8th March, 2001
Notice
Board
THE HISTORY OF DOUGLAS
Part 31 - ST. LUKE'S, DOUGLAS Continued from last week)
The Rev. George P. Quick was fond of writing poetry. He had his
poems printed on cards, which he sent to his friends. The late
Rector of Douglas, Canon H.J. Packham, kindly gave me an
opportunity of copying some of the poems. Here are some extracts
from three works.
"Dear are my friends of schoolboy days,
And dear are my old college chums,
Who have made their mark in the worlds highways
Or in work in city slums.
Dear are the hearts that seek God's Face
And touched with heavenly fire,
Are renewed and strengthened by His grace
'Neath the shade of our Douglas spire."
"When harsh words are spoken
Solemn vows are broken,
And love gives no token
God our Father knoweth."
"I love to turn with faith's keen eyes
From scenes so fair and bright as this
To the blest life beyond the skies -
A visit of entrancing bliss."
The report concludes with the following statistics: The church
population is about 286, Dissenters 86. St. Luke's National
School has about 50 children. Stipend of Rector £300. with a
small augmentation from the 'Allen Bequest' of about £22. a year.
There is an excellent Glebe House and offices built in 1875 by
Canon Hayman, Cost about £2,000. About four acres of glebe land.
Rent £12. P.a. and Board of Works charge of £55. p.a. A very
fine organ costing £800 has lately been dedicated by the Bishop
in Douglas Church, presented by the parishioners as a memorial to
Queen Victoria. On the front is a beautiful gravure of the late
Queen, around which is the inscription Victoria Reg: Britt: Imps:
Ind: A.D. 1837-1901'."
There is one observation by the Rev. H.J. Cole (1903) which
deserves special mention "The burial ground surrounding
Douglas Church is now deserving of particular notice as it is one
of the most beautiful and well kept in the South of Ireland."
In this burial ground against the south wall of the church lie
the remains of the Cork poet, Milliken. There is an inscription
on the altar tomb over his grave, which says:
'Reader
While science, genius and wit shall be admired.
And merit, charity and worth beloved,
The memory of
Richard Alfred Milliken
Will not be forgotten.'
He died 16th December, 18l5. Milliken will best be remembered as
the author of "The Groves of Blarney." It is an
interesting fact that the Milliken family was also in the linen
business. Stephenson's Diary records "Aug. 8, 1755,
Proceeded to Castlemartyr through a populous Country and very
capable of Improvement: there is a small Bleachyard here, the
Property of Robert Milliken." Milliken was himself born in
Castlemartyr. As well as being the author of "The Groves of
Blarney," he also published "The Riverside," a
poem, a volume of Miscellaneous Poems, and a novel, "The
Slave of Surinam" but his poem on Blarney is the only one to
survive. He practised as a lawyer in Cork and had a great love of
the theatre. He was one of the founders of the Apollo Theatrical
Society with Robert Besnard in 1805. Their purpose was to raise
funds for charitable purposes in Cork. It was said, rather
unkindly, that his talents lay more in the work of scene painting
then in acting. He was also prominent in founding the Society of
Arts.
To be concluded next week
AUTOGRASS RACING GETS IT'S "GRIPS" IN CORK.
The sight of Autograss Cars is now becoming common at
Castletownkenneigh near Enniskeane. This is the home to Cork
Autograss Racing Club where drivers test their skills at this
excellently appointed venue. The sound of the basic Class I Mini
or Uno can be heard right tip to the mighty arid exciting sight
of a Class 10 Special in hill flight.
Autograss is the sport of racing specially prepared saloon cars
and purpose-built specials (open-wheeled vehicles) on a laid out
oval track. The surface is natural whether grass, dirt or even
mud. Strictly a non-contact sport, the object is to beat the
other cars in the race to the Finish line in a set number of laps
from a stationary start.
It is one of the most inexpensive and exciting forms of
motorsport where innovation is more important than wallet size.
It has been in Ireland for over ten years but is only now
starting to take off. One of the reasons Autograss has been slow
to develop is that by keeping the costs to competitors so low,
there hasn't been a lot of money readily available to promote the
sport. But now with large numbers taking part in Ireland the
sport is really making its mark.
