Last Sunday was a special day for Aimee Dunne and Dean Hogan as they celebrated their First Communion in Shannonbridge. Being the only two for First Communion this year the whole ceremony took on more the appearance of a wedding and the congregation had got to know them well as they had presented the gifts at several Masses during the year in preparation. They even enacted The Lord’s Prayer and sang a duet with Kaley Goldie doing the backing music. God was good as the sun shone all day for them.

The river level continues to drop from three metres last week to 2.9 M on Sunday, 2.8 on Monday and 2.7M this morning as noted by Brian on the Barge.

On Sunday a fine Salmon leaped from the Shannon at Shannonbridge. Hopefully it will be allowed to increase and multiply.

In recent years there has been an open invitation to join The Dawn Chorus at Clonfert. This year the event takes place on next Sunday 15^th May. Meet at Clonfert Cathedral at 04.15 AM. Further information available from Bird Watch Ireland Tel. 0509-51676.

See on today’s paper that a Great Tit has nested successfully in a Smoking Room attached to a pub and all are in fine fettle.

Frank “The Tank” Seal told us that he heard and saw The Cuckoo while fishing the Grand Canal near Ferbane.

While attending the funeral of Derek Russell last evening the neighbour directing traffic into the car parking field told us that he had just heard The Cuckoo in the field. Derek Russell worked at the building of the old power plant at Shannonbridge and was a brother in law of Johnny Finnegan. Both were married to Reamsbottoms from Ferbane.On the way to the funeral we stopped at Mannion’s of The Well in Clonfinlough and Mrs Mannion was telling us that she had just got word that her sister had died in England.

We then headed for Portiuncula to visit our cousin Pat Butler who is in great form but has some trouble with an ankle since he had a hip replacement. He is supposed to walk to exercise the hip and to rest the ankle at the same time. Pat went through a great page of history during our stay mentioning that the Murray home at Currawinna has not a stone left standing now. He told us about a man from his area that worked on the roads. Near Christmas one night he went into the local pub and ordered a hot whiskey. The woman boiled the kettle and made a hot whiskey which had a short life. She made another as a Christmas treat for him and by way of conversation said “’Tis a terrible dark night tonight”

Our friend replied “It is not so bad, at least you can see a light”.

Brian from the Barge has a conundrum for you that goes like this….

What They Caught

They Threw Away.

What They Could Not Catch

They Kept.

Bridie Carry is busily preparing for a visit from her mother Mrs Brennan and her sister Helen Harris Brennan who are coming on holidays from England this week.

We are looking forward to a visit from Brendan and Eileen Killeen and their children Colin and Kevin who are arriving from America tomorrow.

Saw on the papers that the cottage on the Cloghan Road known as Hollerans and later as George Hynes and presently Gills is for sale. The three bedroom cottage on an acre has a guide price of 175,000 Euros and Rothwell Ballinasloe has the sale. See www.eraireland.ie and it is listed under Shannonbridge, Offaly.

There has been a welcome renewed interest in Tidy Towns by a group of local people who want to improve the presentation and look of the village and surrounds to enjoy for locals and visitors. They have made a start by entering this years Tidy Town Competition.

Mary Kelly who has been doing the entry work for Tidy Towns for many years has welcomed this help and Dara Moran has agreed to complete the forms and act as correspondent. Hopefully many people will continue or renew their efforts for Tidy Towns 2005. Closing date for entry is today.

Met two couples from Canada who are visiting Ireland who told me that they have a number of Irish family lines. One of them was Hendrick from Wexford who went to Canada after the 1798 rebellion. Told them about Ned Hendrick living in Shannonbridge who also hailed from Wexford. They were heading to Cavan to seek information on O’Reilly as that was another branch of the tree.

Pat and Mary attended Mass in Our Lady of Clonfert Church last evening where a different invited priest celebrates the Mass each evening during the month of May.