Johnny Duffy from Clondelara and now Cloghan was in Shannonbridge during the week and was remembering the late Jack O Shea from Clonmacnois. One day Jack said to Johnny –

‘Reckon I saw your mother coming in to town this morning on a 26 ‘.

)n Friday Paul Kerrigan, Elphin called in with some fresh prints of the Martello Fortifications at Shannonbridge. Paul is an acknowledged expert on the Martello defences along the river and has written about them and drawn them. It was news to hear that there were two lines of defence. One comprising the Fort Barrack and two hidden cannon over on the right hand side or Macklins. At ground level there was a Caponniere jutting out in the 30 foot gap between two high upright walls and that remains. But about a cannon blast away to the west and roughly about opposite Ard Chiarain was another defence which has now been removed.

It was good to meet a Sweeney Family from Omaha on Friday who are on holiday. They had visited Clonmacnois and as they have a son Brendan they were going to visit Clonfert on their way to Galway. Then they are going to seek relatives in Cork. They had not heard of my friend Kay Kelly in Omaha which is strange.

Today on Lyric FM radio Gay Byrne started a series of two hour programmes and got off to a good start with a Frank Sinatra number. Then he talked about a recording by Mary Lowe, sister of Theresa Lowe and of course the Lowe Family came from Clonfinlough in our parish of Clonmacnois.

Then he began reminiscing about himself and another person learning the piano and one of them did a good take off of Charlie Coons. This Charlie Coons played a series of sell out concerts in a Dublin theatre. Pat was telling me that the late Surgeon Jack Murphy, Ballinasloe used to travel to the Isle of Mann where he got piano lessons from the same Charlie Coon.

It was good he hear Gay play a fabulous selection of old favourites and jazz and blues and what have you. The two hours flew. Catch him next Sunday 3 to 5.