On Sunday the river level had risen to 3.2 metres. Two of our local pike anglers went out pike fishing in a boat and they told that the river had risen noticeably in the time that they were fishing. They caught three pike in one of the backwaters off the main flow.

Some other group of pike anglers held their own private match also on Sunday. This group do not want to advertise their catches as they have found in the past that other anglers swarm to the successful fishing locations like flies.

The funeral of Mary Burke took place on this Monday after Mass in Shannonbridge to Clonmacnois Cemetery. Brigie Cassidy was telling us at her wake on Saturday night that Mary her sister had been working in Killeens in Shannonbridge for 22 years. Some great old friends turned up at the funeral and Shannonbridge Choir gave her a right good send off. There was a well put together few words of thanks from her son Michael and he ended up by asking Mary’s grandniece Emma to sing two of his mothers favourite songs.

One was The Fields of Barley and you know the other one.

After the funeral Patrick Kenny from America was in prime form with stories puzzles and yarns. I liked the one about the man that went to see the doctor. When he had examined him and taken some samples the doctor told the man that he would contact him when he got back the results.

About a week later the phone rang and the doctor asked if that was Tom. The man said it was. The doctor told Tom that he had some bad news and some worse news.

The man asked what the bad news was. The doctor said that the results of his tests were back and that Tom had only 24 hours to live.

And what is the worse news asked Tom.

Oh said the doctor I was trying to phone you all yesterday evening but there was no answer.

Bridie Kineavy from Rosmuc was in Shannonbridge on Sunday and told us that she is a native Irish speaker.

I asked her for a saying in Irish and she gave me this one for your delight –

‘Is minic a bhris beal duine a shron.’

This translates as ‘’ it’s often that somebody’s mouth broke their nose ‘’

Paul Donnelly from Rahara and Athlone died just like that while playing cards in The Shack pub in Athlone. His remains were removed to St Mary’s in Athlone on Monday evening. Burial in Coosan on Tuesday. The priest in St Mary’s told us that Paul retired from the ESB some ten years ago. He was born in Rahara Roscommon. When he was aged six his mother died. When he was aged ten his father died.

Paul was married with one grown up son who is married.

Paul was well known on building sites for the ESB and worked in Shannonbridge, Ferbane and Lanesboro at various stages. Paul was A Gentleman. May he rest in peace.

A daring robbery took place in Dublin last week when somebody drove their truck / tractor into the Guinness Brewery and hitched onto a trailer load of barrels of Guinness and Carlsberg and drove off. The truck / tractor were located the following day but the barrels are still at large.