Pat Kenny Promotes Suicide Prevention in Athlone

Caroline McGuigan

World Suicide Prevention Day was honoured in Athlone last week at Hodson Bay Hotel, when Newstalk hosted one of Pat Kenny’s morning radio shows at the site which Mr. Kenny called the “middle of the country,”.

The Newstalk radio host told the nation that he did an early morning walk on the shore, and saw the stone pillar, Hodson’s Pillar on Temple Island, which is close to the hotel. 

“Hodson Pillar was named after one of Cromwell’s Generals, and also named after the Hodson family, and it was passed down to the Gunning family,” he said.  “PJ Lenihan was the first Irishman to own the property, and it’s where Mary O’Rourke and her brother Brian Lenihan called home.  It’s a magnificent lakefront property, and today the mist is burning off the surface of the lake, and it’s a great day to be alive, but not how some will see it.”

Such was his way of introducing World Suicide Day at the Killinure Suite at the Hodson Bay Hotel.

First of all, Kenny had to deal with the news of the day, which included the Leo Varadker saga, and his dressing down from the Taoiseach about discussing Budget proposals.  Michael O’Regan, Irish Times political correspondent was on the line to discuss the situation with Pat Kenny, and afterwards Minister for Agriculture and Defence, Simon Coveney came on for the discussion.  Kenny made the Minister laugh by highlighting that he and Varadker were the next in line to replace Enda Kenny as Fine Gael leader.

Live music was provided on the show by the Swing Cats, a group of musicians who personify the big band era of American music.

The founder and CEO of the charity, ‘Suicide or Survive’, Caroline McGuigan gave a moving talk with the presenter about her own history, and a past suicide attempt.

“I was a high achiever, a perfectionist, and worried what others would think of me, and I was quite anxious about things, and I had good times, and was a party girl, but attempted suicide,” said Caroline.

However she went on to get psychiatric training, and returned to the HSE.  She said that one of the first doors she knocked on where she met someone who believed in her was Denis O’Brien.

“The boss,” said Kenny, alluding to the fact, that O’Brien owns Newstalk.

“We (SOS) don’t save lives, but we encourage people to save their own lives,” said Caroline.

There were other interviewees, including a woman telling of her son’s suicide; a young woman talking of her suicide attempts, and a young man talking about similar.

One of the interviewees, while talking about depression gave a John Milton quote, which almost became a mantra across the room among the invited guests, while the show was being broadcast.

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven,” – John Milton, Paradise Lost.

Over €6,000 Raised for MND at Catch’s Music Night

Catch and Sinead Berry

A busload of Athlone folk travelled last week to Clara for a music extravaganza, organised by musician Catch Berry, in aid of Mother Neuron disease research.

A younger brother of the late politician and musician, Austin Berry, Catch is an acclaimed singer and musician going back to the Showband days of the 1960s.  Catch was diagnosed with motor neuron disease several months ago.  He worked for many years in Athlone, first as a student with Athlone VTOS, and then for some years with Dr. Steven’s Centre in Lloyd’s Lane, and Home Comforts, on Magazine Road.  As a First Aid instructor, Catch also gave several classes and examinations in Athlone throughout the 1990s, and 2000s.  He was a lead singer in many bands over the decades, notably The Crackaways showband, and The Marinos.

TR Dallas and Catch Berry

Catch Berry and John Hogan

After dedicating much of his life to music, and being part of fundraisers and charity events over the years, Catch organised the night of music, featuring many midland musicians, at the Sports and Leisure centre in Clara, and managed to raise more than €6,000.  The night was a great success and included music from the likes of TR Dallas and country singer, John Hogan, and Catch’s fellow musician from the Marinos days – Joe Rabbitte, as well as many others.   Catch’s three sons, Ollie, Brendan and Adrian also sang separately on the night with the various music lineups, and his daughter, Sinead sang a beautiful rendition of ‘In the Arms of an Angel’.

All funds will be donated to the Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association.  

Nicky's Theme - 'You've Got A Friend'

Athlone town was united in grief this week over the death of a young woman most knew, and who made everybody she encountered seem special.

Over 1000 of a congregation squeezed together into Our Lady Queen of Peace church in Coosan, Athlone for the funeral of the town’s main political representative, Nicky McFadden.

The gathering included many town residents, and the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, many ministers, TDs, Senators and councillors.

The popularity of the McFadden family was felt throughout the funeral, and everyone was also conscious that Nicky and her sisters, Gabrielle (who is the Mayor of Athlone,) and Aine had buried their father, former politician, Brendan last November. 

The McFadden’s have been a well gotten family in Athlone for the past fifty years.  Nicky’s father Brendan, ran a pub ‘Molly Flynn’s’ or ‘71s’ in Connaught Street, and also worked in the ESB. 

