JUNE is EXAM TIME:

EXAM TIME: Wishing the very best of luck to all our students sitting their leaving certificate on the 9th. Also those doing their college exams and finals. " Always use the Talents you possess - the woods would be very silent if no birds sang, except those that sang best " PAROCHIAL HOUSE Latest News; Many of you will know that our parochial house has been vacant for the past two years or so. Built in 1932, the site was originally donated by the Bennett family and the house was built by the people of the parish, for their priest. The parish property committee has been covering the cost of maintenance all along and now it has become a drain on parish finances. The committee were planning to put the house up for sale so the GDA stepped in and offered to take over the up-keep and maintenance for a two year period. If we cannot make a go of it, then it goes up for sale. Granagh Development had already been looking into various options with a view to getting the house back into use but then Covid struck and that finished that ! Coincidentally, we had an engineer from the Tipperary Energy Agency in the area recently, to carry out energy audits, so he called for a preview. The oil burner is out of order, which we knew, some of the fascia board has rotted, one of the chimneys is leaking, ridge-caps loose, new wiring needed, cracked windowsill, attic to be insulated and other internal works to be done before it can be used safely. It is a well built, beautiful building, with a fine green area and if something isn't done now it will be too far gone to repair. It would be a shame to lose this parish building BUT we cannot do it on our own, we will need many volunteers to help us make this work. Most importantly, we want to know the views of the parish, on the house and what it could be used for ? We will be asking you to let us know your thoughts/ideas through the Facebook page, Web page, E-mail or by contacting any committee member. This information is vital to the GDA so that we can gauge community interests and then prepare a plan to go forward. Please e-mail your views to - granaghcommunity@gmail.com or add your comments on our facebook page - granaghcommunitynews. FARMER's MARKET: Sunday 13th; Rockbarton Garden Centre, 10am - 2pm. The market will host many local producers, ranging from food, artisan coffee, crepes, fresh pizza, baking, bread, cheese and so much more. There will be over twenty local Limerick artisan suppliers there on the day. All will be adhering to Covid 19 restrictions. GIVE BLOOD: If you can do it, give a ring on Lo call - 1850 731 137 or check their web page to find out about clinics and if your eligible to give blood, www.giveblood.ie What happens after your donation. First, the blood is filtered to remove the white blood cells. White blood cells are important to prevent and fight infections, but they do not work when transfused as part of an ordinary blood donation. Next, they separate out the red blood cells, and add a special nutrient fluid to them to allow us to preserve them for up to five weeks. Red Cells are essential to carry oxygen to all cells in your tissues and organs. Red cells are lost from bleeding after an injury or during surgery, or maybe a genetic condition prevents proper red cell formation in the body. Sometimes the body loses the capacity to make enough of its own red cells, when undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, for example.

Platelet Uses; These are very small cells that are essential for blood clotting. Platelets are used in the following scenarios: for patients who receive chemotherapy for cancer, to help their blood clot effectively or Heart surgery patients and victims of serious trauma. Platelets have a short shelf life of five days. So keeping the supply going is a constant challenge. Around 22,000 doses are used in Irish hospitals per annum. Blood Plasma Uses; The third component of each blood donation is the plasma. This is the fluid in which the cells are suspended in the bloodstream. You have about three litres of it circulating through your blood vessels. It has proteins necessary for immunity and for blood clotting. Plasma can be stored frozen and is used to replace proteins where they are lost, due to large blood loss from trauma and during surgery. CONGRATULATIONS: Belated birthday wishes to Cilla Harrington, The Glen, who celebrated her 80th at the end of May. A new arrival, welcome to little Bobby Cahill who arrived on 31st May. Congrats to Bridget, Mike and big sister Molly. DID YOU KNOW: The fear of long words is called, Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.! From the deepest ocean bottoms, sound waves take less than fifteen seconds to reach the surface. The Blue Whale's heart weighs about 400 pounds - about the size of a small piano. A Queen Bee needs to eat eighty times her weight, to produce 2,000 eggs a day. A burnt loaf from the Great Fire of London sold for £322 at auction in 1996. Lobsters have bladders on either side of their heads, so they communicate by urinating at each other.!