WELCOME
Welcome to the Cashel, Ferns, Ossory Mothers' Union website. The website will carry news, articles and photographs of Mothers' Union events throughout the United Diocese and also All-Ireland news.
The website will be regularly updated and if any Branch wishes to have an event, article or photograph published on the website please forward it to our Diocesan Secretary, Margaret Jacob. Email: cfomothersunion@gmail.com
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CONTACT DETAILS
Cashel, Ferns, Ossory
For further information please contact:
Diocesan Secretary: Cecily Jones
News Updates
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If you would like to advertise an event on the Spinner please contact The Diocesan Secretary, Cecily Jones.
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Latest News
- 25th November @ 3p.m ~ Global Day Service, Killeshin ~ R93 EC84 ~ Church Road, Graiguecullen, Co. Carlow
Lesley Bayley
The Diocesan President of
Cashel, Ferns, Ossory Mothers' Union
Theme for 2023 ~ Transformation - Now!
A Letter from the Diocesan President ~ Lesley Bayley
Dear fellow members,
The All Ireland Autumn Council took place in Seagoe Parish Centre, in Portadown on Saturday October the 21st. Valerie, Cecily, William and I all travelled up for the day and it was great to see so many familiar faces, and to catch up with good MU friends again. It was a busy day full of reports and information, with lots of business was carried out, including much planning for 2024, the final year of the triennium.
Our own diocesan council took place in the Dolmen Hotel, Carlow on the following Tuesday and again it was a very full agenda. Reports were given from all the units and it is great to hear of the wonderful work MU is doing, not just locally, but throughout the world. We took time out to learn how to make the RISE UP doves, which will feature in our campaigning against domestic abuse in the future, and to look at how best to complete branch returns to show correctly the impact each branch is having on the wider community, through our outreach and fundraising. This information is imputed into the MU Live portal, and is used to form part of the Annual Report. For those who could not attend council the minutes will be circulated in the coming weeks. As a diocese we should all be very proud of how much we do in our communities, and how many families we have helped this year through our 3 grant schemes.
On Sunday the 5th of November we held our first MU Harvest Service in St. Peter’s, Portlaoise. Thanks to Revd. Alec and the parishioners for their hospitality, to Sarah Foyle the organist, Shane Reynolds for recording the service (it should be on the Mothers’ Union YouTube channel shortly), Valerie Power for co-leading with me, and to our wonderful preacher Beverley Barbour from Portlaoise Methodist Church.
Thanks also to all of you who came on the day and made the service such a great success, and especially to those who brought displays, floral and other, based on our theme of hymn 602 (CC Kerr d.1964):
‘Two little eyes to look to God,two little ears to hear his word,two little feet to walk in his ways,two little lips to sing his praise,two little hands to do his will,and one little heart to love him still.’
It was never intended to be a competition, but the displays were so amazing that at the last minute we decided to award prizes to those who brought them. First place went to Dorothy Langley (Cashel Branch) with joint second going to Kiltegan and Kilkenny Branches.
The work of Mothers’ Union never stops and next year there will be many more exciting projects, including the ‘Big Hymn Sing’ and puzzle book for Mums in May, a Spring Supper Dance, a weekend retreat, and much, much more. Continue to check the monthly newsletter for details of dates and venues for everything that is planned.
I would like to wish you all a very Happy and holy Christmas, and see you all in 2024.
With every blessing,
Lesley xxx
Click on the image below to download the
December 23 Newsletter
Click on the image above to bring you to
the All-Ireland website to read all about
The Triennial All-Ireland Mothers'
Union Conference 2023
Click on the image above to view a video of the work
of Mothers' Union in Ireland created for
The Annual Gathering in Belfast 2022
Click on the image above to download a poster re
grants available from CFO Mothers' Union
Mothers' Union Video
Click on the Mothers' Union emblem below to see the video highlighting the work of Mothers' Union which was filmed at the Triennial Conference in Termonfeckin in March 2017
The video features members of Mothers' Union from around Ireland telling all about the organisation and the many different projects supported by Mothers' Union both here at home and in Third World Countries.
One of the clips features our very own Joan Blake who can be seen knitting a matinee jacket and talking about the Mothers' Union Knitting Project
Below also is a link to the main Mothers' Union
Facebook Page
The All-Ireland Facebook Pages
Click on the image above to to bring you
to a page on the All Ireland Website
with a Report on the Getaway Weekend 2023
Click on the image below to bring you to the
All-Ireland You Tube Channel
SPIN SPRING 2023
The latest edition of Spin is now available
to download.
