It’s 2024, do a bit more. Well, here goes, with my attempt to blog a wee bit more this year. This time of year in Ireland is a very mixed bag of weather. From very frosty and cold, which I adore, to severe stormy weather. The cold, I love but storms literally, put the wind up me.
January 2024 (or Eanáir, as gailge) is a first, as we mark Mam’s first anniversary. So it was a chilly, frosty drive to Limerick from Cork, on a Sunday morning 7th. January. I’ve driven this road a thousand times and always admired the views of the Galtee mountains between Mitchelstown and Ballylanders, but never stopped to take a photograph. I just had to stop this morning. It was stunning.
Onwards to Limerick, for a typical Benson family gathering of smiles, laughter, noisy, beyond belief, warmth and love. (see gallery). But first we had the mass in a freezing St.Munchin’s Church. January 7th. is ‘The Epiphany‘, also known as ‘Little Christmas’, and ‘The Baptism of the Lord’. Our lovely priest, Fr.Pat Seaver, gave us a beautiful sermon on the history of early christian practice of converting to catholicism. It is a significant journey for any individual to undertake especially in early Christian times. The multi-year journey of study, examination and ceremony was reformed during the papacy of Pope Pius XII, 1939-58. Fr.Pat Seaver, then went on to engage the whole congretation in a renewal of our ‘Baptismal Vows’. The mass was a long one, much to the ‘WTF’1 expressions on the faces of my young ‘frozen’ nephews and nieces.
In truth I was chuckling away to myself and thinking how much fun ‘Mam’ was having with this very extended 1st. anniversary mass. Mam’s famous words over the recent years as mass attendance has dwindled, is that we had all become (jokingly) a bunch of ‘Heathens’, so for us to be stuck in a freezing church, with a very long sermon and repeating our Baptismal vows (and not a lot of us ‘strong’ believers) must have been hilarious to Helen. Thanks a mill, Mam. Thereafter, we had a quick bite to eat before we all went our ways.
Finally as I sit here awaiting the arrival of Storm Jocelyn just 24 hours after the country was bruised and battered by Storm Isha, I hope you are all safe and sound. My ‘New Years’ resolutions are about to begin (most of you, who know me, are aware I never start my ‘New Years’ resolutions until 25th. January. So, in a couple of day’s I plan to fall off the horse (fail) gracefully, as I do every year. There is a difference this year as I offically retire from the working life on the 25th. January. More about that in Feabhra 24, Márta 24, Aibreán 24, etc.
Finally, finally, ‘Feabhra’ brings the best competition in the world. The Guiness Six Nations Championship. If you have 30 minutes to spare, there is a good YouTube Podcast embedded in Peter’s picture that will get you fully up to speed, on what, for me is simply the best annual sports TV event, bar none. Here comes couch potato time. But a pint of Beamish first…. see banner below, It is very fine print.
findmywhy 
❤️