Athea, Tralee and Ballybunion and Kilflynn and Kanturk

Deer in Killarney National Park in January 2018

Photo; Mary Mac on This is Kerry

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Tralee in 1967

Photo: RTE archive

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Ballybunion in Winter 2018

My family were visiting last weekend. We took a trip to Ballybunion on a bitingly cold Saturday, January 20 2018

We practically had the beach to ourselves.

The sea was rough.

Bobby, Carine and the boys are always happy in this place.

Lovely to see someone who loved the beach commemorated with a seat.

Mario had been busy earlier in the day. His beach art is now a feature of the beach in winter.

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Athea, Co. Limerick

This is Athea's Marian Grotto. It is in the grounds of the parish church.

Why are there so many Marian grottos dotted about the land?

Here is why: 1954 was declared a Marian Year by the Pope Pius X11. 

Marian years are decided on and declared exclusively by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. In Church history, only two Marian years were pronounced, by Pope Pius XII and Pope John Paul II. (Wikipedia)

This was to encourage devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Many girls born in 1954 (and a few boys) were called Marian or Mary.

Marian shrines or grottos were erected in nearly every parish in Ireland. Many of these depicted the Lourdes scene with a statue of Mary in a high alcove in a stony grotto and a statue of Bernadette kneeling before her.

Athea's grotto does not have a Bernadette. Neither does the grotto at O'Connells Avenue, Listowel.

O'Connell's Avenue, Listowel Marian shrine.

There is also a calvary in the grounds of the church in Athea.

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Kilflynn Bridge January 27 2018

Photo: Radio Kerry on Facebook

Relentless heavy rain over the past while has caused part of the bridge wall at the entrance to Kilflynn to collapse. Luckily no one was injured. The bridge is closed to traffic. Kilflynn is accessible through Abbeydorney or Lixnaw.

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They won!

Ceann Toirc Abú:  Hurlers from my native Kanturk are into an All Ireland club final on Sunday next. Big day for the club; big day for the town.

This is my excuse to post a photo of myself with Kanturk and Cork's goalkeeper, Antony Nash, taken in town in summer 2013.
No, of course I don't know him. I just know people who know people.