Gentle Mother
We are all so deeply sorry to hear of the death of Bridie Power of Adamstown. Bridie was a very well known and popular resident of our area not well known as in someone who made headlines or had millions of followers on Twitter. She was well known for all the right reasons, for being a wonderful mother, a woman of strength, courage and resiliance.
One of the things I think of when I think of Bridie is that wonderful smile always so welcoming and always ready for a laugh and a chat. She had a wide variety of interests which included watching sports, bingo, music and dancing. Her radio was very important to her and she loved to listen to the Johnny Barry and John O Shea shows. She was also a great fan of the television and she was the controller of the remote in the house. She especially liked programmes about antiques and of course loved all the quiz shows. I have been told by many people that if there was a bus trip leaving from Kilmeaden you could be sure that Bridie was on it along with her great friend Nellie Walsh from Portlaw.
She was also a woman of great faith and travelled to Lourdes many times. She welcomed Fr. Mick every First Friday of the month as he brought her Holy Communion and I know she would have been very impressed with the beautiful and spiritual ceremony Fr. O Halloran offered at her funeral mass.
Although she had many interests the most important aspect of her life was her family. She raised her sons and daughters to be caring and respectful and also passed on her wonderful traits to her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. She unfortunately faced great saddness in her life following the deaths of her husband John Joe and son Michael, but with strength and courage and great faith she got on with life and raising her family. Bridies wish was always to be at home in our own house and her family made sure that her wish was fulfilled. In a lovely tribute her family thanked in a special way their sister June who gave her mother such fantastic care over the years. Bridies family can be very proud and hopefully draw great comfort from the fact that Bridie died at home in her own home, surrounded by her loving family and in the great faith that she was simply returning home to her God. May her sweet gentle soul now rest in peace and may the wonderful memories she left behind bring her loved ones peace and comfort in the coming months.
AGM
A reminder to you all that the AGM of Ballyduff Community Centre will take place on Tuesday August 11th at 8pm in the community centre. All are welcome.
Holy Communion
We send our warmest wishes to the boys and girls of 2nd class in Ballyduff NS who will make their Holy Communion in Ballyduff church on Friday August 14th. These young people have waited a long time for their big day and we hope that it is filled with sunshine and happiness.
Anniversary Masses
The booking of weekend anniversary masses will now begin again with priority given to Months Minds and First Anniversaries. The restrictions imposed by Covid 19 will still be in place and we ask all attendees to follow the guidelines given.
Bookings will be taken for the remainder of August and the months of September and October and each week the following masses are available to be booked:
Thursdays@7.30pm
Saturdays@10am
Saturdays@7.30pm
Sunday@10am
If you would like to book a mass then please contact Linda Spillane on 087-9838392 and she will look after you. As I’m sure you can understand masses cannot be shared due to number restrictions. If you had an anniversary during the closure of the church and would like to book a mass now you are welcome to do so.
Mass Cards
If you require a mass card they are now available in the sacristy at a price of €10 each. Please see our sacristan Ann and she will arrange it for you.
Popular Month
The month of August has always been a popular month for weddings and I heard of a few local couples who were celebrating theirs. Eoin and Eleanor Leane celebrated their 21st anniversary and I’m sure they celebrated with their lovely family. My own sister Mary and her husband Eamonn O Leary celebrated their 31st anniversary with their daughters Jessica and Amy. Blacknock couple Michael and Marian Murray clocked up 33 years of marriage this week also. Out in front though ahead of them all were Newtown couple Pat and Mary Kenny who celebrated 40 years of wedded bliss. This Waterford/Kilkenny union has stuck the test of time and I’m sure they enjoyed the celebrations with their children and grandchildren.
GAA News
Our local GAA club have been looking at new ways to give back to their community and help relieve the stresses of life. They have come up with the idea of a fun group for the ladies of the area. They intend on the group meeting once a week to have a bit of fun and play a non competitive sport such as rounders, tag rugby, football etc. To participate you need to be a member of the club which is just €25 for the year. You can pay this on the Clubforce app or you can get a form from the club. To express your interest or any other questions please contact Brian on 087-2486423