This week on the Offaly Independent there are two photographs of dogs seeking a new home. One is a young Labrador and the other is a friendly terrier and both are being cared for at present by the Offaly Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Their contact telephone number is 086 – 3785584 if you are interested.

Mrs Brigid Rigney, Clonboniff died on Tuesday 31^st January and her remains were removed to Clonfinlough Church on Wednesday evening with burial taking place Thursday in Clonmacnois after Mass. Mrs Rigney was a sister of the late Roddy Kilduff, Ferbane and she is survived by a son, four daughters and 13 grandchildren. After the burial the hymn" We will sing a song to Bridget" was sung and also the song" Let It Be".

She died at home as she wished and may she rest in peace.

At the Shannonbridge Active Retirement weekly meeting on Tuesday after Mass Declan Costelloe attended and reviewed how last years activities plan had worked out and work has started in preparing a new schedule for 2006.Every Tuesday those attending have been making a voluntary contribution towards helping the street children in Kenya and 400 Euro was collected. It is intended to continue this practise this year.

At the table quiz on Wednesday night four people attending were celebrating their birthdays. So belated birthday wishes to Bridie Carry, Dara Moran, Dorothy Devine and Nancy Ward.

Yesterday Stephen Mc Namee from Tullamore and originally from Cork telephoned about this webpage .He reads it often and he believes that the present Keena family living in Bel –Air house mentioned recently are related to the original Daly / Keena family. He promised to write the information to this site.

Stephen id a member of the Offaly Historical Society and he will be giving a lecture next Wednesday night , February 8^th at 8.30 pm in Cloghan Hall. His talk will be on how to go about finding information on local history. Later in the year he has been invited to New York to give a lecture on Ballinahowen Parish. He will give us more details of times and venue nearer the time.

Colin and Niamh set off for Boston this morning and they are planning to visit the relations in New Jersey and wherever the road leads after that. I hope he will find time to record some of the places they visit.

Weather has been mild today after some heavy nights of frost earlier in the week.

River level continues to drop slightly but at the funeral today the low lying part of the callow upstream of the cemetery had a good finger of floodwater.

River level at the bridge today is 3.15 Metres Brian tells us.

He also told what Brendan Behan said about the Irish people. “ They are illiterate in two languages – Litter and Bruscar “

Good turn out for the Blessing of the Throats this morning at Mass. The blessing will be available at Mass this evening at 7 pm.