Pew Sheet – 9th February 2025

The Rector writes ’As a Fairtrade Parish, each year we remind everybody of the issue at a Service. And for our Service, at great cost to myself, I always blow up that big Banana and that enormous Teacup etc. It used to be that we had a ‘Fairtrade Fortnight’ in February but now we have the whole month — Fairbruary! The motto this year is ‘If It’s Fair – Just Buy It!’ which explains my big shopping bag full of goodies! We are reminded that living fairly is a mindset, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and we are encouraged to just try in the month of Fairbruary to buy Fairtrade goods – so give it a go!’

Dates for your Diary

February

10th 10am Mens’ Coffee Morning , Carrigaline Court Hotel

12th 8pm Zoom online talks ‘The Music of our Praise ‘

15th 7:30-9pm Youth Club in the Parish Hall

19th 3pm MU meeting Parish Hall

8pm Zoom online talks ‘The Music of our Praise ‘

22nd CDYC Inflata Bounce and Airtastic

March

5th Ash Wednesday Services in St Mary’s Church

10:30am and 7:30pm

7th World Day of Prayer, 3pm Service in St Mary’s Church

12th Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 7:30pm St Mary’s Church

19th Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 7:30pm St Mary’s Church

26th Lenten Workshop on Prayer, 7:30pm St Mary’s Church

Continuing next Wednesday!

The Music of our Praise –

The wonderful world of music for worship

The second of three Online Talks by Bébhinn Ni Mheara, Musical Director of Carrigaline Union

7:30pm Wednesdays 12th & 19th February

All welcome.

The Zoom Link was on the Pewsheet email but please email parish@carrigalineunion.org if you didn’t get it.

MU Meeting

at 3pm in the Parish Hall on Wednesday 19th February

‘History of Meals on Wheels in Carrigaline/Crosshaven’

with Bobby Lambe and Mary Meade.

Refreshments and chat to follow – all welcome!

Random Notes CDLXXXI

My nephew and his girlfriend had been living and working in Scotland for the last few years. Due the abundance of cheap Ryanair flights to Knock airport, they made frequent visits to my sister and the rest of the family in Lissadell, County Sligo. With a great love of the outdoors and the sea, they would zoom all around the beautiful country and seaside in the shadows of Benbulbin. They often passed a particular farmhouse and both agreed “if that ever comes on the market, we will buy it”….. and it did,,,, and they got the keys just before Christmas!!

It’s about 200 years old, with bits and pieces added here and there, and steps and different levels within. A pure old Irish farmhouse on close to 2 acres of gardens and outhouses. There is a range and various open fires which were particularly useful during the last storm.

My nephew has been telling my sister all about the discoveries he is making in the house, the other buildings and also the garden. It must be so exciting for them. I was tidying up my own tiny garden the other day and kept coming across plants that I had forgotten about – and the stories attached to them. Who gave me the cutting, where did I buy the seed and which ones are taking dominance over others. When I worked in other peoples gardens, the owners and I would often agree that gardens “evolve”. This was particularly the case in the “Robinsonian” style garden (just on the verge of being overgrown!) behind the old coastguard house at East Ferry.

Gardens tell a story. In East Ferry, the current owner was able to tell me who planted what, and I particularly remember a clump of daisies that he amusingly and proudly told me “came from Ray Day’s gutter” at Neptune Lodge in Glenbrook. To add to the story of the Sligo farmhouse, there is an unverified and very distant chance that there is a possible family link. That just needs more investigation though…!!!