< Previous© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 40 Sonairte, our Eco-shop & Cafe are open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, Sun- days and Bank Holiday Mondays from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Busy November S onairte was delighted to welcome a group of Volunteers on Saturday last who were attending the “Lead Out Loud” International Conference of Girl Guides held in Gormanston College, one of 20 taking place in various locations through- out the world. This group of about 30 very enthusiastic young Guide Leaders from countries as far apart as Alaska, Cayman Islands, Malawi, Croatia and The Ukraine, to name but a few, got together to tackle the Herb Garden and a vegetable patch in Sonairte. Their enthusiasm was infectious and the garden resounded with song and laughter. It was a privilege to host such inspirational young leaders. (For more info search “Help for Slav” on Facebook and gofundme) We had a huge crowd gather to visit all the different birds, most posing for pictures too. Brian and Barbara where a delight to listen and learn from. They will be back hopefully in the New Year for anyone that missed them. Christmas is Coming One for the diaries! Sonairte is holding a Christmas Fayre on the 22 nd December 11am till 2pm. There will be a free glass of mulled wine to get you in the Christmas spirit on arrival. We will have local stalls full of food, crafts and Eco friendly gifts. For anyone interested in having a stall at the fayre, please email hello@sonairte.ie SALE! We’re doing it again this Christmas! Our Raised Beds are down to €20. The ideal gift for the gardener in your life, or for that person who always said they haven’t enough room to garden. Available in our Eco-shop for the month of December. A great new year’s resolution! Markets We will be at the Cottage Market in St. Peters Church Drogheda on Saturday 14 th December. Christmas Opening Hours We will close 22 nd December until the 3 rd January. We’d like to thank all our customers, friends and workers for a successful and busy year here at Sonairte, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We also welcomed Newgrange Falconry to Sonairte, in aid of local boy Slav. Him- self and his family are in the middle of fundraising for an oxygen chamber which will be a huge benefit against his fight with cancer. Sonairte© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 41 Christmas Arrangements, Star of the Sea Church, Mornington S unday 8th December Christmas Carol Service at 6pm Tuesday 17th December Donacarney Girls National School Christmas Carol Service at 7.30pm Saturday 21 st December Christmas Penitential Service after 6.00pm Mass Sunday 22nd December Mass at 10.00am & 11.30am Christmas Eve - Tuesday 24 th December 4pm: Pre-school Children & Children up to 1 st Class will participate at this Mass. 6pm: Children in 2 nd to 6 th Class will participate at this Mass. 9pm: Christmas Eve Vigil Mass. Christmas Day – Wednesday 25th December Mass at 10.00am and 11.30am Saturday 28th December Vigil Mass at 6.00pm Sunday 29th December Mass at 10.00am & 11.30am New Year’s Day – Wednessday 1st January 2020 Mass at 12 noon Saturday 4th January : Vigil Mass at 6pm Sunday 5th January 2020: Mass at 10.00am & 11.30am Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord Sunday 5th January: Vigil Mass at 6pm Monday 6th January: Mass at 8:45am These Masses will mark the end of the Christmas Season. Advent and Christmas at Sacred Heart Church Laytown L ectio Divina: Each Thursday evening during Advent at 7.30pm Children’s Nativity Mass If your child would like to take part in the Christmas Eve Nativity play at the 5pm Mass on Christmas Eve, please give names to members of the Children’s lit- urgy group... Christmas Mass Times Tuesday 24th December – Christmas Eve Children’s Mass at 5pm. Mass of Christmas ‘midnight’ at 9pm. Wednesday 25th December – Christmas Day ‘Dawn Mass’ at 10am ‘Day Mass’ at 12 noon. We wish all the people of our Parish a very happy Christmas and every blessing for 2020 CU supports Meals on Wheels T he Community committee fund of East Meath branch of Drogheda Cred- it union has presented a cheque for €400 to East Meath Meals on Wheels. Pictured left to right are. Ciara OBrien, Branch Manager. Aidan Gibney, director and Chairperson of East Meath Community Committee. Catriona Leydon and Marie Savage (East Meath Meals on Wheels)© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 42 Retirement Savings System What is Automatic Enrolment ? O n 30 th October the Government ap- proved a large part of a new Automat- ic Enrolment Retirement Savings System which will supplement the State Pension from 2022. The aim of this process is to improve supplementary pension coverage. Is €248 per week enough for most of us to survive on when we reach retirement? Who is it for? • Current and new employees aged be- tween 23 and 60 years of age