The Sacred Heart Messenger monthly magazine is alive and well. It is normally distributed through volunteer agents like Mary Killeen in Shannonbridge Friends around or abroad that may be interested in having a copy should visit www.messenger.ie for details.

The January copy reminds us of www.sacredspace.ie and there is an article on Fr.James Cullen S.J. who started the Messenger in 1887.

The cover of the monthly always has a good splattering of red colour on its cover and many a lass has used this to colour her lips and bring a warm colour to her cheeks.

Try it for yourself.

Christmas Day started with mid-day Mass. Mick and Mick Doherty were expecting a number of people to go on a river trip and they planned to use two boats to be sure.

But nobody showed up and M+M headed on up the Shannon above Clonmacnois. Later we visited the cemetery at Clonmacnois and found the burial ground very well presented like an Arnold Palmer designed course. There was a fair old wind blowing and then a shower of rain fell .The Claffey Plot had hundreds of bulbs with their shoots about 2” over the ground. Pat told us that she heard Kieran Egan tell that the phrase ‘Who departed this life’ was used on headstones instead of ‘died’.

The river level on 26^th was 3.86 metres but there have been lots of showers since and the river has crept up a few inches.

Home for the dinner and sometime afterwards Colin and Louise and Aine and Kim and Mick started playing some sing-along music with some help from Mike T and Niall P.

After midnight I listened to Lilian Smith play old Christmas songs on the radio and so to bed. Never saw one minute of television.

Brian was telling some friends of his in Dublin about the new bookmakers opening in Shannonbridge. They work in a courier company in Dublin. Last week a number of screens arrived for Fay Bookmaker, Shannon, County Offaly. There is no Shannon, County Offaly and the parcels were about to be returned until Pat, Brian’s friend remembered about the bookmakers and sent them to Shannonbridge. They arrived and the betting office is up and running.

On St. