Met an interesting couple from Killaloe early in the week. They had been visiting Clonmacnois with a Scottish friend and had taken lots of photographs of Ciaran’s City Fair in the fog. They were able to show some of them on one of their cameras and they looked great. They promised to forward a selection on a disk which hopefully our editor will make it possible for you to view. When I mentioned that on the previous night Gus Claffey and I had been talking about some of the more famous stones of Clonmacnois, the Scottish man got very interested as he has just completed a book about stones of Scotland. Gus had told me about the Herbal Stone near the tenth century Medical Center, where the monks ground out their herbs and is a cure for warts etc. Also about the Chair Stone which has the way of healing bad backs. There is also a Fertility Stone which was used by ladies having problems with becoming pregnant. Gus said there was always a polished look about this stone and generally it was visited at night time.

It was great to receive a Christmas card from Frater and Gunn. Watty Frater and Jimmy Gunn are two Scottish musicians that for many years came over to Ireland and played music from May to October. Watty and Jimmy were painters by profession and Watty painted for a hobby while Jimmy fished. They have not been over for the past two years.

Jimmy writes to say that Watty fell about four months ago and broke a leg and that they are in good form. Watty is 98 years old.

Tomorrow Peter Hines of Correen and London celebrates his 75^th Birthday and in fact he started today. While Bob Galligan and Peter were coming down the River Suck this morning they told us that the water was alive with fish jumping all over the place which they believe were mostly roach. Peter was telling us a story about a lady that used 999 to contact the police to tell them that her house was being robbed. She was told that all of the squad cars were busy at present.

A minute later she rang 999 and told them not to bother coming as she had shot the burglar.

Almost immediately police cars started arriving from every direction. Finding no dead body the policeman asked “Did you not say that you had shot the robber”?

The lady replied “Did you not say that all your cars were busy”?

Speaking of policemen only yesterday a number of people from the area took part as extras in the three part series being filmed around Clonmacnois, Shannonbridge and Banagher. John Price, Tom Mc Evoy were cast as policemen and when they met Garda Aiden Corcoran, who was on duty on location in Banagher, they said that they were some of the Donegal Special Branch. We can give you a sneak preview of what Policeman John Price had to say on camera. “ Look out, Look out, there’s something coming”

The day filming in Shannonbridge has been deferred until a later date.

Good to see Oliver Daly out and about after having a nasty fall from a tractor.