Stamullen
MR. CAHILL
Philip Joseph Cahill was a former teacher at St. Patrick`s National School in Stamullen from the early 1970`s to the mid 1990`s. Originally from Navan, he was a gifted, natural teacher who knew how to speak with the class of children rather than at them.
He was loved by all the children who ever had passed through his class and likewise by parents who had chance to meet with him over his years spent at Stamullen. Mr Cahill sadly passed away in June 2016 and Community Historian Brendan Matthews, a one-time-pupil of Mr Cahill, has just published an article in the current edition of the Old Drogheda Society 2017 Journal as an appreciation on the life and times of Mr Cahill and the great influence the teacher had in relation to Irish history, heritage and culture.
This current Old Drogheda Society Journal was launched at the Tourist Office (Tholsel) in Drogheda over the weekend and is now available at Waterstones in Scotch Hall and also at the Drogheda Museum front desk at Millmount.
YOUNG AT HEART GROUP HOST ANOTHER GREAT CHRISTMAS PARTY
Kathleen Gough, Organiser of the annual Young at Heart Christmas Party in Whytes of Stamullen has stated that everything went to plan for this year`s event, which was held on Friday night December 8th last.
It appears that the annual party is getting bigger and better every year with neighbours and friends chatting away all evening about former times in the village and parish and reminiscing about old days and of course their many neighbours, friends and families who are no longer with us but who were fondly and sadly remembered particularly at this time of the year.
The dance-floor was full all night as the great Matt Leavey provided the music. Two other singers also took to the stage during the evening, Paul Redmond and his daughter who really went down well with those present. The meal was served up and, as usual, it was excellent and served up with excellence by the staff of Whytes. Santa himself turned up, a little late due to the frost on the roads; however, he sang, danced and had great craic with the `big-children` who gathered around his cuddly-self.
Kathleen Gough would like to extend her most grateful thanks and appreciation to the following people for helping to make the night a wonderful success.
To T.D. Thomas Byrne who never fails to attend and mix heartily amongst the people.
To the Gardai, Matt McKenna, Barbara Kelly and Shane Dervan who also took the time-out to be at the event and to mix and chat among the local people.
To Father Kelly and Father Smyth who also arrived and enjoyed the evening very much.
A special word of thanks to Brendan Battersby and the staff at Whytes of Stamullen who go out of their way, in every way, to make sure this particular annual event goes down without a hitch and with great humour and professionalism in the delivery of the evening.
Kathleen would also like to thank Hubert Murphy, Editor of the Drogheda Independent and to the staff, photographers and the Stamullen Notes column in the Drogheda Independent for all their help over the year.
And a final word of thanks and appreciation to all of the people, those within and from without the parish of Stamullen who have helped out, supported and attended these get-togethers over many years.
Take a well-earned break now Kathleen and it is very much down to yourself and your husband Ray for making this happen evry year.
So greatful appreciation, acknowledgement and thanks must also be extended to you for all your efforts, hard work and organisation in making this the eagerly awaited annual event that it has indeed become:
Well done Kathleen and take a bow.
FESTIVE GREETINGS
I would like to extend a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year to all the readers of the Stamullen Notes and to extend my thanks to those who are regularly in touch regarding items of interest across the parish and beyond. As we head into 2018 the village area of Stamullen is continuing to grow and expand.
New commercial, industrial and residential buildings are already underway in the townlands of Gormanstown, Stamullen and Balloy to the west of the City North Hotel complex and there are major changes of the landscape and infrastructure which will continue beyond all recognition of how this `sleepy` little village and parish presented itself less than twenty short years ago.
To the west and south of Stamullen village there is still some great prime agricultural land and the smaller rural roads, lanes, hills and valleys of the parish, however this land is also being now much sought after for both infrastructural and residential purposes and decisions are being made regarding some of this prime and valuable land continuing as agricultural or development usage.
Progress is inevitable whether some of us may like it or not; this comes with the territory we are now residing in `location, location, location` access to new roads and motorways since the early years of this new millennium has seen to that and will continue to do so as we move forward; a half-an-hour outside one of Europe`s Capital Cities and only 20 minutes north of Dublin Airport places the `icing on the cake` for making this area the prime location for progress.
Progress with caution with planners, developers, the local Authority and community groups all working together for the best of an expanding village emerging into a new small to medium-sized town.
By no means forgetting the native, rural families who have been here for perhaps generations; these are also the people who must not be forgotten as Stamullen expands and moves forward. If we don’t know where we have come from, how are we supposed to know where we are headed?
CHRISTMAS DRAW
A reminder that the Stamullen Road Club`s annual Christmas Draw and Monster Raffle etc. will be hosted in Whytes of Stamullen this coming Friday night December 22nd with loads of great craic and fun throughout the night.
Gaybo and kay Howard of the Stamullen Road Club would also like to extend a very happy Christmas and a Healthy and Peaceful New Year to everyone at the club and to all those who helped out and supported their activities throughout 2017 and are looking forward to the season and year ahead.
WINTER SOLSTICE
Over the next few days, up to December 23rd or so, we are seeing the shortest days of the year with the mid-winter solstice taking place on Thursday December 21st.
A turning point in the year for our ancient ancestors; the return of the Sun when after these darkened days, the sun would begin to rise again in the horizon and so brighter and warmer days lay ahead.
The movements of the sun at this time of the year had a huge bearing and significance on how our ancestors lived and indeed how they died back in the Neolithic period in Ireland of over five-thousand years ago.
The building of tombs and the alignment of stones and stone circles etc. are witness to this phenomenon, the remnants and remains of which may still be viewed after all those millennia. These first farming communities arrived on out coasts on either side of the Delvin Estuary from the Iberian Peninsula and where the remains of a number of their burial tombs can be seen at Knocknagin and Bremore.