AROUND THE DISTRICTS
Termonfeckin CONTACT ME
Any news or interesting items welcome in this column, births, birthdays, engagements, weddings, sports/social/special events etc. Please have all information to me by 10pm on Thursday evenings at nicholasduff66@gmail.com or contact 087-2486472.
CORONAVIRUS.
May 18 has now passed and Phase 1 of the Government Roadmap has come into effect giving some businesses and sports the chance to resume activities. However there is still no time for complacency and we must continue to stay safe even when restrictions ease. We must continue to maintain social distancing. Staying apart to bring us closer together is a strange one to fathom but it does make sense and we will eventually see the benefits and realise the sacrafices we have made these last few weeks.
WEEKLY CHURCH CEREMONIES.
Masses continue to be broadcast live via the internet from the Church of the Immaculate Conception on www.termonfechinparish. Masses for the St. Colmcille’s Pastoral area. Sunday Mass is at 11am. Weekday Mass is at 9.30am: Monday to Friday. On Sunday May 10th, the 11am Mass was celebrated by the Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh Diocese Michael Router. On each Monday evening, the Eucharistic Holy Hour from 7pm to 8pm continues via the webcam. If availing of these ceremonies from the Church of the Immaculate Conception, when logging in, please note the letter h instead of the letter k. Religious ceremonies from the Church of the Immaculate Conception can also be viewed at www.mcnmedia.tv All Weddings and Baptisms are suspended until further notice. In the case of emergency, Baptisms may be celebrated, please contact Fr. Paul.
MAY ROSARY.
As May is the month dedicated to Our Lady, the Rosary continues to be broadcast via the webcam from the Church of the Immaculate Conception each Thursday during May at 7.30pm.
CREDIT UNION.
The offices will be open on Fridays from 3-7pm. From 3-4pm, this time is for Carers of Elderly/ Vulnerable Members ONLY. From 4pm -7pm, it is for all other members. Social distancing will be enforced until further notice. We all hope things will go back to normal as soon as possible. Rest assured, we will look after you in any way we can in regard to your loan repayments. If you find yourself in difficulties please– email creditcontrol@termonfeckincu. ie Following the email, a member of staff will be in contact with you. Please be advised we are experiencing a large volume of queries and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.
LITTER
Some cleaning and tidying up is evident around the village even though there will be no Tidy Towns competition this year. Work is also evident in the various housing estates. Well done to those who are carrying this out. The roads leading out of Termonfeckin are being littered extensively and this is disgraceful. The current restrictions are absolutely no reason to dispose of litter in this way. Some motorists have been observed throwing cigarette butts ( I witnessed one at night). Such action could have the potential to start a fire during the current dry spell. Refuse bags have also been dumped in places which is not acceptable. Any sightings of illegal dumping should be reported.
ST. FECHIN’S LOTTO.
No jackpot winner last week. The numbers drawn were 15, 16, 21 and 23. The winner of €100 was Tommy Duff. Winners of €20 were John Leech, Anita Sands, Duff Family, Jill Campbell and Rose Duff. The jackpot this week is €1,300. Many thanks for your continued support. Particularly thanks as always to Madden’s Centra for their very valued sponsorship of our lotto which is essential to the running of our club. Tickets are available at the club house, Post Office, Forge Field Farm Shop or on line at https://www.klubfunder.com/Clubs/St_ Fechins_GAA/lotto Tickets can be left in the Lotto Box located at the Gate to Pairc Naomh Feichin.
ST. FECHIN’S GAA.
The Walkway at Pairc Naomh Feichin remains closed. However a small amount of work remains to be completed on the new Community Centre and workers have appeared again on the site, obviously adhering to Covid 19 guidelines. Meanwhile St Fechin’s three adult teams are taking up the virtual baton and are aiming to collectively complete 300km over the June Bank holiday weekend with all funds raised going to the Gary Kelly Cancer Support centre. You can join them by completing your own virtual run/walk, donate and upload your photo to our event page. If you would like to donate you can do so on our gofundme page, search St Fechin’s or click on the link ==> gf.me/u/xz8d5h. Louth GAA Louth Ladies Gaa Louth And proud
TERMONFECKIN CELTIC
All activities remain suspended.
SEAPOINT PITCH & PUTT
The course has opened for members only until further notice. Even so, members are adhering to HSE and Government advice as regards social distancing. Please keep an eye on www.seapointpitchandputt.com and on our Facebook page for all the latest news. Thank you to everyone and stay safe.
TERMONFECKIN TENNIS CLUB.
Under the Irish Government’s roadmap to ease COVID-19 restrictions, tennis is one of the sports that can reopen for play - on a restricted basis - from May 18. Our national governing body (Tennis Ireland) has issued specific rules for clubs, coaches and players on returning to play (see https://www.tennisireland.ie/2020/05/08/covid-19-returnto). These protocols are to be implemented IN FULL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. The health and well-being of our members and their families is our highest priority and our committee is currently examining these protocols to see if the Club is in a position to reopen.
