22nd May, 2022

Adamstown Parish  Newsletter

Weekend of Sat 21st & Sun 22nd May 2022   

Volume 22.   Number 20

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ADAMSTOWN LOTTO RESULTS

The winning numbers in the Adamstown Lotto

Draw on Monday 9th were: 1 – 5 – 19 – 22.

There was no Jackpot winner and no match 3 winner. The four lucky dip winners were: Fr. Jimmy Moynihan, Newbawn, Brian O’Shea, Adamstown, Mary Roche, Rocklane, Noah and Faye Thorpe, Newtown each received €50.

The next draw is on Monday 30th May for a Jackpot of

€13,600. Keep on buying the tickets, it could be your lucky numbers next time.

ADAMSTOWN GAA CLUB NEWS

Adamstown’s Fittest Family – Sat 14th May

A great day of fun was had by all. Winners of the Junior Adamstown Fittest family were: Reuben Hamilton, Darragh Dunphy, Lily Shannon and Grace White. Runners up were:

Emma Furlong, Lily O’Callaghan, Danny Doyle and Oisin Redmond.  Winners of the U-15 Adamstown Fittest family were: Ross English, Martin Sinnott, Tomas McDonald and Watt Crean. Runners up: James Furlong, Sean Doyle, Jack Furlong and Mikey White. Well done to all those who competed and those who supervised the events.

ADAMSTOWN ATHLETIC CLUB

Well done to all our athletes, great performances – our medal winners were: U-9 boys turbo javelin 1st Cillian. U-10 girls relay 3rd Lauren, Lia, Holly, Aoife. U-10 girls 60m 1st Grace, long jump 2nd Grace. U-11 girls turbo javelin 3rd Lily. U-12 girls relay 2nd Grace, Lily, Lily, Pippa. U-12 boys shot putt 1st Will, 2nd Harry, 3rd Bobby. U-16 boys hurdles 2nd Watt.

Well done all.

ADAMSTOWN N.S. – “RTE News2day”

Congratulations to 1st, 5th and 6th class who represented Adamstown NS last Tuesday on RTE’s News2day. Pupils presented their creative art pieces which they had completed with artist Oonagh Latchford as part of Wexford Education Centre BLAST initiative. A repeat of the segment can be found on the RTE player or on the school website.

A big thank you to everyone involved.

ADAMSTOWN N.S. PARENTS ASSOCIATION

Split the Pot is back! The school will be holding a bumper Split the Pot draw in June. You can find envelopes for entry in Cullen’s shop, Bernie’s Takeaway and in the school. We would really appreciate as much support to make our June draw a big one! A draw was also held in the school on Wednesday 18th May. The winner of this draw was Cillian Stafford and the seller’s prize went to Joeleen Codd.

There will be a Clothes Recycling collection at the school this Tuesday 24th May. Drop off point is at Adamstown Hall across the road from the school. Bags can be dropped at the Hall door from 8.50am – 9.30am on 24th. Please donate clean unwanted clothes, paired shoes, bags & belts. NO pillows, duvets, rugs. Thank you for your continued support.

COLAISTE ABBAIN NEWS

Congratulations to Lucy Salm, 3rd year, who was awarded

Runner Up in the JCSE Design a Calligram Competition. Lucy came 2nd out of 120 participating schools.

Well done Ms. Gorman for facilitating this initiative. A huge achievement!  Lucy’s calligram very cleverly represents the true impact of war.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

A Charity Tractor Run and Walk will take place in memory of the late John Curtis, The Boola, on Friday June 24th. Registration open from 6pm at Raheen Community Centre. For more information follow ‘Raheen Parish Committee’ on Facebook. Alternatively call Pauline on 087 2960709 or Sean on 087 9517200.

KNOCK SHRINE TRIP

There will be a one-day coach trip to Knock Shrine on Sunday July 3rd for the Ferns Diocesan Day.

Pick-up points, Wellington Bridge, Ramsgrange, Campile and New Ross. Fare €65.00 including two meals.

Contact details: Nicholas Bowe 087 – 9418661

BELOVED BLACKBIRDS –

(Elizabeth McArdle Far East Magazine)

It is true. We all love blackbirds. How con we not fall in love with these beautiful birds as we listen to their mellow, flute-like song which heralds the arrival of summertime.

Blackbirds are equally at home in town parks, your garden or in secluded woodland. Feeding on insects and earthworms, they search through the leaf litter for whatever yummy morsels they might find. They like nothing better than to peck their way through an apple, so an apple a day will keep blackbirds in your garden. If you wish to feed blackbirds, be careful what you feed them as they are soft-beaked birds and eating hard seeds or seeds with tough husks can damage their delicate beaks. While the male blackbird lives up to his name, confusingly, females  are a mottled brown with duller legs and beak. The male’s jet -black plumage with yellow beak and legs, readily distinguishes him from any species of crow. Blackbirds are great builders, and their nests are snug cradles of grass and twigs glued together with mud. Long ago, our ancestors built their houses from similar materials such as mud and straw and they proved to be warm, sturdy homes. In the blackbird’s nest, four to five exquisite light blue eggs are laid. The beloved chicks will spend around eleven to seventeen days there, being fed by both parents, with tasty green caterpillars and earthworms. After about sixteen days they fledge, and off they go. All of nature is a miracle and as we celebrate the return of summer, let us also celebrate every part of God’s creation down to the tiniest creatures.  The enchanting song of the blackbird will draw us closer to God, which in turn will inspire us to appreciate and respect the wonder of it all.

