Dated 13^th March 2007

The Shannonbridge Active Retirement group meeting heard today that a further 800 Euros has been sent to help the children in Africa. At their weekly meeting those attending have undertaken to contribute 2 Euros each to this cause and Sister Maura and Sister Marie from the Ard Chiarain prayer and retreat house in Raghrabeg have undertaken to send out the donations to other Sisters working on the Kenya Mission field

It seems that the day outing to Sligo will take place on May 2^nd.

John O Loughlin took his guitar along to Banagher today when we went along with Mick and John and Pat and John Toher to collect the boat from Banagher. I noticed a lovely clump of daffodils in bloom on the edge of Silverline Cruiser’s lawn. We had to get some assistance from Morgan of Silverline to get the boat started. Then we set out with the sun shining and into a strong head of floodwater flowing against the boat. There was lots of floodwater in the fields and a number of cormorants and swans to be seen. John O struck up the guitar and a few songs were loosed. Toher sang his party piece which we call the O Song and the chorus goes something like this –

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Up in the mountains

That’s the place to be

Listening to the Jackdaws

Singing hallalee.

It being a wedding

There was mate galore

And we all ate

‘Ti our bellies was sore.

Chorus Oooooooooo

Old Jack Mc Guinness

Got as round as an egg

And he fell into a corner

And broke his wooden leg.

Chorus Ooooooooooooo

Perhaps she was a woman

Or perhaps she was a man

She scraped off her ears

With a corned beef can.

Chorus Oooooooo

As long as I remember

Sure I never will forget

The night that Jack Mc Guinness

Got his cork leg set.

Chorus Oooooooooooooooo.

Shannonbridge GAA Lotto Jackpot of 18,000 Euros survived last night’s draw when the four numbers drawn were 4, 12, 15 and 18.

Una O Connor’s mother has died and will be buried in Virginia County Cavan on Wednesday 14^th March. May she rest in peace.

Cary Thornhill has gone to visit Kerrill in Sydney for a few weeks. Already Pat has a number of words blank in the crosswords and misses the help from Cary.