7th January, 2024

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Sat 6th & Sun 7th January 2024

Volume 24. Number 1

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ADAMSTOWN LOTTO RESULTS

The winning numbers in the Adamstown Lotto draw on Thursday 4th January were: 13 – 14 – 15 – 23. There was no Jackpot winner and one match three player including online players. Match 3 winner Mary Power received €200. The next draw is on Monday 15th Jan for a Jackpot of €8,200.

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAMES

The Thursday night Card Game continues in the Community Centre every week at 8.30pm. Card winners on Thurs 4th were: Matty Sullivan, Pat Murphy, Owen & Sammy Elmes, Micksy & Breda Bolger, Kathleen Whelan & Pat Quinn.

Grateful thanks to Gerry & Staff, Adamstown Pharmacy for donating Christmas Hampers for the Cards recently.

These were presented to Trish Wickham & Breda Bolger who help with the serving of teas each week.

Wishing all Card players a Happy & Peaceful New Year.

COLÁISTE ABBÁIN NEWS

Soccer – A great win for our U17 soccer boys before Christmas in the Wexford-Wicklow league semi-final,  when they defeated a very good New Ross CBS team 2 – 1. The lads played their hearts out in tough conditions with 2 goals from Jack Buckley. Get the banners out, we are in another final. Well done to Mr. McDonnell, Mr. Martin & Mr, Walsh.

ADAMSTOWN GAA CLUB

Get involved with your club & an introduction to coaching.

Adamstown GAA, Camogie & LGFA clubs will be holding a workshop on Monday January 15th at 7pm. Presenting the workshop will be Kilkenny’s Martin Fogarty, Martin has been promoting games for decades with some very notable achievements:

First ever National Hurling Development Manager

2 time All Ireland u-21 hurling winning manager

6 time All Ireland senior Hurling winning coach/selector

The workshop is open to anybody who wishes to get involved with the club in any capacity (committee, development, coordinator, coaching, fundraising, catering, management etc) The second part of the workshop will focuses on the coaching side of things.  A “coaching the coaches” workshop. This highly recommended for anyone who is involved or would like to become involved in coaching be in attendance also. Martin comes with a hugely impressive CV and a wealth of knowledge of how to best run a club from the meeting rooms to the grass. We would encourage anybody with an interest in any of the above to please attend on the night.

Date – Monday 15th January.  Time – 7pm – 8.45pm

Location – Adamstown Community Centre.

Finally to note after the workshop there will be tea/coffee and sandwiches and Martin will stay around to chat with individually to anybody who has further questions for him on the night.

DONOGH O’MALLEY & THE FREE EDUCATION SCHEME There was a time in Ireland when the cost of secondary school fees meant that every year, 17,000 Irish children did not progress beyond their primary education. Donogh O’Malley was the man that changed all that. Last Sept a sum of 54 million euro was ring fenced by the government to fund free Primary school books to more than 500,000 pupils in 3,230 schools nationwide.  This development offers an opportunity to look back at another landmark, namely the introduction of free secondary education in 1966. On that occasion, the Minister for Education was Donogh O’Malley, a Fianna Fail TD whose short political career left an indelible mark on Irish society for generations to come. In a speech to the National Union of Journalists on 10th Sept 1966, O’Malley caught everyone, including his fellow cabinet ministers completely off-guard when he announced his plan to roll out free secondary school education to all Irish children up to the age of 18, the following year. O’Malley was only three months into his new position when he made his now famous speech, “I am a realist” he said “and I have to deal with the crying needs of our young children who thirst for education for so much, so many of whom cannot afford it at this present time as things stand. He was referring to the fact that 17,000 Irish children did not progress beyond their primary education. This, he remarked, was “a dark stain on the public consciousness” and gave rise to a situation whereby “one third of our people have been condemned  – the great majority through no fault of their own – to be part-educated, unskilled labour”. O’Malley made clear his intention to tackle this stark inequality, “with all speed and determination”. “I am glad to be able to announce” he proclaimed, “that I am drawing up a scheme under which in future no boy or girl in this state will be deprived of full educational opportunity… by reason of the fact that the parents cannot afford to pay for it”. Furthermore, a free bus service to rural children to the nearest secondary school would be made available. O’Malley’s radical speech caused a great flurry of excitement in media circles – more than likely just as he had intended it to. The fact that the announcement was a complete surprise to many, including his cabinet colleagues, caused just as much commotion. Among those who were less than impressed was senior civil servant and secretary of the Dept of Finance, T.K. Whitaker, who would have to revisit his budget to find the funds for the far-reaching proposal. It has been debated whether or not O’Malley had kept Taoiseach Seán Lemass in the loop. O’Malley had pulled off the ultimate ‘fait accompli’  – such was the enormously positive public reaction that the genie could not be put back in the bottle! Donogh O’Malley died suddenly in March 1968, at the age of just forty-seven. The annals of history will record Donogh O’Malley as one of the most effective and dynamic government ministers in the history of the state. Many secondary students will never have heard of his name – yet, he was the man who changed our lives and many, many others to this day.

