THE GREAT CHALLENGE
The voluntary sector in Ireland
has been and remains hugely important for the whole country.
People who have organised themselves, carry out a huge range
of work. General community representation is a big one.
Also the provision of a service that is not otherwise available,
such as day-care centres, creches, local festivities (parades,
fairs and field days), community alert schemes, Tidy Towns
groups. These are just a few examples. Sadly the fact is
that the pool of talented people with enough time and commitment
available to run these efforts around the country is slowly
but surely drying up. Maybe because people like to get a
tangible return for their time and effort these days. Maybe
people simply have less time available. For these and other
reasons many community organisations are facing extinction
and many more are becoming less active.
Tir na Mona is one of hundreds,
maybe thousands of community-based organisations in the
country. We are established just four or so years. Yet we
have to date achieved most if not all of the objectives
of our 5-year plan launched in 1999. These include -various
community alerts schemes to include the whole area of the
parish( including the provision of personal alarms for all
the elderly), -a Social Housing Scheme (Still on-going -the
first such rural scheme in the county), -initiation of a
group water scheme (this soon became an independent group),
-a study on the conservation of Ballinafagh Lake area (a
Special area of Conservation of European significance) this
£4000 study was funded by KELT and presented to Kildare
County Council, -a study on the restoration
of the historically significant walled gardens of Donadea
castle. Also Social evenings, entries in some Easter parades
etc. not forgetting our very successful annual clean-up
days (32 tonnes collected last time-the average for community
groups is 6).
I appeal to you to consider
finding out more about us and putting in your tuppence-worth
for a year or two. Especially those of you with business
experience. The annual general meeting will be held in November,
date and time to be announced in the next Mona, and perhaps
You! would get stuck in then.
Feargal Mac Eoin -Chairperson
ONLY 'TIME' KNOWS THE WORTH OF 'LOVE'
Once upon a time, there was an island
where all the 'Feelings' lived. Happiness,
Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including
Love. One day it was announced to the
'Feelings' that the island would sink, so they
all prepared their boats and left. Love
was the only one who stayed. Love wanted
to stay until it started sinking. When Love was
almost sinking, he decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by
Love in a beautiful boat. Love
said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered,
"No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my
boat. There is no place here for you."
Love decided to ask
Vanity who was also passing by. "Vanity, please
help me!" Vanity answered "I can't help you Love. You
are all wet and can probably damage my boat."
Sadness was close by so
Love asked for help, "Sadness, let me go
with you." "Oh... Love. I am so sad that I prefer to go
alone!"
Happiness
passed by Love too, but she was so happy
that she did not listen when Love called
her!
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love,
I will take you." It was an elder.
Love became so happy that he even forgot
to ask the elder her name. When they arrived at dry land,
the elder went on her own way. Love asked
Knowledge, another elder,
the name of the elder who had helped him. "it was
Time" answered Knowledge. "Time?
But why did Time help me?" asked Love.
"Because only Time is capable of
understanding how great Love is." answered Knowledge."
Extract from Express Star
Teller, India
POET FROM PEATLAND
William A. Byrne, distinguished poet was
born and reared near Rathangan in the latter part of the
nineteenth century. He taught in Knockbeg College for many
years. He wrote a little volume of poems entitled "A Light
on the Broom".
In his poems he draws on his experience
of the countryside especially the area around his own native
Bog of Allen. He draws from the ordinary familiar things
he witnessed around him. He was greatly influenced by the
sights and sounds he daily saw and heard. He saw profound
beauty in ordinary everyday familiar things around the Bog
of Allen; he beautifully expressed home spun thoughts that
pass by most of us unnoticed.
He read the book of nature and life around
him with eyes of deep interest. For us living in this Bog
of Allen area of Kildare, William Byrne's thoughts are ever
fresh and refreshing. I quote from a poem of his called
"Purple Heather" and I hope it strikes a familiar chord
in the heart of many of us who dearly love this beautiful
countryside in north Kildare.
