Fr. Dan Lane Retires:

A.G.M. The annual general meeting of Granagh Development Association is planned for Tuesday 29th Sept at 8pm in the community centre. This is subject to change, however, if Government guidelines change over the coming days, if so a message will go out on our facebook page. We will be adhering to Covid guidelines and people may be more comfortable wearing masks throughout the meeting. As usual, if anyone has flu-like symptoms or feeling unwell, you are advised not to attend.

Fr. DAN's FINAL MASS: Sunday 19th Sept, Fr. Dan celebrated his final mass, culminating sixteen years of service to the parish of Granagh/Ballingarry. He came to the parish with a two-fold vision;- preparing us for the time when we would not have a priest and ensuring that there would be a faith community here for our grandchildren/ great grandchildren. To this end he set up a number of groups who would help out with the various ministries e.g. Liturgy, Baptism, & Bereavement groups. He thanked the members of each of the groups for their support and the wonderful work that they have done over the years. He thanked Sr. Margaret for all the background work she has done for the parish and especially for the ' Do this in Memory' Communion programme. He also thanked the property group for looking after the parish properties, by getting repairs, painting and numerous other jobs done when required. He also thanked the Choir, the basket collectors, the parish secretary and more recently the 'yellow jackets' for all doing their part. Special mention to our two parish clerks, Kathleen & Tom. It is unknown the number of hours they spend taking care of our churches, they are present for every Mass, Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, Wedding and Funeral, along with opening/closing the church daily. Fr. Dan said that he wished he could have made people more aware of just how important and valuable they are to the parish. As all functions/gatherings are unable to take place now, Jim Chawke spoke at the end of mass to thank Fr. Dan for his service and his support for all parish activities, down through the years. Even though Fr. Dan did not want any night, presentation or fuss made, Shane Toomey made a small presentation on behalf of the Development Association, Marie Bennett on behalf of the Pastoral group and Emma McMahon on behalf of the Pastoral Unit Council. As Fr. Dan was leaving the Church a crowd had gathered outside to give him a Bualadh Bos. We wish him a long and happy retirement in Brosna although he will still be helping out in the West Limerick pastoral unit.

KNOCKFIERNA : A virtual tour of the Hill was recorded by Pat O'Donovan last August and is now up on the Granagh facebook page ( granaghcommunitynews) or the Knockfierna Heritage page. You can see all the work that has been done, over the years, which is a credit to the group.

REMEMBERING OUR DECEASED: For the month of September, we remember our family, friends and neighbours, whose mortuary cards are displayed on the Church noticeboard:- Sean & David Shine, Eileen & Bridie Moloney, Granagh. Julia Brosnan & Mary Hartigan, Coolruss. Nora Herlihy, Kingsland. Philip Noonan, Kilmore. Johnny Houlihan, Kilmacanearla. Katherine Martin & Catherine O'Connor, Ballyguile. Liam English, Lees Cross. Arthur O'Leary, Castletown. Ellen Sheehy, Croagh. Kathleen Hayes & Patrick Power, Pallasgrean. Tadhg O'Flynn, Ballingarry. James Curtin, Foynes. Patsy Fitzgibbon, England.

HEART MONTH: September is heart awareness month and the challenge is to ' Escape your Chair ' - move for one minute, every hour, over the course of the day. A recent survey found that more than half of all Irish workers have been able to work from home since Covid restrictions began, 53 per cent of them are sitting down for longer, than when in their usual place of work. Being physically active can release endorphins that can help relieve stress, boost mood, and improve self-esteem. Finding yourself in a stressful situation, a quick stroll can help clear the head while also helping our hearts and reducing our sitting time. We still have some way to go before diets can become healthier and more sustainable worldwide. How we currently eat does not reflect the existing healthy eating guidelines and we live in a world where cheap, fast and highly processed food is easily available and often cheaper and easier to access than healthier options like fruit and vegetables. The Irish Heart Foundation’s nurse support line is available five days a week. Anyone living with heart disease and stroke who has concerns or questions about the coronavirus can contact the nurse support line on 01 668 5001 or support@irishheart.ie. I was disappointed to learn that the .. eating dark chocolate, is good for your heart .. story is untrue, unfortunately.

GRANAGH SEC: A Sustainable Energy Community is a community in which everyone works together to develop a sustainable energy system for the benefit of the whole community. This is achieved by:- aiming, as far as possible, to be energy efficient, using renewable energy where feasible and developing decentralised energy supplies. We had our first meeting re the above last week and it opened our eyes to many facts and figures about why we should be moving towards renewable energy. At present our fossil fuels of coal, petrol and natural gas are running out and cannot be replenished e.g. the fuel in your tank is around 500 million years old.!! However, renewable energy – from natural resources are continuously replenished - Sunlight, wind, water, Hydro & tidal, bioenergy and biofuels. Bio energy – energy from organic materials - plants, crops, grass, animal waste etc. We never think about our Electricity usage, unless it is broken down for us. For example - boiling a kettle, five times a day costs you €73 per year. Using your washing machine, three washes per week, costs you €281 per year. The shower - family of four, 10-15mins per shower, costs you €655 per year. Our electricity comes from burning gas, coal and peat. By 2030 these have to be phased out and 70% has to come from renewable sources. Along with that 500,000 homes have to be upgraded to a BER of B2. 600,000 heat pumps have to be installed. Increase the number of electric vehicles to around one million. If we do not reduce our energy costs and greenhouse emissions, we are facing another Tax - Carbon tax. I was shocked to see how much we will possibly be paying in 2030. For example a 4- bed, detached house, 200sq m, with a BER rating of C3 will pay €2,900 annually...!!!! This is why Granagh Development are taking action now. We will be working with Tipperary Energy Agency to create an energy master plan for Granagh parish. Part of this will include a survey to households, with the end result of making your house more energy efficient, more comfortable & with less emissions. We hope everyone will fill in this survey, so that the Tipperary Agency can use the data to furnish a full parish report of our energy consumption. More details to follow.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Great to have Friarsgate Theatre open again with the following programme; - 15th – 30th September; An exhibition of new work by Peter Lunn. 25th Sept; Bewley's Cafe Theatre present 'The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant' by Oscar Wilde, 7pm, Tickets €15. Thursday,24th Sept; 1.00pm. On Trócaire Facebook page: They will deliver a webinar during this Season of Creation on the theme of ‘Cultivating Hope’. We will hear from Sarah McCan, Trócaire’s Country Director in Zimbabwe, about the impacts of climate change on communities in Zimbabwe and how our partner organisations are supporting them to mitigate against this impact. For more information on this webinar please contact jane.mellett@trocaire.org. 24th Sept; Autumn Ballyhoura Development District Forum meeting will take place online, via Zoom at 7:30pm. 27th Sept: Last Free tour of the historic gardens at Doneraile, meet at carpark at 2.30pm. Also, National Walking Day.