This Friday night, November 8th at 8pm the doors of Castleisland Community Centre will be thrown open to the bargain hunting world.
This is the second successive year in which the event has taken a long stride closer to Christmas from its more associated late September / October dates up to now.
Mission True to Origins
Founded in the autumn of 1974 in Tommy O’Rourke’s Main Street, Castleisland grocery shop, its mission remains true to its origins. The raising of funds for the then Kerry Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped – now modified to the Kerry Parents and Friends Association – is still the core focus.
Serving in the indoor market has become a family generational thing. Some of the younger men and women behind the stalls tonight will have been brought there first by grandmothers or grandaunts or mothers and aunts.
Glebe Lodge – a Monument
It was the ‘Indoor Market’ – more than anything else which put the Glebe Lodge Residential Centre in place and it still plays a huge part in the maintenance of services there.
At the market tonight you can expect the following: a children’s fancy dress competition, a Teddy Bear’s Hospital, Sumo Wrestling, Wheel of Fortune, Lucky Dip, Hamper Raffles and monster auctions – to mention a few of the attractions being planned.
Christmas Presents
But that will be after the mad rush into the community centre as the doors begin to part at 8pm.
There are people in this general area who depend on the market for Christmas presents and woe betide the unfortunate standing in their path.
If you dare, the doors open at Castleisland Community Centre this very Friday night, November 8th at 8pm.
Early Worms and The Meek – Beware
Forget about the early worm and all that kind of stuff. This is one night on which the meek won’t inherit a single thing – they’ll be trampled if they try to compete with the 8pm sharp crowd.
I’d be inclined to advise the early worms and the meek to let the 8pm rush go by before venturing forth. Once the bargain hunting beast is sated it becomes all neighbourly, nice and normal again.
