Weather colder of late but our area escaped the snow that fell in England and in the east of Ireland.
hail, sleet and snow are promised in the east and to extend. Shannonbridge escaped with some frost and a sunny morning today. Temperatures 4C / 39F to 7C / 45F.
Ben Dunne of Dunne Stores fame was on the Late Late Show and was telling Pat Kenny that he gave presents of money to politicians including Charlie Haughey whom he admired and he gave money to Michael Lowry to help build an extension to his house in Tipperary but Ben said that it was built in such a way that even Stevie Wonder would see it.
Bridie Carry told us she enjoyed a short break holiday in Westport using tokens collected in Moran's Gala Store. Over the two days she visited Achill Island and the Gallagher Prayer House, Croagh Patrick and a bit of sightseeing. There was music in the hotel one night and a table quiz and bowling
The other night. With the vouchers the two nights B&B and one dinner cost 75 Euro.
Andy Collrogz is working at the building of the new power plant and staying in Ely House with Brian and Dympna O'Carroll. He went fishing at Correen Ford on Sunday and caught a 10 lb. pike.
Last Sunday Portlaoise won the All Ireland Club Football Championship when they defeated Crossmaglen in Parnell Park in Dublin. Shannonbridge had an interest in the game as two of the Portlaoise team Barry and Thomas Fitzgerald are Grandsons of Tom Daly from Blackwater.
Barry and Thomas and Tom live in Portlaoise and the two boys are sons of Seamus Finn from Ballyforan who now works and lives in Portlaoise. Congratulations to you all.
Was glad to meet the Dooley / Nevins from New Jersey recently who were over on a family tree search around Birr. Kathy Nevins was telling us that she was taken with the amount of lambs she had seen around. She worked last year on a farm that raised cattle sheep goats etc that were sent to the third world. She had often helped at delivering lambs and she told us that on that farm they had one Llama with the sheep that kept the foxes at bay. Anybody ever hear of this use of Llamas ?
A Riverman told us at the weekend that his daughter is working in Dubai teaching. She has started to teach her pupils to play the Tin Whistle. One of the students asked her Dad to buy her a tin whistle when he was in London and he said he would. In London he failed to find a tin whistle so he flew to Dublin and bought one there.
Reminds me of Kate Thornhill teaching the children in Uganda last year to play the tin whistle. The kids were in our minds last night as the table quiz was for them.
The table quiz next week will be held in aid of Saint Vincent De Paul Ballinasloe branch.
Down in Waterford the building of a motorway looks like it will be delayed as at Woodstown they have found what they believe to be one of the first Viking Sites in Ireland which is smack bang on the track of the new road. Archaeologists have found over 5000 artefacts and they reckon that it was a type of trading centre dating to the year 811 AD. By coincidence I was reading a short snippet written by Danny Edwards in the Clonmacnois Parish Millennium book that said that Sailing Ships were seen in the skies over Clonmacnois in the year 74 8 AD. Is there a link up ?
Came across a website for Clonaslee to be found under www.clonaslee.net
Ciaran Rock of Dickies Cabs Shannonbridge was telling us today that while taking tests for coach driving he met a Michael Foy from Walsh Island who remembered many of the Shannonbridge Football Team that played Walsh Island around 1940 about the time the Shannonbridge Team were all suspended.
Once again Thursday night is Library night from 7 to 9. Try and come along and bring a friend.