All Clubs cater for Ladies, Juniors (12 - l6yrs old) and Men. It
is Common to find a father and son or husband and wife sharing
the same car at race meetings.
The majority of racing is done at club level with visits to other
clubs in the area There are 3 Clubs in die South of Ireland -
Cork, West Waterford and Carlow and 3 Clubs in Northern Ireland
plus numerous Clubs in England and Wales. Once a member of any
Autograss Club you are welcome to race at any venue. The All-Ireland
Autograss Series is held over 5 rounds (3 in the South, two in
the North) and is open to all Autograss drivers. This series
provides plenty of competition and excitement and being held over
a weekend, the social side guarantees plenty of 'craic',
The National Championships, which are held in England in August,
are for the top 400 drivers who qualify through their leagues.
The ladies and juniors National Championships are held in
September with entry by application.
With 10 classes to choose from there is a class to suit all
pockets and levels of skill. Whether you want to race a front
engine front-wheel-drive or a front engine rear-wheel-drive or
even a mid-engined car, it is an inexpensive sport in which most
people can afford to compete. For example, the cost of buying a
ready-to-race Class I Mini and running it for the season would be
less than £500 and it can be done for less if you build the car
yourself. So it truly is one of the most inexpensive ways of
competing in motorsport.
Cork Autograss will host the First Round of the AlI Ireland
Autograss Series 2001 on the 4th & 15th April. Many top
drivers will be attending this meeting from the U.K., Wales,
Northern Ireland and the South. New members and enthusiasts are
openly welcome to attend this event.
Further details on the Club and this event may be had by
contacting Lee O'Donovan (Chairman) at 087 2618077 or Colin Byrne
(Chief PRO) at 087 2905735
MAD AS A MARCH HARE
Once upon a time they were plentiful in the hills around Douglas.
Farmers Cross and Ballygarvan had an abundance of them, nowadays
they have almost disappeared. Those who argue in favour of
coursing claim they are helping to preserve them. Incredible as
it may seem to some there are people who wouldn't know one if
they saw one.
A Hare is a long-eared mammal with powerful hind legs and a
short, fluffy tail. Hares are related to rabbits and are often
confused with them. But hares differ from rabbits in several ways.
Hares give birth on the ground or in a scratched-out depression
called a form. The young are born covered with fur and with their
eyes open. Rabbits are born naked and blind in a fur-lined nest.
Hares never dig burrows, as do many rabbits. In addition, hares
usually try to escape from their enemies by leaping away rapidly.
Rabbits usually try to hide from enemies. The Belgian hare is
really a type of rabbit. The North American snowshoe rabbit and
the jackrabbit are, in fact, hares.
Most hares are brownish-grey with a pure white belly. Some kinds
of hares that live in cold climates turn completely white during
the winter. The largest hares grow to nearly 27 inches (69
centimetres) long and can reach a weight of more than 8 pounds (3.6
kilograms).
Hares court and mate in spring. During courtship, they often jump
and twist in the air. This behaviour may explain the phrase
"mad as a March hare." Young hares are called leverets.
There are usually fewer than five leverets in a litter, but there
may be as many as seven litters a year.
Hares rest during the day and generally look for food during the
night and at dawn. Hares eat plants and can become pests by
eating and destroying alfalfa and other farm crops. Hares thump (tap
the ground) with their hind legs, which may warn other hares of
danger. Their enemies include man, dogs, eagles, and foxes.
SOME SPECIAL DAYS
Here in Ireland we celebrate one of the biggest holidays of the
year - St. Patrick's Day on March the 17th. In the United States,
as well as St. Patrick's Day there are several important state
and religious holidays. For example; Nebraskans celebrate the
admission of their state to the Union on March 1. Texas
celebrates March 2 as the anniversary of its independence from
Mexico. On March 4, the people of Pennsylvania commemorate the
granting of the state's charter to William Penn in 1681. In
Maryland, March 25 is set apart for a celebration of the arrival
of the first Maryland colonists in 1634.
Also the Jewish festival of Purim usually occurs in March. It is
held on the day corresponding to the 14th day of Adar on the
Hebrew calendar.
