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'

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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