The Snowdrops are in bloom and many Daffodils are making a brave effort to form heads. Some miniature daffodils at the power plant have been in bloom for nearly two weeks helped by the shade and warmer air. First bunch of stems appeared in a bowl at home this morning and should open out by the weekend. The weekly table quiz tonight is for flowers for the Church.
Local paper this week tells of an increase in suicides in County Offaly with 11 males recorded in 2002 and none for the females.
Paddy Kelly was telling last night that 18 Hooper Swans and nine Juveniles visited Cappaleitra for two days and were very noisy during their stay. Paddy lives in America near Cappaleitra and reckons that the swans were on a journey from Scotland and made a pit stop on the way.
Mike and Aine down in Ardnacrusha were telling us last night that they are having great success with new feed they have been putting in their bird feeders and they say they have had 22 different species visit their garden. Hope there is no link up with the big drug search being carried out this morning in Limerick city.
Ferbane Bridge Club is holding their annual Open on Sunday 13th February 2005 in the Grand Hotel in Moate with two sessions of play commencing at 1.30 PM. Separate competitions for Inter B and Novice. Entries to Tim Kenny, Ferbane Telephone 090-6454116. Entry fees 10 Euro per person.
Kathie Mills and her sister Peggy in America are mad into family roots and have found out an amount of information on their Family Tree that has four Irish branches. Kathie would like to come to Ireland with Peggy to find out more but Peggy will not fly. Kathie wondered about the copper tubes under the arches of the bridge in Shannonbridge . It was a photo taken at sunset from downstream of the bridge on the west bank when the sun goes all funny and lightens the underside of the arches with a golden coppery light. Try it out yourself this summer.
Brian O Carroll from Ely House Guesthouse has produced a working model of a poster advert sign for Shannonbridge with a photograph of the bridge taken during the snow and naming some of the many attractions in the area. Noticed that Golf was omitted.