The January edition of the Athlone Aerial contains snippets from the past section with items from Freeman’s Journal. On 3^rd July 1835 they reported that a man named John Craig was planting potatoes at Curnamagh, Athlone, when he discovered a large quantity of broad pieces of Spanish silver coin. The quantity of silver is of the purest description and £18 worth of it was sold to Mr.Nolan, watchmaker, bringing as high as 4s 8d an ounce. The coins dated 1622 and 1679.

27^th November 1845 the Journal reported that the canal passenger boat “Longford” left Dublin at 2o’clock for Mullingar with about 40 passengers on board. When between the bridges of Porterstown and Clonsilla, the ordinary helmsman left the boat and a less experienced man took charge of the helm. He in turn gave it to a boy, but he returned to the helm soon again but does not seem to have taken proper charge. The boat struck against the bank and capsized with the result that 15 persons were drowned. Among them were: Thos Bannon, Merchant, Athlone; Mrs Forde, Mullingar; Mr Ed Ruttledge, Cashcarrigan, County Roscommon. Only about half of those drowned were subsequently identified.

For 8^th June, 1849 it is stated that a valuable silver mine has been discovered in Inchmore (island) on the Shannon.

On the 9^th November, 1846 the Journal reported that a company of the 75^th Regiment has left Athlone for duty in Shannon Harbour district to protect the canal boats conveying foodstuffs.

Me thinks that The Freeman Journal later became Independent Newspapers. Last Saturday the Independent celebrated its centenary and included a free calendar with some black and white photographs from its collection. Some of the pictures used were Harry Boland, Michael Collins and Eamonn De Valera at a meeting of the first Dail at the Mansion House in 1919. The Irish Hospital Sweepstakes draw 1964. O’Connell Bridge and Street after the rebellion April 1916. John F. Kennedy in Eyre Square Galway in June 1963. Mohammad Ali in Dublin July 1972. Mary Robinson after being elected President in November 1990. The last train leaving Harcourt Street rail station in Dublin in December 1958.

The entire collection of some 300,000 items was donated to the National Library of Ireland in 2004. www.nli.ie

Today’s Irish Times has an interesting Weather Eye by Brendan Williams. Brendan writes about Mother Shipton from Yorkshire, who was born in 1488 and was noted for making long term forecasts and predictions. Some of these covered topics such as ladies fashions, combine harvesters, movies, aeroplanes and submarines. Some of what she wrote -

For in those wondrous far off days

The women shall adopt a craze

To dress like men

And trousers wear

And to cut off their locks of hair

And roaring monsters,

With men atop

Shall seem to eat

The verdant crop.

And men shall fly as birds do now

And give away the horse and plough.

Pictures shall come alive with movements free

And boats, like fishes,

Swim beneath the sea.

You can read her climate matters under Weather Eye. bmcwilliams@irish-times.ie

Shannonbridge’s own Oliver Hilliard has just started collecting the vast amount of information on Open Fixtures in Irish golf clubs which he will arrange and publish as The Irish Golfers Guide to Open Fixtures. He has a target publishing date set at 21^st March 2006. He is prepared to post and package a copy for £7 sterling or $ 20...His address is

8, Saint Ciaran’s Park

Shannonbridge,

Athlone,

Ireland.

It was great to get a letter from Dale Lee in Yorkshire who wants to return on a fishing trip to Shannonbridge. Dale was last here in 1976.

Mary Kelly’s Christmas card arrived today from South Africa. Mary is a daughter of the late Bill Kelly, Dublin and of the late Bernie Devery, Lecarrow.