Two Weekends in Cork

The last two weekends have been spent travelling to and from Cork and attending two First Holy Communions. Now, it had been a long time since I had been to a First Holy Communion but over here they are a very big deal and I have heard people going way over the top for their little 8 year old. For example, the stories I have heard have been of limosines and even helicopters to take them to the ceremony, little girls getting fake tans and their nails done as well as their hair and make-up for it, tiara's that light up (apparently one Dad pushed a button so it lit up when the child recieved the communion!!!), veils, expensive dresses/suits, all topped off by a 3 course meal with 80 of the family's friends and family! Now this is not even mentioning the obsene amount of money the child receives! It is a tradition over here (I don't recollect it being around in NZ) that the child receives money from their friends and family when they make their First Holy Communion and we are not talking to odd Euro here! We are talking hundreds! I even heard that one child got EUR2,500!!!! It is ridiculous and disgusting if you ask me. It takes the holiness out of the sacrament.

Anyway, enough of my ranting, I am happy to say that the two First Holy Communions that we attended were nothing like that. The first one was Conor Walsh's, a little boy I have known since he was born in NZ. It was in a lovely little church in Glanmire, just outside of Cork City. Despite the fact that he and his younger brother Kieran hated posing for photos, he looked very sweet in his suit and as he belted out the Gospel Acclaimation into the microphone with his two buddies you couldn't help but hope that his faith continued to be as strong throughout his life. Conor's cousin Meadbh made her First Holy Communion on the same day so, after taking some photos in Fitzgerald's Park in Cork City, we made our way to the restaurant on the road in between Middleton and Youghal where the two families and their friends met for a meal.



*Oh yeah and as an aside this was also the same day that Munster (a province in Ireland of which Cork is a part of so of course it is the province I support!) won the Rugby European Heineken Cup (kinda like our Super 14) against Beiritz a French province. Unfortunately we missed the game but Yay Munster!!!!!*

The second First Holy Communion we attended the following weekend was that of my cousin Ellen. She was dressed angelically and looked lovely with her beautiful red hair beside all the other brunettes and blondes in her class. And boy was it funny when Ellen's younger brother Conor (3 years old) decided to go up onto the altar when he saw his big sister up there! He is such a cutie!



Ellen's First Holy Communion was celebrated with a delicious BBQ at her parent's house with close family and friends. These friends all seemed to have kids so the backyard was packed with them and who was their favourite person to entertain them? None other than Johnny! Kids seem to absolutely adore Johnny and he is fantastic with them in return. Chasing them around the garden, putting them on his shoulders, and turning them upside down. So, from about 2pm until about 10pm Johnny hardly got a break and was exhausted by the time the kids all went home to bed! Luckily he managed to get a snooze in before heading off down to the pub for a night-cap with Hilary (Ellen's Mum), myself and some of the neighbours! A long but fun day!