40th birthday for Cill na Martra guild
To mark the foundation of the guild in the Cork Gaeltacht village, cookery and gardening demonstrations by Bríd Clancy of Clancy’s Fresh Fish in Macroom and Mike Collard of Future Forests in Kealkil were opened to the public and attracted large attendances in the village hall. The proceeds of the cookery night were donated to Rehab, and the gardening night profits went to cancer research. In recent years the guild has also donated to Headway Ireland, Cope, the Good Shepherd Services, the Simon Community and the local Lourdes pilgrimage fund. Members who took part in the Evening Echo Women’s Mini Marathon in Cork donated to the Mná Feasa women’s domestic violence community project.
Seven members travelled to the Bloom Festival in Dublin in June, while closer to home, the guild is called upon to provide teas at parish events.
Guild president Mary O’Riordan explained how the guild has changed in line with the changing circumstances and needs of country women. But the wheel was beginning to come full circle in the current economic climate.
“With the recession, people aren’t always able to go out as couples, or afford a babysitter any more, so it’s beginning to come back to how it was years ago, with the ICA as an outlet for the woman in the home,” she said.
“When I joined the guild, for a long time I was the only woman there working outside the home, and now it’s the case again that a lot of women are not going out to work.
“I learned a lot of life skills from the older women in the group, and the ICA meetings have always been a chance for women to meet other women of a like mind who might understand what they’re talking about in a way the husband or children couldn’t do.”
Activities had moved away from traditional crafts such as needlework, but these are coming back into fashion, according to Mary.
“It’s been going more towards crafts like glass and copperwork, but the likes of crochet are coming back too. The demonstrations are usually popular and we had a great night and a good turnout for the fish cookery demonstration. It was very easy to follow, and we were shown how to make fisherman’s pie, tartlets, salmon quiche, smoked haddock and fish stir-fry, as well as a lot of general cooking tips. We’re very proud of our founder members and appreciate what they have done throughout the years for charity, for the parish and for the ICA,” said Mary.
“We would also love for new members to join us. They’d be made very welcome, especially younger people; there is a misperception that this is only for older women.
“Our meetings are really quite jovial and enjoyable. We do a limited amount of crafts at the meetings, and we take an interest in what’s happening in the ICA at national level.”
Bantracht na Tuaithe Cill na Martra meet in the rooms of Cois Cille in the village on the last Monday of every month. Further details: 026-40286.
