Coraleehan/Aughawillan Community News - 14 July 2006
SYMAPTHY Sympathy to the Kennedy family of Liscrudy on the death in the U.S.A. of Hugh Kennedy. Sympathy to the Kellegher family formerly of Stradrinan on the death in the U.S.A of Kathleen Berk (nee Kellegher). Sympathy to a great local whist supporter, Joan O'Reilly, Templeport on the death at the weekend in her 93rd year of her mother Annie Reynolds whose remains were laid to rest in Ballyfarnon. May they rest in peace.
WHIST DRIVE
A timely reminder that the Annual Bawnboy Festival Whist Drive to raise church and parish funds for both religious denominations will take place on next Thursday week, the 20th July in Templeport Resource Centre at 9pm. All whist players in Leitrim and elsewhere are welcome to attend.
WHATS NEW PUSSYCAT
Our P.P. Fr. Eamon Lynch kick-started a lot of speculation about the future of local churches when he informed Sunday's congregation that the Bishop had informed the parishioners of Upper Drumreilly that their clergyman is being moved to Manorhamilton, not to be replaced because replacements are no longer available.
A few months ago yours truly read of where only 6 priests were ordained in Ireland in 2005. In this area the P.P. is stationed in Corlough, the C.C. in Corraleehan so if the trend in Maynooth continues, Aughawillan Church will be the first of the three to bear the brunt of the cutbacks. Some say that the trend will eventually lead to there being only a padre per town while the more pessimistic say things like 'Ya'll see 'For Sale' signs at all country chapels with the way this property thing is goin". That will hardly happen in our time anyway but closures on a big scale are imminent in rural areas and will lead to a big falling off in-attendances at worship due to some having to travel long distances using expensive fuel and others who would not feel at home in any church but their own. So does all this mean that in time to come there will be many of the godless who will perspire below on Satan's mighty pyre? None of them ever come back to tell but sure if you don't do wrong to your fellow man it's half the battle, one suspects.
Talking of religion and while preparing Corraleehan Church for Fr. Carney's Jubilee, Mary Mc Govern of Drumderg discovered that the altar was blessed by Bishop Austin Quinn on the 6/6/1956 while 50 years later the Golden Jubilee took place on the 7/7/2006, a fair co-incidence no doubt.
GOLDEN JUBILEE
St. Brigid's Church, Corraleehan was packed to capacity on Friday evening for the Jubilee Ceremonies to mark the 50th Anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood of Fr. Larry Carney. The large congregation heard His Lordship Bishop Leo O'Reilly and other clergyman tell the life story of Fr. Larry, how he was sent from parish duties to work among the poor in Africa for 7 years before being called back to teach in St. Pats in Cavan, he being a brilliant scholar and mathematician. Then he was again assigned more missionary work in Grenada in the West Indies before being recalled to further parish duties in Ireland and of how the well-meaning and devoted Fr. Larry worked so hard to bring hope to alcoholics in the A.A. His modesty and devoutness were mentioned on more than one occasion. Fr. Larry seemed overwhelmed when it came to the presentation in Corratillon Community Centre where the equivalent of a banquet was laid on for the packed building. After short speeches by M.C. Tommy Flynn and Pastoral Council Chairman Declan McNiff, a presentation of a gift cheque was made by Pastoral Council member Gerard Maxwell. On behalf of Aughawillan Parish Committee, Cathal McBrien presented a set of Waterford Crystal, Ita Maguire representing Corlough Parish Committee made a presentation of Glass Candle Sticks. An inscribed mirror was presented by Declan McNiff and a framed photograph of Bishop Leo and Fr. Larry unveiling the grotto at Corraleehan Church on December the 8th 2001 was presented by Mamie Flynn on behalf of the Corraleehan Fatima Group. His Lordship spoke highly of the excellent organisation of the event and praised the lovely choir which was assisted by members of the Aughawillan choir. Gratitude was expressed to Smith Monumentals, Wisely Church Supplies, Josie Creamer and Gabriel and Dee Owens of The Forge for their generous sponsorships. Photographs of this event, unprecedented in this parish and taken by Willie Donnellan will likely appear in this or next week's Leitrim Observer. Congratulations from all Fr. Larry and wishing you many years of good health and happiness in Corraleehan.
PLANE FAILING
On St. Patrick's night in 1943, one of the years in which a Nazi piece of work called Adolf Hitler was raining bombs on cities across Europe, it became a case of plain sailing turning to plane failing for the pilot and co-pilot of a military plane on a test flight when the hatch burst open in the skies over Swanlinbar before radio contact was lost. The plane began to lose power and response to the controls in the cockpit and the pilot an Australian called Richard Kurkura and his co-pilot, now unknown to us nationality, named Tommy Hulme took the only option open to them, bale out while there was still sufficient altitude to activate their parachutes and ensure a soft landing on terra firma, an ash tree or whatever might greet them in the darkness down below. Despite jumping from the ill fated craft within a matter of seconds of each other, one landed in the townland of Altcrock in Corlough before making his way to the hospitality of the house of the P.P. in Corlough and his comrade having walked a long distance through fields and on roads touched down a few miles further south and was said to have been treated to breakfast in the home of Aidan McGovern of Port in Templeport. The plane itself continued its way over Corraleehan and Aughawillan as the local scribe's late father often talked of being in bed and awoken by the sound of an aeroplane whose engine was misfiring badly, made a belly landing on the shore of St. Mogue's Island in Templeport. Interestingly, the pilot now aged 89 years told of how in his post-touch-down travels he came across a signboard indicating a place called "Petravore" which is mentioned in two of the late Percy French songs "Eileen Og" and "Phil the Fluthers Ball" the latter he wrote at the request of the Rev. Godley C. of I. of Killegar, so God only knows where he landed or how many fields and boreens he walked in the dark before experiencing Irish Wartime hospitality. Family members of pilot Richard Kurkura will this week make the long trip from Australia to view what is left of the wreckage. With knowledge of their coming, a Committee was formed which includes Leitrim County Councillor Paddy O'Rourke, Cavan County Councillor Sean Smith and Carrigallen's Mervyn Richardson of Jetwash Ltd. As you have read many times in the recent past Tish Dunleavy got together a Percy French singing group comprising Aughawillan Drama Troupe members and friends from other areas and because of the "Petravore" observation made by the pilot, the Committee decided to treat the family to renditions of the songs involved and who better to sing them than those case hardened Parch French performers in their happy hunting ground, the Viking Lounge on this coming Saturday night where the present peace timers and the post war timers will hopefully meet in large numbers. Everyone is welcome and there should be lots to talk about afterwards.
NOISE TO MEET YOU
As we said last week, the South Leitrim West Cavan Vintage Tractor Club will hold the annual run for St. Luke's Hospital on this coming Sunday. All will assemble at St. Felim's Square at 11.00 am. before a tour of the town with these elderly ladies some of which have a great gift of the gab due to having only single cylinder or 2 cylinder engines so there will be no problem hearing us ag teacht! This year's run will take us to Fenagh and on to Cloone via Lawderdale before returning to Glenview for refreshments. Hopefully, like last year a number will make it to Newtowngore Festival. Hopefully you will show your usual generosity when approached by those seeking sponsorship.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Thursday 17 May 2012
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