Lorrha Notes
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.
Tuesday 11th February is the 156th anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady to St Bernadette in Lourdes. This year’s Diocesan Pilgrimage will leave Shannon on Thursday June 26th, returning on Tuesday July 1st. The cost this year is still €677 per person sharing. €10 discount for online booking at www.joewalshtours.ie . Booking forms can be obtained from Joe Walsh Tours, 143 Lower Baggot St, Dublin 2. Tel. 01 2410810. A limited number of Sick Pilgrims will be accommodated in the Sanctuary of Lourdes at a cost of €556. Applications for sick pilgrims only, to Fr. Tom Ryan, Pilgrimage Director, SS John and Paul Presbytery, Shannon, Co.Clare. Tel. 061 64133. Families or individuals often sponsor a family member, parents or a friend on the occasion of an anniversary or Jubilee with a visit to Lourdes. Sponsorship for sick people is always welcome. For more details, see poster in Church porch and on the Killaloe Diocese website www.killaloediocese.ie.
News from Lorrha School.
We congratulate our nine pupils who received their Confirmation on Saturday last in Lorrha. Well done to Daniel Madden, Niamh Moran, Jack Moran, Michaela Young, Michael Houlihan, Caolán Bennett, Dylan Mannion, Eoin Gallagher, Adam Walsh. We extend congratulations to our two quiz teams who participated in the Borrisokane Credit Union schools quiz which was held recently. The under 13 team of Tom Duggan, Colm Fogarty, Avie D’Arcy and Niamh Moran came in a close second while the under 11 team consisting of Caoimhe O’Meara, Lisa Duggan, Sarah Mannion, Ronan Shewbridge were placed in the third position. Well done to all.
Spring De-Clutter.
Lorrha Development/ Tidy Towns continue with unused clothes collection throughout the Spring months. De-clutter your wardrobe, attack your attic, recycle all unwanted/unused items of clothing to make room for your Spring collection. We will accept any kind of bag or in bags provided by the committee at (086) 8647166. We can collect your unwanted items. Just call or text (086) 8493595/ (086) 8647166/ (087) 2601413 with your name and details. We appreciate your support. All money raised from all fundraising ventures is used for the ongoing work around Lorrha Village.
St. Ruadhan’s Active Retirement.
Following our A.G.M. on the 5th February the members voted in for the coming year are Chairman: Tim Kelly, Vice Chairman: Eamon Mannion, Treasurer: Betty Houlihan, Secretary: Barry O’Brien, Assistant Secretary: Ann Power, P.R.O. Mary D’Arcy with committee: Susan Delahunt, Marie O’Meara, Nora O’Hara, Gaye Needham. We would like to thank our outgoing committee for the outstanding work and dedication to our club for the last year, especially our outgoing Secretary Nancy White who was a founder member and made St. Ruadhan’s into one of the most successful in the Country. From all our members a big thank you.
Rathcabbin National School
Congratulations to Oisín Clancy, Adam Clancy, Rebecca McDermott, Emer Hogan, Katelyn Deegan, Amie Ryan and Saoirse Guinan, our students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Kieran O’Reilly in Lorrha on Saturday 8th Feb. Their preparation for the sacrament was a credit to all involved and will be memorable day in their lives.
Swimming Lessons has commenced in Birr Leisure Centre for all the children from first class to sixth class and will run for ten weeks. This is a great opportunity for the children to learn a life skill and we thank the parents for their support.
German lessons continue each Tuesday with Ute Duggan and Whizzkids computer programming lessons are taking place every Wednesday in school.
Hurling training with coach Jimmy Dunne from Lorrha&Dorrha GAA club takes place each Monday with all children participating. The first matches for Cuman na mBunscol will be taking places in March/April.
We are celebrating this month’s Grandparents Day in school on February 14th. The children have designed an interview and have invited a number of grandparents to speak about school/play/life when they were growing up. This should give the children a valuable history lesson and form an important link with the community.
Enrolment of new junior infants for Sept 2014 is now taking place. With the addition of another class teacher in September, we hope to continue building for the future in Rathcabbin National School. Please contact Mr D’Arcy, Principal on 0579139008, see advert in local papers.
Water Meeting.
A General Meeting of the Abbeyville Group Water Scheme will be held in Lorrha Community Hall on Thursday 13th February at 8.30pm.
Social Dancing:
Social dancing continues in the GAA Centre this Friday night to the music of Catherine and Images. Dancing from 9.30pm to 12.30am.
75th Anniversary Reminder.
2014 marks the 75th anniversary of Redwood N.S. and to celebrate this wonderful occasion, a special Mass in Redwood Church and a re-union buffet dance will be held in the clubhouse, Lorrha on Saturday, 07th June 2014. We are currently putting together lists of past pupils. If you think that you can be of any help locating past pupils (addresses etc) or if you have any old school photos or would like to be involved , please drop into the school any evening after 3 p.m. or contact on 090 9747186 / 086 8834083
Good Luck.
The best of luck to Hazel Reddin and Portumna Community School in the Junior Connacht camogie final v Loughrea at a date to be announced.
Lorrha Camogie.
Tickets are selling fast for our mad March Mock Wedding fundraiser on Saturday 8th at 8.30pm. Here Comes the Bride and where’s the Groom? It will be the Camogie Club’s main fundraiser for the year and tickets are now on sale and can be got from the Camogie panel, committee, Maher’s shop in Lorrha and Kelly’s Shop, Rathcabbin. Tickets are €10 each for ages 14+ which includes you entry and into a draw to win some valuable spot prizes.
Clothing Collection:
We are having a clothing recycling drive in aid of Lorrha Camogie Club. The collection day will be at the end of March but we can collect bags at any time off people. Call Elaine on 087 1357080.
Registration Night:
The Club will be holding a registration night on this Friday the 14th February from 7pm – 8pm in the GAA Complex. All players, underage and adult are required to register and pay their membership before matches and training commence. No player can train or play without being insured. Membership prices are as follows- Adults: €60(Inc in ticket draw) – Students: €40(Inc in ticket draw)- U18: €20(extra €5 for ticket draw) – Non playing members €30. All new players and members welcome.
Congratulations to all who made their Confirmation in Lorrha on Saturday especially to all the great Lorrha Camogie stars! Well done also to the Tipperary Senior Hurling Team and our own Bonner Maher who won the Waterford Crystal Cup on Friday.
Smile Awhile and Laugh a Little Every Day.
There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses.
One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no actual address.
He thought he should open it to see what it was about.
The letter read:
Dear God,
I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had €100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension payment.
Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner.
Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with, have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope… Can you please help me?
Sincerely, Ena.
The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few euro. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected €96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman.
The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Ena and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends.
Christmas came and went.
A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God.
All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened.
It read:
Dear God,
How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends.
We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift. By the way, there was €4 missing.
I think it might have been those b******* at the post office.
Sincerely,
Ena.