Yesterday was Fathers Day here and when cousins John and Kay and Doc and Dick and Sean Cunney arrived to look for Grandfathers grave it seemed a good day for the search. The grave is located in Clonburren graveyard and was part of a discoery trip for the six of us. Take the road from Shannonbridge to Ballinasloe and branch right for Athlone. After three miles you reach the old schoolhouse at Falthy with the soccer pitch.Turn left into America. As you go down the hill past Paddy Kenny's home there should be a stone on the RHS at the bottom of the hill near a famous well.Pass the BNM workshops on the RHS and reach the graveyard on the LHS. We found the upright graveslab under an alder tree with a heavy coat of white lichen. Using grass we made out Groria in Excelsis Deo and further down the stone was John Killian with the different spelling. Afterwards I wondered did anyone say a prayer.
Then we branched across the Esker at the Marian Statue which needs a springclean.Meeting a T junction we turned left to have a look at The Moat on the side of the Esker.Sadly we ommitted to turn into the old Cappaleitra village and see the point of the backwater and the Standing Stones in the field created by the water flow from the Ice Age.Instead we rounded the end of the Esker and took the track down to Devenish Island or as Flann O Brian called it in his tale At Swim Two Birds. Microsoft would translate the Irish title Snaimh Dha Ein .This is where three corncrakes have meet identified but we heard none calling. Must be Fathers Day.We found the repair work on the track carried out by Steve Nell using buckets of stones. Noticed dozens of fabulous wild flowers blooming in the callowland and one tract of grass was cut saved and gone.John and Kaye were amazed at the array of fine house on the circuit and we met three tractors busily cutting hay.Noticed two sandpits eating into the Esher Riada or King Esker so take the trip soon. As we looked downstream Shannonbridge was about two miles away.