Sunday, May 25, 2008

Pancake Special - the children
did flipp’in great as per usual!

Taking part in the national pancake party for the Children’s hospital in Tallaght has become somewhat of a tradition for the children of Ballymore Eustace and once again the children did not let us down in consuming pancakes for this very special cause on Pancake Tuesday.

130 pupils from junior infants, senior infants, first class and second class in Scoil Mhuire primary school took part and raised a fantastic €233. The children in the Early years baby and toddler group raised €86.

The staff of the community playgroup went a step further this year, since they held a pancake party on pancake Tuesday but also held parties on the Monday and Wednesday of that week to accommodate the children who do not attend on a Tuesday such was the interest the parents showed in having their little ones participate in this great event. So once again hats off to the dedicated and fun loving staff of the community playgroup.
The ‘three day community playgroup pancake party’ raised €138.

Thus in total, €457 was raised by these three local child based institutions for sick children in Tallaght Children’s hospital which is something they should be very proud of.


Well done all!
Fiona Breslin

(Note: All figures are net after expenses for purchasing pancakes have been covered).


A GOOD READ with Angie

I was back in the USA for the first of this month’s books, and what a super page-turner. “The Interpretation of Murder” by Jed Rubenfeld (Paperback: Headline Review: 12 euro) was lent to me by Emma Marshall, who also brought me to “The Road”, so she definitely has great taste in books…..Rubenfeld’s novel is set in the burgeoning city of New York in 1909. The book really evokes the sense of time and place as the city builds its magnificent skyscrapers and bridges, and the architecture is almost like a character in it’s own right. The thriller has an unusual edge as it is based upon the first and only visit to the USA of Sigmund Freud, the famous psychoanalyst from Europe, and relates a blend of fact and fiction surrounding Freud and his acolytes.

The plot is excellent as it twists and turns around several strange attacks, so that the reader is never quite sure what lens it is looking through. The characterisation is also rich and interesting, not only with the famous figures of Freud and Carl Jung, but the rest of the cast are finely and convincingly drawn. If you have any interest in psychology it will probably make the novel doubly interesting, but even without this it’s a great read- I don’t want to say too much more about it as it would be a pity to give any of the mystery away- a good book to take for a long journey where you know you’ll have lots of time to get properly stuck into it.

The second novel was very different: “The Penelopiad” by Margaret Atwood (Paperback: Cannon Gate: 12 euro). We have all heard of The Odyssey and the exile and trials of its eponymous hero, Odysseus. The Penelopiad is a re-telling of the Greek myth from the perspective of his long-suffering wife, Penelope. You could say it is more of a feminist handling of the ancient tale, but it’s not at all preachy or political. It is very witty and clever and a real joy to read. We see Penelope’s view of marriage and relationships with a range of men from her father to her son, as well as the hilarious commentary on Helen of Troy, to whom she always seemed to play second fiddle.

There is also a slight air of danger and malice in Penelope’s tale as she narrates how Odysseus kills the maids who have been consorting with the suitors for her hand. I liked this book as it was quirky and sharp, I have been along-time fan of Atwood’s and this rendition of ancient Greece does not disappoint.

As usual the book should be available from Janet Hawkins at the Blessington Bookstore, who is also promoting the book on Dyslexia feature in this month’s Bugle.

Happy spring reading!

PS Thanks to Finn Gallagher for the feedback in last month’s Bugle- I was thrilled to know someone in Canada was reading the book review! (Even if our tastes do differ Finn!)

Angie Thompson

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