FEBRUARY STARTING WELL:

WATER SCHEME AWARD:

The West Limerick Group Water scheme is made up of Granagh, Kileedy, Croagh & Cappagh schemes. In 2020 the 'Group Water Scheme Excellence Awards' were introduced by the National Federation. The aim of the awards is to recognise the hard work and initiatives being shown by group water schemes and the high standards they have achieved. An independent, expert panel presided over entries across four different categories, with excellence flags being awarded to group water schemes that achieved a required standard. The panel also chose an overall winner for each category.

The Schemes have to demonstrate how they have achieved best practice in the following categories; -

1) Water Safety Planning & Quality Assurance, 2) Water Demand Management & Climate Action, 3) Biodiversity Enhancement & 4) Community Engagement.

The inaugural awards ceremony took place via Zoom on Tuesday 1st Feb with West Limerick GWS taking the overall award in the 'Water Demand Management & Climate Action' category as well as receiving a Certificate in the 'Biodiversity Enhancement' category. Congratulations and thanks to the Manager, Eddie Sheehan, on the incredible work he does on all the schemes, especially in this category of reducing water wastage.

FEAST DAYS:

Tue 8th Feb: International Day of Awareness against Human Trafficking and Feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita. Her life was a journey from slavery to freedom and faith. The patron saint of Sudan, her life story inspires hope in the face of modern day indifference and exploitation. Josephine was about eight when she was kidnapped by Arab slave traders. Although she was just a child she was forced to walk barefoot over 600 miles to a slave market. She was bought and sold at least twice during the grueling journey. For the next twelve years she would be bought and sold and given away over a dozen times. She spent so much time in captivity that she forgot her original name. She was eventually sold to the Italian Vice Consul, who brought her to Italy and gave her away to another family as a gift where she served them as a nanny. For a time she was placed in the custody of the Canossian Sisters in Venice. Her case was taken to court, and they found that slavery had been outlawed in Sudan before Josephine was born, so she could not be lawfully made a slave - she was declared free. She remained with the Sisters and took her final vows in 1896. For the next forty two years, she worked as a cook and doorkeeper at the convent. She was known for her gentle voice and smile. She died on February 8, 1947 and she was canonized in 2000.

Friday 11th Feb: World Day of Prayer for the Sick. Also the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, recalling a series of eighteen appearances that the Blessed Virgin Mary made to a 14-year-old French peasant girl, Saint Bernadette Soubirous. The Marian apparitions began Feb. 11, 1858, ended July 16 that year.

It is also the feast day of St Gobnait. Gobnait is said to have been born in Co Clare and in her youth she went to the Aran Islands to study monastic life. An angel told her that she should tour Ireland until she found a place where she found nine white deer grazing. She must have passed through Limerick because it is said that there was a well situated to the north of Ballyagran, in a high field, to the left of the road to Castletown. Rounds were made and a pattern was held there, on the 11th, up until 1870s.

It was in Ballyvourney, that she eventually found the nine white deer and there she founded a monastery. She is also famed for her cultivation of bees and a story relates how soldiers came to Ballyvourney and stole livestock. As they left the village the saint let loose her honey-bees upon them and they promptly returned the cattle. Today the main centres of devotion to Gobnait are on Inis Oírr/Inisheer, Dún Chaoin and Baile Bhúirne/Ballyvourney.

LISKENNETT WOOD:

For anyone who uses Liskennett walking trails, you will have noticed that our contractor Michéal Crowley has now completed the stoning of the remaining two paths. He did a great job and was very obliging. It is great to have that connection between the south road and the middle road accessible to all walkers now. While the second path from the carpark is at a steeper gradient, the original one is still in use.

ST. V. dePAUL:

Sincere thanks for your donations to the local branch, Christmas collections, of St. Vincent dePaul in Granagh & Ballingarry. All monies collected are used in the local community. You may have heard that they have a big recruitment drive for volunteers, at present. If you would like to help out in any way, please contact them on

083-0878277 for further information. They would love to hear from you.

LIAM O'CONNOR SHOW:

Sunday 20th Feb, 3pm, Liskennett (V35X242). The Liam O'Connor Show returns with special guest Brian Kennedy in aid of the Equine Therapy Centre. I have heard that the Liskennett Ladies will be making a return performance - last time they delighted the crowds with their 'Abba Revival' ...... Who knows what they will do this year. Don't miss this wonderful show.!

Tickets are €20 and are available from Liskennett or David Doyle on 087-2734150.

BUDDING GARDENERS:

Woodie's have announced the return of their children’s gardening competition, Budding Gardeners, and things are bigger and better than ever this year as they call on schools and families around Ireland to get gardening in 2022. Maybe you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to spend more time outside with the kids, or maybe you're a teacher who is looking for an exciting new project for your students to take part in. Whatever the case may be, Woodie’s want you to get involved. Enter as a class, a family or individual child and take on the three set tasks to be in with a chance of winning some amazing prizes.

Participants will be given three tasks to get working on in the garden. There are great prizes to be won including a trip for your class to Bloom, a gardening workshop with judge Brian Burke for your class, or a school tour worth €1,000. By completing all three tasks, you will be in with a chance of winning the grand prize of a €2,500 garden makeover for your school. Get involved by registration on https://www.woodies.ie/budding-gardeners.