Busy Christmas and New Year for Cashel Lions Club

Cashel Lions Club members had a very busy Christmas, which involved many activities and which received great support from the people of the town and district.

For this they are extremely grateful.

One of the events which involved most of the members was the Third World Fast on December 15. This activity has taken place for over forty years and it has been generously supported over all this time. This year was no exception.

Although it turned out to be one of the worst days of the year, with strong winds and torrential rain, the people of the town and district put their hands into their purses and pockets and helped to make it a very successful day for the club, with the takings up on the previous year in spite of the weather!

On the following day the club members visited the patients in St. Patrick’s Hospital, bringing Christmas cheer, some goodies and three different singing groups around the wards. They are very grateful for the contributions of the Parish Choir, the Millennium Choir and the Youth Group for giving their time and their singing talent to make the occasion a memorable one.

In spite of the bounce in the Irish economy and the return to more affluent times, there is still poverty in our midst and the Lions distributed sixty food vouchers to needy families. They were also able to distribute some food parcels, thanks to the staff and children of Scoil Mhuire gan Smal, New Inn, who contributed non-perishable foods, which they donated to the Cashel Lions Club.

Christmas Day Dinners

For a number of years the Lions Club has been providing dinners on Christmas Day for people, who are alone and don’t have the service of Meals on Wheels on that day. They provide a hot meal, desserts, which the partners of the Lions provide, and a small bottle of wine, and bring Christmas morning greetings, when they call on these people. The meals were prepared this year by Pat Horan and his staff at Brian Boru’s and in all 24 meals were distributed.

The next big event for the Lions Club will be the senior citizens party on January 26. Last year 220 people sat down to the meal in Halla na Feile and it is expected that the number will be similar this year. Invitations will be issued in the near future and everyone who attends will be guaranteed an enjoyable day involving a punch reception on arrival, a four course meal, dancing and a very generous raffle.

All of these activities are possible because of the generous support that the people of Cashel and District continues to give to the Lions, as they have been giving since the club was formed in 1961. That support is much appreciated and the members are extremely thankful for it. The club will be calling on this support once again at their Churchgate collection in Cashel and Rosegreen on the weekend of January 26/27.