Thursday 27^th September 2007

Last weekend had a spate of weddings in the area.

On Saturday Agnes Kelly from Clonfad, daughter of P.J. and Agnes Kelly

and John Gowing from Tullamore were married in Clonfad Church with reception in Kinnity

Castle afterwards.

On Saturday 22^nd Sept Annette Moynihan, Lowtown, Moore married Paul Kelly, son

of Peter and Ann Kelly, Clonmacnois in Moore Church with reception in the Bridge

House Tullamore.

Michael Camon from Birr and New York and his bride from Manhattan came over to

Ireland to be married in Birr on Saturday, with reception in Dooley’s Hotel in Birr afterwards.

At one time Michael worked as a barman in Dooley’s before moving to New York.

On Sunday some forty guests took a river trip from Banagher to Shannonbridge aboard the

River Queen. Many of the party from America told us that it was their first trip to Ireland and

promised to return soon again for a longer visit.

We had a pleasant visit from angler Colin Wollaston and his May bride Carol Oakley for a brief

visit on a sightseeing holiday.

Congratulations and Best Wishes to all the newly weds.

The National Ploughing Championships took place on Tuesday, Wednesday and today

on a farm near Tullamore and Geashill. They were blessed with fine drying days and large

crowds were in attendance. Some 45,000 on Tuesday, 80,000 yesterday and another big

turnout today.

Ballinasloe Fair Week commences on Sunday 30^th September and hopefully they will get

the crowds and weather similar to the Ploughing Championships. The organisers have produced an

interesting free official festival guide for 2007 in advance. Sorry but I failed to find a website

if there is one.

Pet Problem. Met a man who has a dog. He will not follow people walking. He will not follow people

in a car. He will only follow people on a bicycle. What should he do with the dog. ?.

On Monday a group of Hot Air Balloon competitors attending the Irish National Ballooning Championships

Visited Shannonbridge as it was too windy to run a competition and they were having a look

at likely areas to be used in the races. Tuesday was also windy so they had a Solve The Mysteries

event organised with some of the clues to be solved in Shannonbridge and Belmont.

On Wednesday the weather was fine for ballooning and some thirty balloons set off from Summerhill, Athlone early in the morning in a ‘chasing the hare’ race. The hare got a ten minute start and came down the Shannon as far as Shannonbridge where he turned and went to Cloghan and onto Birr, flying over

Birr Castle before landing in Birr Airfield where Anthony and friends at Birr Airfield had a most

Welcoming cup of tea and sandwiches waiting. The trip took 90 minutes from Athlone to Birr.

Some of the Hot Air people came back to Shannonbridge for lunch.

They told us that the Irish National event was the oldest in the world and is now in its 37^th year.

Teams from USA, Italy, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain are competing. The event is

by invitation only. Try www.irishhotairballoonchampionship or a variation.

Later on Wednesday evening around 6 pm some 15 balloons were spotted travelling from the

Athlone direction. Louise and yours truly climbed onto the roof of the shed. Louise was armed

with a throwaway camera and I had two bright umbrellas to give them a wave of welcome. It had

an effect as one landed over near Patrick Kenny’s in America and two more landed in Clerhane.

One flew low over Aidan Carry’s house in Raghrabeg and Aidan was talking to the balloonist.

When he asked him where he was going he said he did not know.

Some cattle on land near Patrick Kenny’s went a bit wild during the morning race and broke down

some walls and fences. I noticed as the balloons got closer to the village the crows got scared and

flew off towards Dublin. Don’t worry I saw then back flying over their area today.

Mick was telling Louise about the time a large solo Hot Air Balloon passed over Shannonbridge over

some 50 years ago. Two men were saving turf in the bog. One of them looked up and saw the balloon

and asked his brother what did he think it was. The brother looked at the colourful thing in the sky

and said ‘I don’t know, but I’m going home to get the fekkin gun’. They had a hard job to convince

him not to shoot.

Someone else was remembering some years ago when a group of men were working on the bog

and a helicopter appeared. They took off their coats and started waving at it. The helicopter pilot

landed beside them thinking they were giving an emergency signal. Shall we say he was not at all

pleased. Now I am wondering if my two umbrellas caused the three balloons to land in America and

Clerhane.

Today people coming from the Ploughing Championships told me that on Thursday morn they saw

Balloons flying down near Taughmaconnell.