17th April, 2022

Adamstown Parish Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 16th & Sun 17th April 2022  

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EXERCISE TOGETHER

Ladies exercise & wellness classes will be starting this May in Adamstown Community Centre and will run every Tuesday night for 6 weeks. Free trial for Ladies weights & conditioning Tuesday 26th April from 7pm – 8pm. and

From 8pm – 9pm for Pilates with Sarah.

Two great classes for anyone looking to tone up, get more active, build more strength and better posture through learning about complete core awareness.

Both 6-week courses will start May 3rd.

You can contact Sarah at 087 062 7563 or

info@exercisetogether.ie to book your free trial place or for more information.

ADAMSTOWN GAA

Fittest Family for Kids:

The club is running a fittest family fundraiser on Saturday 14th May and as part of this fun day we will have 2 underage courses so that all local boys and girls can get involved.

One for under 6 & 8’s, this will be on the Astro Turf run by M.J. and the second will be for all other underage groups up to 14/15 years of age and it will be held on one of the pitches and run by Ollie. Ollie plans to run two competitions.

Competition 1 – kids 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Competition 2 – kids aged 8, 9, 10 11years.

If your child is borderline on the age groups outlined and you feel they would prefer a particular course we will leave that to your own discretion. Over the next few weeks all underage trainers will be giving out sponsorships cards, each child will be asked to raise €10, bringing it back to your trainer on or before 6th May. Groups/teams of 4 will then be selected closer to the day. On returning of the sponsorship cards you will be asked to sign a waiver by your trainer. Please watch video on our Facebook page – it’s a taster of Ollie’s course. The craic will be only mighty!!!!

U6s boys Academy started on Tuesday 12th from 6pm -6.45pm on the Astroturf in Adamstown GAA grounds.

We are delighted to have over 20 boys signed up – Anyone yet to register please contact Vinny (087 9673105) or

Colin (087 7725471)

SYMPATHY

We extend our deepest sympathy to Angela & Tom Furlong and family, Knockreigh on the death of Angela’s brother Tom Hussey, “Padua”, St. Anne’s Rd, Killarney, Co. Kerry on Friday 8th April. His funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney on Wednesday 13th followed by burial in Aghadoe Cemetery.  May his gentle soul rest in peace.

ADAMSTOWN LOTTO

The next draw in the Adamstown Lotto takes place this Monday 18th April in the Community Centre for a Jackpot of €13,000, well worth a €2 ticket, It could be your lucky day!

ST ABBAN’S HALL 1955 (Danny Doyle, Glenour)

When we look back to the 40’s & 50’s in Ireland we should never forget what life was like in those years, one or two children out of the whole school got a chance of secondary education. There were families of 8 and 9 children who had to stay at home with very little pastime, no transport, no Dance halls, no Public Houses, no way of getting to meet partners.

About 1955 a man from Rosslare named Frank Barry, who was Principal of Adamstown Technical School, got all the young men and women and started up the Farmer’s Club.

They ran the first Show in Adamstown in 1950; it was a big success, after the show there was always a dance afterwards. There was no place to run a dance only a farmer’s loft, one year it took place at Delaney’s of the Barracks. The next year at Ger Gorman’s, Kellystown.

So the club decided to build a Dance Hall, where to get funds was the next step, a bank loan was impossible. They decided to build a wooden hall, they bought trees etc., to cut up but this was stopped because of a possible fire hazard. A small hall built in the midlands went on fire and a couple were burned to death. The trustees had to pay, it was said, one man had to sell his farm to pay the people that were injured. They decided to build one from mass concrete, the next step was funding, they ran raffles, church gate collections, a marquee dancing for three weeks, with the money raised they bought 50 new lambs. The lambs were given to 50 farmers to breed, lambs were sold and the money donated into the funds, unfortunately there was still not enough money to build the hall. The next step was to approach another bank, it was good news this time, because they had some money in the funds, they were told they would be given the money if they got proper security. The 12 men went and signed the guarantor. Nick French from Newbawn was starting to build, he got the job, and it was approved on 1st May 1955. It was one of the biggest in Ireland; they came on bikes, cars, motorbikes, every club in Wexford, GAA Clubs to Junior Chambers from New Ross, Wexford, Enniscorthy. The All Ireland Ploughing match was held there when Anna May McHugh was a very young woman, Louise Hughes was secretary those years, she wrote up 50 letters a year to all clubs to raise much money.

Like every success story they had their share of problems, once a month they met different clubs looking for the hall, their policy was no one will get it until the bank is paid in full. They also ran concerts, “The School Around the Corner”, Dingo had a show “Take the Floor” and many others,

Drama festivals, Bingo etc….

The Clergy of the Diocese of Ferns, built many halls, like The Castle in Enniscorthy, the Dun Mhuire in Wexford, John Kelly in Rathnure and many others, none compared with St. Abbans built in 1955; it put Adamstown in the limelight.