Nicky had also worked in the ESB, and as a receptionist in a doctors surgery in the town, before entering local politics in 1999.  She also ran a pet shop, 'Paws', with her aunt, Kathleen McFadden for several years.  Nicky had two adult children, Caren and Eoin, and a little granddaughter, Matilda.

Sadly one year after achieving her highest office, Dail Deputy in 2011, Nicky was diagnosed with motor neuron disease.  After an almost two year fight, Nicky died on March 25^th at the age of 51 years.

Around a thousand people crowded into Nicky’s parish church in Coosan on the morning of her funeral. Guitarist Tadhg Kellegher played and Lorna Folan, a schoolfriend of Caren’s sung a memorable song, ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ during the ceremony.  It was written by Carole King for her famous ‘Tapestry’ album in 1971.  James Taylor took the song to No. 1 in the USA.

The song was typical of the character of Nicky McFadden, a friend, always there to call on, and one who Fr. Declan Shannon said at the mass, made everyone she met feel special.

“Nicky was everybody’s friend,” said Athlone stage actor, Ray Collins, after the funeral.  “The song was perfect for her.”

The song portrays so well the character of Nicky that it can now be considered Nicky’s theme.

Caren said during the funeral mass that while it sounds extraordinary, Nicky did actually love everybody.  It was the personality of the woman.  She saw just the good in people, and refused to consider anything else.

‘You’ve got a Friend’ is a song which could have been written for Nicky, and anybody that heard it sung at the church, will never hear it again, without thinking of Nicky.

Nicky McFadden 1962 - 2014

US Author Launches 2nd Positive Book in a Week

It’s hard to believe, but Athlone's US based author, metaphysical healer and chiropractor, Dr. Mary Helen Hensley is launching her second book is as many weeks.  ‘The Pocket Coach’ – a book of motivational quotations will be launched on Friday night, February 21^st, and follows her first children’s book, ‘The Chakra Fairies – A Magical Mantra for Children’ which was launched last week.
When US born, Mary Helen was a child, her father, who was a football coach, and Baptist minister, gave her a prayer book written by John Bailey, a Scottish Presbyterian minister.
“There was a prayer on each right hand page, and on the opposite page there were my Dad’s motivational quotes, and he was a great motivational speaker,” said Mary Helen.
Mary Helen’s father, Dick Hensley died in August 2012, and a few months later, Mary Helen started sharing some of his quotes on Facebook, and got a phenomenal response, of 100 plus likes per quote.
Mary Helen decided after they had proven so popular on Facebook that she would write a book based on her Dad’s motivational quotes.
“I knew people had liked them a lot, so I extracted all Dad’s quotes, and left a blank page for the reader to write their own thoughts and called this new book, ‘The Pocket Coach’, so people could easily carry it with them,” she said.  “My Dad was known as ‘Coach’, so hence the name of the book, and I checked all the quotes as far as possible, to make sure they were totally authentic, and my Dad’s original quotes.”
The opening quote in the book is: “There are some people who seem to live above or beyond the frustration which is so common a feature of our contemporary society.  More often than not, these frustrated souls are people who live with conspicuous and unhesitating BOLDNESS.  There is no magic recipe for the good life, but we can learn much from those who have lived well.  The great majority of such persons have been men and women of outstanding BOLDNESS.”
The book is illustrated with many sports activities, such as rugby, Tao Kwando, triathlon, swimming, kayaking, cycling, golf, horse-riding, yoga, etc.,
‘The Pocket Coach’ will be launched by Aron O’Dowd, who is one of Ireland’s top rowers, and an energy speaker who also happens to be blind.
“Aron embodies the idea that we won’t let a physical disability stop us from becoming what we can be,” said Mary Helen.
The book launch will be in The Bounty, Athlone, at 7pm on February 21^st. Following the launch there will be some live music from some local traditional musicians, and dancing and DJ, and all are welcome.

 

Athlone Launch for US Author's Children's Book

The gatering around Mary O'Rourke and Mary Helen Hensley at the launch of the new children's book.

