Kerins O’Rahillys GAA Club News

Thanks to David Moran for visiting Kerins O’ Rahilly’s Juvenile Academy last Sunday. Here he is pictured with some of our U8 Girls.

CÚINNE NA NÓG Last Sunday was the last day for our Academy for 2019.  We had great numbers on a very sunny morning.

The highlight  of the morning was a visit from Strand Rd and Kerry midfielder David Moran. All the kids got to meet David and some lovely photographs were taken which will definitely be included in our 2020 calendar. A massive thank you to David for giving up his time to visit. Tommy Walsh and Gavin O’ Brien sent their apologies as both were unable to attend due to prior commitments.

A big thank you to all the coaches who put in such a huge  effort all year with the kids and made every training session so enjoyable.

We will finish off our season with a sponsored  walk on the Canal next Saturday morning October 26th. We will leave the main club at 11.15a.m. and upon our return those who have booked for Sandy Feet Farm will head off for the afternoon.  Confirmation of times etc. will be sent by text during the week.

The kids received sponsorship cards this morning, anyone who didn’t get one is still more than welcome to join us on the walk and we would appreciate all cards to be returned with as many lines as possible completed as this is the only fundraiser we did this year.

You may  have seen on facebook that it is possible to order new gear. Last order has to be in by 30th Oct and half the amount due will have to be paid as a deposit.

LADIES NOTES

U12 GIRLS

Training continues in preparation for the Town League Plate final. This will be our last game this year. It is fixed for Sunday, November 3rd.

U14 GIRLS

Last Wednesday evening we travelled to Abbeydorney for the division 1 shield final of North Kerry. Congrats to Abbeydorney who are the 2019 shield winners.

U16 GIRLS

Training continues on Tuesday evening at 6p.m. while we are  awaiting our opponents for the North Kerry final.

The Town League blitz will be coming up before the end of October and there will also be an U15 District blitz also happening over the next 3 weeks , dates to be confirmed by the end of this week.

SENIOR LADIES

Unfortunately Dingle had to cancel last Sunday’s game in Strand Road.

Texts will be sent about training.

CLUB GEAR

Check out our Facebook page for details.

CANAL SPONSORED WALK

Everyone will be given a card and hopefully you all can make a donation. The senior ladies need a new set of jerseys and there’s also your day out before Christmas- details to follow on that shortly.

LADIES NIGHT OUT

We have booked Saturday, November 23rd for our annual night out . This year we will be staying closer to home and dining in The Healy Room in Charlie’s Bar & Bistro. There will be live music on the night.

This is a lovely night out where the Moms of everyone in our Juvenile, Ladies and Senior Club can get together, meet Moms they might not know and have a night off.

More details to follow during the week.

CLUB CALENDAR

Team photos will be taken over the next few weeks of each age group.

REMINDER

Don’t forget everyone to support us in Rock Street Post Office to win the exclusive rights to sell our lotto tickets there from April 2020 onwards.

Remember to nominate us each time you do a transaction and our club will get the points. Thanks in advance.

CONDOLENCES

All at our club wish to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Denis (Derry)  O’ Brien , Wexford ( father of our Club PRO Ger ), Breda Cronin, Anne Nagle and William O’ Connor.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.

Pictured here are some of Kerins O’ Rahilly’s U10 Girls who were delighted to have David Moran call to them during Juvenile Academy.

Thanks to David Moran for visiting Kerins O’ Rahilly’s Juvenile Academy last Sunday. Here he is pictured with some of our U8 Girls.

John Mitchels GAA Club News

U6 GIRLS AND BOYS:
Our U6 boys and girls had a brilliant session last Sunday and while they worked hard everyone had great fun and enjoyed themselves. We also welcomed Alexander who joined us and he was excellent training next Sunday. See you all on the 3rd November and enjoy Halloween

UNDER 8s:

Hi folks this week saw our U8 & U10 Boys embark on a short road trip to Killarney where we were guests of Dr Croakes for some very competitive challenge games.

Both sides displayed some great footballing talent & are a credit to their coaches & club’s.

Our thanks to Dr Croakes for having us & we hope to continue our Home & Away challenge games next year.

Also, parents please note there will be NO JUVENILE TRAINING on Sunday of the October long weekend!!

Our next session will be on Sunday November 3rd which will also be our season finale Sylvie Mason Blitz & Medal Presentation.

So now kids ye have a full 2 weeks to practice yere kicking, soloing, hand passing & ball pick pup’s!!

Enjoy the Break & we want to see EVERYONE for our last get together of the season on Sunday November 3rd!!!!