Click on the image below
Cards & Gifts
Available from
* MU Enterprise *
Naomi Besanson currently has
cards available to purchase plus cards to suit many other occasions.
Please contact
Prayer Diary 2023
Click on the image above to download the
Prayer Diary for 2023
Dates for your Diary
- 25th November @ 3p.m ~ Global Day Service, Killeshin ~ R93 EC84 ~ Church Road, Graiguecullen, Co. Carlow
2024:
- 7th February @ 7p.m. ~ Festival Service, Kiltegan ~ W91 DC44 ~ St Peter’s Church, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow
- 25th March ~ Lady Day
- 20th April ~ Spring Council (Venue to be confirmed)
- 17th - 19th May ~ Getaway Weekend (more details to follow)
- 23rd June ~ International Widow's Day
- 9th August ~ Mary Sumner Day
- 26th October ~ Autumn Council
- 7th November @ 11.15a.m. ~ Holy Communion Service in St. Mary's Church Carlow, ~ R93 YW77 ~ St. Mary's, Church, Carlow, Co. Carlow
The Mothers' Union Harvest Service Portlaoise took place in Saint Peter's Church, Grattan Street, Portlaoise, Co. Laois on Sunday 5th November.
Click on the image above to view a video of the service
Click on the image above to view a video of the service
Christ Church Cathedral Dublin
Mothers’ Union Holy Communion Service
Thursday 7th December
The next Mothers' Union service will take place on
- Thursday 7th December ~ All Ireland @ 11.15 am ~ Christ Church Cathedral
It is hoped that the service will be available to view on the Live Stream Channel.
June's Walk in Kilkenny
June Butler's first walk in the Diocese took place in Kilkenny on Thursday 8th June. We are very grateful to Florrie Carter and her team in Kilkenny Mothers' Union for all of the time and effort they put in to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Those participating enjoyed a lovely walk over the new bridge, by the river and on to the Castle Grounds before returning to the cathedral. Pat Nolan accompanied us on the walk giving an interesting account of all of the historical areas we passed. Sam Harper met up with us en route and provided same lovely ice-cream for refreshments. Some of the walkers had other commitments and were unable to continue on the walk but eight completed it. We were delighted that Bishop Michael Burrows was able to join us for the walk too.
Our thanks to the ladies from Kilkenny MU for all of the hospitality they provided both before and after the walk.
June thanked everyone for their support and welcome to Kilkenny. Florrie Carter, Branch leader, presented June with a small token to mark her visit to Kilkenny.
June's Second Walk ~ Tintern Abbey
June Butler's second walk in CFO took place on Monday 12th July at Tintern Abbey near Saltmills in Co. Wexford. The weather forecast for the morning was miserable but thankfully it turned out to be fine and a lovely day for walking. It was wonderful to meet up with so many members before eight set off to complete one of the longer walks through the woods.
June was delighted to meet up with Bea Thorpe in the walled gardens and have a chat with her. Three ladies set off with June to complete a further two kilometers so as to achieve her 7km target on each walk. When we arrived back in the car park we met up with Anne Barrett, a former All-Ireland President, and our own Phyllis Grothier, who was the previous All-Ireland President, was also present.
Our thanks to Olive Thorpe for her work in arranging the walk and to everyone who attended Tintern Abbey on the day.
Walk No. 3 in Cashel, Ferns, Ossory
June's third walk in Cashel, Ferns, Ossory, the final walk of her series for Mums in May 2021, took place on Tuesday 26th October. The venue for the walk was the Railway Walk in Tinahely. We were delighted that many from the Diocese were able to attend as well as Sylvia Wheatley (Diocesan President of Meath & Kildare) with some of her family and also the All-Ireland Treasurer, Revd. Ken Rue. June began by thanking everyone for coming to join her on the walk and Revd. Rue led us in prayer. Lesley Bayley, Diocesan President of CFO, also welcomed June to Tinahely for her final walk before a group headed off on the walk led by local MU member, Hazel Stedman.
Four walkers completed just over 7kms with June through a lovely tranquil area of woodland and admiring the lovely autumnal colours of the trees. They met up with those who had completed a shorter walk on their return to the car park. A group then adjourned to the D'Lish Cafe in Tinahely for lunch.
