After the weekend rain the level of the River Shannon rose from 2.78 metres on Saturday to 3.0 metres on Monday as read on the scale alongside the village bridge. On Monday and today the level was 3.1 metres. Brian from the barge told us that the level rose by ten inches from Sunday afternoon until Monday morning. There are about thirty visiting anglers in the area this week and where they fished on a dry bank on Saturday they are now sitting in a few inches of water. The power station is closed down for repair for a few weeks so it was good to hear that some tench were caught in their favoured hot water outlet breeding ground.

Roscommon played New York in the football championship on Sunday. The game was played in New York and some 2,500 Roscommon fans travelled over for the game. Included in this was the nephew Shane Killeen (Sinead is from Roscommon town) and today Bernard who owns Mikeen Kenny’s house in Cappaleitra told us that the local Roscommon engineer Paddy Kenny also travelled over for the game. Paddy Kenny is due to retire next month and wishing him all the best in his retirement.

The local Active Retirement Group are planning a days outing next Tuesday 23^rd May. The bus will depart after 9.00am Mass that morning and visit the Japanese Gardens and the National Stud with a bit of shopping in Newbridge and an evening meal in the evening. Joe is coming along to provide music for the journey and for a sing song after the meal.

There is a notice in the local papers this week that Offaly County Council are preparing a development plan for four villages and Shannonbridge is one of them. Some people will be on hand in the Health Center to meet groups or individuals that might wish to put forward ideas.

On Monday night Lilian Smith on the Late Date radio programme reminded us that Frank Sinatra was eight years dead on May 16^th and she played a number of his songs. I am almost sure that Lilian said that the song “That was a very good year” was written by Bono and The Edge for Frank Sinatra .Nice one Bo and Ed.

The corncrake at The Cut is still calling out to any females in the area. Brian also told us that there is a pair of Kingfishers living at The Cut again this year and they seem to use the trees on the bankside as a food source.

An article on today’s paper mentions that a Kathleen O Toole from Boston is to become head of inspectorate of An Garda Siochana. Someone mentioned this to me at cards a few weeks ago and said that someone in Boston who knows her says she has been to Shannonbridge. Wishing her well on her appointment.

Sorry to have missed the Tullamore Gospel Choir performing in Ferbane Church last night. Instead I joined the A.R.A. for their weekly one hour exercise routine from 7 til 8.

Ken and Betty Smith from California are spending two weeks based in Shannonbridge. I thought that they had flown direct from Santa Barbara but they touched down for a week in Germany on their way.