Just no stopping Valentia on Saint Patrick’s Day this year

SAINT Patrick’s Day in Valentia Island saw calm dry weather. Mass was celebrated in Knightstown by Fr Gerard Finucane, PP Waterville.

Clearly, there is a lot of community activity going on among the youth in Valentia, very much encouraged and driven on by a number of adults.

This was well-exemplified on a big St Patrick’s evening in the Ring Lyne Bar and Restaurant of Chapeltown where school-going youngsters came together to provide entertainmemt for delighted patrons with music, song, recitation and dance.

St Patrick’s Day in the Ring Lyne was this year dedicated to the late Aidan Walsh of Knightstown who annually carved the St Patrick’s Pig’s head there and who often verbally entertained patrons as he performed his carving duties.

It was always locally referred to as ‘Aidan’s Day’. Aidan last did the honours in 2017 and subsequently at the age of 60 passed away on May 8 last.

His lifelong friend Sean Curran of Chapeltown performed carving duties this year and acquitted himself very admirably in carving and culinary skills which would have made Aidan proud.

On St Partrick’s night a big occasion of social dance took place in the Chapeltown Community Centre reminiscent of the dances held in St Derarca’s Hall of Knightstown in times past. On a memorable night of reeling in the years over 140 danced the night away to the music of Eddie Lee and Paddy Casey. Over €1,000 was raised in support of the Community Centre, which is badly in need of survival funds. Well done to the organisers and those from Valentia and the wider Iveragh area who participated.