Friday, June 18, 2004

Billy Henshaw from Athlone was playing music in Shannonbridge last night and it brought back memories of the great fiidle player Frank Reid who often weaved some wonderful music on the fiddle with Billy on guitar.When I asked Billy jokinly last night if he had brought Frank along he surprized me by saying that Teddy Quinn was playing the accordeon with him and giving the old song to boot.Teddy is a well known character around Shannonbridge ,working at the building of the original power plant and later working there. Pat reminded me of one night when most people kept cows and our cowshed had a spare stall that was often used at night.One winter night the late Mick Kilmartin from Clonmacnois decided to overnight there and was nicely settled in after midnight with hay for a bed and his overcoat for a blanket when he was joined by a figure in the dark who lay alongside him and started to share the overcoat.No word was spoken but after some time Teddy won out and Mick Kilmartin got up and cycled the four miles home to Shannonbridge.The cowshed and yard are long gone and the two Kelly houses across from the church are where it stood.

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