DOUGLAS TIDY TOWNS - AN UPDATE
On Sat. 24th Feb. South Douglas Road was targeted for
attention from Douglas S.C. to the Texaco Garage. There was a lot
of litter especially in the green area in front of a beautiful
private estate and in the numerous lay-bys. A huge trailer is
parked in one of these lay-bys with bales of shredded paper on
top. Despite calls to the Authorities, this was still there on
Monday the 5th March, with paper constantly falling from it.
Sat. 3rd March had two teams out, cleaning two areas, which had
been given notification of our intention to so do, and asking for
help. Maryborough Hill and the green outside The Paddocks was
done and our volunteers were joined by three ladies from that
estate.
The second area, a mammoth task was Grange Road from the
Donnybrook cross traffic lights to the shop. This was a very
neglected site especially the grassy bank. As well as the usual
paper, cans and bottles it seems to be used as a dumping ground
for garden waste including grass and shrub cuttings, trees and
even a few Christmas Trees. A gentleman, who saw us from his car,
went home and after getting suitably attired, joined us and was
certainly very welcome. Eleven refuse sacks plus the garden waste
was collected by the Co. Council who gave us their usual co-operation.
We would love if the green areas outside estates could by cleaned
by Residents Associations and of course more volunteers for our
Clean Ups which will be advertised in the Douglas Weekly.
" The future is the best present we can give our
children”
BONOVOX - The Sound of your Voice
In a recent interview Bono of U2 explained how he
got his name. Apparently shortly after they had formed U2 and
decided to give themselves stage names he was walking down North
Earl Street in Dublin when he saw a sign for Bonovox. He
immediately connected Vox with a range of guitar amplifiers and
assumed that Bono had to have some connection. He was right of
course Bono means Sound and Vox means Voice , what a great name
for the U2 front-man to choose and what a great name for a
Hearing Aid company to have. But there's nothing new about
Bonovox.
Bonovox have been dispensing Hearing Aids in Cork for over thirty
years. During that time the business was managed by Ed Costello,
until his untimely death in 1999.Today the company is run by Ed's
wife Joan who is now working with a new team, consisting of
Senior Hearing Aid Dispenser; Kevin Vieira and Katherine Gorey.
Both Kevin and Katherine have worked for many years at Bonovox in
Dublin. Kevin also dispensed Hearing Aids at Hospitals in England.
A new team in Cork perhaps, but probably one of the most
experienced hearing health team of professionals in the area. If
you feel you are developing a hearing problem, no matter how
slight, remember it is better to be safe than sorry. So take a
trip into Bonovox in Drawbridge Street and have your hearing
checked out. Our hearing is one of our most important scenes and
needs to be given our full attention and treated with our utmost
respect. That's why you should always go the experts, and they
don't come any better that Bonovox. Ask Bono!
THE FANTASTIC MR. PLASTIC
Have you got an invisible room in your house? Most of us have,
but not all of us make use of it. We are talking about your attic
of course. We give ourselves lots of reason for not making proper
use of it, no flooring, and no lighting, too much trouble, too
awkward etc. The main reason we never get around to it is because
it's so inaccessible, first you must get a ladder then take it
upstairs (unless you live in a bungalow), set it up against the
ceiling, then open the trapdoor, all without scratching the paint
or causing a mess. Then you can put away those Christmas
Decorations or whatever, and when it's all done you must repeat
the process in reverse. What a drag! But it needn't be all you
need is a folding stairs fitted to your attic and you can go up
and down as often as you like without the slightest inconvenience.
It almost sounds too good to be true! But it is that simple. How
do you go about it? Just phone Mr. Plastic and he will measure
and install a folding stairs for you in a matter of hours. And
the cost? It's less than £300! Fitted and installed.
Now isn't Mr Plastic a funny name for the supplier a folding
stairs? Well, maybe not. You see there's a lot more to Mr.
Plastic than that. For example have you ever wondered about your
gutters and downpipes and the fascia around your house? They get
old and rusty and clogged up, and need repairing and repainting.
Why not just replace the lot with modern longlife PVC You will
never have to worry about the problem again. And who can do that
for you? You're right! Mr. Plastic.
And who is Mr. Plastic? It's the name of a local company and the
man behind it is Garry Ryan. Garry lives in Douglas and has been
in the construction business for over forty years. He set up Mr.
