The Offaly Independent in their historical round up are publishing pieces from old Dublin newspapers over 200 years ago collected by the late Malachy Moran. A piece from Faulkner's Journal 1804 tells that at noon on the 16th March 1804 the Grand Canal Passage Boat from Dublin arrived at Shannon Harbour. The boat was crowded with ladies and gentlemen of distinction from different parts of the country, andso delighted were the farmers and inhabitants of the district that the people took off the horses and drew the boat to the Shannon where it was moored for a time. Trips were afterwards made on the river and afterwards sailed into the canal and returned to Tullamore.The time occupied in the journey from Shannon Harbour to Tullamore was five hours.
Another piece has the heading 'Bernard Daly marries. From Failkner's Dublin Journal 10th Sept 1805 says Marriage: Bernard Daly, Cloghan, King's County to Miss Molloy, daughter of S.Molloy, Tullamore. ( Daly was eventually to be associated with the Tullamore Distillery ).
The forecast for rain came true last evening with medium showers for a few hours. Today is dry and sunny with temperatures in the mid fifties.
Good turnout of people at the library last evening despite the rain.
See on the local paper that 20Million Euros is the estimated cost for a Tullamore to Mullingar rail link.
Jack Quinn poem on Connemara from Through A Small Window goes -
Connemara

Untamed
Wet washed
With fleeting colour
A million walls
Of meaningless stones
The blind face
Of a whitewashed cottage
Turned to the sea
The caoning winds
Lament
And yellow gorse
Burns
Before the brooding mountain.