Galway Advertiser 2003/2003_06_26/GA_26062003_E1_017.pdf 

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Tom Welby jr Meeting the seeks PD seat in spiritual needs of next local election
BY JULIE TIERNEY O U G H T E R A R D B U S I N E S S M A N T o m Welby j r is seeking the Progressive Democrats n o m i n a t i o n t o r u n in next year's local elections.

young people
BY SINEAD MCGOVERN
as they once did. " T h e priests really need h e l p . T h e r e is still a feeling within a lot of parishes that everything can be left for him to d o , but w h o is there to help him o u t ? " he said. Based in Aras na Brun across from the cathedral, the youth ministry team try to d o just that. Next Tuesday, they will bring 5 0 y o u n g people from the diocese of Galway to Lourdes, on what h a s n o w b e c o m e an a n n u a l trip. F o r seven d a y s a g r o u p of y o u n g p e o p l e aged from 17 to 35 will travel to place of p i l g r i m a g e . T h e g r o u p will attend mass every morning, visit the baths, do t h e s t a t i o n s of t h e c r o s s , h e l p t h e disabled people make their way a r o u n d , a n d take part in t h e international youth mass.

T h e w e l l - k n o w n c o m m u n i t y activist h a s joined the Oughterard branch of the P D s and is looking t o capture a seat o n the G a l w a y C o u n t y C o u n c i l for t h e P D s in t h e C o n n e m a r a electoral area. A native o f Oughterard, he is proprietor of Welby*s filling station a n d c o m e s from a w e l l - k n o w n p o l i t i c a l family. T h e W e l b y s have been active in local politics in Galway for more than t w o decades and Welby says h e i s v e r y p r o u d t o f o l l o w in t h e s t r o n g family tradition. H i s father Tom senior, w h o recently passed away, w a s a well known former county councillor and successful businessman in Oughterard. A former chairman of the Oughterard Tidy T o w n s and treasurer of the Oughterard Tourism and Development Association, Welby is currently chairman of Oughterard C o m m u n i t y Council and chairman of Oughterard F a s sponsoring group. H e is also the c o m m u n i t y representative for north west Connemara on Fas Social Economy, community representative on the Fds C E F r a m e w o r k c o m m i t t e e for C o G a l w a y , a n d county representative on the County Development Board steering group. "I have a l w a y s h a d a very strong interest in s o c i a l a n d c o m m u n i t y affairs, a n d for

many years have been actively involved in the local community. Together with the m e m b e r s of the various c o m m i t t e e s on which I have served, I have worked hard to secure funding to improve the services and facilities available at local level." T h r o u g h his involvement with the other m e m b e r s of the steering group of the County D e v e l o p m e n t Board, he helped to organise the first youth conference in Galway in April of this year. "Youth and c o m m u n i t y issues will continue to be a big priority for m e if I a m s u c c e s s f u l in t h e local e l e c t i o n s next May." Welby says he w a s attracted to the PDs b e c a u s e of its strong r e f o r m i n g e t h o s , particularly in the insurance market and in l o w e r i n g t a x e s . "I think I w o u l d b e better able t o represent people at local level if 1 a m a m e m b e r of a party in G o v e r n m e n t . Being involved in a party like the P D s allows m e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o really g e t t h i n g s d o n e , particularly in the area of social, community, and youth affairs." Galway west deputy Noel Grealish expressed delight at Welby putting his name forward for the forthcoming selection convention and said he thinks he will make a great candidate and councillor.

" Y O U C A N ' T b e a n u n , y o u ' r e w e a r i n g colourful clothes!"Aileen M u r p h y l a u g h e d a s she e x p l a i n e d w h a t o n e of t h e y o u n g people s h e w o r k s w i t h said t o h e r w h e n s h e discovered s h e w a s a n u n . W e a r i n g a b r i g h t a n d colourful s t r i p y j u m p e r , s h e c e r t a i n l y d o e s n ' t fit most of o u r p r e c o n c e p t i o n s of w h a t a n u n s h o u l d look like. Aileen M u r p h y R L R is a n u n , but like most nuns nowadays, she doesn't w e a r the traditional dress. " I t ' s really do clay work, tai chi, listen to music, and hold discussion g r o u p s . " A l l the k i d s tell u s h o w g r e a t it w a s t o b e listened to. It's o n e thing to get them talking, but the important thing is to listen to them," said Concannon.

