Kathleen ( Kay ) Donegan is celebrating a special birthday at the moment. During the week friends and neighbours and family gathered in her home where Father O’Hanlon celebrated Mass. Tomorrow night the celebration continues at The Fort Restaurant. Glad to see that Marian and Daithi Rua are home to join in the fun. Wishing her a happy birthday and many of them.

Today our Head Chef in the Fort Brian Maher has walked up the aisle with his bride who lives near Portarlington. His brother Sean was telling us that Brian’s family and friends are travelling to the wedding by coach and the guests are being coached back after the wedding to a meal and reception in The Fort. Wishing them all the best.

Met Ray Gunning from Belmont yesterday .I had not met him for some time and the reason was clear when he told me that he runs a language school in Dublin and lives in Tullamore. His students come from China, Japan and Shanghai and he spends almost six months of the year out of the country in organising the people that wish to use the school. While he is away Ray keeps up to date with home affairs by connecting to the

www.rte.ie website which allows him to listen to RTE radio and television programmes. He often uses the archived section to listen to Val Joyce on Radio 1 who is on the radio a few nights a week from 12.30 to 2.00 at night in Ireland.

Ray kindly gave us cards from two pubs he visits in Shanghai – The Blarney Irish Pub and O’Malley’s Irish Pub.

Peter told us that he has not been fishing recently but he noticed his friend Mark on the bankside and he walked over to see how he was faring out. He was very excited as he had just landed a big pike and had placed him safely in a drain while he went to fetch his camera. It weighed 27.5 Lbs and was returned back to the river safe and sound. Peter reckons that he has caught this pike when it weighed a pound heavier and a pound lighter.

Magpies seem to be increasing in numbers and Mary counted seven in the garden yesterday. Mary’s version of the Magpie Chant goes –

One for Sorrow,

Two for Joy,

Three for a Wedding

Four to Die

Five for Silver

Six for Gold

Seven for a Secret

Never to be Told.

The river level is easing back again and there has been some frost at night which would help this drop. Bob and Peter were saying this morning that they unlocked their boat and left the lock on the seat of the boat. When they arrived in Shannonbridge the lock was frozen to the seat. Bob was taking no chances on getting cold as he pulled on two knitted caps over his golfers cap.

Louise was lucky to have her CD selected as Album of the Week on Galway Bay FM this week and today Ricey Scully from Midlands Radio in Tullamore had a chat with her as she went shopping in Dublin for an outfit to wear on You’re A Star on RTV 1 for her next appearance on January 15^th. Follow Ray Gunning’s lead and catch it on the archives on www.rte.ie/star Why not have a squint at her first appearance in Galway and in her second at Vicar Street.
Met a couple from Kilkenny a few days ago who knew Denny Hayes and Tony and Maisie Teehan. Got the feeling that Denny told them to call.