A Westmeath Christmas (2022)
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18<br />
A <strong>Westmeath</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
TOPIC • December 8, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Castletown-Geoghegan this <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
Get your best tractor decorated for the<br />
Castletown-Geoghegan <strong>Christmas</strong> Tractor<br />
Run, which is set to take place on Sunday,<br />
December 18 at 12.30pm. All funds raised<br />
on the day will go towards helping with<br />
Streete at<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong><br />
FAIRY LIGHT TRACTOR RUN<br />
Tractor Runs are great fun and those<br />
taking part and observing get a great<br />
buzz from joining these community<br />
events. Join the fun in Streete after<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> on Wednesday, December 28,<br />
when a Fairy Light Tractor Run will<br />
take place.<br />
The convoy will set off from Streete<br />
Parish Park around 6pm and<br />
participants will follow a speedcontrolled<br />
management vehicle, which<br />
sets the pace along the well-organised<br />
10km route, before the incredible sight<br />
will make its way back to Streete Parish<br />
Park. The run was a fantastic success<br />
last year. Please spread the word. For<br />
information call Declan on 086 812 3514<br />
or Kevin on 087 137 5222.<br />
WALKING TRACK MEMBERSHIP<br />
Membership for Streete Parish Park<br />
walking track is due for renewal in<br />
January. This might solve a <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
present idea for someone you know who<br />
enjoys walking on the track, or perhaps<br />
someone you know who might like to<br />
start walking.<br />
New member application forms can be<br />
found in the entrance hall of the Parish<br />
Park or by calling into the office<br />
upstairs on Tuesday, Wednesday or<br />
Thursday from 10am until 1.30pm.<br />
Single membership is €20 and a family<br />
is €30.<br />
Gift vouchers are available from the<br />
office. Please ask any of the committee<br />
or call Kevin 087 137 5222. All cheques<br />
should be made payable to Streete<br />
Parish Park.<br />
Ballinafid<br />
Multyfarnham<br />
Bunbrosna<br />
★ There’s always plenty to do in the<br />
Multyfarnham area and <strong>Christmas</strong> is<br />
no different. Read on and get involved<br />
in what’s happening in your area this<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong>.<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> Wreath<br />
Crafting<br />
★ <strong>Christmas</strong> wreath making activities<br />
with BMB ACTIVE takes place on<br />
Tuesday, December 13 in<br />
Multyfarnham Community Centre<br />
from 10am to 12.30pm. It should be<br />
enjoyable, and all you need to bring is<br />
your scissors. Text ‘Wreath’ to 087 172<br />
3256 to book your place.<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> Dinner<br />
★ There will be <strong>Christmas</strong> Dinner and<br />
music in the Annebrook Hotel with<br />
increased church heating expenses in St.<br />
Michael’s Church, Castletown-Geoghegan.<br />
This festive tractor run was proposed by a<br />
very alert parishioner, who suggested it<br />
might be a good idea.<br />
<br />
BMB ACTIVE on Tuesday, December<br />
13 at 3pm. To join in the fun, please<br />
text ‘<strong>Christmas</strong> Dinner’ to 087 173 2356<br />
and let us know if you have any<br />
specific dietary requirements.<br />
Carols by Candlelight<br />
★ Join us for Carols by Candlelight at<br />
the National Concert Hall on<br />
Wednesday, December 19 at 3pm. This<br />
is a lovely way to spend an evening<br />
during the festive period. If you’re<br />
interested in joining us, please text<br />
‘NCH’ to 087 172 3256 and book your<br />
ticket and place on the bus to the<br />
venue and home again, safe and<br />
sound!<br />
Abbey Blooms<br />
★ Something exciting is coming to<br />
Abbey Blooms this December. Come<br />
along on Thursday, December 15 from<br />
11am to 5pm and experience<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> at Abbey Blooms with<br />
Santa, a magical <strong>Christmas</strong> garden,<br />
music, market stalls and much more.<br />
Your support in any way would be most<br />
welcome. Be sure and tell as many people<br />
as possible (with tractors) and make this a<br />
real fun event and a great day out.<br />
Refreshments will be provided after the<br />
Sandra and Carmel McGivney with Harry McCormack<br />
pictured with some of the great handicrafts at the<br />
Clonkill <strong>Christmas</strong> Market on Sunday, November 20<br />
at Clonkill GAA club.<br />
event in St. Michael’s Hall, Castletown-<br />
Geoghegan, and a cake sale will also take<br />
place in the hall afterwards.<br />
There will be a prize for the Best Festive<br />
Tractor.<br />
<br />
FELT WREATH<br />
There are many types of wreaths to make<br />
at <strong>Christmas</strong>time. This is an easy,<br />
evergreen wreath that won’t dry out so<br />
you can use it every year. Using a few<br />
variations of green coloured felt and<br />
small red baubles, adds a festive look to<br />
your creation.<br />
To make, take one wreath foam<br />
(available in hobby shops / florists) and<br />
cut your different coloured felt into strips<br />
different shades of green felt – cut long<br />
enough to ensure you have at least 3<br />
inches hanging after you tie the strips in<br />
a knot around the foam.<br />
Tie the strips (in alternate colours)<br />
around a wreath form. Attach small red<br />
baubles / ornaments throughout the<br />
wreath with hot glue. Loop a length of<br />
wide ribbon around the wreath to hang.<br />
Gift as it is or in a colourfully decorated<br />
box.<br />
WOOD PALLET CHRISTMAS TREE<br />
Avoid the fuss of <strong>Christmas</strong> trees this<br />
year and paint your own! Go one step<br />
further and decorate it with small lights,<br />
and set a few presents outside. This might<br />
be a nice gift for your grandparents for<br />
outside their door so they don’t have to<br />
fuss with <strong>Christmas</strong> trees inside.<br />
To make, simply paint a tree on a<br />
shipping crate and embellish the slats<br />
with coloured pom-poms and small lights.<br />
THUMBPRINT CHRISTMAS CARDS<br />
Get ‘all thumbs – big and small’ on board<br />
to make (and gift) these unique <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
cards, which start with plain white<br />
notecards. Make postcard type cards or<br />
proper cards to use or gift in packs of 5/<br />
10. These make a fantastic family ‘from<br />
our home to yours’ cards.<br />
To make, organise an evening around<br />
the kitchen table with all the family.<br />
Agree on some prints and proceed to get<br />
stuck in! Use festive ink or paint colours,<br />
such as greens, reds, browns, but use<br />
whatever colours you wish to create your<br />
masterpiece.<br />
For a card with greenery, use green ink<br />
to stamp thumbs and press onto card to<br />
make leaves. Add berries and bow with a<br />
red marker and stems with green watercolour<br />
paint.<br />
For a card with a string of lights, stamp<br />
thumbs in your selection of coloured ink<br />
shades. Use a black fine-tip marker to<br />
draw a string connecting the lights and<br />
write your greeting on the card.<br />
For a reindeer herd card, simply stamp<br />
thumbs in brown ink and press onto<br />
blank card. Use fine-tip black/brown<br />
markers to draw antlers, eyes, and noses,<br />
making sure you add at least one red nose<br />
(for Rudolph!).