If we do, it will be on a very restricted basis, and full co-operation of members wishing to play will be required. We will also be looking for volunteers to help in implementing these measures around the club during any opening hours. Stay safe and take care, Termonfeckin Tennis Club Committee
SEAPOINT GOLF CLUB.
The Club opened its Tee Sheet to allow members only play for this week. Play involves 3 balls at 14 minute intervals. Measures are in place to ensure members safety.
CO. LOUTH GOLF CLUB.
The course has re-opened for members only with strict protocols in place to ensure members safety.
The East of Ireland Amateur Championship is a big annual event which takes place at the Club on the June Bank Holiday weekend but unfortunately this year, it won’t be taking place. However the Co. Louth Golf Club has teamed up with 5 other Golf Clubs to raise funds for a number of Irish Charities whose fund raising has been curtailed due to Covid 19. They are “Feed the Heroes”, “Alone”, “Pieta House” and “Peter Mc Verry Trust”.
Known as the “Ultimate Golfers Passport”, members are invited to take part.
TERMONFECKIN MACRA.
All Macra related activities nationwide remain suspended for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19. If you are interested in learning more about Termonfeckin Macra simply like and contact the Macra Tearmann Feichin facebook page or contact Aoife on 087 6262197.
SET DANCING.
Set Dancing in Sandpit Hall on Thursday nights remains postponed for the foreseeable future.
BALSANTER.
Contact 086- 2747474 to report any suspicious activity. Anyone in need of assistance with shopping, prescription collection etc during the current crisis, please contact the Louth Community Response Helpline on 1800 805817.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
The contact number for St. Vincent de Paul is 1800 677777. The St. Colmcille Conference of St. Vincent de Paul operates in this area.
Stamullen COUNTRYSIDE ALERT
This is a particularly busy time of the year across the rural parish of Stamullen.
Those out walking, jogging and/or cycling, etc. should be aware at all times of the huge potential danger from large agricultural machinery.
The smaller, twisting, bending and curving roads were never designed for such machinery; taking up much of the entire road, neither the driver or the pedestrian/cyclist can see around such bends in the road and, with earplugs in, you do`nt stand much of a chance if you are not fully alert while being out.
Another danger at this time of the year is the tall, white-tipped weeds that grow along the sides of the road, hemlock, commonly known as `Devils Bread`, it can be pretty harmfull if handled or swallowed by children or adults. It also very much hampers your view while out on the smaller country roads, so be alert, aware and careful!
CURRENT CRISIS
The hope is that, by the time you are reading these notes, a little more restrictions, in relation to the Covid-19 Pandemic, will have been lifted which will result in a little more `normality` returning with some more people back in employment and with people being able to move around a little bit more with garden centres, hardware businesses and some other retail premises also being allowed to reopen from May 18th.
Since the easing up of the initial restrictions on May 5th last, there has been a very noticeable increase already in the traffic flow across the parish and beyond, while over the past week or so there has also been a noticeable decrease in people out walking around the country roads leading off the village of Stamullen. Hopefully the easing and lifting of restrictions over the coming weeks will have a positive effect on our health and the economy as we progress towards the longest day of the year in just 4-weeks time. It is also hard to believe that only 10 short Short Fridays ago, the whole country had just been officially notified by our Government of the restrictions that were to be put in place as this pandemic virus began to take hold across Ireland.
Looking back over those weeks from the present feels like that we have all been pretty much in `lock-down` for a lot longer than 10 weeks. And that`s the point, less to do, less to visit, little or no movement and/or travel, no holidays, no interaction, no recreation, entertainment. These current days and nights are long, often reminiscent of older days in Stamullen village and across the parish when life was much slower and with little happening.
Unlike yesteryear however, the difference today is that these current longer days with little to do for many individuals is also taking its toll on all age-groups in society and not just the senior members within our communities. Such as the little kids who cannot run around to their grandparents, cannot go out and play together, cannot go to school; these children are also very much on `lock-down`, as is their parents. Teenagers, who now should be about to sit their annual exams, finish school, obtain summer employment, travel, hang-out in groups together, attend concerts and festivals, go dating, play team sports and lots of other recreational activities that they would normally be doing is all now on hold. The changes were quickly enforced in mid. March and were adhered to and complied with by the whole country. The lifting of these restrictions however will take a lot longer due to the fear of a second wave of this virus returning.
Whether it`s a `hot one` or not, the effects of this long summer will continue unfortunately, well into the autumn and even perhaps the winter and; if you think the days are long now with people becoming restless and agitated ? Keep the distance, keep the focus and hopefully the restrictions will continue to be eased so that families at least can begin to re-interact and meet up with each other and hopefully as a result of all of this, we might end up with a `not-too-long` of such a winter.
That is now a reality in which we all find ourselves residing today, from the youngest child to our most senior citizens within our society!