costs in the region of €400 is provided free of charge by Pobal as is the first year of monitoring but after that you will be charged by the installing company for the monitoring. I have not included the phone numbers of the committee in this notice but if you want to get a panic button then ring Abbeyfeale Garda Station on 068 30010 and they will contact one of us. 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 with a deposit of 6 months payable on the day of installation.. 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. If you wish you can arrange a direct debit and pay this amount off monthly. Committee members are Michael O’Kelly N.T., Chairman Seamus Stack, Secretary Mossie Gleeson, Assistant Treasurer Kathleen Collins, Assistant Secretary Mary McArthur, John O’Sullivan, Billy Quirke N.T., Cllr. Francis Foley, Catherine Daly, Maurice O’Connell, Assistant Treasurer Marian Harnett.
.HELPLINES: COVID-19 Support Line for Older People: The support line is open every day, 8am-8pm, by calling 081 822 2024. Hospice Bereavement Line 1800807077 Monday to Friday 10am – 1pm. Jigsaw support line is now up and running on freefone 1800 JIGSAW (544 729). It will provide free mental health support and advice to young people aged 12 to 25 years old, and parents or concerned adults who live in the Republic of Ireland. Text 50808 to receive support from a volunteer. A helpline for Men suffering domestic abuse operates 36 hours a week on 1800816588. Men’s Aid (Amen) 01 5543811 Monday – Friday 9-5pm. 24 hour helplines for women suffering domestic abuse 1800 341900 or Adapt 1800 200504. 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 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. ACCORD; are now offering over the phone counselling for couples, Individuals & family members during this time of unprecedented stress & pressure during these weeks of COVID-19. Call: 01 5313331. Al-Anon 086-8143425 Bereavement Support: 068 / 31203 068/ 31262 068/51984 St Vincent De Paul Tel 087/1213560. Counselling Appointment 061/314213. .
DO YOU HAVE NEWS: If there is something you’d like covered in the Abbeyfeale notes please contact me on 087 6866450 or email me on [email protected]
087 260 0414