"The purple heather is the
cloak
God gave the bogland brown,
But man made a pall of smoke
To hide the distant town.
Our lights are long and
rich in change,
Unscreened by hill or spire,
From primrose dawn, a lovely range,
To sunset's farewell fire.
No morning bells have we
to wake
Us with their montone,
But windy calls of quail and crake
Unto our beds are blown."
William Byrne died in 1933,
aged fifty, nine years after a long period of ill health.
Towards the end of his days, looking towards the future
the poet sees the Cottage lights on the hill (of Allen),
the candle shining on the brown bog and the children reading
his own lines. Then one by one the lights are extinguished
and he puts his thoughts into words:
"And one by one the
lights go out;
And one by one we drop away;
And other lights are on the hills;
And other singers have their day."
Pat Ramsbottom
CIVIL DEFENCE
Are you aged between 17 & 65?
Classes in St. Farnans post
primary school
Every Tuesday at 7.30 p.m.
Some reasons you should join:
Learn a variety of skills including:
FIRST AID
Search and Rescue techniques
Correct manual handling methods
Use of hand and power tools in rescue
Basic fire control skills
And use of extinguishers
Take part as a volunteer
in Community Activities including:
Stewarding at local Community
Activities
Providing First Aid Cover for local events
Aid the Gardai in Search and Rescue
Are you interested
ALL WELCOME
Contact:
Paddy Maher, 087-2582320;
Sheila Walsh, St Farnans, PPS Prosperous, 045-868152
COMMUNITY ALERT
NEIGHBOURS! We
want to alert you to the fact that there is a rash of petty
thievery happening in the community at the moment. Remember
to take sensible precautions against the opportunistic thief
– Don’t leave your car unlocked . Don’t leave valuables
in plain sight in your car. Rremember to check your doors
and windows are closed when you leave the house and last
thing at night. Let’s watch out for each other and especially
for the more vulnerable in the community. We can nip this
in the bud if we are vigilant. If you see anything suspicous
contact your local community alert group
- Timahoe Paddy Maher 087-2582320
- Coill Dubh John Roddy 860354
- Staplestown James Egan 869564
- Donadea Iggi Callaghan 869409 & district
Donadea/ Dolores Kennedy 869206 Tiermoghan Or the Tir
Na Mona office at 869977
- Or your local Garda station or 999
TABLE
OF EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY
- 10th Nov
Santa arrives at Donadea Forest at 11am
- 14th Nov Tir na Mona AGM in Kelly's
Pub at 8 pm
- 15th Nov Mobile Library, Staplestown
11.50 - 12.30
- 17th Nov Retirement Party for
Mrs. Kane & Mrs.Musgrave, Coill Dubh Community Centre
- 23rd Nov Timahoe Gun Club Poker
Classic - Kelly's Pub
- 24th Nov Book launch - Pathways
through the Bog - Coill Dubh Community Centre
- 28th Nov Active Age AGM, Kelly's
Pub
- 28th Nov Last day for items for
the Dec issue of the Mona
- 30th Nov Table Quiz in aid of
Timahoe N.S. Christmas Party, Kelly's Pub
- 1st Dec St Mochua's Hist Soc.
Christmas Party, Kelly's Pub
Articles for the MONA Newsletter can now
be dropped into the Tir Na Mona office at St. Kevin's G.A.A.
club, Staplestown. Tel 045 69977
If possible please supply articles on
disc in Microsoft Word format. If you have an event happening
during the first week of the month please let us know about
it in time for the previous issue as it take approx.
10 days to produce the MONA
If you have an article, advertisement or
news item you would like to include in this newsletter,
please contact:
- Staplestown, Mary Murphy 869416
- Timahoe, Hugh Maher
- Timahoe, Bernard Owens 863676
- Coill Dubh, Rosaleen 860023 (school)
- Donadea, Bernadette Crean 869118
- Email:pgmhr@indigo.ie
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