Halloween Witch Visits Athlone

Halloween is only hours away, and Athlone has gotten its early and annual visit from the Halloween Witch.  Over the past thirty years, she has visited The Cova shop in Athlone, just before the holy eve of October 31^st.
She sits on guard at the shop for the week leading up to Halloween, greeting folk with a hollow, yet hearty and piercing laugh whenever she hears a loud noise.
She appears to be harmless, and her laugh can be heard all over the Ballymahon Road.  Where she comes from or where she goes, nobody knows, but she has her broomstick, so can travel.
“To me, a witch is a woman that is capable of letting her intuition take hold of her actions, that communes with her environment, that isn't afraid of facing challenges.”
― Paulo Coelho

60 Years of Waterways Recorded in New Book

Last week at a ceremony at Athlone town library, a new book was launched which celebrates sixty years of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, including anecdotes about the involvement and achievement of Athlone members in the Association.
The association is sixty years old this year, and the first meeting in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin in 1954 elected Col. Harry Rice as their President.  Rice wrote ‘Thanks For the Memory’ - the seminal book on Lough Ree in the 1950s.
Siobhan Bigley, who was MC, introduced the current president, Carmel Meegan who told the gathering that today the IWAI boasts a membership of 3,500, who carry on the work of their predecessors.
“The commitment of each and every member of the Association has seen the achievement of many great feats and overcome many challenges which has ensured that boats can still enjoy free access on the inland waterways from Limerick to Belleek and further afield,” said the President.
After welcoming Athlone’s Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Aengus O’Rourke, and the large gathering, the President said the new book, ‘IWAI and the Waterways of Ireland’ by Brian Cassells, is a marvellous insight into the Association and a formal record of its sixty year history and is “a must have for anyone with an interest in Ireland's wonderful inland waterways.”
Peter Williams, from Tipperary, is a grandson of the late Col. Rice, and he told some interesting stories about his grandfather’s history.
“My grandfather was born in 1893 and went to school in Enniskillen, studied medicine in TCD, and was in the war until it ended on 11/11/1919,” said Peter.  “He went to India, got sick, and survived it all.”
He told that his grandfather’s wife’s family owned the Prince of Wales Hotel, and his sister was Gertrude Chapman, who was well known in Athlone.
“When he retired he spent many years charting the lake, and had a friendship with Sean McBride and many others and he wanted to bring tourists in, to make a contribution to the economy,” said Peter.  “He was a proud Irishman, and kept going through thick and thin, and was able to enjoy the fruit of his labours, and may the flame he lit be kept alive.”
The book was launched by RTE personality, Manchan Magan, who said while he had travelled to every corner of the world making programmes, he still had to discover much of the Irish waterways.
“We have ignored our inland waterways, but something glorious is happening now, because the Irish people are beginning to reconnect with our lands, because over the last few years, we haven’t had too much money to go abroad, so we have turned inland,” said Manchan.  “The Irish were immersed in lakes, mountains and hills, and we turned our back on that, but we are inspired to see what we have.  Every month we see new and tiny businesses coming up around this, and there is a ripple of a tide of a whole new era.”

World War 1 Military Art Exhibition - Collon, Co. Meath

Athlone native Lisa Nicell Treanor is holding a Military Art Exhibition at the Irish Military War Museum in Collon, Co. Meath to commemorate the outbreak of World War 1. The exhibition also includes paintings commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising.

Lisa is a secondary teacher who lives with her husband and son in Dundalk. Her work is inspired by her love of history, antiques and all things vintage. In her spare time Lisa enjoys participating in World War 1 and World War 2 re-enactment events.

All are welcome to attend the Art Exhibition while enjoying a tour of the Irish Military War Museum.  It's well worth a visit.

You can visit her website: www.thetimeslipmarket.weebly.com

Or check out her facebook page: www.facebook.com/thetimeslipmarket

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.