Patrickswell notes for December 24th

CHURCH NOTICES - CHRISTMAS MASSES: Listed readers for this weekend December 24-25, The Nativity of Our Lord, are as follows, Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 9pm, Michael Woulfe, Christmas Day at 10am Niall Sheehy, Christmas Day at 12noon Julie Darcy. Eucharistic Ministers, Christmas Eve at 9pm, Mary Collins, Mary Bennis, Breda Carroll, Christmas Day at 10am, Michael O’Mara, Mary Enright, Michael Punch, Christmas Day at 12noon, Seamus Enright, Patricia Barry, Rory Bennis. Please arrange a replacement if you are unable to fulfill any duty allocated to you. Weekday masses are at the usual time of 9-30 am Monday to Friday. There will be no weekly prayer meeting on Monday December 26. Items for inclusion in the weekly Parish Newsletter should be handed into the sacristy by 9-30am on Friday or contact Fr. Muiris O’Connor on 353711 or 0866075628. Alternatively they can be emailed tomuirisoc@eircom.net Confessions will be heard this Saturday in Ballybrown from 11 to 11-30am, and in Patrickswell from 11-45am until 12-30pm.

CHURCH NOTICES – NEW YEAR MASSES: Listed readers for the weekend of Saturday December 31, and Sunday January 1 2012, The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, are as follows, Saturday at 7pm Michael Woulfe, Sunday at 10am P.J O’Grady, Sunday at 12noon Dan Riordan. Eucharistic Ministers, Saturday at 7pm, Christy Murphy, Rita Madigan, Joe Tierney. Sunday at 10am Noreen Murray, Eileen Nally, PJ O’Grady. Sunday at 12noon, Pat Kirby, Noreen Quinn, Birdie Enright. Please arrange a replacement if you are unable to fulfill any duty allocated to you. Weekday masses are at the usual time of 9-30 am Monday to Friday. There will be no weekly prayer meeting on Monday January 2.

JANUARY READERS: Listed readers for the month of January are as follows, Saturday at 7pm Doireann Foley, Sunday at 10am P.J.O’Grady, Sunday at 12noon Dan Riordan.
ENVELOPES: New packs of envelopes for 2012 are now available, and those who assist with the distribution are asked to collect them from the sacristy.
BLOOD DONORS: The Irish Blood Transfusion Service urgently requires your  donations after Christmas, and donor clinics are being held at the following locations,
Greenhills Hotel, Ennis Road on Tuesday December 27 from 2 to 5pm, South Court Hotel, Raheen Roundabout, on Wednesday December 28 from 2 to 5pm, and the
Community Centre, Askeaton on Thursday December 29 also from 2 to 5pm.
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. There will also be a donor clinic in Cappamore Community Centre, on Tuesday January 3 2012, from 6 to 9pm. For more information contact the Donor Information Line on 1850 731137, or their website.
CREDIT UNION: The offices of MPCC Credit Union will be open as normal until Thursday December 22. On Friday, December 23, our offices will be open as follows, Dooradoyle 10am to 7pm, Patrickswell 2 to 7pm, and Ballybrown 7 to 8pm. From December 24 - 29 inclusive, all offices will remain closed. Friday December 30, Dooradoyle 10am to 5pm, Patrickswell 2 to 7pm and Ballybrown 7 to 8pm. Saturday, December 31, Dooradoyle 10am to12 noon. Normal opening hours will resume on Tuesday January 3, except for the Mungret office, which will continue to remain closed for renovations, and thankyou for your patience. We are looking forward to reopening again in Mungret in mid to late January.The Board of Directors, Management and Staff would like to wish all members and their families a very peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year.
NEWS YEAR’S DAY WALK:
Knockfierna Heritage Society will hold its annual walk to Knockfierna Hill on New Year’s Day, leaving the Rambling House at 2pm.  Appropriate outdoor wear recommended.  For further details contact Pat O’Donovan 087 9977340 or Marion Hanley 087 9741387.
COMMUNITY PLAYSCHOOL: We would like to wish all our supporters and our wonderful hard working committee, a very happy Christmas and a great new year.
TIDY TOWNS: Many thanks to anyone, aforementioned or unmentioned, sung or unsung, who may have contributed or assisted in any way to our work throughout another successful year. We are extremely grateful for that, and especially the financial support we receive from all sections of the community, without which we could not continue. Our continued success in the Limerick in Bloom competition bears testament to that support, as well many people’s efforts in adding to the festive appearance of the village, with the provision of a festive tree and lights in the grounds at the shrine. So to bring the year to a close it just remains to wish everyone in Patrickswell, a very happy and peaceful Christmas, and also a prosperous and healthy new year, and to be able to cope with and enjoy whatever 2012 brings. God bless you all. Ar na Nollag an-sásta agus síochánta, agus chomh maith le bliain rathúil agus sláintiúil nua.  Dia libh go léir. 
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Many people have made super efforts this year with their external Christmas lights and decorations, not only brightening up their own house fronts and gardens, but adding a real festive flair to the village in general. Business premises and the Resource Centre have also added to the illuminations. If there were any prizes though, surely Noel Bourke’s winter wonderland on the Clarina Road just as you turn off at the Dark Horse would win hands down. Noel has not only installed an incredible kaleidoscope of seasonal colour, but has added a musical accompaniment, which makes for a very pleasant and eye catching Christmas scene, and is well worth a visit if you have not already had the opportunity. Well done Noel, we can only aspire to your creativity.
FRIDAY CLUB:  Members of the Friday Club are grateful to all who supported their Christmas Coffee Morning and Cake Sale last week. Evelyn Doran has a list of prize winners in the raffle. The club would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas, and a bright and healthy New Year.