The bird count chart for our back yard has some changes for last week.
2 Pied Wagtail 1 Magpie
2 Robin 1 Jackdaw
4 Coal Tit 12 Rook
6 Blue Tit 4 Greenfinch
6 Green Tit
9 Starling ----- High 21
6 House Sparrow ----- High 4
4 Chaffinch ----- High 3
6 Goldfinch ----- High 4.
Start counting the birds visiting your yard / garden in practise for next year. Rose Ryan is co-ordinator.
Father Michael O Connell from The Medical Missionaries of Mary was attending a funeral in Loughrea yesterday and stopped off at the Table Quiz last night which was in aid of their Aids mission in South Africa. Over 600 Euro was raised at the quiz for their Aids project. Hope he got home to Cork safely last night as he was scheduled to celebrate an early Mass.
During the hay days of the Ballinasloe Gala fishing festival one of the most popular fishermen attending was Ivan Marks from Leicester. A good friend of Ivan, Tom Coulson forwarded a special farewell tribute to Ivan Marks 1936 - 2004 that was included in the Angling Times. Tom said that Ivan knew how to burn both ends of the candle. May he rest in peace.
News last night of the death of Father Sean Murphy from near Ahascragh who worked on the missions most of his life and later worked as chaplain in an English univercity and more recently in a busy London parish where he died. May he rest in peace.
Note that the next meeting of the West Offaly Community Forum will take place in Rahan Community Centre on Tuesday 25th January at 8.30 pm. Agenda includes
Funding for the Community and Voluntary sector 2005:
Applying for funding and drawing it down. Special emphasis on
# West Offaly Enterprise Fund
# Supports for Voluntary and Community Groups
# Lotto funding
Update from Offaly Community Forum
Selection of Rep from West Offaly Community Forum to Offaly Community Forum Steering Group.
AOB.
Representatives of voluntary groups in the area are welcome to attend.
Contact Declan Costelloe 0509 51622 who is the Community Development Officer.