(Sinéad Brennan – Ireland’s Own)

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 6th – Terry McDonald, The Leap (A)

Also        Willie Stafford, Oldcourt (A)

               Statia & Syl Barron, Coonogue (A)

Sun 7th – James & Lila Kent, Adamstown (A)

Also          May Whitty, Ballagh (A)

Pray for Michael Connors, (Month’s Mind)

Sat 13th – Josie Galway, Pat & Catherine Doyle,

Breezemount (A)

Sun 14th – Nicholas & Mary Byrne, Kellystown (A)

Pray for Breda Kelly who died during the week.

Pray for Mary Alyward, Glenour (A)

77th Birthday remembrance of Michael Nolan, New Ross

May they rest in peace

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 6th – Annette English.   Sun 7th – Callie Doyle

Sat 13th – Eoghan Greene. Sun 14th – Neasa Cloney

Sat 20th – Liam Whelan       Sun 21st – Kathleen O’Connor

Sat 27th – Anthony McGee.  Sun 28th – Ann Ryan

SYMPATHY

The death occurred on Saturday 30th December of Breda Kelly, Ballyvergin, Adamstown. We extend our deepest sympathy to her sons Liam, Derek, Vincent, Ciaran, Marty, daughters Lisa, Deirdre & Valerie, grandchildren, sisters,

brothers, extended family, neighbours and friends. Breda was predeceased by her husband Liam. Breda’s funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Abban’s Church on Monday 1st January, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

May her gentle soul rest in peace.

A REFLECTION – The Clock of 2024

The Clock of life is wound but once and no one has

the power

To tell just where the hands will stop – at late or

early hour.

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed, to lose one’s health

is more

To lose one’s soul is such a loss, as no one can restore

The present only is our own – live, love and work with

all goodwill

Depend not on tomorrow for the clock may then be still.

(Robert H Smith)

EPIPHANY – THE MAGI (Pope Francis)

In this way, like the Magi, we will have the daily certainty that even in the darkest nights a star continues to shine.

It is the star of the Lord, who comes to care for our frail humanity.

Let us set out on the path towards him.

Let us not give apathy and resignation the power to drive us into a cheerless and banal existence.

The world expects from believers a new burst of enthusiasm for the things of heaven.

Like the Magi, let us lift up our eyes,

listen to the desire lodged in our hearts,

and follow the star that God makes shine above us.

As restless seekers, let us remain open to God’s surprises.

Brothers and sisters, let us dream, let us seek and let us adore.

DIOCESAN LAY MINISTRY: BEGINNING A JOURNEY

This weekend as we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, thirty candidates for lay ministry gather in Maynooth with their formation team to mark the beginning of a six-month discernment period. This is just one step to prepare and form lay people for leadership roles in catechesis and pastoral care. We wish them well in their discernment and pray for the success of this vital mission for our Diocese.

FERNS DIOCESAN ECUMENICAL SERVICE

St. Mary’s Church of Ireland, Enniscorthy.

Sunday 21st January 2024 at 7.00pm.

Preacher: Fr. James Murphy (P.P. Rosslare & Tagoat)

ALL WELCOME.

Ecumenical Quiet Day in St. John of God Retreat Centre, Ballyvaloo, on Thursday 1st February, 11.15am – 4.00pm.

The day will be led by Fr. Tom Dalton on Centering Prayer.

€30 including lunch & coffee on arrival. Please text or ring Fr. James Murphy on 087 8152637 if you wish to attend.

If you would like to be included on the mailing list of the Ferns Diocesan Ecumenical Society to receive notice of our events during the year, please contact Fr. James Murphy at 087 8152637 or frjamesmurphy@gmail.com.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF EASTER

Know, dear brothers and sisters, that as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you also the joy of his resurrection, who is our Saviour.

On the fourteenth day of February will fall Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.

On the thirty-first day of March you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the twelfth day of May will be the

Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the nineteenth day of May, the feast of Pentecost.

On the second day of June, the feast of the

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

On the first day of December, the first Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to whom is honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

HOUSE BLESSING

Oh Lord, make this house a home:

May love dwell deep within its walls,

and may peace and harmony reign.

May all who enter its doors

find comfort, solace and friendship.

POPE’S INTENTION FOR JANUARY 2024

‘Let us pray that the Spirit help us recognise the gift of different charisms within the Christian communities, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions within the Catholic Church’