Limerick Federation ICA Notes Week ending October 22nd.

‘The trees are in their autumn beauty
The woodland paths are dry
Under the October twilight
The water mirrors a still sky’.          W.B. Yeats
All the keen ICA walkers and their friends are out getting the most out of the late autumn and hopefully many of you will continue right through the winter. The Limerick Federation Walkers will meet again on Wed. Oct. 26^th to walk the old road Curraghchase. If you are interested contact Kathleen Griffin 087-2172225 or 061-394241. Many walkers enjoy observing the changes in nature so why not get your guild going on keeping a nature diary and you could enter it for the Arts Awards at the end of the year.
HANDCRAFT 2011
A series of one day handcraft workshops will be held at An Grianán from Tue.Nov.1^st-Thurs.Nov3rd
List of one day Workshops
Tuesday
Chicken Scratching with Breda Bohan
Willow Work with Ronan Russell
Christmas floral craft with Eileen McKenna
Wednesday
Parchment Craft with Breda Bohan
Lace Making with Veronica Stuart
Hairpin Crochet with Nora Kennedy
Handmade Designer Bags with Mary Coonan
Redwork Embroidery with Rosaleen Dwyer
Thursday
Jewellery Making with Eleanor Hewitt
Redwork Embroidery with Rosaleen Dwyer
Parchment Craft with Breda Bohan
Lace Making with Veronica Stuart
Hairpin Crochet with Nora Keady.
There is a limit of 12 per class so you are asked to send five choices for each day along with booking form and deposit to An Grianán For further details contact Helen Lane  An Grianán Teachta 087-028569.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TOUR
A group of fifty people travelled to Brussels and the Rhineland with Phil Prendergast in early October. Pauline Power from Feenagh Guild Sheila Roche from Kilmeedy Guild and their friends Maura Kenny, Margaret O Donnell, and Catherine Kelly travelled with the group. Rhona Danaher from Mainister Na Féile guild and her husband also travelled.They had a wonderful trip and Pauline had a nice surprise on Monday evening  when they were met by her son Peter who works in Brussels
On Tuesday they went to Parliament Buildings and they had an appointment with Phil Prendergast MEP.  They were shown slides and had talks on the workings of the parliament. Sean Kelly MEP also met with the group .Phil Prendergast gave a very interesting talk on her life and work.She told them that she spent twenty five in Clonmel as a midwife so she is obviously a good peoples person. The evening meal that night was hosted by Phil in an Irish Restaurant and believe it or not the chef was an Irish girl, Mags Daly from Mallow in Co. Cork. Mags came out to chat to the group and told them she went over for a weekend and decided to stay.
Next day the group visited Maastricht where they did some shopping and had lunch. Then it was on to Cologne where they had a guided walking tour and they visited the beautiful  Cologne Cathedral.
On Friday they went for a trip along the Rhine/Moselle area stopping in Rudesheim for a boat trip and then on to Dusseldorf for the flight home.
The tour was organised by John Moran EU Tours Laois and there will be a short tour to Brussels and Bruges at the end of November. If you are interested contact John Moran at 0599145176.
AROUND THE GUILDS
Maureen Sheehan of Castletroy Guild tells us that they have moved to a new venue. It is Monaleen GAA Club House right in the heart of the community. Congratulations to Mary O Gorman and Mary O leary who won prizes at Cappamore and Limerick Shows. ‘Castletroy Craft Mornings are up and running on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of every Month. They meet from 10.am -12 noon in Monaleen laptops from Santa are in big demand. Members visited Limerick’s oldest guild Limerick TA and a big thank you to Ann Harrington and Ann McLoughlin for a great night. The Book Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month and members also play cards and attend Limerick Lace. If you live in the area they are well worth joining them.
HALLOWEEN LUNCH
Don’t forget to book your ticket for the Halloween Lunch which takes place in The Woodlands House Hotel Adare on Mon. Oct. 31^st.  Guild Secretaries are asked to have numbers in to Mary Blackwell before Oct. 26^th.
As this is Mental Healt Week I will end with this note which was passed on to me
‘Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…..
It’s about learning ti dance in the rain.’