Thank You.

UNDER 10 BOYS:

On Saturday we travelled to Killarney the Crokes in a friendly Blitz. When we got there, we split into two teams with Sean S, Calvin, Donnchadh and Cody showing great skill and tenacity to get the ball and get great scores. Ethan, Jack N, and Luke put their body on the line and made huge contributions to their team.

Well done lade it was great to see such spirit and skill and I hear ye were undefeated. The other team comprised of Sean M, Jack D, Tomas and Ronan all of whom gave great examples of how they have progressed through the year with great levels of skill improvement and great team play.

The rest of the team was Dylan, Darragh, Adrian and Rory and once again these boys showed a great level of skills and commitment to each other, they covered, harried, tackled, disposed opponents and kicked some great scores.

Once again we were undefeated. Well done to all the boys it was a wonderful display of skill and being great teammates to each other.

Thanks to the parents who came and gave great support it was much appreciated by all and finally thanks to Crokes for the invitation and the nice surprise at the end.

Next weekend, the Bank holiday weekend, we are off with no training but the weekend after in our own Silvy Mason blitz which signifies the end of the season and always proves to be a wonderful occasion, so until then keep kicking ball and wait for texts to let ye know what is happening.

JOHN MITCHELS GYM: Is now run by Oliver Coffey. For more details regarding facilities, membership options, and fitness programs to suit all, contact Oliver on 086 1939534.

CLOTHES COLLECTION:

By donating your second-hand clothes and unwanted items, not only will you be freeing up space in your home, you will also be making a difference to people in need, in your community. We now have an SVP clothes bank in our car park at our state-of-the-art sports facility in Ballyseedy.

LOTTO:

Numbers Drawn   1, 3, 15, 20

Next Draw 22-10-2019

Jackpot €2,300

€50 Winner Cathy Sheehan c/o Helen. €25 each to Marie Brosnan c/o Vincent, Mickey Kelliher c/o The Club and Mary Kerins c/o Bingo

Thank you for your continued support.

BINGO:

Our bingo continues on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights @ 8.30pm in our premises on the John Joe Sheehy Road. Bingo is a vital fundraiser for the club and all funds raised from the bingo goes directly back into the club and all support is greatly appreciated. Any member who wishes to volunteer can do so by giving their details to any club officer.

JOHN MITCHEL’S SPORTS COMPLEX:

Our sports complex at Camp Ballyseedy is available for bookings on the Sports Hall and All-Weather pitch. The complex is also open for children’s parties. For further information contact the club reception on 066 7197070.

MERCHANDISE:

Please note that all club merchandise is now available for purchasing only through Hennebery’s sports shop, Ashe St. Tralee and is no longer for sale at our complex in Ballyseedy. Please also note that our club colours are – green and gold jerseys, white togs and green and gold socks.

CONDOLENCES:

The Club wish to extend condolences to the family and friends of:

Margaret O’Meara (Née Lynch) Kerin’s Park, Tralee

Breda Cronin (née Donovan) Ballyrickard Court, Tralee

William O’Connor Clahane, Ballyard, Tralee

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

Ballymacelligott GAA Club News

 

U10 girls with Diarmuid O’Connor, Kerry Senior Player, who presented the girls with their end of year medals on Sunday last.

Ballymac GAA Golf Classic 2019

Due to the adverse weather conditions, we had to postpone our Annual Golf Classic. It now takes place on Saturday next 26th of October.  Ballymacelligott GAA Club cater for a large number of juvenile and adult members within the parish. We have invested heavily in improving all our facilities over the last number of years. To continue with this development, Ballymacelligott GAA Club is hosting its annual Golf Classic in Castleisland Golf Club on Saturday 26th of October.

You may still be able to support this event through either:
Sponsoring a team of 4 to play on the day, at the cost of €200.00.
Sponsoring a Tee or Green at a cost of €50.00 Euro.
Please contact any of the names listed below if you require further information.
Thanking you in advance for supporting Ballymacelligott GAA Club.
Bernard Cassidy 087-7973818. Jeff Riordan 086-6015165. Mike Sweeney 087-4163428.
Padraig Laide 087-2466335. Padraig McCarthy 087-9701687. Derek O’ Brien 087-6154531..
The Rules
Two to score at each hole
All four on 18th
Entry Fee:
€200.00 per team
Prizes:
1st Prize : 4 Ball at Old Head of Kinsale (Sponsored by The Blasket Bar)
2nd Prize: 4 Ball at Tralee Golf Course
3rd Prize : 2 Nights accommodation and 1 round of Golf at Waterford Castle.
4th Prize: 4 Ball at Carton House Golf Classic
PRIZE GIVING AT BLASKET INN (MAIN SPONSOR) ON THE NIGHT AT 9 PM Please contact the following if you wish to enter a team: Stephen O’Brien (086) 8376432 . Bernard Cassidy (087) 7973818  Pádraig Laide (086) 0441927 and Pádraig McCarthy (087) 9701687
Míle Buíochas.

