Laragh & Glendalough News Issue 140 - November 2008

St. John's Parish Annual Supper Dance

The hugely popular Supper Dance takes place at 8.30 pm sharp on Friday, November 21st in Lynham's Hotel, Laragh. The many great prizes to be won include a door prize of a large Christmas Hamper (with Christmas cake and pudding) and homemade Christmas cakes and puddings as raffle prizes.
Music will be by John Flood. Tickets are going fast. They cost €22.50 and are available from Evelyn Merrigan at 0404-45207, Olive Mahon at 0404-45177 and Bernie Shepherd at 087-2615514.

The Blue Glass Studio

The Blue Glass Studio will be at the following Christmas Craft Fairs
The Brockagh Resource Centre, Laragh
Sunday, November 9th, 2008
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
Sunday, December 14th, 2008
The Dalkey Winter Fair, Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre
Friday, November 14th, 2008 (evening only)
Saturday, November 15th, 2008
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
Marlay House Christmas Craft Fair, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham
Friday, November 28th, 2008 (evening only)
Saturday, November 29th, 2008
Sunday, November 30th, 2008

Citizens Information

The Citizens Information Centre at the Brockagh Centre will be next open for information relating to your rights and entitlements from 10 am until 12 noon on Tuesdays 4th and 18th November and Tuesday 2nd December. No appointment is necessary. This service is free and confidential

Active Retirement

Laragh Glendalough & District Active Retirement would like to thank everybody who supported them in their recent fundraiser on 28th October. The lunchtime concert was very well supported and everyone had a fantastic time. Many thanks to Woodlands Community School in the UK and of course to Roundwood Comhaltas who performed so well on the day. Thanks also to the Glendalough Hotel and staff and to all who made contributions and donations. All proceeds from the concert go to support the Tuesday bus service in the area.

St. Kevin's Parish Pastoral Council

The first meeting of the new parish pastoral council took place on October 23rd. Parishioners are invited to make contact with any member of the PPC regarding any aspect of the life and worship of the parish which may require attention. The members of the council are: Rose Brady (chairperson), Lily Delamere, Catherine Devitt, Kevin Doran (Parish Priest), Joe Gallagher, Tony Grehan (Parish Finance Committee rep.), Caroline McCoy, Maria Merrigan (asst. secretary), Eileen Patterson and Maura Windsor (secretary).

Healthy Eating

A free, four week course on 'Healthy Eating' will take place in Rathnew each Tuesday morning from Tuesday 4th November until Tuesday 25th November. This course is most suited to the over 55 age group - particularly those with special dietary requirements e.g. diabetes, blood pressure etc. Advice and demonstrations will be available. For further information please contact the Brockagh Centre on 0404-45600.

Adult Guidance Service

Co. Wicklow Adult Guidance Service will be in the Brockagh Centre on Monday, December 1st from 11 am until 1 pm. This careers/education service is free, friendly, confidential, supportive and available to all adults over 18 years of age. For more information or to book an appointment contact Irene Hayden on 086-8061569.

Baptism

We welcome Caoimhe Lily Nolan (son of Michelle and Kevin) who was baptised in St. Kevin's Church recently.

The Brockagh Resource Centre

Christmas Craft Fairs
The Christmas Craft Fairs take place at the Brockagh Centre on Sundays November 9th and 30th and December 7th and 14th. So if you are looking for something different or handmade and want to avoid the traffic, queues and hassle, make sure to come along. Parking and admission are free and refreshments will be available. If you require a stall, you need to book now as spaces are limited. Call Colette on 0404-45600.

Tuesday Night - Dance Night
Tuesday night is always dance night - from 10 pm till late with the Wicklow Man.

Ballroom Dance Classes
Learn to waltz, foxtrot, samba and jive. Classes take place every Wednesday from 7 to 8 pm at the Brockagh Resource Centre. Bring a partner or come on your own - all levels are welcome. Call Deborah on 086-8547322 for more information.

Dance Classes with Lyndsay
A new, 8-week session of Adult Disco/Jazz/Hip Hop begins on Monday 3rd November at 10.45 am and 7 pm. This is a fun and funky dance/exercise class with dancing to popular music. Don't forget Toddler Music and Movement also takes place on Monday mornings from 10 am. Under 8s Ballet takes place at 5.15 pm and is followed by Cheerleading for teens and pre-teens at 6 pm. The cheerleading squad will learn pom dances, jumps and tumbles, cheers and chants as well as stunts. For further information on any of these classes or to book your place please call Lyndsay on 085-8113102.

New Course of Yoga Classes
Rachael will be back on Tuesday 4th November with two new six-week courses of Yoga:
Yoga Level 1 - Gentle Yoga (7 to 8 pm) - suitable for all ages and abilities and ideal for complete beginners. Take time out to tune into yourself. Improve mobility/flexibility, posture, muscle tone and overall wellbeing. Learn how to relax and manage stress. All Yoga postures can be modified so that you can work at a level that suits you. The class includes breath work (Pranayama), gentle Yoga postures (Asana) and finishes with a guided relaxation (Yoga Nidra).
Yoga Level 2 - Stronger Yoga (8.15 to 9.45 pm) - a stronger, more challenging class for those wanting to expand their yoga practice. Focusing on building flexibility and inner strength through strong breath and posture work, this class will draw on both Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga traditions. This class also includes breath work (Pranayama), gentle yoga postures (Asana) and finishes with a guided relaxation (Yoga Nidra).
If you have any queries or if you would like to book a place on one of the above courses please email rachellee77@eircom.net or phone 087-3161446 (please leave a message with your phone number if the call is unanswered).

