RTE sports pundit, Pat Spillane, is the holder of eight All Ireland medals. He obviously knows a thing or two about Gaelic football. However, his recent suggestions for rule changes within the game have caused a few raised eyebrows.
Pat suggests the following changes; (1) Only three consecutive hand passes to be allowed. (2) A mark to be awarded for fielding a kick of over 30 metres. (3) Two points to be awarded for a point kicked from play beyond the 30 meter range. (4) Five points for a goal. (5) Teams must keep a maximum of five players in the opponents half of the field at all times.
Pat’s opinions must be respected. He has been there and done it all. But if these changes are implemented we would probably need two referees and a computer to keep tabs on everything. It seems akin to switching from rugby union to rugby league.
Donegal’s blanket defending last year would appear to have shocked the traditionalists, and thus created the clamour for major rule changes.
Forget about radical changing of the rules. Long kicking, high fielding and accurate score-taking by skilful players will beat any blanket defence. And that is why Kerry are early favourites to win “Sam” again next September.
Meanwhile Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore’s plea to “don the green jersey” in our dealings with Europe has provoked an immediate and unlikely response. Broadcaster Vincent Browne took up the gauntlet during a press conference last week and almost single-handedly challenged the Troika to mortal (if not moral) combat.
Browne had asked why Irish taxpayers were required to pay unguaranteed bondholders billions of euros for debts that the Irish people were not responsibility for, but was being used primarily to bail out the  European banks.
“You people,” he thundered “are intervening in this society, causing huge damage by requiring us to make payments, not for the benefit of anybody in Ireland but for the benefit of European financial institutions. Now, could you explain why the Irish people are inflicted with this burden?”
Klaus Manusch: “Well, I think I have addressed the question.”
Browne: “You’ve nothing to say. There’s no answer, is that right? Is that it? No answer?”
Members of the Troika stood up sheepishly and retreated in some disarray while the plain people of Ireland gave a silent cheer.
“No guts, no glory” would seem to be the Browne mantra. It’s a pity that some of our political leaders cannot display the same intestinal fortitude.

DEATHS
The death has occurred of Michael Roche Church Street, Abbeyfeale (Cattle Dealer), father of the late Noel. Sincere sympathy is extended to his bereaved wife Mai, sons Eamon, Andy, Brendan, Pat and Michael, daughter Bernadette, sister Helen, son-in-law, daughters-in-law, sister-in-law, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends
The death has also occurred of Willie Flynn, Abbeyfeale Hill, Abbeyfeale. Sincere sympathy is extended to his bereaved sister Betty, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. May they both Rest in Peace.
MEENKILLY CARD GAME
There was another big turnout on Tuesday night with 12 tables taking part.  Three teams finished with 12 games each.  They were; Gobnait Scannell, Sean O’Connor and Dick Fitzgerald.  Dan Brosnan, Teddy O’Connor and Maurice Collins.  Hannah Foley, Margaret McCarthy and Eileen Reidy.  Door Ticket prizes went to Noreen O’Callaghan, Paddy O’Donnell.  Table Prizes Dan Casey, Paddy Sheehan and Beth Collins.   Ticket winners were; Dixie Quirke, John Stack, Donal O’Connor, Kieran Daly, Mossie Collins and Sean Harnett.  Game continues every Tuesday night at 9pm.  All proceeds going to the school extension.  Thank you for your support.

NEWS FROM COLAISTE IDE AGUS IOSEF ABBEYFEALE

(See school Photo Albums at the following link;)  https://plus.google.com/photos/102838859588085536618/albums?banner=pwa

AMAWELE FUNDRAISER
On 22nd December 2011, transition year students from Colaiste Íde agus
Iosef, Abbeyfeale organised a table quiz fundraiser for the Amawele
charity. A sum of €464 was raised which was presented to Jackie O
Rourke, a student of U.L who will be undertaking her teaching practice
in Cape Town, starting in late January. Jackie’s work will involve
going to various South African schools and townships and helping them
through twenty different workshops on how to grow their own food and
become self sufficient. the sum raised by these transition year
students will also help these students learn about many other cultures
and especially that of Abbeyfeale and their twinned school Colaiste
Íde agus Iosef.
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP
Our girls senior and cadet basketball teams are nearing the business
end of their respective seasons. Both teams will be participating in
the league play-offs with the cadet team travelling to Cork on
Saturday while the seniors are Dublin bound on Saturday February 4th.
In the meantime the 1st and 2nd year teams kicked off their campaigns
with matches against Presentation Tralee. Our 1st years recorded their
maiden win while the 2nd years went down valiantly against last year’s
All-Ireland finalists
RUGBY
Our rugby team fresh from their King Cup success last month played
Middleton College in Midddleton last Friday in the Mungret Shield. An
exciting game went right down to the last few moments before a try and
conversion left us the victors on a scoreline of 10-9.
GAELIC FOOTBALL
Senior footballers marched on in the Munster Competition beating
Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Finuge last Wednesday on a final score of
1-13 to 0-2. Next up is Askeaton in the semi final of the provincial
competition.

