Congratulations to John Carty, Lecarrow on winning over 4000 Euro in the Shannonbridge / Doon Lotto last night.

Met Monte Dolack, artist and his wife who were looking for directions on how to get to Clonfert. They come from Montana and have a website titled www.dolack.com

They had come from Clonmacnois and had painted the castle there and they promised to e-mail a photo of the castle to this website when it was complete.

Final arrangements were made for the Active Retirement day trip to Galway tomorrow with the bus now departing at 9.30am. There are still a couple of seats available. Contact Kieran Kelly or Pat Keohane.

Simon Parrage, a visiting angler decided to back a horse with some connection with his holiday in Shannonbridge. He checked the paper and found a runner named Shannon Springs. He backed it and it won at 9 / 1. He has been in luck with the fishing as well.

The Moore Active Retirement group are going to Jury’s Cabaret on 30^th September. The bus leaves Millars and the cost of bus, cabaret and a meal is 70 Euros. Contact Mary Kenny Clonfad 090-9674131.

Three Americans from Michigan came into the bar last week and Paudge Bennett was at his best helped by his daughter Sarah Anne, Louise, Lorraine and others. One of the trio Michael Rodgers, who is a descendant of Patton was touched by it all and asked if he would be allowed to buy a drink for the house. Permission was granted and the night improved.

October Fair is coming and Shannonbridge was visited last week by 13 mobile homes in convoy, closely followed by two police cars. After having a drive around the village they headed up the power station road and branched into Bridgeway Engineering. But they were quickly escorted by the Gardai out of the village.

Brian from the Barge has been keeping his own record of river levels and says that the present level of 2.1 metres at the bridge is the lowest he has seen it.

The Shannonbridge Library is open on Thursday Night from 7 till 9 and do consider paying a visit and using the books available.

Was glad to see Father Joe Cunningham call in on Saturday. Father Joe is ministering in Alabama and he said that he was going to attend the Pattern in Clonmacnois on Sunday.

The Coffee Morning in aid of Offaly Hospice held in Killeens on last Thursday raised about 600Euros.

The weather for the past few days has been around 60 F. Marie B. from New Jersey and my sister Dorothy were in Shannonbridge yesterday and Mick took them and Pat and myself for a short trip up the Suck as far as Creggan. There must have seen twenty swans on the trip as well as a heron. Noticed no young swans.. There is great activity at the bird feeders in the yard at present. Four feeders are in use and often thirty or forty young birds are feeding or waiting their turn. Marie B. returns to America in the morning and she was delighted with the three days when they visited Paris with a 50 cent flight courtesy of Ryan Air.