BACK TO LEVEL 5:

MASSES ONLINE: Change of masses to the Online facility, due to Covid restrictions. Granagh/Ballingarry Parish Masses will be via the Webcam - tune into www.churchservicestv.ie Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday - 10am. Sunday mornings at 10.30am. All the Masses are recorded. Also, information on parish office opening hours etc can be found on the Ballingarry page.

Mission Sunday - October is known as World Mission Month. We celebrated the feast of St Theresa of the Child Jesus on October 1st , St Theresa, also known as the Little Flower, is the patron saint of the Missions. Pope Francis in his message for World Mission Sunday (October 18th) says “in this year marked by suffering and challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the missionary journey of the whole Church continues…… The mission that God entrusts to each one of us leads us from fear and introspection to a renewed realization that we find ourselves precisely when we give ourselves to others….”. World Missions Ireland explains that on this Sunday, the entire Church comes together, giving what they can no matter how little, to help further the work of missionaries. To that end, Fr. Tom is arranging a special Mission collection on Sunday 25th - in Granagh Church between 11am - 12pm and in Ballingarry between 3pm - 4pm. There is an envelope included in your yearly box or pick up one in either church.

ENERGY SURVEY:

Thanks to all who returned their surveys. As soon as we can get together again, we will have the draw and then forward forms to Tipperary Energy Agency. UPCOMING ON-LINE EVENTS: Samhain 2020 will be completely online and will include storytelling, workshops and a parade with Lumen Street Theatre from Thursday 29th to Saturday 31st October 2020. This year Limerick's Halloween Festival will be a socially distant festival for all to enjoy - see www.facebook.com/Samhain-Limericks-Halloween-Festival. ''The Half '' begins thirty five minutes before curtain-up in the theatre. It’s that special time for the performer to transform into the character they will play on stage. Join actor and singer Jean McGlynn online as she takes you through the process of warm-ups, make-up, wigs and costume. Then, come with her on her journey to the wings as she takes her place for a special Halloween performance. No booking required on the website. The video will be available online from Tuesday 20th - Saturday 24th October. Suitable for all ages, see www.limetreetheatre.ie/show-category/bualadhbos. Arts & Human Rights Festival: Trócaire will have four events in the 2020 Dublin Festival programme. They will showcase and highlight the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world, past and present, and the role of the arts and artists in promoting human rights today. The festival will run for ten days from Friday 16th to Sunday 25th October. You need to pre-register to attend these free virtual events on www.dahrf.com. B​UDGET 2020: ​Trócaire welcomes the Irish Government’s decision in last week’s budget to continue to invest in overseas aid. This is especially important given the devastation caused by COVID-19 in the poorest parts of our world. Trócaire’s CEO, Caoimhe de Barra said​;- “We understand the Government is budgeting in deeply uncertain times and we are pleased that they have demonstrated an understanding for the need to continue to invest in global development. ​ ​At a time when other countries are retreating inwardly, it should be a source of pride that Ireland continues to look outwardly to play a positive role in the world. ​ ​Only approximately 40 cents out of every €100 Ireland spends​,​ is spent on overseas development, so proportionately it is a small spend but it continues to save and change lives across the developing world. ​ ​We hope that once Ireland navigates the current crisis the Government will continue its pathway towards reaching its international commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas aid.”

IS FOSTERING FOR YOU: Tusla National Fostering Week 2020, a public awareness campaign ran from 12th-18th October aimed at recruiting new foster carers across Ireland. The campaign, with a theme of ‘Raising Amazing’, celebrates how Tusla foster carers have positively transformed the lives of vulnerable children and young people. They are appealing to others to join in helping to provide a child with a safe and loving home environment, where they can grow, flourish and reach the best of their potential. You could be 'raising amazing' by providing a child or young person with the ordinary things in life. You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect foster carer. What you must have is a strong desire to provide a child with a nurturing environment in which they can develop. In return, you will gain the satisfaction from helping a child to reach their potential in life, and doing so, creating a long-lasting legacy of change. In the mid-west there are 548 children in foster care and there are 413 foster families. For further info, freephone 1800226771. SCIENCE WEEK: 8th - 15th Nov. Now in its 25th year, the week aims to celebrate science in our everyday lives. This year it takes place against a backdrop never experienced in our lifetime. Now, more than ever, we have turned to the information science provides to guide our decisions. The theme - Choosing our Future focuses on how science can improve our lives in the present & in the future and how science can help us to make positive choices that will impact the environment, our health, and our quality of life. Interesting events for the kids - Thursday 12th - Kitchen Science - 11am to 12pm. Sunday 15th - Baking in Space- 7pm to 8pm. All info​ can be found​ on www.sfi.ie ​A LITTLE HISTORY: ​Many thanks to Jim Houlihan who contributed the following article, which is now recorded on our website, under the History tab.

​Dargan’s ​Hill; ​(Horgan’s), Graigebeg​; The townland of Graigbeg (The Little Hamlet) lies in the south west of Granagh, it consists of 219 acres making it one of the smaller townlands in Granagh parish. ​ ​Back in the nineteenth century it was owned by John Dwyer, an Englishman, and Dargan's Hill is its stand out landmark, though no longer in its original state. There used to be a large Fox Covert maintained by the County Limerick Hunt. ​ ​It was a great place for foxes which often left local women without the egg money.​ ​ When the early Point-to-Points were being held at Kingsland the competitors had to make the best way they could cross country and round a tree at Dargan’s where a steward noted all who passed by. From there they went to a point at Dohora, Banogue and the survivors returned to pass the viewing stand at Kingsland.​ Pistol Duel​; ​ Dargan's Hill was also the site of a pistol duel between William Lloyd, Heathfield, Ballinruane and John Odell, The Grove, Ballingarry. ​ ​While ordinary people were prepared to risk their lives in faction fights, the gentry would sometimes risk their lives in pistol duels. ​ ​The story goes that William Lloyd, who was a Catholic, was walking from Mass at Kilmeedy one Sunday when he was overtaken by John Odell who was returning from a Protestant Service in the same place. ​ ​Odell offered him a lift which he accepted. ​ ​As soon as he had taken his seat Odell made some insulting remarks about the Catholic religion which Lloyd resented. ​ ​One word borrowed another and Lloyd challenged him to a pistol duel. A date and place were arranged. The pair armed with pistols and accompanied by their seconds met at Dargan’s Hill on Saturday 11th of July 1829. William Lloyd was mortally wounded and was taken to the house of a man named O’Connell. Odell fled the scene on horseback. William Lloyd's wife erected a headstone to him in the old churchyard at Ballingarry where he is buried. He was aged 27 years. Coincidentally, Tom Noonan, ​found an​ original programme from 1951, of the ​ Croom Harriers'​ Point-to-Point races held in Kingsland. ​ Total prize money £100 plus cups for ​four of the races, the Carigeen cup presented by Lt. Co Stackpoole, the Rathcannon cup presented by PP Hogan, the Brassey cup presented by Capt. R. B. Brassey and the Liskennett cup . The day finished with a Farmer's Race with eleven runners over a distance of three miles, entrance fee £1. I see Tom O'Regan, Liskennett, entered his horse ' Lissiesine' here and M. Fitzgibbon of Liskennett Hse was the Hon. Sec. To see the full programme log onto www.granagh.com