GOLFING SOCIETY
Following our AGM on Sunday January 15th the officers elected were: Captain 2012:Jim Kelly,Vice-Captain:TBA,Secretary:
Moss Kelly,Treasurer:Eamon Scannell,Competetion Secretary:Pat Browne,Media & IT Officer:Pat Browne,Committee Members:John Geoghegan,John Joe Foley,Teddy O Sullivan,Patsy Prendiville,Gerry Murphy,Ger Foley,Paddy Lane,Tim Kelly,Paddy Fitzgerald,Kevin Foley,John Haugh,Mike O Shea,Mick Hussey.Membership for 2012 is €25.Membership must be paid by March 31st.Our first outing of 2012 is to Adare Golf Club(Manor)on Saturday March 10th and a full list of this years outings is on our new website www.abbeyfealegolfingsociety.net.Thanks to all at Jim Lanes for hosting the AGM.
HEINEKEN CUP
A superb second half performance from Munster ended Northampton’s European hopes and in the process sealed a home quarter final in against Ulster in Thomond Park and top seeding for the men in red.
Twenty four points from the boot of Ronan O’Gara and a hat trick of tries from winger Simon Zebo saw Munster finally shake off the shackles and deliver a five star performance.
Nothing could separate the sides after the opening 40 minutes when BJ Botha cancelling out an early Saint’s penalty try to leave the scores at 19-19 at half-time.
However a stunning opening 8 minutes to the second half which included efforts from Johne Murphy and Zebo’s first saw Munster take control of the game.
Northampton clawed their way back into the game with another penalty try, their scrum proving to be one of the positives from the day. However a late brace from Zebo sealed the win, with substitute Scott Armstrong’s late score proving little more than a consolation for Jim Mallinder’s shell shocked side. Final score; Northampton 36, Munster 51.
Five countries will now contest the Heineken Cup quarter-finals in April for the first time since the 2003/04 tournament.
On a drama-packed final weekend of the Pool stage matches Edinburgh Rugby became the first Scottish club to claim Pool honours and be rewarded with an historic first quarter-final on Scottish soil after taking maximum points from their 34-11 victory over London Irish with just a few minutes to spare.
And Ireland contributed another chapter to the history of the world’s greatest club rugby tournament with three of their clubs – Munster , Leinster and Ulster – qualifying for the last eight for the first time, with former double champions Munster becoming only the eighth club to come through the Pool matches with six from six.
ASM Clermont Auvergne and Toulouse will fly the flag for France with Saracens, Cardiff Blues and Edinburgh Rugby carrying English, Welsh and Scottish hopes respectively.
Heineken Cup betting; Leinster 9/4. Munster 7/2, Toulouse 9/2, Clermont Auvergne 11/2, Saracens 6/1, Ulster14/1, Cardiff Blues 40/1, Edinburgh 50/1.
*Abbeyfeale are away to Ballincollig in the Munster Junior Platenext Sunday. Kick-off 2pm.
SOCCER
Results; Abbeyfeale U19s (0) Kilcornan (2). Abbeyfeale Utd B (0) Kilcornan (3).
Fixtures; Saturday 28th January.  Abbeyfeale Youths Vs Creeves (A) 2.00.
Sunday 29th January.  Abbeyfeale Utd B Vs Broadford B (A) 2.30.

There may be no Bishop in Limerick at the moment – but we have one in Abbeyfeale! Father Michael Lenihan OFM has been appointed by the Holy See as first bishop of La Ceiba in Honduras, Central America This new diocese covers an area 4,640 kmq, with a population 547,709, of whom 398,800 are Catholic. [...]

There seems to be a general feeling that the country runs much better while the Dail is in recess. The solution is simple. Give our TDs longer holidays. They will have less time to meddle in affairs of state. We may then manage to ride out the recession, despite their best efforts to thwart us. [...]

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (from “Tales Out Of School”) Cremin maintained that school was a constant battle of wits between teachers and students, and that the odds were always heavily stacked against us poor impoverished scholars. “They make up the fecking rules as they go along” he pointed out “and then change them to suit themselves.” [...]

The annual two-day Abbeyfeale Coursing Meeting takes place tomorrow, Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th December. The first brace in slips will be at 11.30 sharp each morning. Order Of Running on Wednesday : twice through Derby and Oaks Trial Stakes, Corn Na Feile Puppy, once  through Corn Na Feile All Age after the interval. Check [...]