Search Results for 'housekeeper'

Patricia Burke Brogan joined the noviciate of the Mercy Sisters at the convent of St Vincent, Newtownsmith, Galway  at the end of the 1950s.  It was before the reforms of Vatican II had relaxed rule of the heavy medieval habit, the shorn hair, and a constant reminder ‘to keep custody of the eyes’. What was called ‘discipline’, which was nothing less than outrageous bullying, was meted out on the novices by some of the older nuns, in a cutting and wounding way. The nuns were hard on each other.

PAT MCCABE’S rollercoaster new play, The Bridge Below The Town, set in 1950s small-town Ireland, is coming to the Town Hall Theatre and promises audiences a swirling drama of life, love, Butlins, and nuns who make márla men, set to a classic soundtrack.

Sharon’s Grave in Ballina

Erris Players presents Moll by John B Keane, in Áras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet Arts Centre, on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 February at 8pm. This comedy is a hilarious look at a rural Irish parochial house, giving an insight into who is truly running local affairs in a fictional parish. The comedy brings the audience behind the doors of the presbytery, circa 1971, when to most Catholics that area was sacred and primarily the domain of the priest's housekeeper. The comedy opens in Canon Pratt's parlour, when he and his two curates, Fr Brest and Fr Loran, are faced with the problem of replacing their housekeeper. As the comedy develops, many changes come to the parish and the parochial house. Directed by Mary Heston and Mary Markwick. Admission is €10.

Galway was given fascinating insights into the turbulent life of one of Europe’s men of genius last weekend. Music for Galway, which continues to present the very best classical music in innovative and challenging ways, devoted three days exploring the literary and musical passion of the great Ludwig van Beethoven. And, would you believe it? Gave us both an Irish and a Galway connection.

Smash hit comedy treat Ted and Co is coming to Mayo this September, promising to wow audiences with high-energy improvisation, audience participation, and perfect comic timing. A tribute to cult TV classic Father Ted, the interactive comedy experience Ted and Co – The Dinner Show’ debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011, selling out every show and picking up five star reviews. Now the priests are heading east again from Craggy Island to serve up comedy treats at the Mayfly Hotel in Foxford on Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15. The show costs €39 per ticket which includes a three course meal and a two hour interactive comedy show. For booking call 094 9256518.

In June 1802, the County Infirmary finally opened. Some 35 years before, it was ordered in council at a meeting of the corporation, “That a committee consisting of the principal gentlemen of the town, be, and are accordingly appointed to enquire and find out a proper place within the county of the town of Galway for erecting a public infirmary or hospital for the reception of the poor, sick and disabled persons”. The Governors of the Erasmus Smith School granted two acres of ground gratis for ever, but it still took 35 years to build.

Ninety years ago this week, Galway was abuzz with the news that Fr Griffin, a junior curate for the parishes of Bushy Park and Barna, apparently responding to a sick call, went out into the howling gale in the company of three men who were said to have trench coats and rubber boots, and disappeared. The suspicion was that he had been decoyed from his house. It was significant that he did not take the Blessed Sacrament with him. His housekeeper heard very loud knocking as if with the butt ends of revolvers on the front door near midnight, as did one of the neighbours. Apparently Fr Griffin opened his window, spoke briefly to the men, and then left with them shortly afterwards.

I have always thought it strange why so many women feel isolated from the Catholic Church, when it has at its centre a woman, Mary - the Mother of God. It is not right that many women feel they are ‘second class citizens’ within a church that attempts to reach out to all. Surely without Mary, the New Testament would be worthless. Surely after the Nazarene Himself, the Mother of Jesus, who is venerated by the Catholic and Orthodox churches, is the first and greatest saint in heaven. Mary is revered by all Christian churches, and honoured by Islam. At the very first council of the Church, at Ephesus four hundred years after Christ, she was declared to be the Theotokos, Mother of God (the actual God bearer). But even before that her image, holding the Child, was etched into tombs in the Roman catacombs. Being the Theotokos, Mary could have become remote, unreal from the human experience. After all we are told that she was born free from Original Sin, which as a total ‘theological illiterate’ I don’t fully understand; but I accept the logic that if Mary was not the mother of God, then Jesus was not God. I believe that He was. Yet despite the supreme position of Mary many women feel isolated, uninvolved, as if they have no contribution to make.

Staying with Oranmore, I called in to see the newly opened Homefarm Butchers shop. It is located to the side of the astroturf pitch on your way to Scoil Mhuire girls’ school.