KILWORTH

BOTTLE BANKS

It’s great to see the bottle banks back in operation at Centra again. You are asked to please respect the neihbours by adhering to the times as stated on the banks - from 9am to 9pm.

PRAYER GROUP

The Medjugorje Prayer Group will meet in St Martin’s Church on this Thursday at 8pm. All welcome to attend for Rosary, prayers and hymns.

BINGO POSTPONED

Monday night bingo at Heaphy Grove, hosted by the Kilworth Active Retirement Group, has been postponed until further notice in the interest of the safety of their members and patrons. Watch this space for updates.

MASS TIMES

Weekend Mass times: Kilworth - Saturday at 7.30pm, Sunday at 11.30am; Mass in Araglin on Sunday at 10am. Weekdays: Kilworth Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 10am; Araglin Wednesday and Thursday at 10am. Masses continue to be streamed live on Canon Donal Leahy’s Facebook page.

KILWORTH G.A.A. LOTTO

No winner of the jackpot, numbers drawn 07, 19, 22 and 29. €50 went to Mary Casey, c/o Online and €25 each to; Anita Cremin, c/o Online, Will Hennessy, c/o Online and Liz Kiely, c/o Online.

Next week’s jackpot on Monday, January 17th is €15,400. Tickets cost just €2 each or 3 lines for €5 and they are available online, in the local business outlets or from your usual local sellers. As always, we would like to thank you for your ongoing support.

WALKING

It was great to see the footpaths leading to and from the village clear of leaves and debris (well done to those responsible), making walking over the Christmas period so much more enjoyable. Also, while dog fouling seems to have decreased somewhat, let us hope that those who still fail to clean up after their pet, will change for the better in this new year.

KILWORTH CELTIC LOTTO

No winner of this week’s jackpot. Numbers drawn 3, 9, 17 and 27; lucky dips: Lorraine Harrington, Dan Noonan, John Brown and Taija Howard. Next week’s jackpot will be €2,050. Your ongoing support is appreciated.

DECORATIONS

Taking the Christmas decorations down is not the nicest job one has to face into in the new year. Let us spare a thought so then for the Lights Committee who will have to dismantle and store away what has been a magnificent display this year. The ‘illuminations’ in the village give us all a much needed boost at this time of year, helping us get into the holiday mood. Homes around the country keep pushing out the boundaries when it comes to Christmas decorations - a far remove from those of us who grew up in the 1950 and ‘60s. While the preparations might have been just as intense as today, seeking out berry holly (and maybe a Christmas tree) was a chore that we looked forward to, not to mention preparing for ‘the wran’ on St Stephen’s Day. Holly with plenty of red berries always seemed to have been much more readily available than today - or is that just my imagination? The holly we placed over pictures and mirrors, the mantlepiece or ‘overmantle’ getting the most attention. A turnip, with a hole carved out and then decorated with crépe paper and a sprig of holly, was the usual holder for the big red Christmas candle which, more often than not, was part of ‘the Christmas box’ (a fruit cake being the other) from Flynn’s shop, thanking us for our custom during the year. Paper chains of assorted shapes and sizes we hung from the ceiling - no ‘swirching on’ or no need for countless double or triple A batteries. That said, when we climb into the attic (or wherever) in early December to last year’s decorations and go through the ritual again, isn’t it nice to think we’ve survived another year? And likewise, stowing them away now warrants a prayer that we will all be alive to repeat the process come January 2023.