and earn- ing €20,000 or above per annum across all employments will be automatically enrolled. • Employees earning below €20,000 per annum and employees aged under 23 and over 60 will be able to ‘opt-in’ to the system. • Employer contributions will be limited to a qualifying earnings threshold of €75,000 – which will be reviewed over time. • Employees who are existing members of a pension scheme/contract which meets prescribed minimum standards and contribution levels will not be auto- matically enrolled. How will it work for employees? • Unless an employee is a member of a scheme already, contributions during the first six months of membership will be compulsory. Opt out is available after this time and a refund of contributions. • A limited number of ‘Savings Suspen- sion periods’ will be facilitated for mem- bers who wish to temporarily cease mak- ing contributions. Employer and State tax relief will also cease in this scenario. • Members who opt-out will be automati- cally re-enrolled after three years but will have the ability to opt-out again under the same circumstances outlined above. Life Assurance Pensions Income Protection Investments Financial Planning Drumgoole Financial Services is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland Oran Drumgoole QFA Phone 087 668 6624 Office 041 981 2080 oran@drumgoolebrokerage.ie www.drumgoolebrokerage.ie • Employees (rather than employers) will be responsible for selecting a provider and a savings fund option. In the absence of any savings decision, the enrolled em- ployee will be automatically allocated to a default fund. These funds will operate on a Defined Contribution basis. • Invested funds and scheme member- ship will follow the member when members change employments. How will it work for employers? • Employees will be automatically en- rolled with the Central Processing Au- thority by their employer on commence- ment of employment. • Employers will be required to make a matching (tax deductible) contribution on behalf of the employee i.e. at a speci- fied contribution rate. It is worth noting that the specifics of Auto Enrolment may change between now and 2022. Part of the reason the government are introducing this process is due to the reliance on the state pension. Some peo- ple feel there is a chance the state pension will eventually be phased out or will re- duce over time for numerous reasons. The question people should ask themselves is, do they want to leave the future of their retirement lifestyle in the hands of future governments or would they prefer to save themselves and retain some element of control. Any questions? Contact Oran. §Tusla inspected • Part time places • Rural Setting Gormanston FREE ECCE PLACES from 2 years & 8 months Our staff are qualified, dedicated to providing kind, warm, tentative and a satisfying learning experience to each child 085 8619279 lamhabeagaanmhi@gmail.com Opening Times: 9am ·12pm Bettystown Alterations Wedding Alterations and Evening Wear Premises located behind the offices in McDonough Caravan Park on Triton Road (Opposite Tesco) Phone: 086 775 3 776 Tues - Sat 10am - 5pm Lunch 1:30pm - 2:30pm Close Tue 2pm Clothing Alterations •Wedding/Evening Wear • Leather/Suede Repairs •Curtains Same Day Service Relax, revive, renew with Reflexology Aromatherapy Massage Facials Phone Jess: 086 6010492 FB: @AromaWellnessHolisticTherapies Poor sleep, Digestive issues, Stress, Hormonal imbalances, Headaches, Sinus problems, Back pain, Sore, tired muscles Stamullen Virtual Assistant Online support for your business • Administration• PA Services • Customer Service• Credit Control • Expense Management• HR Support Services Include: Tailor made packages. Hourly rates available. Contact Susan on 087 3111 560 @susanbourke.com E:susan@susanbourke.com Muireann Mc Connell Reiki Master Reiki and Seichem Healing Meditation classes An Cuas 087 9895357 Reiki School of Ireland COMPUTER PROBLEM? Contact Oliver 041.988.7526 087.797.0740 iPhones Smartphones Repair Laptop/Desktop Repair & Upgrades Interior and exterior • High quality service Reasonable prices • Free Estimates Quality painting with a personal touch PH. 086-1624110 Email: deanlaheen@yahoo.co.uk Facebook: Dean Laheen Painting and Decorating Dean Laheen Painting & Decorating Mammy Day Care Crèche, Montessori & Afterschool Merry Christmas to all our Families Full and part-time care ECCE Free pre-school years Affordable childcare scheme After-school care Large outdoor play area 3 months to 12 years of age catered for Stamullen, Co. Meath E: info@mammydaycare.com T: 01 690 5333/086 8286927 Quality Award Winning Childcare© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 44 Drogheda Grammar School RTE Climate Assembly W e are very proud of our TY student Clodagh Donnelly who was se- lected to be part of RTÉ’s Youth Assem- bly to discuss issues surrounding Climate Change. Last week, November 11 th -15 th , RTÉ threw