Enniskerry
POWERSCOURT/KILBRIDE
Services of Worship in Powerscourt for this Sunday – Advent 4: 8.30 a.m. – Holy Communion One (Said); 11.30 a.m. – nine Carols and Lessons.
Services of Worship in Kilbride for this Sunday – Advent 4: 10 a.m. – Morning Prayer Two.
Christmas Timetable: Christmas Eve: 11.30 p.m. – Midnight Eucharist (Powerscourt). Christmas Day: 8.30 a.m. Holy Communion One with Hymns (Powerscourt); 10 a.m. – Festival Eucharist (Kilbride); 11.30 a.m. – Christmas Family Service and Distribution of Holy Communion (Powerscourt).
ST MARY’S CHURCH
New Website: The parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary has its own website. Please check out Enniskerryparish.ie for the latest information about our parish.
Christmas Shoebox Appeal in aid of Inner City Helping Homeless: If you would like to donate to above please see Poster in Porch and contact 086 2245080.
Support our parish – buy beautiful unique Christmas Cards: Our special designed Parish Christ Card with a beautiful print of the four churches of the parish are available from Margaret or Joyce in the parish offices and will be on sale at 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday. Pack of 10 cards – €10.
Christmas Penitential Service: Takes place tonight (Wednesday) at 7.30 p.m. in St Mary’s Church.
Christmas Timetable: Christmas Eve: 6 p.m. – Family Mass in St Mary’s; 6 p.m. – Family Mass in St Mochonog’s; 9 p.m. – Vigil Mass in St Mary’s. Christmas Day: 9 a.m. Mass in St Kevin’s; 10 a.m. – Mass in St Patrick’s; 10 a.m. – Mass in St Mochonog’s; 11 a.m. Mass in St Mary’s.
Parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary Fund Raising Appeal: Parishioners have received an invitation to donate to the Parish Fund Raising Appeal either by increasing their Direct Debit/Family Offering Envelope donation or by donating through our website. Envelopes are available at the rear of church.
Cleaner Sought: St Mary’s and St Gerard’s Nation School are looking for a school cleaner, starting on January 6, 2020 (Monday – Friday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily). If interested please contact the school by phone at 01 2868851 or email info@enniskerryns.ie.
HISTORY SOCIETY
Last Thursday night author and historian Ken Finlay was be the guest speaker for the December meeting of the Enniskerry History Society which meets under the guidance of its president John Callan, at 8.30 p.m. in the Powerscourt Arms Hotel, at which recalled ‘366 Days of Dublin’ outlining events that that took place down through the years. Audience members were invited to give a him a date between January and December and then revealed what happened on that day down through the years.
This was the final meeting in the Enniskerry History Society’s autumn programme and John Callan takes this opportunity to thank all those who addressed the society for this programme, those who came to the lectures and the management and staff of the Powerscourt Arms for their assistance with facilitating and hosting the Society’s meetings.
Meetings of the Enniskerry History Society will resume in February 2020 when James Scannell will open the Spring 2020 programme with his lecture on the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) which he was scheduled to give last October but was unable to get to Enniskerry to the non-running of the scheduled bus service.
As local history societies are now on their Christmas and New Year break, its a good time for members to catch up on the reading of local history journals one of which is the annual journal of the Wicklow Historical Society Volume six – No.1, the 32nd issue of this annual journal which contains a fascinating array of articles covering such subjects as ‘Life in Wicklow a Century Ago’ compiled by John Finlay; ‘My First Trip to the Seaside’ recalled by John Alvey, who provides details of his father’s WW2 career with the RAF. ; ‘The Men will Talk to Me – Pat McCrea (Part 2)’, compiled by Ben Fagan, continues is a continuation of Pat McCrea’s recollections of the 1916-1922 period. Part one was published in the Society’s 2018 journal; ‘Good Citizenship’ is an essay written by a young boy Thomas (Tom) Kilcoyne in his final year in National School, Wicklow, No one, whose daughter Irene Parsons brought it to the attention of John Finlay; ‘The Men of Wicklow Parish in the Great War 1914-1918’ provides biographies of those from the town who lost their lives in this conflict, compiled by John Goodman; ‘The Wicklow Town Poisoning Case’ by Stan J. O’Reilly recalls a unique 1874 poisoning which was decided on a legal technicality; ‘Who’s Who? Wicklow during the Troubles 1916-1923’, compiled by John Finlay, contains brief biographies of those from the town who were involved in events between 1916 to 1923 relating to the national struggle while family history is covered with ‘The Edwards Family of Oldcourt, Bray and Knockrobin, Wicklow’ by Vincent O’Reilly while Folklore is covered by Stan J. O’Reilly in ‘Wicklow and District in Antiquity and Folklore – Pre-Christian Wicklow and the coming of the Early Irish Saints (Part 1).Copies, €5 each, of this 132-page journal can be obtained from John Finlay at 0404 67887 or Stan J. O’Reilly at 0404 67494.
ENNISKERRY LIBRARY
Opening hours for the library on Church Road, Enniskerry, are – Tuesday and Friday: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. New members to the library are always very welcome. Please phone 01 2864339 for further information or to renew books.
Tonight (Wednesday) St Mary’s and St Gerard’s National School Choir will perform a selection of carols in the library which will be illuminated by candlelight to add a festive touch to this family event.
ENNISKERRY 100
Lord and Lady Plunkett celebrated Christmas 1919 at their residence ‘Old Connaugh House’, Bray. Lord Plunkett, who had just celebrated his 55th birthday, had a distinguished career in the Diplomatic Service after which he became Private secretary to Earl Cadogan and Earl Dudley when Viceroys of Ireland, 1900 – 1904. He was then appointed Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of New Zealand, a position he held for six years. In 1894 he married Lady Victoria Blackwood, daughter of the first Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, and had three sons and five daughters. Also celebrating Christmas at home that year were Viscount and Viscountess Powercourt, who spent Christmas at Powerscourt House, Enniskerry.
FORMER ICA ANNUAL PARTY
The former ICA annual Party will take place on Saturday, January 11 at 3 p.m. in the Parochial Hall (opposite Kingfishers). All Enniskerry senior citizens are invited. We look forward to seeing you all and hope you have a lovely Christmas and a happy new year. Phone Rosemary at 087 2608933/Jackie 086 1082340.