This article is from page 81 of the 2008-02-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 81 JPG
SINCE Mary Kelly from Tulla land- ed in Africa she has baked more than 4.000 scones.
Having been president of the Ap- ostolic Society for 25 years, Mary says she “always wanted to come to Africa to see what they were all talking about when they came home and made presentations. And I’m not one bit sorry I came — it’s been bril- liant and please God I’ll come back again.”
Mary took up station in the Mis- sionvale kitchen to provide creature comforts for the ravenous volunteers at their tea-breaks.
And when she wasn’t busy turning out Spotted Dick loaves, scones, trea- cle bread and apple tarts she spent
her time teaching the women in the craft center to crochet and knit.
For years, shopkeeper, Maire Talty from Lisseycasey has kept every spare free toy, pencil or colouring crayon that came with a comic.
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“I always thought there would be someone coming over with an empty Suitcase sometime’, said Maire who is also Ethel’s sister.
She struck pay-dirt with the group she was travelling to Africa with. Everyone loaded up with a dozen or so bags of toys for the Missionvale Santa to distribute at Christmas.
Dr Rory O’Keeffe left his practice in Ennis for the entire eight weeks to deal with the cuts, bruises, hyper- tension, heat exaustion and swollen limbs of the volunteers. When he
is not being called on to doctor, he plays with the township children.
Another volunteer shouldn’t be alive to be here, having been serious- ly ill, but he’s wearing his trademark straw hat and weilding power tools.
As they leave each day, volunteers bring bags of sweets for the children who wait in droves at the gates.
One volunteer had his passport and money stolen before he even left the airport. Within minutes, the group organised a whip-round and the money was replaced.
Every morning, volunteers squirrel away rolls, sausages and bread from their hotel breakfast so the African workers will have something to eat.
The litany of little acts of heroism goes on. But then, they are all he- Keen