Plastic in Unit 7, South Link Park Ballycurreen (That's opposite
Musgraves Cash/Carry) four years ago. He is well known for his
support of local sporting activities.
So should you have any inquiry's even a small one, Garry's
expertise is just a phone call away. Make a note of the number
because if you don't need it at the moment you may need it in the
future - 021 4310466 .
EURO COUNTDOWN
Economic and Monetary Union has been a reality
since 1 January 1999. The countdown began with the commencement
of a 3 year transition period. We now have 10 months left.
Is your business Euro ready? Or is your business among the 60% of
small and medium sized enterprises who have not yet assessed the
implications of the euro on production, marketing, human
resources, information technology and finance amongst others.
You need to stop being euro complacent and start being euro
compliant. The Chamber of Commerce Euro Countdown morning
conference at Rochestown Park Hotel on Tuesday, 13th March is the
place to start. It will give you an overview of all the different
aspects of the changeover, enabling you to assess your business
needs. It will also give you a forum to voice any problems you
have encountered or expect to encounter in the coming months.
Conference speakers include Patrick R O’Beirne, MD of
Systems Modelling Limited, Niall O’Sullivan, UCC Dept of
Economics, Sean Curtis, Head of Marketing with TSB Bank and
Michael Callaly, Project Manager of the Loughrea Euro Town
Project.
To book your place please contact Kate Geary at the Chamber’s
Euro Info Centre, tel 4509044 or email eic@corkchamber.ie
Celebrating 50 Years of Al-Anon
Are you concerned about someone's drinking?
If so the Al-Anon Programme can help you.
The abuse of alcohol causes more family misery than most other
social evils put together.
Alcoholism is now recognised as a disease but what many still do
not realise is that it is a "Family Disease" which
affects all members of the family, emotionally, spiritually and
even physically.
People who are living with a drinking problem may take a very
long time to recognise and admit this fact, even to themselves,
and then it can take even longer to pluck up enough courage to
ask for help. Confusion fear and shame prevent many of us from
telling our problems and asking for support.
The Al-Anion programme is for family members and friends who need
help and support to deal with the "Consequences" of
excessive drinking in a member of the family.
There are 26 meetings in Cork City and County each week. A
telephone information line is available at 021 4311899 and we can
be contacted by letter at post Office Box 55 Eglington Street,
Cork.
The following is an example of one member's 'story'.
As my husbands drinking escalated out of control I, once a happy
lively practical person, became unable to cope with day to day
life. On the surface we were seen to function but in reality life
in my home was unbearable. The kind gentle loving man I married
seemed to have no thought in his head except his next drink,
everything else, including me, came second. Hurt, angry, bitter
and resentful my own life almost ceased to exist. My obsession
with the drinker took over completely; I watched his every move
and tried every way I knew to stop the drinking but to no avail.
After about 5 years of this "Madness" I could not take
any more. By this time I longed for the dark nights when I could
draw the curtains, leaving the light off so that I could pretend
there was no one at home, that way I might not have to explain to
friends and neighbours how bad things really were in my home.
Salvation came for me when I was told by a friend about "Al-Anon".
They did not have the "Cure" I wanted for the drinker
but I came to believe that they could show me a better way to
live my own life. I learned that I did not cause the drinking,
that I could not control it, and that I could not cure it, that
in fact the only person I had to control was myself. I realised
that if I got better emotionally I could again cope with life and
if I was well then that would be a 50% improvement in our home
and this was enough incentive for me to try to work the programme.
The weekly meeting and reading of Al-Anon literature slowly
helped me to get my life in order and to once again be a happy,
healthy person.
