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A Dubai Rose Contestant with a Listowel Connection
Here is what the Dubai Rose Centre posted online about Aoife Trench.
Now to introduce our second Rose entrant for Dubai Rose Selection 2022 hosted by @mcgettigansjlt
. Teacher and musician Aoife Trench hails from Listowel, Co. Kerry. As well as forming a trad band with friends since her arrival in Dubai, she has also travelled at every opportunity – visiting South Asia and East Africa – and has tried out new hobbies, one of them being taking up football and camogie with Jumeirah Gaels.
Aoife is a fluent Irish speaker and spent the last 4 years of her career teaching in Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil in Cork – a big change from her current setup in Dubai! This hasn’t stopped her imparting Irish culture to her students here however – if you hear young children around Dubai uttering “Dia dhuit” and “Conas atá tú?”, you know who’s responsible!
Musically, Aoife has toured Ireland and the UK with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann as well as providing music and singing lessons through her local CCÉ branches in North Kerry, and now here she makes time for a few tunes every month in Fibber Magees’ Thursday trad sessions.Be sure to book your brunch tickets for our Rose Selection Night on May 20th to hear Aoife and our other musical Roses performing onstage!
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One to set you thinking
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On Upper William Street
The Saddle Bar, keeping the old name alive.
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An Apostolic Society
The following is an extract from The Clare Herald
Shannon Parish will see the end of an era this weekend as the local Apostolic Works Society hold their final display after 33 years.
The group, made up mostly of local women but also one equally dedicated man, was established in 1989 and for over three decades produced and supplied overseas missionaries with vestments, Mass kits, and other resources to assist them in their work.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, the Shannon group will host their last display from 11.00am today at St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in the town.
Former Shannon Parish Priest Fr Tom Ryan said: “One of the great success stories of Shannon Parish 55-year history has been the establishment in 1989 of the Shannon branch of Apostolic Workers. This group of dedicated and inspirational workers was set up in 1989 when Fr Pat Mulcahy came to the parish. Fr Pat’s mother was involved with the Apostolic Workers in his native parish of Ballywilliam Co.Tipperary.
The ‘almost’ ladies organisation supported missionaries with resources like vestments, Mass kits, and other resources for their missionary work. They met every week, chatted, knitted , prayed and fundraised for the missions. They worked in partnership with local school children who shared some of the gift money received on occasions like Confirmation and First Holy Communion to support children in developing countries.”
“Now after 33-year history and ageing personnel as well as the inability to meet during lockdown, the decision has been made that the centre will be suspended,” Fr Tom added.
“During my years in the parish of Shannon this organisation and its members did tremendous work for both the parish and the missions and raised substantial amount of money to support missionaries. They made dreams for missionaries become reality.
I take this opportunity to express my thanks to all members for the time and effort over the past 33 years to witness to the gospel by using their talents and generously sharing with others. I wish all members good health and happiness and pray eternal rest on those members who gave generously and who have died,” Fr Tom Ryan said.
{When I came to town first, Listowel had an apostolic society. Generous local volunteers, I think they were all women, gave their time and talents to make vestments for priests at home and abroad. A parish bazaar used to be held to raise money for materials and during this event lines of beautifully made vestments used to be displayed along the walls of the school hall in Scoil Réalta na Maidine. I wonder does anyone have photographs or memories of this forgotten Society.}
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Pampooties
Have you ever considered what it must have been like to live on an island before there were proper communications or transport?
Islanders had to be totally self sufficient. They grew their own food and spun and wove materials for their own clothes.The man in this picture is making the primitive pampooties that were the footwear of men and women on many of our islands. Look closely. He is also wearing a pair.
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Final word on the Turf Debate
Hi Mary,
The Cutting the Turf poem and the current turf debate reminds me that mankind’s relationship with the bog was best summed up by the late Sean McCarthy; “The bog isn’t a place. The bog is a feeling. You don’t grow up in the bog. You grow up with the bog.”
Mattie
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