The glorious weather enjoyed for the 34^th Shannon Harbour Canal Boat Rally continues today but the weathermen on the paper have a lot of \\\\\ for later today and the next three days with rain coming up from the south. Temperatures have been in the 70 F / 21 C and feel warmer at times. A group from Lowtown are paying their annual visit to Shannonbridge after the weekend in Shannon Harbour.They have a hired narrow boat from Lowtown and the crew includes 91 year old Murt Cronolly who is a third generation of bargemen or canal boat.Paddy Mc Grath also a bargeman and Nancy Lynch are part of the crew.

Frank Egan son of Sheila and the late Jimmy Egan of Aughnacabe and Athlone has died in Australia and will be buried there this week. He is survived by his wife Julie and children Aaron, Joel, Shane and Carol and brothers Michael and Padraig. May he rest in peace.

The annual Blessing of the Graves in Clonmacnois Cemetery will take place on the first Friday in August. More details on Bulletin later.

Heard today that the Tall Ships will visit Waterford from July 6 – 9^th. Estimated that ships valued at over 300 Million Euros are included.

Last Friday, Saturday and Monday nights the group U2 played to sell out concerts in Croke Park with the GAA receiving over two million for the venue and U2 earning over twenty million. Found myself thinking at Mass on Sunday if U2 were on the altar would the first three seats on each row be empty. Is there a difference between U2 and You Know Who ?.

Congratulations to John and Margaret Carty who have retired from their retail business in Dublin and to mark the occasion Margaret won the Jackpot in last night’s Shannonbridge / Doon Lotto draw which was worth 2,200 Euro.

Met two American groups yesterday who are enjoying a cruiser on the River Shannon. One group was from Philadelphia and operate a wholesale beer business and the other party were from Boston.

On Sunday night on the radio program Late Date Lilian Smith played a track from Louise Killeen’s CD and sent greetings to Mick Killeen and all in Shannonbridge. See where she has her own website and has sold a number of copies of the CD through that channel.

Was glad to hear that Padraig Harrington sunk the long putt on Sunday to win the golf competition in America and put him back in the Ton Ten.

The Shannonbridge Active Retirement Group are having a social in Shannonbridge Hall on Friday night July 1^st. They have invited members from some other Active Retirement Groups and plan to start proceedings with Mass in the Church at 8 pm and refreshments and entertainment and dancing and of course a super raffle in the Community Hall afterwards. There are talks of a day trip before September visiting local counties of Laois or Westmeath.

Looking forward to attending a celebration Mass in Athlone tomorrow marking fifty years in the Priesthood of Father Sean Cunney from Attymass and Scotland.

It is great weather for the bog and at this morning’s cup of tea after Mass some of the Active Retirement people were telling that there is now machinery available to turn the sods of turf and another to put it in rows when dried and yet another one to load it onto the trailer for transporting home. As one woman said “and after all that I have to get my bucket and carry it all into the kitchen “

My apologies in not replying to e-mails for three months as it was only last Saturday that I found the way to view them with a little help from a visiting angler.