Oliver Darcy was telling us that his sister Mary Anne Lyons from Kilcock celebrated her 95^th birthday this week. Congratulations and may she celebrate many more of them.

Tony Ellis arrived yesterday with his Uncle and Aunt and their daughter and her husband from England who are visiting Ireland for the first time. Tony was taking them to Clonmacnois for a visit and Mick offered them a trip by river which they accepted. I volunteered for the trip and it was a lovely sunny day with a little breeze keeping a wave on the water and of course both combined to give a good suntan. Tony’s Uncle told us that he was one of the youngest of a family of ten and grew up in Derbyshire. At fourteen he went working in the coal mines and he retired at 55 years. He has a great interest in birds and plants and enjoyed all the information about the Callows on display at the Clonmacnois Visitor Center.

Some American friends of Jim Killeen in Chicago arrived last evening and stayed overnight to enjoy Frankie Mc Donald and his brother Johnny who provided the music in Killeens last night. Mick was all prepared to take the visitors for a trip on the river but they had to set out early for a Dublin appointment. They promised to stop off at Clonmacnois and take a guided tour on their way.

Had a warning phone call from Peter Jordan that he and his friend Peter will be visiting Shannonbridge for a weekend in three weeks time. You remember the two Peters don’t you?.

Was showing an Irish Times reader offer to John and Shannon that was offering a Ladybird Tower for 19.95 Euros and a starter pack of 25 Ladybirds for 29.95 Euros plus P&P. John said that in America they buy them by the quarter kilo. They are reputed to be great controllers of Green Fly.

Brian of the Barge has been keeping me updated on river levels daily and the level has dropped over a meter in the past couple of weeks. Noticed on the trip to Clonmacnois yesterday that many swans were sitting out on the grass and we only noticed one pair of swans with four youngsters.

Eileen Mc Manus from Clonburren was telling on Sunday morning that a few days before she went out the back of the house and found four of her full grown ducks dead. She believes a wild mink killed them. When I told Brian O Meara of the Barge about this on Monday he told that he saw a mink with her five babies swimming across The Cut and climbing onto a tree on Moran’s Island. These wild mink are causing a lot of harm to fish and bird life and if they kill mature duck what chance have Corncrake and wild duck etc have in their path.

The contact telephone number for Barney Finlay Auctioneers is 090-6475994 and www.propertypartners.ie Martins Pub auction date is 27^th July.

Someone was telling us the other day that the late William or Sonnie Keena married Eileen Wynne on June 6^th 1944 at 7.00 AM in Tullamore Church and had their breakfast in Bolger’s Hotel afterwards. Mrs Bolger asked Mrs Keena if she would like a drink as she was now entitled to have one as she was married. Sonnie, Lottie and Jimmy Flannery and the bridal party cycled nearly thirty miles to Tullamore that morning and when all was complete they cycled home a different way through Doon.

Jimmy Flannery was Best man and Lottie Darcy was Bridesmaid.

Mrs Keena was from Arigna and worked in Kelly’s Chip Shop in Tullamore.

How did they meet? Sonnie Keena was in Tullamore Hospital for a number of weeks and Mrs Kelly who was a sister of Jimmy and Pat Flannery from Crevagh knew Sonnie and several times a week used to send Eileen to the hospital with some decent food as hospital food left room for improvements. So it started and not to long after leaving hospital Sonnie and Jimmy and Lottie and friends were taking an early cycle trip to Tullamore.

Had an enjoyable chat with Padraic Turley and his wife at the weekend. Padraic is a nephew of the late Joe Claffey from Clerhane and has just retired from the Law game.

Hope to get to have more get togethers with them when they come to stay in the village for three weeks in August.