Building Control Inspections to be increased
Cllr. Deirdre Forde
Following her recent motion before Council, Cllr
Deirdre Forde has welcomed the commitment of Management at Cork
County Council to increasing staffing levels by 12 in the
Building Control side, to ensure that a reasonable inspection
regime can be put in place for Building Control Regulations. Many
constituents have contacted me about the conditions of entrances
to Building Sites. Dust pollution; pools of water, roadside
conditions adjacent to such site. In many cases sites left
exposed without adequate security fencing; buildings proceeding
without proper commencement notices or Fire Certificates, no
wheel washing facilities resulting in muck being carried for
miles. "Many developers/builders do fulfil their obligations"
stated Cllr Forde. " It is those who have no regard for
residents living nearby to such sites and who openly flaunt
disregard for proper standards that I am concerned about. I am
pleased that Cork County Council will send out a clear message
that such conditions will no longer be tolerated The Fire Office
carry out Fire Inspections (700 in 2000) and Building Control
inspections 216 - which is an extremely low rate in my opinion
given the amount of development in Cork South not to mention the
County at large. 'I am glad that a substantial increase in the
level of spot checking will be achieved'. Under the Building
Controls a system of self-certification prevails where the owner
or his/her developer is responsible for ensuring the regulations
are complied with. This, in effect, is like asking turkeys to
vote for Christmas concluded Cllr. Forde. The Council is
developing a system at present, which will attempt to link the
lodgement of commencement notices with application for water
connections. This should ensure that people would lodge their
commencement notice prior to development. In 2000 Court
proceedings were issued in two cases in relation to Building
Control. "Imagine, things were so good in the whole of Cork
that in only two cases were proceedings issued". Can people
take comfort from this fact queried Cllr. Forde? In relation to
overseeing the Demolition of Buildings: The County Manager stated
that the responsibility for ensuring a building is demolished in
a proper manner lies with the owner of the building and the
Council has no inspection role in this regard. The Council would
only become involved if the building became a danger to users or
the public. This means that a householder who suffers damage as a
result of a demolished building has to go to the courts for
redress. If the householder is elderly, they may not be in good
health or unable to face a court case which could be lengthy or
expensive. I will be contacting the Minister for the Environment
and Local Government to ensure that such people are not penalised
by the failure of developers to carry out proper, safe and
adequate demolitions. I believe that the onus should be on Local
Authority to inspect and oversee such demolition sites before
during after the work has been carried out." With 2.9M in
building fees one would imagine that it will not be too difficult
to achieve this" and I will be closely monitoring overall
progress." concluded Cllr. Forde.
Douglas Tidy Towns 2001 - The Sweep Continues
Thanks to the great response for the last three Saturday's. The Douglas Tidy Town's committee are to hold another Street Sweep on this Saturday the 10th March. The committee would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the Street Sweep so far; as they are making an important and unselfish contribution to the enhancement of the community. All those wanting to participate are asked to meet in the Community Centre Car Park at 10.30 am. The entire operation is expected to last about two hours.
What is the Essence of good Yoga?
A good teacher is someone who has the ability to take a difficult
concept or theory and present it in a way that is simple to grasp
and apply in practice. Similarly this is so with yoga. Everyone
does yoga, every moment of every day but for the most part with a
lack of consciousness. With what consciousness I apply to any
activity is what makes it yoga or not,
Through one can begin to discover an internal dimension that is
one's life. Yoga is about contacting and awakening inside each
one of us. In this way our self- healing capacity is stimulated
and the positive effects of yoga arrive (relaxation, reduced
stress, greater energy, etc). When we create positive experiences
in a conscious way the feeling is etched in the memory of our
cells. It is in this simple way the joy of one's life grows.
Yoga in essence is an internal study in the direction towards
wholeness. This is achieved in feeling more deeply our internal
part, which we contact through awareness of our breath. It is the
breath that connects our two realities, the external and the
internal. Our breathing, when it is long and deep gives us a
feeling peace and harmony. On the other hand when our breath is
short and shallow, the muscles become tight, hence the feeling of
stress. Becoming conscious of breathing and how it is influenced
by situations is a first step in changing internally.
A yoga class therefore is simply a moment to feel more deeply
this contact with one's internal part and how movement influences
breath. Slowly awareness grows and how one can influence
breathing in daily life, in order to keep it long and deep, as it
is this type of breathing that stimulates healthiness.
Eugene O'Riordan is responsible for the study and practice of
Okido Yoga in Cork. He offers classes in his centre at 39
Princess St. and beginning on Thursday March 22, @ 10.30 /12.00
is offering a 6-week course on yoga and health. For information
contact him at 4646205.
DOUGLAS LIBRARY
Saturday march 10th at 10.30 am
"Spaisteoireacht Tivoli Liam Ui Mhuirthile", a bi-lingual
presentation by Dr. Tadgh O Dushlaine.
Admission is free and all are welcome.
