The excellent weather attracted a large and happy group of mostly regular visitors to the Island for the Easter Weekend who, together with the local community took part in the various events, both spiritual and otherwise. On Easter Sunday Fr Quelly thanked all those who helped to make the religious ceremonies more meaningful through their active participation in various aspects of the liturgy, readers, singers, and those who helped in the various processions and preparations.

The annual Easter Egg hunt, now in its 19th year took place on Fiona’s land in the Glen in glorious sunshine and the paddocks and ponies lent a gymkhana like atmosphere to the proceedings. While the participants excluded both boundless energy and enthusiasm, the more sedentary folk gorged themselves on the sumptuous array of cakes presented for the Cake sale. There was the usual generosity with well over €1,000 collected, €240 from the Easter egg hunt for Bóthar and €840 from the Cake sale for Kolcata Hospital in Tanzania.

Easter Monday saw the launch of Chuck Kurger’s now book, Moments to a packed Club Cléire. Diarmuid Ó Drisceoil lived up to his reputation for finding the right works in the right place at the right time and gave an erudite and entertaining introduction to both book and author that left the latter beaming in its warm afterglow. With a little bit of Zen, a little bit of Andy Warhol he struck the right notes on what was a happy and wholesome event. This book departs from precedent by referring to various Islanders by name and it was fitting that he was followed by Eleanor Uí Drisceoil, reading a part dedicated to the late Concubar Ó Drisceoil, our much loved ferry Skipper. This was followed by a short reading dedicated to the late Kathleen Lynch, another good friend that Chuck and Nell made when they first came to the Cape. Chuck himself read an appropriate description of the ferry trip from Baltimore.

This was followed by a tasty spread and by all accounts brisk sales of the publication also ensued.  The local musicians provided an afternoon of music and song interspaced with a stunning performance from the Island’s younger musicians. While the adults drifted away, the children were drawn irresistibly to the beach and commenced a monster dam building program as if to say, Summers on the way again.