CHURCH NOTICES

IN MEMORIAM

Sat 21st – Tommy & Bernie Whitty, Oldcourt (A)

Sun 22nd – Eunan Flood, Oldcourt (A)

Sat 28th – Syl & Statia Barron, Coonogue (A)

Sun 29th – Francis Furlong, Misterin (A)

May they rest in peace.

READERS OF THE LITURGY

Sat 21st – T. J. McDonald.   Sun 22nd – Kathleen O’Connor

Sat 28th – Anthony McGee.   Sun 29th – Callie Doyle

Sat 2nd June – Annette English.  Sun 3rd – Ann Ryan

Mass every weekday morning at 9.30am

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Thursday after 9.30am Mass until 2pm.

Rosary at Knockreigh Grotto Monday – Friday at 8pm for the month of May.

Feast Day this week:

Thursday 26th – The Ascension of the Lord

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Congratulation to the children from Adamstown National School who made their First Holy Communion on Saturday 21st May. Fr. Robert Nolan P.P. celebrated the Ceremony, music was provided by school Principal Mrs. Claire Kickham with the school choir.  Thanks to Fr. Nolan, parents, class teacher Ms. Ciara Walsh for the wonderful preparation for this very special day in their young lives.

Hoping they had a lovely day and wishing God’s Blessing on them: Ally, Caoimhe, Danny, Darragh, Jessica, Kaylee, Mason, Mia, Noel, Oisín, Sofia, Tatum, T.J., Tom, Tomás.

Prayer for First Holy Communion Children:

May you always feel

As close to Jesus

As you do today.

May you always

Count on Him

To gently guide you

On your way.

May you always

Trust in God

To answer every

Single prayer.

May you always feel

Him blessing you

With tender

Loving care.  Amen.

SYMPATHY

The death occurred on Sat 14th May of Seamus Murphy,

Rathnure Lower, to his wife Rita (née Greene) sons and daughter, extended family we extend our deepest sympathy.

Our sympathy also to his relatives in Adamstown. His funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Anne’s Church, Rathnure on Tuesday last followed by burial in Rathnure Cemetery.

May he rest in peace.

A BIT OF HISTORY – DOWNES

(Families of Co. Wexford: By Hilary Murphy)

The Downes family name is not one which is common in the county but in previous centuries, they were a very influential family. The name is of the same Gaelic origin as Duffin, .i.e., Ó Dubháin (q.v). The family were originally gamekeepers to the Nevilles of Rosegarland and became landowners at Garryrichard. In 1641, James Downes of Garryrichard was captain in the Confederate army, and led the siege of Tintern and Duncannon. As a result, he lost his lands. The family re-established itself by marrying into the Devereuxs of Adamstown Castle, and settled there as well as at Burkstown Castle (where they replaced the Sinnotts)

The mother of Bishop Nicholas Sweetman of Ferns was also a Downes. Other branches of the family were established at Knockreagh (Adamstown) and at Ballyhackbeg and Boolabawn (Davidstown) where they ran a mill.

The most important location of the family was Adamstown where they dominated the village. What is now Cullen’s shop was built by them and they had three other large houses in the vicinity. James Downes and Sylvester Downes were prominent local businessmen and politicians in the early years of the nineteenth century and Michael Downes is cited as Captain of the Adamstown United Irishmen in 1798. Sylvester married an O’Brien of Coolbrook in 1812. He had been arrested in 1804 on suspicion of complicity in the Emmet Rising of 1803. The Downes were wealthy. In 1814, Gregory Downes was able to loan £1,000 to his landlords, the Shapland Carews of Castleboro.

Adamstown was the traditional burial ground of the family.

FRIDAY 20th MAY – World Bee Day

What can I do to help pollinators? (Justin Ivory)

Pollinators are insects that transfer pollen between plants, leading to fertilization. Bees are the pollinators that we are most familiar with. We have 99 bee species in Ireland, 77 solitary bees and one honeybee. One third of these bees are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, decline in wildflowers, pesticides, disease and climate change.

Bees and other pollinators are vital as 78% of wild plants are pollinated by insects and 71 of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world’s food are pollinated by bees. The folk at the All Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) in the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) have given the following tips of how we can all help:

Don’t mow, let it grow: Reduce mowing allows wildflowers to return over time. Just be sure to remove all grass cuttings.

Protect and create native hedgerows. Native hedgerow species flower in spring providing an essential early season source of food.

Plant pollinator-friendly trees. Native trees and shrubs support huge numbers of pollinators.

Avoid Pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides they kill pollinators directly and their food sources.

Pollinator-friendly planting choose nectar and pollen rich plants that will provide food throughout the year.

Be careful with wildflower mixes as they often contain non-native species.

Don’t install a large bee hotel as they encourage the spread of disease and attract predators.