Stamullen
IN MEMORY
Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Seamus Kennedy, Shallon Julianstown, who recently passed away. Sympathy is also extended to the family and friends of Sean McCann, Delvin Road Gormanston who recently passed away.
PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS
Despite the installation of pedestrian lights at both Gormanston College and at Stamullen village, the lights have still not been turned on to function by the local Authority.
BOWLS CLUB
Rose McGrath is once again reminding everyone that the Stamullen Bowls Club continue to meet every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the St. Patrick`s G.F.C. complex at Cock Hill Stamullen from 8 until 10pm and new members will be very welcome to come along and hopefully will get involved in this successful local club. For further details contact Rose at 01-8412086.
KNOW YOUR PARISH
In just a little over two weeks time we will be celebrating St. Patrick`s Day, the Feast day of our National Apostle and of course it also holds a special place within the hearts and minds of all Stamullen natives as it is the annual day of the Blessing of the Graves or Patron day in Stamullen village graveyard. Recently I came across an old Scottish newspaper, titled the `Aberdeen Journal`; dating to the month of March back in1932, it contained an advert for the following book which was just after being published. `Saint Patrick: The Travelling Man; the story of his life and wanderings`.
The book, which was was written by Winifred M. Letts, was published by Ivor Nicholson & Watson and was on sale back in 1932 for 12 shillings and 6 pennies. An extract from this publication stated that, ` Patrick was the son of a Roman Centurion who was captured by Irish raiders to Britain and who was made a slave to King Milchu of North Dalradia in the north-east corner of Ulster. He then escaped
from his captivity here and travelled abroad before returning to Ireland as a Bishop, where he founded his first Church in Seschen Valley near Gormanstown`.
The book was also described as a `colourful and richly-written biography of the saints life, telling of Patrick`s plight as he travelled across Ireland daring King and Druid, facing forests and swamps, climbing mountains and fording rivers; a determined pioneer of Christ, the book also contains several charming drawings by Lesley Blanche`. The above-mentioned `Seschen Valley`, where it was said our National Apostle set up his first Church, has long been known as being in the vicinity of the Delvin River Valley.
Patrick baptised a young lad at Gormanstown named Benignus who was later to become Patrick`s successor as Bishop at Armagh and it was also stated that Benignus was in fact a son of a local man named Seschen.
Some historians in the past have stated that Patrick may have set up his first church at Stamullen and that the local name `Glen Seschen`, or Seschen`s Valley, was in the vicinity of the Delvin River valley at Stamullen. However, there are other documents and historic papers contained with the Book of Armagh and recorded by Bishops Muirchu and Tierchan in the 7th century, which makes suggestions that an early church founded by Patrick was located within the townland of Tullog.
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY
Motorists are being advised to drive with extreme caution while travelling the smaller rural roads throughout the parish and beyond. Of late there has been a series of near-misses and collisions between cars and agricultural machinery. At this time of the year, in early spring, large agricultural machinery is moving about the countryside preparing the land for the year ahead. These machines are not like those of old strolling along the road at a slow pace. The latest machinery is huge and pretty fast and carries a great weight behind in the form of large ploughs etc. So, if you happen to `meet by accident` around the next corner, the smaller vehicle is inevitably going to come off the worst for wear with the consequences of serious injury or worse!