Coiste na nÓg News: Academy:

U8 Boys
The sun was shining on our last day of the academy. Every last one of our boys showed up on Sunday. We played a Blitz amongst ourselves and the boys were rewarded with treats and a medal presentation by Diarmuid O’Connor. Our player of the week was Tadhg Brick. We are all winners when we enjoy playing for Ballymac. We look forward to seeing the boys again next year! Ballymac Abú!

U6 Boys and Girls
We had a wonderful last day at our Academy. All our boys and girls played shark and fishes, had two really competitive games of football, sang songs and danced! It was one of those amazing days in every way. Kerry Senior Player Diarmaid O’Connor presented every member of the U6 academy with the end of year medal. It was wonderful to have a Kerry Senior Player at our presentation and we hope to see some of our Academy players wearing the Green & Gold in years to come.
We wish to say a sincere thank you to all the parents and grandparents who ferried the boys and girls to training every Sunday since March. A special Thank you to all our young boys and girls who lit up our lives all year with their joy and laughter. We had a great year. Míle Buíochas.

Community Walk
Now that our Academy has finished for the year we hope you can join us on Sunday mornings for the winner at 11.15 am in St Brendan’s Community Centre for a short Community Walk.  This walk is for all ages and fitness levels. This is a great way to get to know new people in our Community and the walk is lead by a Community walking leader. So join us each Sunday morning at 11.15 am in St Brendan’s Community Centre.

Cúl Camps 2019
Donal Daly, Director of Games at Kerry GAA wrote to our club recently and said he would like to thank Clubs for their help and support of the 2019 Kerry G.A.A Cul Camp programme.

He wished, especially, to acknowledge the people in each club that helped in any way in the promotion, preparation, and running of the camps.

This year the Cul Camps were very successful and the feedback from players and parents has been really good.  The most important thing is that the players attending the camps are safe and have a good time and we will continue to work to constantly improve what we do.

He asked that we pass on his thanks to anyone involved in your club in the running of the Cul Camps.

Lotto Results 14/10/2019
Jackpot €5,000
Venue: O’Riadas
Numbers Drawn: 2, 5, 16, 22
There was no winner of the Jackpot.
Congratulations to the following Lucky Dip Winners €30 each
1. James & Marie Mc Donnell c/o Pat Mc Donnell
2. Mary Slattery c/o Paula Silles
3. Joseph Leen, Kilquane
4. Mgt Shanahan, c/o Tom Leen
5. Marie Mc Carthy c/o Tony Riordan
Sellers Prize: Pat Mc Donnell €30
We thank all our lotto sellers and supporters. All your support is greatly appreciated.
Next Weeks Jackpot is €5100.00 and the draw will take place in Ballygarry House Hotel on Monday 21st October 2019.

Minor Ladies:

County League Division 3 Minor Ladies Final (Sunday 6th October)

Ballymac v Glenflesk/ISG

This was an exceptional game of football played by both teams, showing great honesty and skill throughout.

Ballymac won the toss and elected to play with the wind in the first half.

However, it was Glenflesk who started the brightest and were 1-01 to no score up after the first five minutes. After a slow start, Ballymac started to find their rhythm with Lisa Curran getting a great team goal after great work by Eve Creedon, Aisling O Connell and Cora Savage. They tagged on three more points, two from the inform Cora Savage and Eve Creedon to leave the score 1-04 to 1-01 after fifteen minutes. Again Glenflesk responded with the very influential Ava Doherty hitting the back of the net to leave the scores level.

However, the final ten minutes of the first half belonged to Ballymac and Cora Savage who hit 1-05 without reply to leave the halftime score 2-09 to 2-01 after playing with a strong wind.

