Pew Sheet – 19th June 2022

The Rector writes ‘ Thank you so much to Sr Jo McCarthy from the Cork Migrant Centre who is speaking to us today at our United Service. Sr Jo will then officially open the Photographic Exhibition over in the Parish Hall. This exhibition will be on for the whole week and you’ll find details on the exhibition and World Refugee Week inside these sheets.

The Revd Julie Cody, team vicar of our link Parish of Perton in the UK will shortly be visiting our Diocese for a couple of weeks. She will be staying in the area but as she is in great demand around the diocese I had to actually ‘nab’ her to come to us and celebrate Holy Communion on Wednesday 6th July. If you are around on that Wednesday morning, do please come and meet her in person. There will be the usual ‘light’ refreshments in the Parish Hall afterwards (that means biscuits unless someone bakes a cake!) I hope to see many of you there.

Next Sunday 26th we will have a United Confirmation Service at 11am in St John’s Church, Monkstown. As there are 12 confirmation candidates, space will be at a premium so if you plan on just wandering in at 11am be warned it may be standing room only.’

26th June United Service at 11am in St John’s Church Our 12 candidates will be confirmed by the Bishop. Please note that there will be no 11am Livestream on this day.

6th July The Revd Julia Cody will celebrate the Midweek Eucharist in St Mary’s Church. Light Refreshments afterwards in the Parish Hall. Please do come and support our Link with Perton visitor.

23rd July Parish Coffee Morning & Raffle in aid of the Tanzanian Project 10:30 Canon McCrea Hall

Random Notes CDXXIX

One of the joys of growing up in Monkstown was being part of the group of 10th Cork, Monkstown Cubs led by Arkela, Ann Butler. We had such fun times and a fellow cub was Kieran Dwyer who lived at Carrigmahon House. His mother, Mary, was a great character and I have such fond memories of playing in the garden of Carrigmahon – climbing walls; making camps and rope ladders down cliffs. There were strange stone structures in the garden, so reading Colman O’Mahony’s wonderful book “Mansions and Monuments” was a revelation.

“Carrigmahon House is situated on the wooded hillside over-looking the river between Rockville and Rocklodge. The house was built as the marine residence of The O Grady of Kilballyoen, Co Limerick in the mid 1820’s. When the O Gradys occupied the house “heath and rugged furze” which covered the hillside was replaced by “luxuriant trees and shrubs that now clothe the rich slopes to the water’s edge”. The house was later used as a health resort and spa, with Turkish baths and other Hydrotherpy facilities. The beauty and tranquility of Carrigmahon was noted by a reporter who remarked that:

Carrigmahon House rises nearly one hundred feet over the river, and from a terrace, sweeping in a semi-circle in front of the building, from which it is separated by a tastefully laid out grass garden, a glorious view of one of the most lovely pieces of river and sea scenery is obtained. The eye stretches far out into the blue ocean beyond the lighthouse, which glitters in the sunshine like the purest marble…add to this, the constant life and variety imparted to the river by steamers and yachts and trading vessels of all kinds, and you have an ever-changing panorama”.