24th March, 2024

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 23rd & Sun 24th March 2024  

Volume 24.  Number 12.

ADAMSTOWN LOTTO RESULTS

The winning numbers in the Adamstown Lotto draw on Tuesday 19th were: 5 – 15 – 18 – 24. There was no Jackpot winner including online players. Two players matched three numbers and each received €100. Bridget Kent, Ballinamona and Maureen Bradley, Glenour.  The next draw is on Tuesday 2nd April in the Community Centre for a Jackpot of €9,200. Thanks for your continued support.

THURSDAY NIGHT CARD GAME

The Thursday night Card Game continues in the Community Centre each Thursday.  Please Note: from next Thursday 28th the Card Game will start at 9pm. for the summer months. Winners on Thursday 21st March were: Tom Wickham, Phil Jackman, Tom Rochford, Johnny Nolan, Kay Whelan, Kathleen Whelan, Paddy Furlong.

ADAMSTOWN N.S. PARENT’S ASSOCIATION

Pat Byrne Road Run Sun 7th April –

Shamrock Vintage Club has been kind enough to offer us the entry fees from this event and we really appreciate it.

All donations will go towards our school.

We are asking parents in the school to help us out on the day – we need stewards, people to set out and serve food before & after the run. Donations of sandwiches/cakes/buns etc. greatly appreciated.  Thanks to Leo Booth Minibus who has been kind enough to sponsor the insurance.

SHAMROCK VINTAGE CLUB ARRANGEMETS

The Pat Byrne Memorial Road Run 7th April

Starting at 1.00o’clock. Registration from 11.30am

The Route will be a distance of 15 miles. Starting from St. Abban’s Hall Car Park in Adamstown and taking in the following towns lands. Adamstown, The Leap, Knockreigh, Oldcourt, Brocurra, Ballagh, Templenacrow, Old Ross, Moorefileds, Courthoyle, The Boola, Misterin, The Barracks and back to Adamstown for refreshments.  All vehicles must be insured and drivers hold a driver’s license. All proceeds will go to Adamstown National School. Your support would be much appreciated.

SYMPATHY

We extend our deepest sympathy to Edel & Patrick Doyle, Ballyvergin and all the family, on the unexpected death of Edel’s father, Sean Kavanagh, The Lyre, Milehouse, Enniscorthy on Sunday 17th March. His funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy on Thursday last followed by burial in Enniscorthy Cemetery.  May he rest in peace.

We extend our sympathy also to the O’Sullivan family, Summerhill, Enniscorthy on the death of Bena O’Sullivan

(née Codd) who were frequent visitors to Adamstown over the years. Her funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Aidan’s Cathedral on Friday last followed by burial in St. Aidan’s

Cemetery, Ferns. 

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

JOHN O’BRIEN R.I.P.

John O’Brien was born July 16th 1934 and passed away on March 5th 2024. John was the son of Tom and Mary (Eustace) O’Brien and was a native of Tomgarrow, the ancestral home of the O’Brien family for many generations. 

Early in life John and his family moved to the Parish of St. Mullins. John was educated in Drummond National School. After leaving school John worked for a short time with Bord na Mona. At 18 years of age he took the boat to England like many of his contemporaries. His first job was with British Railways in London. Afterwards he became a long distance truck driver with Plant Hire. He was also attached to the staff of the well-known Galteemore Ballroom in Cricklewood, a Mecca for all the many young Irish in London.

In 1967on the 7th October John was married to Anne Queally, a native of the Comeragh Mountains in Co. Waterford, at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Willesden.

In 1979 John and Anne returned to Adamstown and took up residence in Ballyvergin. John was always one of the first to arrive for Mass in St. Abban’s every Sunday morning.

John’s favourite pastime was Darts and he frequented the Old Mill in Taghmon, with his many friends. He also enjoyed playing cards. John and Anne travelled the whole country and far beyond and the Continent of Europe in his Camper Van. In his final working career he worked for Roches of Ballyanne and Boggans of Drinagh. John enjoyed very good health up to quite recently and was very active and passed away after a short illness in Wexford County Hospital. John’s funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Abban’s Church on Friday March 8th 2024 and interred afterwards in St. Abban’s Cemetery.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

A BIT OF HISTORY – The Cross Over The Porch

The original Michael Street school building, now occupied by St. Michael’s Boxing Club, dates from 1862 and was built by the local parish priest Canon Kenny. It replaced a poor school premises behind the old parish church in South Street. The new Male National School, with an iron cross over the porch was based on the plans of the CBS School at Mount St. Joseph, which had been built some years earlier. The new St. Michael school was funded by and subject to National Schools System. A problem soon arose with the cross over the porch. It was constructed as a permanent religious emblem and as such contravened the National System rules. Canon Kenny tried but failed to circumvent the problem and, rather than remove the offending cross, he withdrew the school from the National system, replacing the two teachers with Christian Brothers. Local fundraising replaced the state funds lost by the withdrawal and the cross remained in place. It is still in position over the porch of the Boxing Club, hardly noticed and its history virtually unknown.  (Courtesy of Jim Sutton)

CHURCH ALTARS & DECORATION

Thanks to the ladies from Coonogue for looking after the Church and Altars for the month of March, it is now the turn of parishioners from Oldcourt for the month of April.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 23rd – Seán, Patrick, Kathleen Doyle, Ballyvergin (A)

Sun 24th -. Patrick Nolan, New Ross & Patrick J. Nolan, Clonsharragh. (A)

Sat 30th – Mary Galway, Misterin Lower (A)

Also          Syl Furlong, Tomgarrow (A)

Sun 31st – Jimmy O’Shea and deceased members of the O’Shea family, Adamstown. (A)

Pray for Pat and Mary Ellen Lawlor, Newtown (A)

also Willie, John and Aidan Lawlor, Newtown

Pray for Sean Kavanagh, Enniscorthy who died on Sun 17th.