Glenflesk had the advantage of the conditions in the second half and landed two goals in as many minutes to rock the Ballymac girls and question their character. Up stepped Alyssa Leen who made a piecing run and delivered a pin point pass to Lisa Curran who took her point well. From the ensuing kickout Ellie Mac Elligott grabbed posession and moved it on to Aisling O Connell who created the overlap for Emer Curran to finish with a point where a goal was also an option. This left the Ballymac girls ahead by five but Glenflesk had other ideas and stuck two goals and a point to lead by two in the closing minutes. Again, the Ballymac girls responded brilliantly with two point from Cora Savage to level the game. The final whistle sounded and the players and mentors had to face two periods of extra time to decide the outcome. Final score in normal time was 2-13 to 5-04.

Extra Time

Fitness would now play a huge part on who would succeed with Ballymac showing deeper reserves to out score their opponent 1-05 to 1-01 in the first half. A goal and a point from Lisa Curran and points also from Cora Savage(2), Alyssa Leen and Emer Curran.

Leading by four points going into the second half of extra time was not a huge lead the way the game had gone . Glenflesk again rallied to get in for two goals late on but Ballymac had their own goal from Shonagh Griffin and points from Aisling O Connell and the ever reliable Cora Savage to leave the fulltime in extra time score 4-20 to 8-05. Usually goals win games, but on this occasion a haul of 0-20 points was an excellent return in the windy conditions. Ballymac captain Niamh Rahilly accepted the trophy on behalf of her teammates from Kerry Ladies Board Secretary, Donal Rahilly(her Dad)!!! to the joy of the Ballymac contingent in attendance.

Team and scorers

R White, R Long, N Rahilly(c) C Carroll, M Luck, E O Brien, S Griffin, A O Connell(0-1), E Mac Elligott, A Leen(0-1), E Creedon(0-1), C Rice, L Curran(2-03), C Savage(1-13),E Sugrue. Subs: H Geary, E Curran(0-2).

U10 girls:

 

The last day of the 2019 Academy was held in Ballymac on Sunday 20th October. A large crowd was in attendance and the girls received  their medals from Kerry football star Diarmuid O’Connor. The mentors (Kieran, Padraig and Fenton) of the U10 Girls want to thank the parents and kids for their attendance and enthusiasm throughout 2019 and we wish the girls all of yhe best going forward. Special thanks also to Stephen O’Brien and Declan O’Connell for their support during the year.

Sympathy
Ballymac GAA wishes to extend its sympathy to:
Thomas Lyons and all the Lyons and McCarthy families on the death of Mary McCarthy (Thomas Aunt) last week.
James Griffin and all the Griffin and O’Sullivan families on the death of Bridie O’Sullivan (James sister) last week.
Eileen Baily, Rathanny, on the death of her brother Joseph Sheahan who died recently in Canada.
May They RIP.

PHOTOS: More From The IT Tralee Graduation Ceremony (Part 3)

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Irene Okunbor, Tara Murphy and Sinead O’Hagan (Health and Leisure) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean

THE annual IT Tralee graduation ceremony saw over 1,000 students graduate from the college at the Kerry Sports Academy building on Friday (click here and here if you missed our previous coverage).

We brought you photos from the first two sessions where students from the courses in the School of Health & Social Sciences and School of Business, Computing & Humanities received their awards.

The third session was for students from the School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics courses. Scroll down for photos…

Cathal Lehane, Brian Joyce, Kevin Igoe and Eoin O’Connor (Agricultural Engineering) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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John Paul Sherlock (Environmental with Bio-Studies), Alice Hand (Wildlife Biology) and Daire O’Hare Doherty (Field Biology with Wildlife Tourism) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Michelle Parker, Deirdre Cashen and Deirdre O’Sullivan (Health and Leisure) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Agricultural Engineering graduates at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Michelle Dillon, Nicholas Carmody and Caroline Carroll (Research Masters) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Niamh Hennessy, Jackie King and Thomas Collins (Pharmaceutical Science) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Harin Jeyamojam and Jagadiss Bascaran (Manufacturing Engineering) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Sean Kelliher, Stevie O’Sullivan, Shane Griffin and Liam O’Connor (Health and Leisure) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Nicole O’Sullivan and Geraldine O’Donovan at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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John Delee, Garrett O’Connor, Fabian McCarthy and Noel Siberry (Agricultural Science) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Irene Okunbor, Tara Murphy and Sinead O’Hagan (Health and Leisure) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Rachel McNamara, Chloe Murphy, Rocha Rothwell, Niamh O’Sullivan, Chloe Keane and Rachel Clancy (Agricultural Science) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Jian Chun, Evan O’Sullivan and Cian O’Sullivan (Engineering) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Ian McCarthy, Conor Daly and Mark Danahar (Health and Leisure) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Shane Moroney and Desmond Booth (Agricultural Mechanisation) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Inna Zarochentseva and Chloe Hanlon (Bio-Processing) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
IT Tralee staff Martina Culloty and Sinead Griffin at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean

PHOTOS: Students From ITT School of Business, Computing And Humanities Graduate (Part 2)

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Aisling Delaney, Geraldine Murphy and Neasa Begley (Culinary Arts) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean

THIS year’s IT Tralee graduation ceremony marked the first time the Kerry Sports Academy has been used to host the event.