'Most nuns don't wear the traditional dress now.
only nuns in closed orders that wear t h e m now," she explained. Murphy is p a r t of t h e G a l w a y Y o u t h M i n i s t r y team, a group of four people w h o have been working with young people in the diocese for the last two years. In a step a w a y from the traditional m e t h o d s , they are trying to reach out t o young people to reintroduce them to G o d by means of retreats and visits to Lourdes.

"There is a spiritual side to us all. We may not all find Mass appealing, but there is still a need there,
While mass attendance among young people has dropped. Gibbons

P U B L I C

A N N O U N C E M E N T

Galway City Council and P. Clarke and Sons, in association with Bord Gais, wish to advise the public that Taylors Hill will be closed for the period - Monday, 23rd June 2003 to Sunday, 31st August 2003. The purpose of the closure is to facilitate the laying of ducting for the installation of a broadband network and the construction of natural gas distribution pipelines. Alternative routes shall be via Threadneedle Road, Dr. Mannix Road and Salthill Road Lower. Local access will be maintained at all times. Access to the Ardilaun House Hotel will also be preserved and specifically sign posted. Galway City Council, P. Clarke and Sons and Bord Gais apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience while they work towards developing a broadband network and natural gas distribution network for Galway city.

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T h e other members of the team are Noel Gibbons, a former sales rep w h o joined the team in November, Carmel C o n c a n n o n , a f o r m e r m u s i c teacher. They brought a group last year for the first time and it was a great success and as a result t h e a p p l i c a t i o n s this y e a r far e x c e e d e d t h e required 5 0 . Many of the applicants had been on the trip last year. " O n e girl last year told us that she w a s so happy that she had found her relationship with G o d . She t h o u g h t s h e h a d lost i t , " said Concannon. A girl from Lisdoonvarna came back from the trip eager to share what s h e h a d learned in h e r p a r i s h she set u p a choir. Half of the cost of the trip is paid for by the parish the young person c o m e s f r o m . In r e t u r n t h e y a r e a s k e d t o contribute to the running of the parish in s o m e w a y for three m o n t h s w h e n they r e t u r n . T h e y c a n h e l p o u t by reading at mass or singing in the choir. S o m e people visit old people in their area, a n d o t h e r s h e l p g r o u p s p r e p a r e for t h e i r c o n f i r m a t i o n . " C o n c a n n o n said. T h e g r o u p is a l s o i n v o l v e d in t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n ol r e l i g i o u s retreats for secondary schools At the retreats they believes that work like this is still vital among young people today with all the factors of stress in their lives. "There is a spiritual side to us all. We may not all find mass appealing, but there is still a need there," he said. " W h a t w e t r y a n d d o is h e l p t h e young people b e c o m e aware of G o d ' s love for t h e m . W e try a n d help them d i s c o v e r their o w n talents. E v e r y o n e has different talents, and what we need t o d o is w o r k w i t h e v e r y b o d y ' s individual strengths and build the community that way," said Sr Murphy, who leads the retreats. T h e hierarchy that o n c e existed in the church is changing, she explained. "The old style w a s all centred around the priest, but now it's about the parish and t h e sense of c o m m u n i t y . I t ' s people friendly." T h e y plan t o take a b i g g e r g r o u p with them to Lourdes next year. A n y o n e w h o is i n t e r e s t e d in g o i n g along should contact Aras na Brun in September.

One girl last year told us that she was so happy that she had found her relationship with God. She thought she had lost it
and Fr Martin Glynn, the parish curate in B a l l y b a n e . T h e y act as a support structure for the priests in the diocese. As the n u m b e r s of o r d i n a t i o n s d e c r e a s e , t h e w o r k l o a d of priests inevitably increases and Gibbons says that priests arc no longer able to singlchandcdly m a n a g e parish affairs

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CLARKE

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