light on Climate Change is- sues. Clodagh was on RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday 11 th November where she talked about how the environmentally-friendly changes she has made to her life as well as how she’s tackling and confronting fear surrounding climate change. On Friday 15 th , the Youth Delegates took their seats in the Dáil to discuss the key issues surrounding climate change which were televised and live-streamed. Clodagh was also hand-selected by RTÉ to partake in a documentary where the will showcase all she has done to help the environment. We commend her for her passion in high- lighting this issue. Anti-Bullying Week From 21-25 th October DGS highlighted the dangers of bullying during Anti-Bul- lying week. In tutorial classes, students identified the different types of bullying, how to stop it happening, and how to get help if they’re affected. All classes also hung their anti-bullying slogan on the an- ti-bullying tree and wore wrist-bands for the week. All money raised through the non-uni- form day and bake sale went to Barnardos charity. Clodagh Donnelly 2nd from left.© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 45 350 Year Anniversary On Saturday 2 nd November DGS celebrat- ed 350 years of education in the Westcourt Hotel, Drogheda. It was a very enjoyable night as past students and staff came to- gether to reflect on their time in DGS. We were delighted to see so many famil- iar faces who have graced our corridors over the years. On the 12 th December at our Christmas Carol Service in the school, we will also launch our special 350 years’ anniversary book which will include pic- tures and stories from our school through- out the years. This evening is welcome to all and promises to be a great occasion. © December 2019 The Meath Coaster 46 Sport News Congratulations to our 1 st and 2 nd year girls’ netball team who were successful in vic- tory against St. Michael’s School, Dublin. Also to our 1 st and 2 nd year boys’ rugby team who were victorious over Dame Addams School, Newcastle, UK. Art and German Trip Friday 15 th November our Art and German students visited the National Art Gallery to view a Bauhaus exhibition. A great cross- curricular learning experience for students as they saw various exhibitions and shared their knowledge from both subjects. A busy month for our students of German as they were also host to the arrival of the Deutschmobil. The Deutschmobil is an educational project which is organised by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Aus- tauschdienst), the German Embassy in Dub- lin and the Goethe-Institut Ireland. It was initiated in September 2013 as part of the wider campaign ‘GermanConnects’ in order to promote German language in Ireland. © December 2019 The Meath Coaster 47 On Thursday the 21 st November the Deutschmobil vehicle visited Drogheda Grammar School. Junior and Leaving Cer- tificate students were involved in interac- tive lessons with Ms Christine Kopke, a visiting teacher from Cologne. Students really enjoyed learning about Germany, learning new idioms and to practise their Deutsch with a native speaker! Congratulations Congratulations to all our students who took part in the recent School Stars com- petition that took place in the TLT. In particular, we want to congratulate TY student Tadgh Lynch and 1 st year student Emma Reddan who came 2 nd in the compe- tition. Not only excellent results but also wonderful ambassadors for the school. § PLEASE PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR BEACH SAFE AND REPORT SPEEDING OR DANGEROUS DRIVING TO THE GARDAI 041 9827074 ( WHY NOT ENTER THIS NUMBER IN YOUR MOBILE PHONE NOW ) If possible try to take a photograph of the offending vehicle to show registration number and the driver, the Gardaí will take action. We, as beach users, must try to protect ourselves by reporting Dangerous Driving and Anti Social Behaviour to the Gardaí. This is the only way we can make our beach safe for all and be able to enjoy this wonderful natural amenity. This notice has been placed by concerned citizens of Laytown, Bettystown and Mornington. LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN MORNINGTON LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN MORNINGTON LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN MORNINGTON MEATH'S GOLD COAST MEATH'S GOLD COAST MEATH'S GOLD COAST MORNINGTON LAYTOWN BETTYSTOWN © December 2019 The Meath Coaster 48 Honour your Irish ancestors abroad. Bring their name home. EPIC Ireland EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum invites people of Irish heritage all over the world to bring their family name back to Irish shores. E PIC The Irish Emigration Museum announced the launch of a major new exhibition inviting people from all over the world to pay tribute to their Irish an- cestors who emigrated, by adding their names to the museum. People in East Meath are invited