Glad to see that the cost of the local train trip around the bog is being reduced to 5 Euro for this Saturday and Sunday which will be of benefit to everyone attending the Music Weekend in Shannonbridge and Clonmacnois.

A man from the Continent was in the bar last night examining all the sayings and puzzles. Then he told of a young Scottish Lad that was away from home and was short of cash. So he decided to send a telegram to his father. The post office told him that it was more expensive for numbers than letters. So the youth decided to save money and sent the following –

S E N D

+ M O R E

M O N E Y

He said that it was a sum and that all the answers in each row were the same number.

I feel like writing HELP in huge letters. Over to you.

Our reader of the daily river level Brian O Meara is still away on his barge but Barry Crawford or BRAD as he is known has become an able deputy and at 09.40 this morning the level was down to 2.44 Metres.

The new Corncrake inspector was around this week with a poster about Corncrake Evening 2006 in Crank House Banagher on Saturday 17^th June at 9.30 p.m. A slide show on the Corncrake and Barn Owl followed by walk on Tower Callow where, weather permitting the Corncrake may be heard. Phone 057 9151676.

The inspector told that 14 birds were estimated to have laid eggs and due to the flood level in May all the first brood were lost. Normally the corncrake has two or even three broods so there is hope yet. He reckoned that some of the females may have been drowned as they answered the call of the male and landed in flooded water.

Pat Gleeson Mullaghature aged 93 years who lived with his sister Mrs Michael Ryan died on Thursday and was buried in Clonmacnois yesterday. After the funeral the Ryan Family invited everyone at the graveside back to their home in Mullaghature for refreshments and a chat about Pat.

One of the tales told was that Pat Gleeson was in Banagher one night and had a few jars. Rather than cycle home Pat got into a horse box attached to Bill Mulvey the Vet. Next morning Bill set off for Longford to collect a horse and near Ballymahon he heard strange noises from the trailer. On investigating he found the bold Pat.

The local curate Father Pierre Pepper visited Pat on the First Friday and on his last visit Pat said to him that he would sing him a song. Father Pierre is a Wexfordman so he requested Boolavogue. Pat said that he did not know all the words but on his next visit he would sing it for him. Before he left Pat offered the priest some money but he said no that he would see him the next time. As Father Pierre put it now he has neither Boolavogue nor the money.

For a number of years Pat collected his pension in Shannonbridge and afterwards went into the pub for a chat and to sing a song or two. He got in conversation with another regular at the bar and one day Pat Gleeson asked Mick when the other man went to the toilet “Tell me what nationality is my friend.”?

Yesterday I got a lift to the graveyard and was two hours early. The new working cemetery is high in grass and weed and is a disgrace compared to the Winged Foot like greens in the old Clonmacnois adjoining it. No wonder the guide’s just point in the general direction of The Nun’s Church and let the visitors into Safari Land next door.

Today Charles J. Haughey was laid to rest in Donnycarney cemetery in a state funeral.

May they both rest in peace.

Glad to meet a daughter of the late Nora Mc Evilly who is home on a holiday from Australia.

A good friend Noel Daly travelled down from Dublin on Thursday to visit Pat Killeen as he had heard she had been discharged from hospital. Latest news on Pat is that the Physiotherapist will not discharge her just yet. She is in great form.

The Turley Family from Raghrabeg and Dublin operate a popular self drive car rental in Dublin and worldwide. They trade as arguscarhire.com with Phone 01-4904444. I always liked their phone number which for many years was 01-44444. Nice one Joe.

Alan Harrison and Jo Foster have returned to Shannonbridge on a fishing holiday. Both are keen followers of music with Bill having thousands of classical records and CD’s. while Jo has an equal amount of folk and country and western. When Paudge Bennett played “It’s a long way to Tipperary” last Wednesday they asked me if I knew how the song was written. Of course I did but they told me anyway. Two men met in a bar in England one night. One man said to the other called Anon. “I bet you a pint that you will not be able to write a song tomorrow about a place that I will tell you its name. Right says Anon. Write a song about Tipperary said the challenger.

The next evening the two friends met in the pub and Anon. had written Tipperary and won the bet of a pint. Cheers.