KILLAVULLEN
SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER.
All children in our parish are now on their summer holidays from remote learning at home. There is a great buzz around the place now that Covid-19 restrictions are lifting and friends can meet. The sound of young people chatting and laughing is a welcome one on our streets and roadways and a sign of hope that life is returning to some semblance of normality. This week the GAA grounds have been reopened and all are welcome to use the pitch and astroturf once again.
Please remind the young people in your home to continue to practice hand washing when leaving and returning home and to engage in correct social distancing when they are out and about. Encourage them to keep safe on the road by making themselves seen with hi-vis outerwear and to practice safe road use. To all the pupils – have a great summer and keep in mind your safety as you enjoy yourself: safety on the road, safety near water and safety on the farm.
Slán Libh to all those in sixth class. It certainly wasn’t a typical end of year for all who reached the wonderful milestone of completing Primary Education but both schools have done a superb and remarkable job of making sure you still had a memorable end to your year. Best wishes to you all as you embark on your Secondary Education.
COMMUNITY CENTRE TO RE-OPEN IN SEPTEMBER
Killavullen Community Council are delighted that September 1 will see the re-opening of Killavullen Community Centre again.
In anticipation of this commercial cleaning of the hall is being undertaken to ensure that it is ready for reopening and use to any individual, group, club or organisation who wish to use the facilities and rooms which are available. All HSE guidelines regarding Covid-19 are being adhered to and all guidelines will be followed when the community centre reopens. Hand sanitation facilities will be available at the entry points.
All those who intend to use the hall will also be made aware of the protocols Killavullen Community Council will have in place to make sure that all in who enter this wonderful facility can do so safe in the knowledge that all has been done to make sure that all the correct measures have been undertaken. Hall bookings can be made by contacting killhallbookings@
CHAMPION GREEN
Champion Green is a new national campaign which has been launched to remind us all to help our local communities and businesses as they re-open to the public once again. Its aim is to encourage us all to shop local and help our own areas bounce back after the last few months.
If each adult could spend just €20 locally in small businesses over the next 12 weeks it would inject over €875million into local economies. Where you shop matters now more than ever. It is important to think of and remember all the businesses who support all our local fundraisers and to repay their kindness by thinking of them as they reopen their doors.
BACK TO WORK FOR MANY.
This week more locals have returned to work. Good luck to you all. Stay Safe.
FARMER’S MARKET RETURNS
Killavullen Farmer’s Market will take place again on Saturday, July 11, at 103OAM with a range of products from locally grown veg, handcrafted baked goods, breads, jams, chutneys, cordials, smoked salmon, fresh raw milk and yogurts. It is one of the oldest markets in Ireland, located at the Birthplace of Nano Nagle.
The market has spent a lot of time working out best practice in the current Covid-19 situation, consulting with the HSE and relevant authorities. The organisers would also welcome any tips or advice you may have for improvement or adjustment to how it is run in the current climate.
Killavullen Organic Buyers Group: here you can order bulk food and household supplies at discounted prices. All products are sourced from Suma Wholesalers so check out their website if you are interested and come along to the market to find out more. You can also contact 086 3761816 for any special requests you may have.
PUBLIC MASS RETURNS
Our Churches are reopened for Public Masses since last Monday. Anyone, who is unwell, especially those showing symptoms of Covid-19 should stay at home and participate in church life through the radio, TV and the social media. The same applies to anyone who has been in recent contact with someone who has had the virus. The Sunday obligation to attend Mass continues to be suspended.
The doors of the church (including the Nano Nagle porch at Killavullen) will be left open at Mass-times. Sanitize your hands on entering the church and, on Sundays, take a missalette. Please observe respiratory etiquette when visiting our churches. Physical Distancing: please stay two metres away from others, except your family members. Make greater use of our front seats. Our churches are cleaned regularly by volunteers and sacristans. Those parts in human contact (door handles, microphones, shrine candles, etc) are sanitized after Mass.
Communion: The celebrant alone will distribute Holy Communion for the time being. He will sanitize his hands regularly and wear a face-covering. Those, who wish to receive Holy Communion should approach the altar through the centre aisle and return to their seats via the sides while maintaining 2m distancing. Communion is to be received on the hand.
A return to public worship, however gradual, is a sign of hope for our parish. Mass will not be the same while the threat remains. There will be no choir (apart from a cantor) or altar-servers or formal Entrance Procession. The Offertory Procession is suspended as is the Sign of Peace. Arriving to church early and leaving a few minutes afterwards will help avoid gathering around the doors. Baptisms and Marriages are permitted with small attendances. Funerals are limited to the Funeral Mass, with less than 25 persons.
AREA COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT SCHEME.
The position for a CE worker to maintain Annakisha Church Grounds will become vacant in July. Please contact Fr Condon or Hilary O’Kelly (022 46675) for information.
ANNAKISHA CHURCH LIGHTING
The former light fittings at Annakisha Church are for sale. Please contact Fr Gerard for details.
GAA BACK IN TRAINING
Killavullen GAA Club and some of the Juvenile GAA Club have returned to the pitch for training this week. All HSE advice and advice from GAA officials is being followed to make sure that all players and coaches are protected in the best way possible during this pandemic. It is essential that all players bring their own water to each training session. Hand hygiene is of utmost importance and is being adhered to. It is hoped that by mid-July all juvenile groups will be back training. In the meantime all are free to make use of the pitch facilities while training sessions are not being held.
Killavullen Ladies’ Football Club has also resumed training this week. Registration was held last week. All parents are asked to make sure that you remind your players to keep up correct handwashing before and after training and to bring their own bottle of water with them. For the younger players it is probably a good idea to write their name on the bottle clearly so that there will be no mix up.
The Return to Training is a very positive and real sign to the children of our parish that they have done the right thing over the last few months. The hard days of being home schooled and away from friends and family has paid off. Staying apart has finally started to bring them back together. It brings great hope to us all to see a return to games for our young people. To hear young people laughing and chatting, the pure and utter delight upon meeting friends again is a most precious and welcomed sound. It would soften the most hardened of hearts.
The young people have done us all proud over the last few months. It is great to see the pitch gates opened and the pitches being used once again. Best wishes to the clubs as they resume training. Thank you to those who give up their time to train and mentor the teams at all ages, especially this year with so many guidelines and safety procedures to adhere to. It is appreciated greatly.
MEALS ON WHEELS
Mallow Meals on Wheels can provide a hot meal with either soup or a dessert Monday to Saturday for €5 per day to anybody in our parish, who may wish to continue to avail of this service or for new people who may wish to get a hot meal delivered daily. A cooled meal can also be delivered on Saturday which can be put straight into the fridge to be heated up on Sunday.
During this pandemic the meals will be delivered to Killavullen and our Willing Hands Group are only too happy to help deliver them to those who have signed up. All our volunteers are discreet and do not want people to let pride get in the way of this amazing service. Please pass this information onto those you have contact with who may benefit from it. If you would like more information please contact Sheila at 085 2414879 for details.
LOCAL INFO
There are two very informative websites now active in our parish and worth checking out on a regular basis: killavullenparish.ie/ killavullengaa.com/
It is also worth keeping an eye on the Parish Facebook page, the newly formed group Look after the Elderly in Killavullen and the Killavullen GAA Facebook.