Fresh October brings the pheasants,

Then to gather nuts is pleasant.

Lady Amherst's pheasant.

RETURN ENERGY SURVEY:

Closing date for the return of surveys is this coming Friday 9th Oct.  They can be dropped into the letterbox at the Community Centre.      Those who return their forms, will be in the draw for a chance to have their home chosen for a“ comprehensive free audit of energy usage “, including suggested measures to  improve your home’s energy efficiency.  This audit is to the value of approximately  €560. !!!!                                                                                  The survey information will only be used by the Tipperary Energy Agency to compile an Energy Masterplan for the parish, it will not be shared with any third parties. GDA: Luckily we were able to hold our AGM last week and had a fairly good attendance.    Thanks to Tom Noonan for standing in for the election of officers.   Officers elected for  20/21 are as follows;-  Chair- Liam Houlihan.   Vice Chair - Joe Power.   Secretary - Emma McMahon.   Asst. Sec - Position not filled.   Treasurer - Shane Toomey.   Asst. Treasurer - John Bennett.   P.R.O. - Mary O'Regan.  Hall Bookings - Joe Power (086-8187999). It was agreed that the community centre should be made available for meetings of local community groups.   These are defined as " organised events" under government guidelines and are permitted under Levels 1 & 2.    The development association is committed to providing as safe an environment as possible and would expect other organisations to maintain equally high standards when holding their meetings.  However, meetings are not permitted from level 3 upwards.    As we are back again to alert level 3,  since Tuesday night, the Hall will be unavailable for the next three weeks.  Thanks Niamh:    Niamh O'Hanlon has been our secretary for the last four years and has done a wonderful job.   She was new to the parish at the time and first attended the 5-Year plan meetings we held with Ballyhoura Development in 2015.   One of the outcomes was the formation of a group to design a web page for Granagh. Niamh joined this group, knowing nothing about the association but volunteered to help out with this project.   Only for her expertise we would have found it very difficult to manage this ourselves.    She made a fantastic job of the site and it is now an invaluable parish resource where history and all kinds of local information/photos can be stored for the future.   She added a counter later, to the page, so we have had more than 30,977 visits, which is amazing.   Also, it is a very valuable connection point for our emigrants, who are able to check in on what's happening at home.   We have had people checking in from Canada, USA, Brazil, England, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Africa, India, China, Australia & N. Zealand.!  See www.granagh.com if you haven't checked it out already. Niamh took on the job of Secretary in 2016 and was even out marching for the1916 commemoration.   She was involved in the organising of so many events - The Big Jim Tractor Run;  Two garden walks at Lady Harringtons' ;  Four plays and celebration nights;  The Liam McCarthy reception;   Pink for Peggy Fundraiser;  Pat Gubbins presentation;  50th Anniversary of the Hall.    She also was involved in the successful LEADER grant application for the new hall floor which is no mean feat, considering all the paperwork that has to be collated and followed up on.  We were so lucky to have had Niamh as secretary - as we have been with all our Secretaries - and sincerely thank her for her dedication to the group, sharing her knowledge and expertise with us and for being so pleasant and easy to get on with.    No need to tell her enjoy her retirement, she is doing it already !!   When things return to some normality, we hope to have Aoileann back as our official confectionary taster at Lady Harrington's garden walks...  Level 3 Guidelines:-   Visitors only allowed from 1 other household.    No social or family gatherings.   No Indoor gatherings.   No matches or events.  People are asked to stay in their region and to keep the number of people they meet to a minimum.   Bars/Cafes/Restaurants/Wet pubs - can remain open with additional restrictions.   Gyms/leisure centres/swimming pools will remain open with protective measures, for individual training only.   All museums, galleries and other cultural attractions will be closed.   Hotels and accommodation will be open but services limited to residents.   Retail and services (such as hairdressers, beauticians, barbers) will be open with protective measures in place. Face coverings must always be worn.   The Government says people must work from home unless absolutely necessary to attend in person.   For domestic travel, people will have to stay in their county apart from work, education and other essential purposes, if appropriate.   Schools and creches will remain open with protective measures in place.   Visiting long-term residential care facilities, such as nursing and care homes, will be suspended. Keep yourself and family safe by - Washing your Hands, Cough/sneeze into your sleeve, keep six feet apart, avoid crowds, wear a mask in public and isolate if you have covid symptoms. TRÓCAIRE UPDATES: Because of your donations to Trocaire, they have been able to help in the following situations;-  In the poorest region of one of the poorest countries - Somalia - you have helped with urgent aid, food, medicines, and healthcare plus protective gear. The media called Myanmar’s camps “Covid-19 tinderboxes.”  Thanks to you the people there are safer because they now have the knowledge and a way to wash the virus from their hands. With your help an Irish Aid truck set forth for Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), carrying 40 tonnes of aid for 1,500 families who are vulnerable and displaced by violence. For parents in Kenya’s Kangemi slum who lost their livelihoods during Covid, emergency food rations  that you helped provide, are keeping children from going hungry. It is great to hear the following two Good news stories. 

