Shannonbridge’s own Daithi Rua, singer and songwriter is home in Shannonbridge from Belgium for a short visit. Daithi is the Irish for David and Rua is the Irish for Red. He is based in Belgium and along with his companion Aidan Burke.com they play some gigs in Norway. Some Norway company who heard them play in Oslo recently were holding a company conference in Dublin and asked Daithi and Aidan to provide the entertainment at the conference. So the two boys came over to Dublin and also took a break for a few days to play in The Bog Oak Shannonbridge and in Hineys in Ferbane and in Dempseys in Tullamore. See Daithi under www.daithirua.com

As you can see on the fishing report Dave Myatt from Halifax has returned for another week’s fishing staying with John and Vera Carty in Ashbrook House. The power plant is on overhaul for last week and this week at least.

Mr and Mrs Michael O Sullivan were in Shannonbridge last week. Michael worked around the area many years ago and has kept up a long lasting friendship with the Green Family in Blackwater. The O’Sullivans have been in England for many years but recently they retired from England and now live in Boyle. Louis Darcy tells us that Michael once played hurling for the Belmont Club.

The Ballinasloe Country Fair finished on Saturday with the Country Fair Day. Heard a man tell how he was going to the fair intending to buy an ass foal. He explained that when he was young he often drove an ass and cart and felt he had been cruel to the donkeys that he used. He was hoping to buy a young donkey and make amends for beating the donkeys of his youth by more or less spoiling this new young donkey.

Good to see Father Paddy Conlon doing duty for the next few Sundays in Shannonbridge.

Father Paddy is from Glasson and has retired after a life working in England.

John, one of the four Polish welders working with Bridgway Engineering here in Shannonbridge was looking at some wooden mice traps on display yesterday which had two cats stamped on them. John told us that the Polish word for Cat is Kot, Mouse is Mysz and Dog is Pies.

There was a 30^th Birthday Party for David and Kerrill Thornhill on Saturday night and a great number of their family and friends gathered in Shannonbridge to celebrate the event. The timing was spot on as five of their friends from the village Declan, Mel, Dara, John D and Ken attended the party before setting out in the early hours to catch a plane to spend a week in Las Vegas.

Congratulations to Mrs Joan Carty, Cloneish who donated her 80^th pint of blood voluntarily last week in Ballinasloe. The Blood Board people had a cake on hand to celebrate the occasion.

After some showers recently the river level has dropped back to 2.28 Metres under the bridge at Shannonbridge. The re has been a fair amount of wind in recent days and the forecast is for wind and rain most days this week. Temperatures are near enough to 60F or 16C.

Aidan Kelly was telling us that he shot a massive wild mink in Clonburren recently.

He said it was as big as a badger.

There are many more wild mink out there doing huge damage to fish and wildlife.

Good to see Aidan’s brother Jason home.

I see that the For Sale sign is on display on Creggs Self Catering house beside the health center in the village. The For Sale sign is on the new apartments recently built next to Nugents Butcher shop.

No sign of The Shannonbridge Diner re-opening yet.