Was delighted to receive a CD in the post this morning on Cruising in Ireland. The eight minute program gives an introduction of what is available for those that choose a cruising holiday using a self drive cruiser with all the mod cons. The Shannonbridge / Clonmacnois area is well featured with Arial and close up views of Clonmacnois, and views of the bridge in Shannonbridge and anglers fishing downstream of the bridge.

They show many attractions such as golf courses, restaurants, walking, cycling, jetties, lockgates, and birds and fauna of the river. It was a surprise when they mentioned pub entertainment and the camera walked in to Killeen’s Bar to the sound of Irish music and after panning the customers they show Paudge Bennett playing his guitar and joined by Lorraine Kenny, Lorraine Devery and Colin Killeen. There is a choice of languages English, Francais, Deutsch, Nederlands. Failte Eireann commissioned the CD to be made and they have a website www.waterbased.ireland.ie

Tell them we sent you if you want a copy.

The Malone / McIntyre family covering three generations stayed in Kajon House on Monday night and we had a good chat. They are based in Boston and upper New York State. It was their second visit to the area and last time they stayed at The Gables guesthouse in Cloghan. Seems that in the past a Malone married a McIntyre and both families were from the Banagher, Cloghan and The Bottoms area. On their first visit they had met up with the late Liam McIntyre from Cloghan and Mr Malone Snr. was telling us that he recorded what Liam told them. I was wondering was there anyone else that they might contact for help and information and I phoned my cruiser hire friend at Silverline Cruisers in Banagher. Brendan Smith said to leave it with him until he enquired around and sure enough he rang back in five minutes to say that Willie McIntyre Banagher had heaps of information on the McIntyre family. Seems that they were a Northern Ireland clan that came down south in the 1600 to fight in a battle and settled afterwards in Offaly.

TheMalones had a useful website for tracing family trees which is simply www.tigs.com Tigs stands for The Irish Genealogy Society.

Weather got a little cooler this week and brought rain showers in the past few days’Temperature remains around 13C / 55F.

Mass in Shannonbridge on Friday will be at 8 pm and will be offered for the late Pope. The funeral of the Pope John Paul 11 will be on television on Friday morning. No word on a possible memorial service in Clonmacnois as yet.
The winner of the Easter Egg raffle for The Medical Missionaries of Mary -Pat Fox got his mother to pick up his prize this week.

News of the death last evening of John Dunican, Ballinasloe and a native of Clonfad.

May he rest in peace.