Dated 2^nd April 2007

Starting with some hurling results-

Kilkenny 1-19 Galway 0-18

Cork 1-13 Clare 0-14

Wexford 3-31 Down 0-6

Offaly 3.15 Waterford 1-19

Limerick 4-17 Antrim 0-13

In football -

Roscommon 1-14 Sligo 0-10

Mayo 0-12 Dublin 0-9

Kerry 0-9 Tyrone 0-9

Cork 1-15 Fermanagh 0-6

Limerick 2-12 Donegal 4-6

Monaghan 0-13 Offaly 0-12

Leitrim 2-8 Roscommon 0-11

In rugby –

Wasps 35 Leinster 13

Leicester 21 Stade Francais 20

Yesterday Brian and Dympna Carroll from Ely House guesthouse were seeking someone that was well up in birds as a white / grey bird with a yellow plume had landed in their garden. Rose Ryan and Kieran Guinan were recommended. Then I noticed Donal Guinan in the shop and when he heard about the bird he said it belonged to his Dad as a cockatiel had flown away on Saturday. It still remains in a free state.

Yesterday was Paddy Kenny from America Ireland’s birthday. In a thirty minute spell yesterday morning he made April Fools out of seven people in the shop. He was very thankful to all the friends that brought him bottles of whiskey for his birthday and he told us that it was a waste as he never drank at home.

Seamus Dennigan from Cloghan County Offaly phoned to enquire where he might get a good photograph of Clonmacnois as his daughter now living in Dublin would like a framed memento.

Banagher Concrete manufactured and delivered five 146 ft-long bridge beams weighing 135 tons for a bridge in Limerick recently which was quite an undertaking.

The old ‘pot still’ at Kilbeggan Distillery has been re-activated after 53 years. The old single still pot will produce 250,000 bottles of whiskey a year which will mature in the adjacent stone warehouses. This is the oldest pot still working in Ireland. Members from the families connected with the distillers – The McManus, The Codds and The Lockes attended the firing of the old pot still.

Olly Corless from Dunmore in Galway stopped by yesterday seeking a bow-saw. He told us that he bought one in the shop some years ago which had a spare blade. He still has the spare blade but a neighbour has the saw. He was reminiscing about the horse races at Galway and Tuam and the Three Card Trick men. One of the better known operators was a family from Longford and Olly told us that one of them now lives in Tuam. Apart from the three card trick they had many more good ideas. Castlehackett Hill in Galway is renowned for its white sand. Our Tuam friend at one time got a bag of this sand and several thousands of small plastic bags. He apportioned a small amount of the white sand into each bag. Then dressed in religious clothing he went to Knock Shrine and proceeded to sell ‘Sand from The Holy Land’ to all and sundry.

Olly also told of a Paddy Mc Kenna from Tuam who operated a test of skill to find the loop in a folded leather belt. The prize was a chicken for any lucky winner competing. Naturally these were scarce as the loop was hard to find.

For some time the Ford Brothers have been sending text messages to the Late Date radio program with host John Creedon on RTE radio one. Two weeks ago one of the brothers had got two offers of marriage and he sought advice on what to do. On Friday night one of the brothers texed to tell us that his brother had gone to see the film Amazing Grace. When he came home the other brother asked what it was like. He said it was amazing.

Saturday Irish Times told us that the Irish Times Poetry NOW Award has been won by Seamus Heaney for his latest collection ‘District and Circle’.

Every day I see an advert for a car hire firm whose owner was born in Raghrabeg. Joe Turley is one of our own and he and his family operate arguscarhire.com and they have a phone number 01-4904444 which before changes was Dublin 44444.

Mrs Molly Donegan, nee Guinan relic of Captain Sean Donegan has died and funeral takes place in Dublin.

The Connemara Marathon is over and the Doc was telling us that she had only 22 for dinner yesterday in Oughterard. I thought that some 3000 people were taking part.

That Kay girl in England is a friend of Russ Parker. Her friend that came to seek prayers from Emmanuel House had to wait some nine hours on Saturday before he got to meet Eddy Stones as about 1500 others were also there. Anyhow help her out with one of your own prayers.

Glorious day of sunshine and got a little colder again on Monday evening.