She is taller than you remember her from your 2019 Lent Box, this little 8-year-old girl with the proud eyes. Her mother, too, has changed: from a face that held heart-crushing loss and desperation, to an expression of relief, and a tentative hope for tomorrow. Patricia and Evelyn have their land back.!!It is a direct result of your donations to help fund our legal work that Evelyn’s case for the right to her land was upheld. SIX acres have been returned to her! And this widow and mother in Uganda, who endured a violent and ugly land dispute at the hands of her late husband’s family, is delighted.   Afterher husband died suddenly,  bit by bit his family began stealing the land out from under her, one family member set fire to her home. Left with only a quarter of an acre – not enough to feed her children – she hit rock bottom.  Every day around the world women like Evelyn are denied their rights to their land. They, and their beloved children, suffer. That’s why your support for this work is so vital. Because now Evelyn’s family can again grow food. She is also being helped to start a small business. With a shelter for two cows that will provide milk for her family plus a bit extra, Evelyn will have milk to sell for necessities like school fees, soap, and salt. It’s a lasting Lent Box victory that truly embodies your love in action. Thank you! 

Picture being intimidated by soldiers in armoured cars as you try to work your own patch of land to feed the ones you love. Sometimes that land is simply seized to build settlements that are illegal under international law, they leave you with nothing.   For Palestinian farmers like Salim  and Muhammad Sabah on the West Bank, this is their reality.   The hardscrabble landscape of the West Bank is one of the most violently contested places in the world and COVID-19 has not lessened that.     For nearly two decades in these hills south of Bethlehem, farmers Salim and Muhammad  were harassed and denied  access to agricultural lands their  family owned because an Israeli  settlement of had illegally established there. “Land grabs” are not uncommon where those with power dehumanise and abuse everyday people for profit and politics. Through Trócaire, your generosity and sense of justice work to change that.    In the case of the Sabahs, a successful  legal outcome did not  come easily.   But this year, despite the worry of the  pandemic,   Salim  and Muhammad Sabah entered  their family lands for the first time in eighteen years.!! Thank you for giving. Thank you for caring. Thank you for staying.

NAT. TREE DAY:

The 1st of October was national Tree Day and the theme for this year’s campaign is  Be a Force for Nature!  “Bí i do fórsa don nádúir!”    The chosen tree this year is  the Scots Pine or An Giúis one of Ireland’s few evergreen trees.      The Scots Pine is actually a native Irish tree. Scotia was an ancient name given to Ireland by the Romans and the name really means Irish pine.   Alba was the ancient Irish name for Scotland.  Traditionally, it was a very important tree as it burned well, giving off heat and light, and the resin from the tree was also collected and was used in boat making.     The seeds from the Scots Pine cones are one of the red squirrels’ favourite foods and honey bees use the tree’s resinous sap to make propolis or bee glue; a sealant for their hive that also protects them from bacteria and viruses.     Éanna Ní Lamhna, is now the new President of the Tree Council of Ireland.  She says - “The pandemic has allowed us all to re-evaluate the things that really matter to us, and many of us are now treasuring the natural world and experiences with the environment more than ever. There is a Tree Scheme  which enables you to commemorate a special event, remember a loved one or give the gift of a tree by giving you the opportunity to have a tree planted in the name of a person of your choice.   This tree will be numbered and a certificate will be issued and you can include any dedication you wish on the certificate for €60.  Two sites available - Glencree, Co. Wicklow and Belturbet, Co. Cavan see www.treecouncil.ie

Of course you can buy your own tree and plant it at home, it is a wonderful way of remembering somebody, a wedding, a special birthday or a birth maybe.  And you will be helping the planet too as trees just suck up all that carbon dioxide.

ECOSIA.org:

This is the name of a search engine similar to Google, Bing etc.  However it uses the revenue from advertising to help fund tree planting, mainly in the southern hemisphere.  If you change your search engine to 'Ecosia' you will automatically help in tree planting without moving from your chair.  The simplest idea ever.!  www.ecosia.org

PARENTS ASSOCIATION: If you haven't seen their Newsletter, the following is a list of work which began in the school, during June;-   Tarmac & walls, power-washed.   Flowerbeds cleared and newly planted, new seating area created at front of school.   Painting of wall, plinth, windowsills and sheds brightly decorated.  Prefab ceiling repaired, three veg beds rebuilt, path to Hall laid and new 'Basketball court created.   New flooring laid in office and staff room.    A sensory area built and grassed and murals painted on rear field walls. Many people helped out and gave their time to achieve the above and the association are very grateful to:-  Esther & Louise Barrett, Joe Toomey,  Donal Hartigan, Costello's Quarry, Bedrock Stoneworks, Woodview Construction & Landscaping, Rathkeale Credit Union, Ronnie Begley, Dave O'Hanlon, Farm Relief Services, Bruree  & Dairygold.      A special thanks to Richard O'Donoghue and staff for facilitating the expansion of the play area and path to the hall.  However, none of the above would have been achieved without the support and generosity of John & Marguerite Lynch.   Míle Buiochas. OCTOBER - REUSE MONTH: Recycling turns our waste materials into new useful products. This reduces the use of finite raw materials, saves energy and helps control air, water and land pollution.   Recycling is a group effort. We all have our part to play to not only recycle as much waste as possible but to also make sure our recycling is properly sorted.  Recycling that includes non-recyclable items or is contaminated with food waste can end up in landfill.  It only takes a few minutes to rinse out plastic, glass and tin containers and sort our cardboard to avoid a disposal problem that will live with future generations for hundreds or even thousands of years. Continuing dependence on landfills to handle our waste means Ireland ranks near the bottom of the pyramid, we need to move upwards towards waste prevention. We can all help to reduce the amount of waste by cutting down what we consume. It is then important to recycle or compost any suitable material and to dispose of the rest in a safe manner. The choices we make, from the products we buy to the recycling we do every day, can have a real impact on the world around us, by reducing our environmental footprint and influencing the decisions of manufacturers, retailers and politicians. Together, we can make a positive impact for a cleaner, healthier future.