The Offaly Independent this week has two pages devoted to Morans Gala Store and The Fort Restaurant. The Gala Store will be officially opened tomorrow and there is a story of the history of the late Frank Moran starting a shop in The Fort in c1919 and later transferring to the shop in the village which has now been enlarged after Maura decided to finish trading as Family Fashions and the popular boutique has now become part of the store. There are some lovely photographs of The Fort and Restaurant and various shots of the Gala Store with Alo, Maura, Fergal, and members of the staff. Wishing them well on their opening.
The Active Retirement Group headed west yesterday with 22 members travelling to Galway, Spiddal and Salthill where they went for a walk along the strand. The day was well arranged with stops for meals and time allowed for shopping. Bridie Carry told us that she saw some prints priced at €18 that she saw in Killarney a few weeks ago for €2.
Pat met some visitors in the church last evening who live on islands off Scotland and are on holiday cruising on the Shannon and say they are really enjoying themselves.
Wish we had more Joan Cartys. Joan took a Kate in Uganda sponsorship walk card on Sunday and told us last night that she had got the card filled with twenty sponsors and would leave in the card. Good to see Brendan Carty and his wife home on holiday and looking well.
Joe Kennedy from Kennedy Motors in Birr was in Shannonbridge with some friends last evening and they were delighted to support Kates Walk. Nice to see that Elan have contributed €100 to the cause. Notice a number of young small birds around and also some starlings and blackbirds.
There is a choir of jackdaws and crows in the area and a few magpies. Our angling visitors tell us that there are a number of cormorants to be seen. Generally they have come inland and seem to be concentrated at Portumna. Surprized that our anglers see them as they( the Cormorants) generally feed at dawn and return to their island on Lough Derg near Portumna.
Talked to Niall Moore the engineer for Waterways Ireland in Portumna and asked them to have a look at the old jetty in Shannonbridge with a view to making it more friendly for visiting cruisers such as adding a few ladders or steps or even better still an attachment of a floating jetty on the edge. Said they will.
Hear that Niamh Quinn has written a few lines from Japan and hopefully she will share her views with this website by getting a password as it says to everyone on the front page.
Great that Ciara Sydney is back in the writing mode and wishing her well in the new job.