McHugh's Miscellany: Sense of community and service will always prevail

It's important to be an optimist these days, as you could find yourself cowering under the blankets with all the codology that is going on around us at present. 

But there is also huge inspiration around us.    

The volatility out there in the wider stage was reflected in how the economy across the pond took a nosedive within hours of a diktat from their new Batman, PM Liz Truss and her Robin, Kwasi Kwarteng. 

How they didn’t see a backlash coming or it being morally deficit to abolish their highest rate of income tax to help the rich get even richer beggars belief.

While such matters are their problem as it is with their Brexit problems, such proximity to this country does invariably affect us. 

But there are equally pressing matters on the home front such as young students waiting patiently for their Junior Cert results and wondering why adults are letting them down, with not even a date available yet, as to when they receive their results. 

I know that certain organisations run courses and offer information for those who want to become involved in many local initiatives that they may have an interest in, but there are thousands of people in local communities all around us that still don’t get involved, leaving it to the old reliables. 

Many of them are more precious with their time in terms of volunteerism these days but others just need a little encouragement and maybe a graduated course through which they can learn about the huge benefits of community development. 

This became particularly evident during Covid, where many of us were imbued with a new community ethos and interdependence, a thing that was more clearly evident in older generations  

Last Sunday, I thought that the homily for the late Jim Lynch in Letterkenny, a former Mayor of the cathedral town, town councillor and retired School Principal by Mgr Kevin Gillespie summed up magnificently that spirit of service, dedication, community connection to place and pride of participation, that Jim in turn, had inherited from his late mother, Kathleen. 

'For a man who seemed never to be in a hurry, he got so much done' - former Cllr Jim Lynch laid to rest

Deceased was "walking encyclopedia" who had a thoughtful, insightful intelligence and constructive approach to things

He knew, as Mgr Gillespie pointed out, that real life successes incorporated the we and not the me. 

Another Donegal man, long time domiciled in Waterford, the late Joe Guilfoyle, who was a Ballyshannon native served 53 years serving his local Conference of St Vincent dePaul, much of it as President was buried on September 25.

Each year Joe brought a busload of people that needed a break for whatever reason to Bundoran each June and kept competitive handball alive in his Erne Town by sponsoring two yearly handball tournaments. There was no fuss of any description. He set out to help others and that was that.    

Late Joe Guilfoyle, Ballyshannon native 'a proud Donegal man all his life'

Agus ar deireadh, may I end this week by extending my deepest and most profound sympathy to my former teacher Gerry Breslin and family on the death of his beautiful wife and mother to their four children, Mary. 

She was a beautiful, intelligent and highly respected member of the local community, where a smile was always close at hand whenever you met her and who sadly has left us far too early. 

Rest in peace, Mary. Her funeral takes place on Friday morning in Bundoran.