Community Magazine November 2016 No
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lambs. An approach to him was like making an offering to some of the characters coming up before our present day Tribunals. CLANE AND RATHCOFFEY COMMUNITY GAMES At the Annual General Meeting of the County Kildare Community Games Commit- Community Magazine tee held in Sarsfield GAA Club on 18th Oc- tober it was stated that because the coming year would be the 50th Anniversary of Com- munity Games a number of National Finals in the case of special events, including Swimming, Cross Country and MDR, GAA, Soccer and Rugby, Quiz, etc. would be held at The National Sports Campus in Dublin and that Finals Week-end One would be on 6th May. Because of the fact that the corre- sponding County Finals would be even earli- er (probably March) it would be necessary for us at local level to have our competitions in February. We will be booking the Pool accordingly. Dates will be confirmed in Jan- uary. The message is therefore -that it is time to be thinking of practicing for the event (s) you are interested in and making long term arrangements now. Keep watching this space! Clane & Rathcoffey entered Commu- nity Games for the first time in 1974, win- ning 3 Gold, 7 Silver and 1 Bronze in the County Games. That means we will be par- ticipating for the 43rd time in the coming year. Congratulations to our Chairperson Martina Healy who became involved with Kildare Town a bit ahead of coming to Clane and who has been chosen to represent the County in the up-coming celebrations as the person with the longest involvement in the organization of Community Games in Coun- ty Kildare! November 2016 No. 349 12 EDITORIAL east of Brooklands Estate on the Dublin kitchen of his house nearby on winter eve- suitable mate for the Dághdha from amongst Road. This is at the centre of an area where nings. the regional goddesses. It was all about re- The Draft Clane Local Area Plan 2017-2023 there has been a long tradition of river- I generation and fertility, as many of the cus- is currently on display to the public. It went related serious flooding, both before the con- looked up Taylor and Skinner’s map of 1780 toms which survive down to the present on display on Tuesday 27th September and struction of the dam at Poolaphuca and and found that instead of Firmount it was then would suggest. Jumping through the fire members of the public have until 5pm on since. marked Raystown. Could this have come from meant marriage before the year was out. Wednesday 9th November to make submis- Baile (R)Aodh, the latter being the Celtic god Likewise driving cattle or horses between sions to Kildare County Council on any To the east of the area just mentioned of fire? The two vowels e and A, following as fires ensured calves or foals. With the com- aspect of the Draft Plan. It can be viewed at and tying in with it and a section of the river- they are one upon the other would have to be ing of Christianity every effort was made to http:// kildare.ie/ County Council/Planning/ side Strategic Open Space, already men- aspirated with an R. This is a bit too tenuous lay a Christian veneer over such practices Development Plans/Local Area Plans, at tioned, is an area referred to as Strategic you might say? It did however spark for me an and to suppress the pagan elements. Kildare County Council Offices or at Clane Reserve [SR]. All lie within an area of ap- interest in the Celts and I bought a few books Library. proximately a square mile which went under on the topic. It is interesting that the other Halloween, which heralded the start water on Dec. 8th 1954 when the flooding traditional place for ceremonial fire and a of winter, the dark and dead time of year, A number of things in the proposed extended past the Dublin Road back to the gathering point to within living memory was was to ensure the rebirth of the year in 2017-2023 Plan are to be welcomed The Capdoo Lane and was up to 10 feet deep in the bank of the Stream. Set into the side of the spring. It was replaced by the eve of All Open Space and Amenity zoning [coded places. bank opposite Abbeylands entrance is a large Saints. The 1st February or Féile Bríd marks green F2] makes good use of flood-prone stone some tons in weight, containing a deep the beginning of spring in the Celtic calen- lands by the Liffey with possibilities for the CALENDAR bowl permanently filled with water. It is dar. The Christian St. Brigid replaced the extension of riverside walking routes. How- classed as a Bullán Stone, such as was used