Ciara Finn tells us that her sister Orla and her Granny are having a great time on their
two months visit to New Zealand and are due back in the old sod on the 2nd April.
Two Merrigan sisters stopped off in the village last evening.Evelyn Stenson and
Patricia Merrigan live in the Courtfield Bar in London's Earlscourt and are over to
celebrate Patricia's birthday which was on March 17. They are daughters of Paddy
and Kathleen ( nee Norton ) who operated a shop in Clonmacnois back in 1950'.
They sold the shop and farm to Tom Moore's family and moved to Moydrum and
then to Mountmellick, London, Wicklow and Tullamore. Paddy had a pub in Kilbride
Street in Tullamore.There were seven children Oliver and Eamon who are deceased,
Jimmy, Judy, Evelyn and Patricia now in London and Kieran who lives in Dublin.
Paddy Merrigan died in 1992 and Kathleen died in 1999 and are buried in Tullamore.
When in Clonmacnois Paddy had one of the first hackney cars in the area.
He also had a greyhound called Pepper and Salt which won several coursing races.
Paddy found that the dog liked sausages so on the way to the dog races he often
bought a pound of sausages which the dog would eat.At the races people would ask
Paddy what chances Pepper and Salt had and Paddy always said that he expected
him to do well.The favourite generally went out in price as people backed P & S.
Paddy put an interest bet on the favourite.Many of Paddy;s grandchildren are now
in Australia.