Pray for Ned Cash, Southknock, New Ross (A)

May they rest in peace.

The Easter Garden will be erected at 5pm on Good Friday. Donations of plants & flowers will be very much appreciated.

CEREMONIES FOR HOLY WEEK Wed 27th Mass & Anointing of the Sick at 3pm. Holy Thursday 28th – The Lord’s Supper at 7.30pm Watching before the Blessed Sacrament until 10pm Good Friday Passion of Our Lord at 3pm. Stations of the Cross at 7.30pm. Holy Saturday Vigil Mass for Easter at 7.30pm Easter Sunday Mass at 10.30am Confessions after Ceremonies during the week

MASS OF CHRISM ON
Tuesday 26th March 2024 at 7.30pm.
At St. Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy.
You are asked to be seated by 7.00pm
Seating will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
All Welcome!

CONFIRMATION IN ST. ABBAN’S CHURCH

Congratulations to the following children from Adamstown N.S. who received the Sacrament of Confirmation in St. Abban’s Church on Thursday 14th March.

Ailish, Allie, Aoibhinn, Betty, Bobby, Caoimhe, Cillian, Cillian, Daniel, Dean, Dylan, Eoin, Ellie, Harry, Kaiden, Lauren, Liam, Nathan, Pippa, Ruby, Ruby, Will, Zoe

We hope you have a lovely day with family & friends.

JUNIOR EASTER DISCO IN COURTNACUDDY HALL

There will be a Junior Easter Disco in Courtnacuddy Parish Hall on Wednesday 27th March from 7pm – 9pm.

Entry fee €5.00 per child & €10 per family and is strictly for kids from 1st – 6th class.. The event will be fully supervised; there will be spot prizes & tea & coffee served for parents.

Fundraiser for Senior Youth Club trip.

LOURDES TICKET DRAW

Our Parish Lourdes Ticket Draw will take place next weekend at 10.30am Mass on Easter Sunday morning. Tickets are still available costing €5.00.

We thank your for your support and hopefully this year again we may be able to send a parishioner or two on this wonderful Pilgrimage.

LOURDES PILGRIMAGE – Coláiste Abbáin

The Irish Pilgrimage Trust visited Coláiste Abbáin before Christmas to speak to our students about their week long pilgrimage to Lourdes every Easter. The Trust were looking for two fifth year students to volunteer as carers for the week. There was a lot of interest from our students and in end students Faye Hynes and Megan Martin from Adamstown were chosen. Coláiste Abbáin is proud to have both Megan and Faye represent our school community. They are both incredibly kind and caring and responsible students and will be excellent role models for any students considering this pilgrimage in the future. Student carers must fundraise to cover the cost of their trip. Faye and Megan have worked hard organising fundraisers such as no uniform days; bake sales and movie afternoons for students alongside their studies over the past few months. We wish Megan and Faye the best of luck and hope they enjoy their experience. Coláiste Abbáin would also like to wish Ms. Lisa Holohan a wonderful experience as she attends Lourdes as a carer on the 31st March alongside our students. Well done all.

WHERE IS THE RISEN CHRIST TO BE FOUND

In Easter 2020, while churches in most parts of the world were closed due to Covid, the English poet and Anglican priest Ayodeji Malcom Guite, distressed at not being able to go to Church services wrote the following poem on the theme of “Where the Risen Christ is to be found”

He might have been a wafer in the hands

Of priests this day, or music from the lips

Of red-robed choristers, instead he slips

Away from church, shakes off our linen bands

To don his apron with a nurse: he grips

And lifts a stretcher, soothes with gentle hands

The frail flesh of the dying, gives them hope,

Breathes with breathless, lends them strength to cope.

Christ is truly and surely in the hands of the nurses, doctors, aid workers who search through the rubble for the bodies of victims of conflicts, as he is in the prayers and protests of the many who call for help and justice for civilians caught in the crossfire of fear-mongering leaders.

Good Friday happened in a thousand places

Where Jesus held the helpless, died with them

That they might share his Easter in their need,

Now they are risen with Him, risen indeed.

(Fr Pat Colgan – Far East Magazine)

MORE THINGS ARE WROUGHT BY PRAYER

More things are wrought by prayer

Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice

Rise like a fountain for me night and day.

For what are men better than sheep or goats

That nourish a blind life within the brain,

If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer

Both for themselves and those who call them friend?

For so the whole round earth is every way

Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

(Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892)

REMEMBER CLOCK’S GO FORWARD

SATURDAY NIGHT 30th MARCH