by pagan goddess of the same name, who was ever a good case could be made for keeping Sunday 6th November the Druids to offer sacrifice. the offspring of the Dághdha and the Morri- gan conceived at the time of the spring fire. the town boundary to the natural boundary Cemetery Sunday Blessing of Graves of the Liffey itself and not extending it in Abbey Cemetery at 12.30pm. The Kelts came to Ireland about 500 This celebration was meant to ensure the B.C. They were an advance group of a group lambs and the opening of the buds. The fire across the river. The important thing is that Mass in Mainham Cemetery at 3pm. the far side of the river continues in agricul- Monday 7th November which was by then settled wide across Europe, of Bealtaine heralded the summer on 1st having come, it is speculated from the borders May. It coincided with the putting out of the tural use and is not used for any form of ur- Monthly meeting of Clane Community ban development. Centre in the Abbey Community Centre at of India. They heralded the arrival of the Iron cattle on new grass, with the cessation of 8pm . Age and a whole new culture. They were war- frosts. The mid-summer fires on St. John’s Another encouraging aspect to the Friday 11th November like and, it is said, uncouth. They had their Eve on 23rd June were intended to encour- proposed Plan is the way it draws a sharp Tidy Towns Awards Night in Manzors’ Vil- own gods, who were of two ranks. There were age the sun to stay at its prime by burning limit against any further extensions to re- lage Inn, commencing 8pm. All Welcome. the ancestral gods, or Tuatha De Dannan. the day into the night. (Note the Christian zoning on all sides of the town and on all 6 Wednesday 16th November These lived in an under world in the west, into feast on the 23rd would have been chosen approach roads. Clane Local History Group presents a talk which the sun descended each evening and to because it was the nearest such Christian on the legacy of the late John Noonan enti- which all the spirits of the living went when feast to the solstice on 21st.) Luanasa be- It is very encouraging to see the en- tled “John (Jack) Noonan; A Noble Lega- they died. Chief of these gods was Dághdha came replaced by the feast of the Assump- tire area behind the 3 School sites, extended cy”. Talk takes place at the GAA Club, Pros- who was also known as Eochaidh Ollathair or, tion on 15th August. It was never celebrated back to Nancy’s Lane by taking in an area perous Road, Clane, at 8pm.. Admission is like Jupiter, the “Father of All”. There were much in Ireland, where our ancestors were where 4 story apartment blocks had been free and all are welcome. also the regional gods. These changed from pastoral farmers. It is still a big feast around country to country. These were more concrete the Mediterranean amongst the descendants approved [but thankfully not built]. It is now and consisted largely of landscape features of the cereal or grain growing Celts. These dedicated Community and Institutional, EDITOR’S DEADLINE matching the sites of the three schools. It is a such as rivers and mountains, animals or birds. modern continentals still dress up in their great pity that the flood prone area to the The deadline for receipt of material for the They were female. Examples were Life traditional costumes and play their traditional north-west of Loughbollard Estate and like- December issue of Le Chéile is (Liffey), Badh Catha (the Raven of Battle), music on 15th August. wise situated within Loughbollard Towns- Monday 21st November Medhbh (the Mare) and the Morrigan (the land alongside the Kilcock Road, where Queen of Deamons). The Dághdha was a “good god”, from Bord Pleanála (PL09.232644) rejected a To 142 Loughbollard please. the Irish prefix dea meaning good and dia proposed development of 87 houses on Tel. 045- 868474. There were four major feast days meaning god. They did not mean good as in drainage grounds, could not have been treat- throughout the Celtic year which marked the the Judeo Christian or even Greek traditions, ed similarly, but the opportunity still exists. E-mail: [email protected] seasons and related to the pastoral or agricul- as one who exhibited exemplary qualities, tural cycle of life. Each was celebrated with but rather one who “came up with the On the down side, there is an area of fire and on each occasion the Druids choose a goods”, filled the barns and ensured the Get Le Chéile on www.clanecommunity.ie New Residential [C] proposed to the south- 2 11 For information on activities please are.