Tag Archives: christmas

Light of Christmas THERE in a manger in a stable dark and forlorn, The baby Jesus was born With Mary and Joseph by his side In their sweet love he did abide The stable was dark and cold But in it was a treasure more precious than gold The baby son of God most high Who came to save both you and I The poor shepherds came to kneel before the baby king And his praises they did sing Then the magi from the east Came their eyes on the baby king to feast We too on this new Christmas day Should take a little time to pray And give heartfelt thanks to God in heaven above For his most precious gift of love And on bended knee with heads bowed low Ask him on you his blessing to bestow And be filled with peace and joy As you recall the birth of Gods little boy. Dermot Maguire, Shannon.

The ICSA has appealed to all rural dwellers to look out for one another over the Christmas period. The organisation’s rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock said, “We all lead busy lives and none more so than farmers but it’s important to keep our older and more vulnerable citizens in mind over the coming weeks. This will be all the more pertinent given the bad weather forecast for the weekend which may add to the difficulties for many.” Continuing Mr Sherlock said, “A quick call may be all that is needed to make a big difference in the life of someone who feels lonely or isolated at this time of year. It is important that these people are reassured and reminded they are still a much valued and respected part of their communities. Farmers are renowned for lending a helping hand to others when in need so let’s all work to keep that tradition alive.”

THOUSANDS of reunions took place at Shannon Airport this week, but there may not have been an embrace as warm as that between Michael and Lilly Gleeson on a rainy Tuesday evening. The 16-year-old and her grandfather hugged tightly as all around them fellow emigrants and their loved ones were catching up. Lilly actually grew up in Ireland until her family moved to Detroit six years ago and she was delighted to be back. She has visited several times but plans to move back in the relatively near future. Asked about life in Detroit, she says, “I prefer Ireland but it’s fine. Definitely for college I’ll be back here”. Her mother Aoife is also delighted to be home and looking forward to seeing all her relatives. “It’s been a few years since we had Christmas here. I can’t wait to see everybody, all the nieces and the nephews and brothers and sisters.” White Christmases almost never happen here, but that …

With a massive increase in domestic electricity use over Christmas, together with the risk of fallen wires in winter conditions, ESB Networks has advised people to be safety conscious. “In the home make sure your own electrical system is safe. Check that your safety trip switch – called a Residual Current Device (RCD) – works by pushing the test button and that there are no damaged plug tops or frayed wires. If in any doubt, get in touch with a registered electrician. When it comes to the overhead wires and poles that ESB Networks uses to supply electricity to everyone, remember that these poles and wires are live and dangerous and should never to be used for anything else. Here are a few simple safety tips from ESB Networks for the home around Christmas time,” a spokesman said. While the weather during winter 2016 has so far been relatively benign, ESB Networks are reminding people to never approach or touch …

AGRI Aware, the independent Irish agri-food educational body, is asking shoppers to think local and support Irish farmers and food producers when purchasing food for the festive season. By filling your shopping basket with quality and seasonal Irish produce, consumers are making the smart choice. “Irish food is of the highest quality, it is sustainably produced and traceable and it is affordable for consumers,” explained Agri Aware’s chairman and organic farmer, Richard Moeran. Agri Aware is asking consumers to be mindful of the damage which below cost selling can have on farmers and food producers. Below cost selling and heavy discounting of fresh produces diminishes the value of food to consumers and removes the link between the costs of production for the farmer and the price charged for the product. “Simply put, continuous below cost selling results in consumers expecting heavily discounted food year-round. Unfortunately, these discounts mean that over time, lower prices become the norm in shops across the country, …

The annual Embrace Christmas Concert, a talent showcase for performers, singers and musicians from St Anne’s School, The Dulick Centre, Kilrush Day Hospital, Brothers of Charity, Enable Ireland and The Ennis Arch Club, takes place on this Wednesday. The free event,from 12.30pm to 2pm, at Cois na hAbhna in Ennis, will feature participants in the Embrace Arts & Disability programme. The initiative was established by Clare County Arts Office in 2001 to enable people with disabilities to experience the arts in a variety of art forms through working with professional artists.

Clare County Fire and Rescue Service has issued an appeal to the public to remain fire safety aware over the Christmas period. The fire service says the main causes of fire during the festive season are candles left unprotected, fairy lights left on all night or improperly wired, Christmas trees falling over, open fires without fireguards, and decorations catching fire. Clare chief fire officer Adrian Kelly says people should familiarise themselves with the fire safety advice available on www.clarecoco.ie and www.fireireland.ie. He added, “Christmas is a time for celebrating with families but it also is a time when extra fire hazards appear such as fairy lights, candles, open fires and decorations. I encourage householders across Clare to think about fire safety ahead of and during the Christmas period to avoid the risk of their Christmas being ruined.” “Open fires are used for longer periods during the winter and Christmas period as people spend a lot more time at home. Electrical …

The Small Firms Association has called for December 3 to be ‘Small Business Saturday’, with shoppers across the country asked to support small businesses in their communities. SFA assistant director, Linda Barry, stated, “Retail sales are expected to exceed €4 billion in December, but much of this will be spent in large stores or online. The latest figures show that the value of online purchases increased by 20% in the last quarter to €1.2 billion. If each adult spent just €20 extra in small businesses this Christmas, this would amount to an injection of over €70 million for small Irish firms and would have a huge, positive impact on local jobs and the vibrancy of town and village centres.” “The first Saturday of December is traditionally a busy shopping day and consumers should use this weekend as an opportunity to focus on buying Irish and supporting their local businesses, as the Christmas celebrations can add a major economic impetus to …