The 12 men are all passed away now and, we hope they are dancing now in Heaven. 

They were responsible for hundreds of romances the length and breadth of the country.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 16th – People of the Parish

Sun 17th – People of the Parish

Sat 23rd – Lena Doyle, Ballagh, Pat Doyle, New Ross

& Julie Cullen, New Ross (A)

Sun 24th – People of the Parish.

May they rest in peace.

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 23rd – Annette English.  Sun 24th – Callie Doyle

Sat 30th – Eoghan Greene.  Sun 1st May – Betty O’Shea

MASS OF CHRISM   Diocesan Celebration

The Chrism Mass is the largest diocesan celebration held during the year. In this liturgy priests and people gather with the bishop for the blessing of the holy oils that will be used in parishes in the coming year – the oil of the sick, the oil of Catechumens and the oil of Chrism, from which the Mass receives its name. It is a special time to gather as a diocesan family – bishop, priests and people – to support and pray for one another, to remember and pray for the people of our diocese and beyond. While the oil of the Sick, used for those who seek anointing, and the Oil of the Catechumens, used for those preparing for baptism, are simply “blessed”, the Sacred Chrism is “consecrated”. All the priests present participate in the latter moments by extending their hands towards the vessel containing it as the bishop says the prayer of consecration. The Chrism is used at baptism, confirmation, the ordination of priests and bishop, the consecration of altars and the blessing of churches. The Chrism Mass also provides an opportunity for priests of the diocese to renew the vows they first made at their ordination. As a group of ministers gathered with members of the faithful of the diocese they make their public commitment to the service of God, the Church and its people once more.  Oil has been used on persons for thousands of years and has particular meaning in the Sacraments of our Church. Anointing with oil symbolizes that God has chosen the anointed person for a particular role in life. Anointing also symbolizes that a person is strengthened to carry out that role.

Mass of Chrism took place in St. Aidan’s Cathedral on Tue last with parishioners from St Abbans present..

HOOK OF FAITH THIS WEEK

It’s Easter once again and with renewed conviction and hope we join with the whole Church to proclaim that Christ is risen and that God’s love is the greatest power in the world. We have a meditation on the Lord’s Supper by Scripture scholar Scott Hahn and a homily for Easter Sunday.

‘A Spirituality for our Times’ is a one-day conference organised by the Sisters of St. John of God takes place in Ballyvaloo, Blackwater on 13th May. All are welcome

Log on to www.thehookoffaith.com

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK  (Ireland’s Eye)

To make a difference in someone’s life,

you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect.

You just have to care.

FRANK O’GORMAN – KELLYSTOWN       R.I.P.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Eithne, Sarah, Claire, Mark and Pat and all the extended O’Gorman family, Kellystown, neighbours and friends on the death of Frank on Wednesday last.   A private cremation took place.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

TITANIC   (Saint Martin Magazine)

On the night of the 14th/15th April 1912, the biggest ship in the world at that time, the Titanic, struck an iceberg and sank when on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The huge liner was in mid-Atlantic, about 1600 miles northwest of New York, when the collision occurred. It was carrying a complement of approximately 2200 people and, of that number between 1490 and 1511 people were lost according to the various official inquiries into the disaster. Naval experts believed that the huge vessel was unsinkable. Some of the crew had seen the iceberg before the crash but had not sufficient time to avoid it. The available lifeboats could cope only with about half the people on board and were used to rescue mostly women and children. In approximately two and a half hours the biggest and, supposedly, the safest ship ever built had disappeared completely to the bottom of the ocean.

May God be kind to all the souls who were lost on the Titanic and on the many tragedies on large and small ships ever since

Note: The wreck of the Titanic was located in 1985 about 370 miles off the Newfoundland coast, some 13,000 feet down.

THE BURDEN OF THE CROSS

A young man was at the end of his tether with his life. Seeing no light at the end of the tunnel, he fell to his knees before the Lord, and in a loud voice, cried “Lord, this cross I have to bear is too heavy for me” The Lord heard and answered him. “My child, if you can’t bear its weight, just place your cross in this room and pick up any cross you wish to carry”. The young man was relieved that the Lord had answered his request. He thanked the Lord and handed his cross to Him. The Lord placed the cross in a room with hundreds of other crosses. After a few minutes, the young man entered the room to choose another cross for himself to bear. He looked around and saw many crosses – some splintered and broken, some so large they took up a whole wall in the room. In the corner, he spotted a small cross leaning against the wall. He knew he could carry it. He turned to the Lord: “I’ll take that one”, he said, pointing to the little cross. The Lord looked at the man’s choice.

 “My child”, the Lord said, that’s the one you brought in.

(Pioneer Magazine)

ST VINCENT de PAUL – CAN WE HELP YOU?

Are you in need of practical or financial assistance?

Are you aware of relevant services available to you?

If the answer if YES to any of the above we are here to help you!         Local confidential contact:   087 9032375

Wishing everyone a Very Happy Easter.