Pupils of St Mary’s NS Carrigaline donate to Cork Penny Dinners for St Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 16, 2022 by mediaccr

For the eighth year in a row, the pupils of St Mary’s National School, Carrigaline, have collected items to be delivered to Cork Penny Dinners on St Valentine’s Day.

Canon Elaine Murray, Rector of Carrigaline Union, writes:

Cork Penny Dinners is based in Little Hanover Street in Cork City and was founded during Famine times as a soup kitchen.  They are currently serving over 2000 meals per week, compared to around 150 a week a few years ago. Their aim is a simple one – to give everyone who calls to them a hot nourishing midday meal. In addition, their clients get sandwiches and fruit to take away as an evening meal.

There’s an open door and a warm welcome. They never judge, they serve. Sometimes a cup of tea, a handshake and a chat goes a long way towards beating the loneliness that’s a big issue for many who come their way. Their aim is to provide a warm, dry place to sit and eat, with a welcoming atmosphere where no questions are asked, no judgments made. Regardless of ability to pay, all are welcomed with courtesy.

Every year for the past eight years, the children have brought items into school and we deliver them to Penny Dinners in Little Hanover Street, so that the clients and staff there get to know that there is more to St Valentine’s Day than soppy hearts and cards. It’s the perfect time to show them some real practical ‘love’ in action!

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St James’ National School, Durrus on RTÉ

Posted on February 10, 2022 by mediaccr

On Monday, 31st January 2022, St James’ National School, Durrus featured on RTE News2Day, the RTE children’s news and current affairs programme. The pupils did a feature on the Chinese New Year, which began on 1st February this year. This year is ‘The Year of the Tiger’.

Caroline Willoughby, classroom teacher at St James’s NS, writes:

The pupils dressed up in red and gold to celebrate the ‘year of the tiger’ and created and designed their own lanterns. They wrote their wishes for 2022 for the school wishing tree and also drew dragons. The children got an opportunity to sample some delicious Chinese cuisine. We ended the day with a dragon parade performed by the Junior classroom. It was a wonderful celebration and we were thrilled to be featured on the programme to showcase a flavour of what happens in St James’.

You can access and watch the episode here.

St James’ National School, Durrus
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“The Shandon Mystery” – Bishop launches appeal at Saint Anne’s, Shandon

Posted on February 7, 2022 by mediaccr

On Sunday, 6th February 2022, Bishop Paul Colton visited Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon, Cork, where he and members of the parish launched ‘The Shandon Mystery’. 

Bishop Paul addressing the congregation

The Bishop writes:

The mystery is straightforward;  we do not know the exact dates of when the building of the church began, or when it was consecrated.  We are appealing to people who may have the answers – in original records in their custody or in sources we do not know of – to help us to find out the exact dates.  Even pieces of the jigsaw of information may help us. Come what may, just as the 250th anniversary was celebrated in 1972, we are making plans to celebrate the 300th later this year.

Also present at Saint Anne’s, Shandon were representative of RTÉ and The Echo. Eoin English of the Irish Examiner was first off the blocks with his report HERE.

Bishop Paul giving an interview to RTÉ in the ground of Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon
Bishop Paul and parishioners of Saint Anne’s, Shandon in front of the press
Cliff Wedgbury dressed as Sherlock Holmes for the event
The Bishop showing some historic silver ware to the reporters from RTÉ
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“The Shandon Mystery” – Bishop Paul inaugurates the 300th Anniversary celebrations at Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon

Posted on February 4, 2022 by mediaccr

The tercentenary, 300 years, of the present day Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon, Cork’s iconic church, with its famous Shandon Bells, will be inaugurated on Sunday 6th February 2022 by the Bishop, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, when he visits the parish to preside at the Sunday Service.  

The year will be inaugurated by a parish initiative called ‘The Shandon Mystery’ and an appeal to Cork people everywhere, Irish people and everyone anywhere, to help the parish to try to discover the exact dates of the building and the date of the consecration (opening) of the Church.  

Bishop Colton explains:

The problem is that the parish records were lost in the fire in the Public Records Office one hundred years ago in June 1922. We need help.

We have looked at all sorts of records, spoken with parishioners, some local people, and spoken to some archivists and historians.  We have checked dates on parish silver, on plaques and on the font in the Church.  There appears to be no foundation stone and no memorial stone commemorating the consecration.  We would like to know these dates and that is what we mean by ‘The Shandon Mystery’.

As Church of Ireland Bishop and as a local Church of Ireland community we are very conscious that Saint Anne’s, Shandon, to the people of Cork and for Irish people, this Church is much more than a parish church.  It is a potent, evocative and emotive symbol of Cork around which the people of Cork rally, unite and identify.  So, we are appealing to everyone to help us to solve our ‘Shandon Mystery’.  It just may be that someone has an original source in an archive that we do not know about, or information from a secondary source in a book or diary for example,  that we are not aware of.  We are going to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Shandon starting later this year, regardless, but it would also, as part of that, be great to solve our ‘Shandon Mystery’. Indeed, someone out there may readily have an easy answer for us.

Bishop Paul Colton will preside at the Sunday Morning Service in Saint Anne’s Shandon at 10.15 a.m. on Sunday next 6th February, after which, at 11.15 a.m. with the help of parishioners, he will launch ‘The Shandon Mystery.’

The Parish and Diocese are in the process of developing a full Tercentenary programme in partnership with the City of Cork, the local community, history groups, and many interested parties, including the Church of Ireland nationally.

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Annual Tractor Run in Bandon Union took place again this year!

Posted on February 1, 2022 by mediaccr

Canon Denis MacCarthy, Rector of Bandon Union of Parishes, writes:

After an absence last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic the annual Tractor Run was held again this year on Sunday 23rd of January. The first parish Tractor Run took place in 2016, and on that day 90 Tractors took part. Over the years the event has grown to include vintage/classic cars, trucks and jeeps. This year a little over 350 vehicles took part in the run, 209 tractors, 70 trucks, 70 cars and 12 jeeps. 

Tractors lining up

The run started at the Mart in Bandon, and it was led off by a Vintage Fire Brigade, making its way to Ballinadee, Ballinspittle, and Garretstown, turning right up the hill and back on to the Kilbrittain Road, through the village of Kilbrittain and back to the Mart for refreshments and the all-important raffle! 

The Tractor Run has become an important cross community event and social occasion, and great friendships and connections have been made over the years. The event gives us a significant foot print in the life of the town, as it is now seen as an important part of the yearly social and charity calendars. 

One of the vintage cars at the Tractor Run

The fact that the Covid-19 regulations were relaxed on the Friday before the event, resulted in a much bigger attendance than expected, enabling us to raise our biggest sum yet of €13,500. The funds raised are in aid of BASC (Bandon Area Special Children), Cork Down Syndrome Centre and St. Peter’s Development Fund.

I would like to thank the Dream Team, or should I say the Deane Team, Jean and Tom, Sinead and Ger Seaman, and Laura Kingston for all the work and organisation they put in to the successful running of the event. I would also like to thank all those who acted as stewards on the day, volunteers who helped with the registration for the raffle and many others. Special thanks to those who donated to the raffle and to our sponsors. We would also like to thank Bandon Mart and the Old Still for the use of their facilities. 

Come along and join us next year for a great day out!

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