Mary O'Rourke and Mary Helen Hensley

Despite Mary O’Rourke indentifying with a “Boss Fairy” in the new book, ‘The Chakra Fairies – A Magical Mantra for Children’, it appears that all the eight fairies in the book, which represents the chakras, seem to have equal status.
The former Minister was lunching the new children’s book last weekend at the Dancing Soul Studio in Monksland, Athlone.  The book was written by prolific author, Dr. Mary Helen Hensley, and it is her first children’s book.  ‘Chakra Fairies’ was illustrated by Mary Helen’s daughters, Jemma and Jada.
“It doesn’t matter what you believe, the book teaches children that when they go to bed, to not carry baggage from yesterday into tomorrow,” said Mary Helen.
Mary O’Rourke, former Athlone Minister told the audience of mainly mothers and children, that she indentified with the ‘boss fairy’, and wanted to be her.
“In this country, we have the prayer, ‘O’Angel of God My Guardian Dear’ which is told to children going to bed and this book is a version of that in a fun way,” said Mary.  “The fairies tell about how the child must let go of all the bad things, and think of only the good in life, and it empowers the child.”
Mary said that Mary Helen and Jemma and Jada will be busy working on follow-up books to the Chakra Fairies, because there is more of the tale to be told.
The book, is a chakra ‘fairytale, which Mary-Helen has told to her daughters since they were babies. 
Mary-Helen, who has run the Athlone Chiropractic Centre since 1999, has previously written three books of autobiography based on her life and experiences as a metaphysical healer.  The books, ‘Promised’, ‘Circles of Light’ and ‘The Land Beyond the River’ sold well in Ireland and America.
It is believed in some traditions that chakras are energy points or knots in the human body, and this new children’s book tells the story of chakras in a simple way, and is aimed at ages 3 to 6 years.
“This was our first family effort, and the greatest gift I could give to my girls was the ability to care for their own well-being, by teaching them how to recognise the energy systems that directly affect their experiences of life,” said American born, Mary- Helen.
Jemma Wedding is eleven years old, and Jada Wedding is nine years old.
The book, ‘The Chakra Fairies’, which is the first of a series, describes each chakra in easy to read detail.
“My sister and I illustrated the book and my favourite of the illustrations is the yellow fairy, which is all about self-confidence,” said Jemma.
“I like indigo in the book, which is the sixth chakra fairy,” said Jada.
Mary-Helen first launched ‘The Chakra Fairies’ in her native Martinsville, Virginia, USA.  
“Many adults who bought the book have emailed me, and said that it makes the story of the Chakras so simple to understand,” said Mary-Helen. 
Mary Helen is also launching another book, ‘The Pocket Coach’ in the Bounty, Athlone on Friday night, February 21^st.  The launch night will be held alongside an open birthday party for Mary Helen.

 

 

Celebrating 65 Years of Arcadian Days

May Green and her friend, Paul Cushnan and son, Eamon Green

Throughout the world, there is not many 101 year old women overseeing their family business, however Athlone’s May Green has been doing that since she first built the Cova shop, sixty-five years ago this November.  The shop is still going strong, and is run full time, by May’s son, Eamon and his wife Nancy.

Family and friends of May Green piled into her house in Arcadia to celebrate the opening of the Cova shop.  The Cova shop opened for business in November 1948, just three years after World War 2 ended.

May's nephew, Paddy Egan and his wife Margaret

 
 May had already gained shop experience working in her cousin’s shop and newsagents in Dublin in the early 1930s.  Following her plan for the building of a shop in Arcadia, in 1948, her mother gave May a site on the edge of the family’s farm in Arcadia, facing the old Ballymahon Road.  On that site, she built the Cova shop.
She was reading a religious book at the time, and it gave her the idea to name the shop after the Cova in Fatima.
May had an eventful life up to that point, and witnessed the Black and Tans in Athlone, and after she married and went to live in London, she survived many bombing raids in the 1940s blitz.

Three generations of Green women, Carol, Nancy and May

Her maiden name was May Kilroy, and in her family there were five brothers and three sisters, and she and her sister, Alice are the only surviving members.  
May has been a widow since 1990, when her husband, Jack Green died.  May has two sons, Desmond and Eamon. 

Jose Carreras Influenced by Irish Tenor

McCormack Record in Liverpool Museum

 

One of the original international ‘Three Tenors’ said on RTE television recently that Athlone born tenor, John ‘Count’ McCormack was one of his greatest influences.

Jose Carreras, appeared as a guest on ‘The Late Late Show’ and told host, Ryan Tubridy that McCormack was one of the best tenors of his time.

Carreras is a Spanish tenor who gained a global audience, following his appearance with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo in 1990, in the first of the Three Tenors Concert.  The concert took place in Rome on the eve of the 1990 World Cup final.  The tenors continued performing together in concerts for the next thirteen years.

“John McCormack was of his time, and one of the best, and one of the most prestigious people, and a favourite of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York for many many years,” said Carreras on the Late Late show. 

McCormack was born in Athlone in 1884, and up to his death in 1945; he was one of the world’s most famous tenors.  McCormack made £200,000 per year at the height of his fame and at 23 he became Covent Garden’s youngest tenor to play a leading role.  He was given a knighthood by the Pope, and was called Count.  He preferred to style his name, John ‘Count’ McCormack.

Athlone Town Council decided at their October 2013  meeting to re-name the town's Civic Square in honour of John ‘Count’ McCormack.