Pew Sheet – 20th December 2020
The Rector writes ‘ It’s hard to believe that it’s the 4th Sunday of Advent. In ’normal’ times we would have had our Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in St John’s Church this evening. It’s been really tough on the Monkstown Chamber Choir this year. Think about how much you are missing singing hymns in church and then multiply that by 1,000!. But now with the vaccine being rolled out in the new year, I hope that we will be back singing again soon…. and I don’t think we will never take it for granted again! I would like to thank St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Choir, and their Director of Music – Peter Stobart, their Assistant Director of Music – Robbie Carroll, who have recorded 9 Carols for all the parish churches to use over Christmas.
We will be hearing a selection of them on Christmas Day. It will be wonderful to hear the young voices singing out in our churches.
At the 11am Service in St Mary’s today, you are asked to remain in your pews until one of the Church Wardens tells you it is safe to leave the building. This has to happen this way at Services in St Mary’s Church to ensure that there is no congestion on the way out of the church. Thank you all for co-operating with these procedures, awkward as they are.
As you all know, our only aim is to ensure that no-one in our community becomes infected with this virus because of any laxity on our part.
CHRISTMAS SERVICES
At the time of writing, the only remaining Service with places available was the 1pm Service in St Mary’s Church. Please contact the rector as soon as possible if you would like to attend the 1pm Service. PLEASE don’t come to a Service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day if you haven’t already booked a place as the Church Wardens won’t be able to make room for you.
It is a most unusual year but we just have to tough it out as best we can.
The Christingle Services on Sunday 27th December will be on a ‘first come’ basis as the demand for these places (9am & 11am in St Mary’s and 10am in St Johns) are sure to be light!
Random Notes No. CCCLXX
Due to the “C” word, we have missed out on a lot of commemorations in Cork during 2020, including the 150th anniversary of the consecration of the newly built St Fin Barre’s Cathedral. But also the 100th anniversary of the burning of Cork.
I don’t normally watch RTE, but a recent documentary called “The Brigade” brought to life the very real history of Tom Barry and Charlie Hurley who were behind the creation of the West Cork Flying Column of the IRA. West Cork was such a complicated place in the years during the War of Independence, and this program addressed the situation in a sensitive and balanced manner.
So many factions were involved – The British Army, The RIC, The Essex Regiment, The IRA, The Volunteers and of course civilians.
On the night of Saturday 11th December 1920, Eleanor Adelaine Good, my Granny, would have been 14 years old. Attending Rochelle during the week, she was most likely tucked up in bed at home in Avonmore on the Great Island, while hell broke loose in Cork City. The Auxiliaries (also known as the Black and Tans or the Essex Regiment) set fire to the city in an act of reprisal against republican forces.
That night, Roches Stores, Cash’s, the City Hall, the Carnegie library and over 300 homes were destroyed. The City Hall was eventually re-built in the 1930’s, funded by the British government.
In the days before telephones, television or the internet, I’d love to know how news of the burning got to homes around the county, including Avonmore. Also, how did young Adelaine react, knowing that she probably had homework to bring to Rochelle on Monday morning?!
RCE
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