to be among the first to include the names of their ancestors and the details of their journey to be displayed in an interactive exhibition in EPIC. This will be on dis- play to all visitors of the museum, show- ing the spread of Irish emigrant names throughout the world. Every emigrant who left Irish shores took one very important thing with them, something that gave them their strength, their identity, their power to change the world and something that they would pass on to future generations – their name. By adding the names of people who moved from Ireland, EPIC is giving the millions of people of Irish descent an op- portunity to reconnect their ancestor’s name with their homeland. “Every person who left Ireland is part of our emigration history.” says Patrick Greene, CEO and Museum Director of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. “The life they started in a new country is part of the impact of the Irish abroad and this exhibition aims to pay tribute to them and spotlight a powerful part of their story - their name. These journeys were not taken lightly and this exhibition marks the decisions they made to leave and cel- ebrates the journeys they made and the lives they went on to build.” Tens of thousands of people have visited EPIC over the past three years, making it one of the most popular visitor attractions in Dublin’s Docklands. It is one of the top 5 rated attractions on TripAdvisor for visitors to Dublin and has been called “one of Ireland’s National Treasures” in Irish Diaspora media. Visitors of Irish descent regularly com- ment that it deepens their understanding of the story of Irish emigration and makes them feel even prouder of their heritage and culture. The Power of a Name exhibition The exhibition opened on 1 st October 2019 and is situated in the Connections gallery in EPIC. Visitors are invited to become part of the exhibition by adding their ancestors’ names onsite. Alternatively, people can add their name via the EPIC website by visiting www.ep- icchq.com/names. As well as their names, the exhibition will include where they emigrated from and the year they left. §© December 2019 The Meath Coaster 49 December Festive Foods S eason’s greetings to all the Meath Coaster readers out there! Wishing you all a happy and healthy festive season. As it is the festive period, let’s look at the health benefits associated with some typical festive foods: Turkey This low-fat meat contains less choles- terol than chicken, pork or beef and is an excellent source of protein, particularly the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan produces serotonin which promotes sleep and helps improve your mood (useful for those of us who experience seasonal af- fected disorder). Tryptothan along with the selenium contained within turkey plays an important role in strengthening the immune system, which is important during the flu season. Turkey also contains zinc and vitamins B3, B6 and B12, all of which are known to aid energy production - beneficial dur- ing the dark days of Winter when we may find ourselves lethargic. Brussel Sprouts OK these are not a personal favourite of mine over the festive season but they de- serve to be mentioned due to their health benefits. Brussels sprouts are a member of the cruciferous vegetable family (which also includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc) all of which supply a rich variety of nutrients with few calories. They are one of the better green vegetable sources of protein, and just one serving meets the daily vitamin C and vitamin K require- ments. Research has shown that Brus- sels sprouts and other crucifer- ous vegetables may help protect brain function and eyesight, re- duce nasal allergy inflammation and even manage blood sugar levels. Chestnuts These are the only low-fat nut, contain- ing just 1g fat and less than 70kCal /oz of dried or roasted nuts. Chestnuts are an ex- cellent source of manganese and molyb- denum and a good source of magnesium. In addition, chestnuts are a good source of vitamin C - just 3 ounces of chestnuts sup- ply approx 45% of the RDA of this vital antioxidant - as well as vitamins B1, B2, and B6 and folic acid. Chestnuts also contain dietary fibre, which helps lower blood cholesterol levels. Cranberries These berries contain high levels of an- tioxidants and have long been associ- ated with managing UTIs but their health benefits extend beyond the urinary tract. Recent research has suggested that cran- berries may reduce the risk of cardio-vas- cular disease (CVD) by managing several of the risk factors of CVD – the research found that blood pressure and BMI were reduced and the level of "good," choles- terol or HDL were improved. Cranberries have also been shown to en- hance oral health by preventing bacteria from binding to the surface of the teeth. Anna Ryan, Dip. NT, DC, MNTOI, BAI, BA www.nicanutrition.ie nicanutrition@gmail.comNext >