Patrickswell news for w/e January 28th.

CHURCH NOTICES

Listed readers for this weekend, January 29-30, The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time are as follows, Saturday at 7pm Eimear Foley, Sunday at 10am Sam Milburn, Sunday at 12noon Joanne Tierney.Eucharistic Ministers, Saturday at 7pm, E.O’Byrne R.Madigan, J.Tierney. Sunday at 10am, N.Murray, P.J.O’Grady, Sunday at 12noon, B.Enright, N.Quinn, P.Kirby. Please arrange a replacement if you are unable to fulfill any duty allocated to you. Weekday masses are at 9-30 am Monday to Friday. The weekly prayer meeting takes place on Monday at 8pm and all are welcome. Listed readers for the month of February are as follows, Saturday at 7pm Michael Woulfe, Sunday at 10am Niall Sheehy, Sunday at 12noon Julie Darcy.

PARISH NEWSLETTER

Items for inclusion in the weekly Parish Newsletter should be handed into the sacristy by 9-30am each Friday, or contact Fr. Muiris O’Connor on 353711 or 0866075628. Alternatively they can be emailed to muirisoc@eircom.net

 

BLOOD DONORS

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service requires extra donations of O Negative and A Negative Blood Groups this week, and donor clinics will be held at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare, on Tuesday February 1 from 6 to 9pm, and at the Greenhills Hotel, Ennis Road, also from 6 to 9pm. You can visit any blood donor clinic as long as ninety days have elapsed since you last gave blood, and you are urged to please give regularly. For more information contact the Donor Information Line on 1850 731137, or www.ibts.ie

 

WORLD WETLANDS DAY

Wednesday February 2 is World Wetlands Day. It is an annual event and marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular. The theme for this year is, “Wetlands and Forests” and has been chosen to coincide with the UN International Year of Forests.

 

VALENTINES BALL

The 5th Annual Valentine Ball in aid of Milford Hospice is taking place

at the Woodlands House Hotel on Saturday February 19. The night will commence with a mulled wine reception in the lobby accompanied by music from All Ireland comhaltas group from Templeglantine. This will be followed by a four course meal with complimentary wine. After dinner music is being provided by the fantastic party band, Bumblebee Honey. There will be a disco till late by Brian O’Grady DJB. All this is being provided at the recession busting price of 35 euros per person, which is the same price as last year. For ticket bookings contact Joan O’Sullivan on 069 82166 or 086-1625960. Early ticket booking is advised and is for over 18’s only.

PILGRIMAGE

A one week pilgrimage to Fatima at Easter from April 21-28. Cost 674 Euro per person, fully inclusive. Contact Joan Bourke on 061-600951 for more details.

CREDIT UNION

MPCC Credit Union has invited local primary schools within its catchment area to participate in the first stage of the nationwide 2011 Credit Union Schools Quiz competition. The local heat will take place in Mungret / St. Paul’s GAA Club on Saturday, February 5 at 2.30pm. The credit union anticipates that there will be over 30 teams taking part involving over 120 children.  There will be teams representing Patrickswell, St. Paul’s, Crecora, St. Nessan’s, Ballybrown and Educate Together School in Mungret.  Over the course of the quiz, the children will have to answer questions compiled by primary school teachers, which will cover general topics such as geography, history, music, literature and sport.

 Over 25,000 school children under the age of 13 will compete in over 300 venues throughout the 32 counties of Ireland making it one of the most popular and successful promotions undertaken by the credit union movement. The large number of participants makes it one of the biggest competitions in Ireland for either adults or children. This is the twentieth successive year that the Schools Quiz has been organised by the Irish League of Credit Unions. It consists of two ‘knock-out’ stages, which culminate in a National Final in Dublin on April 3, when 100 qualifying teams will compete to win the right to call their school ‘All-Ireland Schools Quiz Champions’. Last year, St. Nessan’s National School in Mungret made it all the way to the National Final for the second year running and were great ambassadors for the credit union, their school and their families. Hopefully another team from one of the local schools can go one step further this year and claim the National title. Best of luck to all the children who will be taking part in the quiz.

FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

This year’s Fairtrade Fortnight runs from February 28 until March 13, and the emphasis for 2011 will be on Fairtrade Cotton. To this end, communities, parish groups and individuals are being asked to create bunting which is available in kit form. Contact Dolores O’Meara at dmtom@eircom.net  Fairtrade Ireland also has its own website for more details about events during the two weeks, and how to get involved.