Tae Kwon-Do/Kicks
Please note that there is no Tae Kwon-Do or Kicks in the Brockagh Centre on the nights of Friday 21st and Tuesday 25th November. Classes will resume as normal on Friday 28th November

Musical Theatre for Children

Musical Theatre/Singing Workshops for kids will be held at the Brockagh Centre each Saturday in December from 2 to 5 pm; classes will be divided by age. So if you want to have fun and enjoy singing, from chart songs to great musicals, look no further! The workshops will be facilitated by Leslie Dowdall and Honor Heffernan, both of whom are well known in the music industry. For more information call 086-3378473.

Laragh GFC

We have reached the final of the Carter Cup - keep a look out for the fixture in the Wicklow People as we will need your support on the day!
Congratulations to both John Nolan and Mark Miley on winning "man of the match" awards for their performances in the u14 and u12 Football Shield Finals.
Remember that the club tops are still on display and can be purchased from McCoy's shop - they would make an ideal Christmas present for someone.
This year's annual dinner dance takes place in Lynham's Hotel on 28th November - tickets will be available soon.

Wicklow Mountains National Park

A hike of two to four hours on one of the way-marked hill-walks around Glendalough will take place on Saturday 22nd November. En route, a National Park guide will discuss conservation issues that face the park. This walk is limited to 15 places and all participants must be equipped for hiking in bad weather (hiking boots and suitable rain gear). The hike is not suitable for children. Booking is essential and can be made by phoning 0404-45656/45425 from Saturday 8th November.

Free Talk on Homeopathy

A homeopathic clinic will be coming to the Brockagh Resource Centre soon. A free talk outlining the basics of homeopathy will be held in the Centre on Thursday 13th November from 7 to 8 pm. It will provide an opportunity to have some myths clarified, questions answered and explore the way that this system of healing works. Everyone is welcome.
Homeopathy is used by millions of people worldwide. It is a major part of the healthcare system in India and other countries and is available on the NHS in the UK. Homeopathy can be used to treat:

minor complaints such as insect bites and stings, cuts and bruises, sunburn
acute problems such as measles, flu, respiratory infections, period irregularities
chronic conditions such as asthma, eczema, sciatica, backache, recurrent migraines
mental or emotional problems such as anxiety attacks, depression, mood disturbances.

Scoil Chaoimhín Naofa

Readathon and Book Fair
Pupils are devouring books for the MS readathon challenge. The readathon provides a great opportunity to promote literacy while supporting a very worthy charity.
The children enjoyed browsing through the wide selection of books available at the recent Book Fair held in the school hall. Activities throughout the week promoted the enjoyment of reading. Pupils took part in a quiz in which all teams scored very highly. Congratulations to our winning team: Peter O'Neill, Katie Miley, Connor Conway, Emily Gibbon, Luke Kearney, Gavin Keane and Gary Merrigan.

Operation Christmas Child
Fifth Class pupils are organising 'Operation Christmas Child' again this year. The pupils are filling shoeboxes with surprises to make very special gifts for children in need around the world this Christmas.

Tree Day
The pupils in Third and Fourth Classes marked Tree Day with a field trip to the Wicklow Mountains National Park's Education Centre. They were joined by hundreds of children from schools around Wicklow. Groups of children took on challenges which included a tree identification trail, a treasure hunt, puzzles and explorations. They even enjoyed a picnic under a tree and they finished off their day by strolling around the board walk. Other classes got into the spirit of the day by taking part in tree activities at school and in our nearby woods.

WEEE Week
From the 13th to 17th October we had a WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) week. Children brought in electrical appliances to be recycled. We filled a huge bin and our efforts were well rewarded by WEEE Ireland who gave us a computer for our school.

Tesco Tokens
Over 14,000 Tesco sports equipment tokens were exchanged for computer equipment: software, a hard-drive, a webcam and headphone. Thanks to everyone who collected tokens for the school.

Parents' Meeting
We were encouraged by the great turnout for the parents' meeting at the beginning of the year. Many thanks to all who volunteered to become actively involved in school activities both in and outside of the classroom. The continued support of our parents means that we are able to organise initiatives that benefit the children in our school.

Mass for Deceased Parishioners

The annual Mass for our deceased relatives, friends and neighbours will be celebrated in St. Kevin's Church at 7 pm on Saturday, November 22nd. The families of those who died during the previous twelve months are particularly invited to participate.

New Novel Set in Laragh

A Dance in Time - a new novel by bestselling author Orna Ross is partly set in Laragh and Glendalough. The novel, which has been garnering high praise in the media, weaves past and present, and fictional and real life characters into a compelling family murder mystery.
Featuring real life luminaries like WB Yeats and Maud Gonne, the heart of the story is the early life of Iseult Gonne, who lived in Laragh for three decades and whose son still resides there.
"I spent many a happy day in Laragh and Glendalough researching the book," says Orna Ross. "It is a very special part of the world".

Death

We offer our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Eddie McCoy. May he rest in peace.

Sponsor an issue - please contact Nuala at 45167.