This article is from page 11 of the 2013-03-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
THE 200-year-old hand of St Don Bosco was on show in Shannon Airport last Sunday, before it boarded a plane bound for Croatia.
The hand, which is a preserved relic from the 19th-century saint, has spent the last week travelling around Ireland. The relic arrived in Shannon in a casket, which is used to transport it around the world.
John Bosco, who is popularly known as St Don Bosco, was born in Castelnuovo d’Asti in Italy in August of 1815. In the run up the 200-year anniversary of his birth, the relic has been engaged in a world tour.
Don Bosco dedicated his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents and other disadvantaged youth. He devised teaching methods based on love rather than punishment which became known as the Salesian Preventive System.
A follower of the spirituality and philosophy of Saint Francis de Sales, Bosco dedicated his works to him when he founded the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Together with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a religious congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls.
Following his beatification in 1929, he was canonised as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in 1934.
Meanwhile, Shannon Airport yesterday welcomed the early launch of Aer Lingus’ US schedule for the summer season.
Flights will operate from Shannon to Boston four times weekly and to New York three times weekly.
“The summer season does not officially begin until the end of the month but there’s definitely a sense that it’s kicking off early for us this year, with Aer Lingus commencing its transatlantic services earlier and in time for St Patrick’s weekend,” said Declan Power, head of Aviation Development at Shannon Airport. EXCITEMENT is mounting in Clarecastle as preparations are being made for a fashion show which is taking place this Thursday in the West County Hotel to raise funds for a new playground in the heart of the village. Nerves are getting to some local people as they prepare to make their debut on the catwalk but the anticipation of a great night out and the prospect of a fabulous new facility for children in the area overrides these initial fears. Seventeen local boutiques will be showcasing their spring/summer collections at the fashion show and many other businesses have been extremely supportive with donations, advertising and the provision of fantastic raffle prizes. It is open to everyone and it really should be a very enjoyable evening for all. Tickets are € 20, which includes a complementary glass of wine, a chance to win a weekend away and an opportunity to browse some fantastic stands. Tickets are available at the West County Hotel or Clarecastle Post Office or at the door on the night. The playground project was initiated at the end of last year by Clarecastle Community Development Ltd (CCDL). The total project is estimated to cost around € 150,000. Leader funding has been secured to fund 75 per cent of the total cost and Clare County Council has granted € 16,000 towards the project. This leaves around € 25,000 to be raised by the community and local generosity has already raised some funds to help reach this target. The fashion show is one of a number of fundraising projects that will take place over the coming months to raise the matching funds and it is hoped the children of Clarecastle will have their playground in the latter half of this year.