Was talking to visitors Debra Arrett from Arizona and her friend Pat Lobosky on Saturday. When I suggested that they visit Clonmacnois Debra said that she and her family had been on a cruiser holiday in 1993 and they stopped off to visit Clonmacnois. They were put on a conducted tour along with a group of women from Dublin who was on a pilgrimage to Clonmacnois. After the High Cross and the Cathedral and Whispering Arch they made their way to Saint Ciaran’s Church. The guide stopped at a hollow round stone in the ground known as The Bullaun Stone. The guide explained that the medical people in the monastery used this stone to grind herbs etc for use in their medicines. Traditionally there has been a cure from this stone. Now Debra’s son Michael was suffering from warts on the sole of his foot known as Gym Warts and she suggested to him that he should dip his foot in the trough which held water. Michael removed his shoe and sock and bathed his foot in the water. Some days after his holiday he had an appointment with his Podiatrist Foot Doctor who had been burning off the warts with acid on a regular basis. The doctor examined his foot and said there were no warts on the foot.

When I mentioned this to Bridie Carry she told me that she had some warts cured there as well. Gussie Claffey assures me that this is a common occurrence at The Bullaun Stone in Clonmacnois.

Debra Arrett said that she had some skin complaint herself and was going to try the Stone. Hope that it works for her.

On Saturday also an American couple from Iowa called in. Their faces looked familiar and they said that they had been directed to Shannonbridge some years ago by an accordion player from Omaha named Peter and his friend Kay Kelly.

Ireland’s soccer team just managed to beat Cyprus on Saturday night in a crucial game by a single goal and thanks to a great display in goal by Shay Given stopping a penalty and many other close shots. Damien Duff got injured and now joins Roy Keane on the injury list for the must win game against Switzerland in Landsdowne Road on Wednesday night if they are to proceed any further in The World Cup next year.