Over 1,000 students collected various honours watched by their families in the huge main hall of  the new facility.

Yesterday we brought you photos of the graduates from School of Health & Social Sciences courses (click here if you missed it) who received their degrees, diplomas and certificates in the first session.

In the second session, it was the turn of graduates from the School of Business, Computing And Humanities courses. Scroll down for photos…

Eoin O’Donohgue and Daniel Batchelor (TV Radio and New Media Broadcasting) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Conor O’Brien and Danny Daly (Hotel Management) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Gerard Ryan, Darren Moriarty, Jonathan Quirke (Computing) and Rachel Quirke (BIM) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Cathal Foran, Corey Mangan and Liam McGovern (Computing with Games) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Glen Curran and Sean Hogan (Computing with Software Development) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Shkurta Hoxha and Blendona Ashani (Information Systems) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Caoimhe O’Carroll, Darren Horgan (Music Technology) and Alison Byrne (TV, Radio and New Media) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Stephen O’Brien, Liam Kearney and Brian Tierney (Business Studies Accounting) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Brian Kerins, Leanne O’Riordan, Alex White and Rebecca Kelly (Business) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Blendona Ashani, Sinead Casey, Ciara O’Shea and Shkurta Hoxha (Information Systems) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Patrick Delaney and Darren Prendergast (Computer Systems and Networking) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Margaret Egan, Eamon Brosnan, Grace Kerins and Catriona Coffey (Computer Science) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Sandra Rusk and Niamh Hanley (Social Media and Digital Marketing) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Connie Dumitru, Louise Hall and Patricia Relihan (Travel and Tourism Management) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Rimantas Romakas, Chloe Gallagher, Cliona Harrington, Marisa Foley, Alex Varga, Danny Daly, Conor O’Brien and Helena Downey (Hotel Management) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Sherhou Chia and Chanel Chua (TV, Radio and New Media) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Liradona Bunjaku (Business), Katie Downey and Rebecca Daly (Accounting) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Patricia O’Connor, Mary Kearney, Margaret Hannafin and Elizabeth Costello (Strategic Planning) at the IT Tralee graduation ceremony in the Kerry Sports Academy on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Roger Harty: Time

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I ONCE heard a quote from an elderly Tipperary man, when he was asked about time, he said “there are three important aspects about time when doing anything”

Be on time.

Take your time.

and

Go home in time.

Mankind has always been baffled about time. Imagine if you could, asking any animal for instance a cat or a dog “what time is it?” they would look at you with a certain amount of bemusement wondering if you were mad to be asking such a silly question as the answer is obvious – “The only time is now”.

You see if you think about it, the past doesn’t really exist, it is gone. Similarly the future doesn’t really exist either as it hasn’t arrived just yet. The only time that ever really exists is Now.

Yet for some strange reason the human mind finds it very hard to remain in the Now. It is always trying to bring us into the past or the future but the untrained mind finds it very difficult to remain in the Now.

It’s as if our mind feels threatened by the Now and is constantly trying to get us to worry about the past or be anxious about the future yet it always seems to regard Now as unimportant. Yet Now is all we ever have got.

Anyone who is familiar with the book –‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle will be familiar with the style of reference to The Now that I have written about above.

But the truth is that Eckhart Tolle is only rearticulating a truth that man has known about since the beginning of mankind.

Jesus and The Buddha among many other sages have shared the common theme that the main route to happiness can be achieved only through access to the Present moment i.e. accessing the Now.

There are many names given to this subject – Zen Beginners Mind, Mindfulness, Meditation, Living in the Now, Being Still, The Power of I Am, The way of Tao, amongst many others.

The one thing that they all have in common is that they all recognise the Present moment of time which we call ‘The Now’ is the vital link to our inner happiness.

When this is brought to its highest level it is known as enlightenment.

On a lighter note, one day I was in a hurry to go somewhere and I was halted by a fellow Kerryman wondering what was all the fuss about.

“I have to go somewhere says I”

“My dear boy” he said – “There are only two ‘Have tos’ in life, the lavatory and the cemetery.