Congratulations to Rosaline Glennon who won about 7000 Euros in the Moore Soccer Club Lotto. Rose is a great promoter for this lotto and richly deserves her win.

Heard on the radio that Birdwatch Ireland has birds with sounds for sale. The birds are artificial but the songs have been recorded from the goldfinch, chaffinch or whatever. Best to check their website under www.birdwatchireland.com

Also congratulations to Lorraine Killeen whose name was selected to be a contestant on next week’s Winning Streak scratch card game show where the lowest prize is about 10,000 Euros. Lorraine will be well known from her years in The Shannonside Diner.

John Maloney from Clonfinlough and now living in Navan was telling that on one day recently 1100 salmon were counted as they went upstream on the River Boyne.

I see that Turleys of Raghrabeg and Dublin have a daily one line advert in the newspapers advertising their car-hire in Dublin Airport. You can contact them at www.arguscarhire.com

Brian O’Meara of the Barge tells us that the river level was 3.5 Metres on Friday and is 3.65 Metres this morning. I noticed the area where the swans used some weeks ago is getting larger and two swans were walking out on the floodwater near the floating jetty. Brian rescued an English angler, whose engine had failed on his lake boat. Brian tells us that there are lots of fish jumping around the floating jetty harbour and that one made a splash like a building block had been thrown in.

The Clonmacnois Carol Service took place yesterday in Temple Connor and the church was full of singers and readers. The Rev’d Graham Doyle from Athlone baptised two children before the carol service and Peter Connor was telling that one of the mothers had been married in Temple Connor. Father Frank read the Gospel and gave the final blessing.

Afterwards the congregation were invited back to the visitor center where hot drinks and refreshments were very welcome. Well done to all concerned.

Met a couple today from Abbeyleix who were visiting her mother’s grave in Clonmacnois. She told us that her mother was a Kenny and that either her mother or her grandmother lived for a time in Lysterfield House, Rahara, where my Aunt Mollie Butler lived. I told her about Michael Connaughton working on a family tree and perhaps he has some Kenny data written in.

Weather has been mild the past few days but it gets a little colder after sunset. Temperature around 48 F .