Last Wednesday was a special day for Padraig Henry as he celebrated his 50^th birthday that day and at the quiz for Belarus that evening he was joined by family cousins and friends as they sang Happy Birthday to Padraig before he blew out the candles on his second birthday cake. Earlier in the day his work colleagues took him to lunch in Miller’s Restaurant and they also had a cake.

On Wednesday Jackie Rigley, 17 Southknock, New Ross, County Wexford died. Jackie was married to Margaret and he is survived by John, Colm, Julie, Margaret, Rachel, Mark and Michael. They lived in Shannonbridge for many years where Jackie worked in the local power plant. He went on promotion to Wexford back in the seventies. One memory of Jackie is when we were trying to play golf in Birr and at one hole there was a direction flag placed on top of a hill. Jackie struck a ball and it went a bit crooked. About six of us went in search of the ball and under a large tree Jackie found a nest of balls. As he gathered them up he said “to hell with the golf, we will go looking for golf balls instead”.

Terry Birch died on Sunday morning in hospital in Galway. Terry was married to Loretta Moran and they met in England while Terry was in hospital where Loretta was a nurse. Some years ago they retired to Ireland and lived mid way between Shannonbridge and Ballinasloe. Terry was a convert and became very involved in helping to run the church ceremonies. He was a noted decorator and carried out work on a number of churches and houses in the area. Have just returned from the viewing in Grenham’s Funeral Home in Ballinasloe where I met Loretta and the Moran Family and Rita Moran from Portarlington. His remains will be removed to Clonfad Church for Mass this evening with burial tomorrow after Mass in Clonmacnois Cemetery.

May they rest in peace.

Work is still going on at the Supermac takeaway, formerly the Shannonbridge Diner. It looks like there will be extra space and they will be doing well to have it completed for an opening at Easter.

The Library was busy on Thursday in both the adult and children’s sections. Opening hours on Thursday from 7 to 9 pm.

Oliver Hilliard tells us that his Golfers Guide to Open Fixtures 2006 is now with the printers.

Ricey Scully from the local radio was in Shannonbridge this week and he plans to take his popular two hour Thursday night radio show along the river in a few weeks time. He is planning to broadcast the show from four or five towns along the river and Shannonbridge will be one of the stopping points.

Seamus Mooney Clondelara and Ahascragh and his wife christened their new baby boy on Saturday and called him Cathal Matthew but they intend calling him Charlie. Bet my old bridge partner would have approved. A brother for – you guessed it James.

Pam Mc Dermott was in the village on Saturday and looking right well.

Today’s Irish Times has a special supplement commemorating The Easter Rising 1916 in Dublin with some interesting articles and photographs. I thought that might be a list of names of those in the GPO in Dublin as George Brent (Nolan) was a sixteen year old in the post office but alas no names.

A family from Vermont called into the shop today looking for Eileen Keena. By chance Mrs Keena was in the shop to attend a fund raising ‘coffee morning’ being run in aid of the drought / famine in Kenya. It seems that this family are directly related to the Darcy Family from Crevagh/Shannonbridge and the Lyons Family in Kilcock They were on their way to visit Clonmacnois and the family tombs.

Weather has turned a bit warmer with temperatures of 13 C promised for today. River level is still a bit high and it was good to see the service boat moored at the bridge today. Hopefully they have put the walkway at Clonmacnois in position.

Coming through Clonfinlough today it was good to see a bank of wild primroses in bloom. These were facing the sun and have the advantage over others. Daffodils are in bloom on the Lamb Island upstream from the village bridge. The cross of daffodils on Lamb Island is shaded by the bridge and have not yet bloomed.