The Paddy Kavanagh guide and bus were in Shannonbridge last evening with a group o The Corbetts from New Jersey near New York.
Mr Corbett was telling us that at one time Eamon De'Velara went to America and raised money for Ireland.He was advised to use legal advise in setting up Bonds as a receipt for monies donated.
He used a young lawyer named Theodore Roosevelt and the bonds were to mature when the last British soldier left Ireland. Corbetts bought some of the Bonds and they have been handed down to the third generation so far. Wonder if our Minister for Finance knows about this.
Another New Jersey visitor to Shannonbridge yesterday was Father Frank Garvey from Cherry Hill who is a cousin of Mrs Eileen Keena. Often wondered how Mrs Keena arrived in Aughnacabe and Pat was telling us that as a young girl of seventeen she started working in the Chipper Keelys in Tullamore. Sonny Keena was in hospital in Tullamore and was related to the Kellys. Every evening Eileen Wynne from Arigna in North Roscommon was asked to take a little treat such as a portion of cake over to Sonny in the hospital.Six months later they were married.And by coincidence yesterday was the anniversary of Sonny's death.May he
rest in peace.