A large number of members from Cashel, Ferns and Ossory and friends enjoyed a lovely afternoon in Rathwood on Friday 3rd June. They enjoyed a delicious "Afternoon Tea" and it was a wonderful occasion for everyone to meet up for a chat too. The afternoon was organised by our Diocesan President, Lesley Bayley, not only to celebrate the Platinum Jublilee of our Patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2, but also to raise much needed funds for our Diocesan Projects. Thank you Lesley for all of the thought and effort you put in to all of the activities for Mothers' Union in the Diocese.
The Diocese has also been busy providing much needed support to a Ukranian family who are being rehoused in Enniscorthy. Members have also been knitting and sewing fiddle sleeves and blankets at the request of a nursing home in Kilkenny. These are used with patients who are suffering from dementia and a request came to Mothers' Union to see if we could provide a supply for patients in the nursing home.
Getting to know our Founder In Ireland
Annabella Hayes
1847 – 1921
Mothers’ Union was founded in Raheny, Dublin in 1887 by Mrs Annabella Hayes. As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of her death, let’s learn a little more about our founder.
Canon and Mrs Hayes liked to travel and visited Norway, Switzerland and Canada. After their daughter Marie's untimely death in Delhi in 1908 aged 33, they travelled to Delhi to visit the hospital where Marie had worked for the previous three years and to meet people she had worked with. Later Annabella edited and published letters which Marie had written to home. Marie's final letter, sadly, arrived some weeks after the fateful telegram giving news of her death had been received in Raheny. The Hayes memorial cross in Raheny village was erected some years later.
Annabella was born in Dublin in 1847, the daughter of Thomas Edkins Willson of Upper Mount Street. In December 1866 she married the Reverend Francis Carlile Hayes who was then curate in Sandford Parish Church. She was nineteen years old and he was twenty-eight.
In 1867 he was appointed curate of St. Andrew's Church, Suffolk Street, and their first child, Ernest William Carlile Hayes, was born in February 1868. In 1873, Sir Arthur Edward Guinness (later Lord Ardilaun) appointed him Rector of Raheny Parish and he and Annabella moved to the Glebe House where they were to remain for the next forty-five years.
Their second child, Marie Elizabeth (always known as May) was born in May1874, and in April 1878 her sister Ethel Clara Ridley was born. A boy, Maurice, was born in 1886 but sadly died in infancy. Ernest went to school at St.Columba's and an English governess, Connie Gibbs of Willesden, was appointed to look after the education of the two girls.
In 1887 Annabella Hayes set up the first branch of the Mothers' Union in Raheny, inspired by what Mary Sumner had done in England eleven years before. Little did either of them know that in the twenty-first century world-wide membership of M.U would have grown to over four million.
Francis and Annabella were still in the Raheny Rectory when they celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1916. Canon Hayes retired in 1918 and he and Annabella moved to 12 Northbrook Road which was apparently owned by Francis since his days at St. Andrew's. Annabella survived a bad bout of 'flu shortly after they moved, but was taken ill again about a year later. She was diagnosed with liver cancer and died at home on the 7th February 1921.
Annabella was buried in St. Fintan's Cemetery in Sutton and her headstone (and that of Francis) stands at the highest point of the Cemetery. It is, however, not made of stone but of wood - teak, and despite its having stood there for 100 years there is absolutely no sign of decay in the timber. Mothers’ Union in Ireland had planned to do some restorative work to her gravesite during 2021 but has been put on hold because of Covid 19 restrictions.
Annabella was 74 when she died on 7th February 1921 and Francis was 94 when he died on 12th December 1931.
Click on the photograph of Annabella to bring you to a dedicated page
on the All-Ireland Website covering the centenary celebrations.
MULOA is a new initiative from Mothers' Union
which aims to look at Mothers' Union going forward.
You will be hearing a lot about it at Branch Level in the coming months.
Click on the MULOA symbol to see a short video about this initiative.
PRAYER FOR MULOA
We pray that our God will make us fit for what he’s called us to be,
that he’ll fill our good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy
so that it all amounts to something.
As our lives honour the name of Jesus,
may he honour us, by his grace; our God giving himself freely,
the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely. Amen
Based on 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (The Message)
Charity Number:
Republic of Ireland:
Mothers’ Union in Ireland is recognised as a Charity by the Revenue Commissioners, 5161.
Mothers’ Union in Ireland is recognised as a Charity by the Revenue Commissioners, 5161.
Registered Charity Number - 20007331 (Charities Regulatory Authority).
Mothers' Union Theme 2022
Transformation - Now!
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