Dated 6^th February 2007

Some sports results from the weekend. In rugby the Six Nations Tournament got under way. Ireland beat Wales 19 – 9 in Cardiff.

France beat Italy 39 – 3. England beat Scotland 42 – 20. England had Johnny Wilkinson playing after a two year lay off and he was excellent.

Next weekend Ireland will play France in Croke Park under lights.

First match played under lights was the Dublin Tyrone league match last weekend with Tyrone winning.

Mayo beat Kerry in their league match at the weekend.

Pat and Mick went by boat to Shannonharbour on Friday. Weather was lovely and there were a lot of birds to be seen.

On Saturday Mick Doherty took his boat out for a trip in fine weather and he was amazed at the number of birdlife and cormorants to be seen. That day Mary Killeen counted twenty goldfinch using the bird feeders in the yard as well as a variety of other species.

Yesterday the Irish Independent carried a photograph of a nest of four baby robins, aged 14 days. The nest was built in a Christmas wreath on the door of a flat in south west London. Kaye Donegan told us today that robins and some other birds like the corncrake have three or four clutches in the year. Robins generally start nesting around Valentines Day. Weather has been glorious for the past while with sunshine during the day and getting cold and frosty at night.

The Irish Times has their Images of 2006 on view and buy site www.ireland.com/focus/imagesof2006

The railway people Iarnrod Eireann have 150 new railway carriages on order from Korea and some of these will be coming on line in the next few months.

President Mary Mc Aleese was conferred with a Distinguished Fellowship by Athlone IT recently. While in Athlone she took time to visit the Monsignor Mc Carthy Complex, a family resource center.

Weather eye in The Irish Times mentioned Venus being bright at night and it will be brighter still in August.

Yesterday Shay Murphy stopped off on his way to Connemara. Shay worked for a number of years at the building of the extension to Shannonbridge Power Station.

The radio morning programme mentioned a website www.ratemyhospital.ie that allows patients and others to give their verdict on a range of things about any hospital.

Ferbane Bridge Club has a website called http://homepage.eircom.net/~ferbane_bridge/

Soon they are having a benefit night for charity.

Some deaths.

Patrick Mitchell, Moore North, son of the late Ta Mitchell has died. Burial today.

Maura Coleman, Banagher wife of Martin has died. Burial tomorrow.Mr. Murphy, Wexford father of Eileen Gill Templedew died this morning.
Thursday night a gang from Shannonbridge are off to The Concert Hall to hear Matt Munroe Junior and his orchestra perform.