CoolgreanyJohnstown
COMMUNITY ALERT AGM
More than 30 members of our Community attended at the may Byrne Hse on last Thursday night 19th Oct for the AGM of Coolgreany Community Alert. The Chairman Dan Kennedy welcomed everyone to the meeting where Sgt Brendan Moore Wexford Crime Prevention Officer gave a very interesting presentation on crime prevention and safety in the home.
This was followed by a presentation by Margaret Quinn Muintir na tire area Development Officer, who outlined the necessity of Senior Citizens having the benefit of Home monitors, and also being on the look ot for those people over the coming months.
The Election of Officers was as follows: Chairman Dan Kennedy, V-Chair Noel O’Toole, Secretary Katriona Kinsella, Assist Secretary Helen Clare, Treasurer Mary Hughes.
Committee: Oliver Shortall, Angela Kennedy, Mary McCarthy, Marion Whelan, Vera Grogan, Maureen Kelly, Joe Power.
BARBEQUE/OPEN DAY.
A big Open Day & Barbeque is organised to take place at Gardiner Grain Gorey on this Thursday 26th Oct where you or your Family can enjoy a nice Burger or a cup of tea & scones. Anyone who missed the Coolgreany open day on last Tuesday is very welcome.
CONGRATULATIONS CANON
The Church of St. David Johnstown hosted a large congregation of parishioners and neighbours from the Church of Ireland to pay tribute to and celebrate with their beloved priest of almost twenty years, Canon John Piert, as he reached the remarkable milestone of four score years and ten (or ninety in today’s language!)
Proceedings began with Mass celebrated by Canon Piert. He was joined on the altar by his brother priests from the Arklow Group of Parishes led by their new Moderator, Fr. Pádraig Ó Cochláin, the man the Canon replaced in Johnstown twenty years ago. The other priests were Frs. Michael Murtagh Co-PP, David Brough Co-PP, John Hayes, a native of the parish and formerly of Brentwood diocese England, and Eugene Mc. Carney Pastor Emeritus Castletown. Music for the Mass was provided by St. David’s Church Choir, conducted by Anthony Byrne and accompanied by Matt Sharpe on the organ.
At the end of Mass Fr. Michael delivered an oration in his typical, unique fashion and had the congregation in stitches. It was a fitting tribute. There followed a presentation by Renee Byrne, Con O’Driscoll and Tadhg Gar- vey on behalf of the parish. Joyce Scallan, deputising for Canon Nigel Sherwood who was unavoidably absent, made a presentation on behalf of our friends in the Church of Ireland community.
The assembly then adjourned to Árus Lorcáin where the hospitality committee, under the leadership of Hilary Sharpe, had laid on a fine spread. The hall was decorated in the black and amber of Kilkenny in deference to the Canon’s native county.
Those of us from the “land of the purple and gold” let him have his night in the gleeful knowledge that we had had our day during the championship for this year at least!
A cake, again in the black and amber, was cut by the Canon and his faithful housekeeper, Rita who was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Fiadhnait and Ciarán Furlong.
They were celebrating on the day the sixteenth anniversary of their wedding which had been officiated at by the then Fr. Piert.
The old Irish saying “go maire tú céad” (may you live to be a hundred!) may be slightly inadequate when wishing a nonagenarian long life, so I’ll revert to the Latin instead. “Ad multos annos” (to many years!)
HANDBALL.
Coolgreany Handball Lotto now stands at €2,300. Lotto tickets are available locally at €2 in Jim Shorts, Coolgreany Post Office, O’Rafferty’s and Liam Clare. A new prize format is now in now in place, with no match 3’s, No Bonus Numbers, instead there is now 7 lucky Dips worth € 30 each, and 1 seller’s prize. This week’s Lucky Dip winner was Norah Finn, Coolgreany PO. Congratulations Norah. Your support is very much appreciated by the club.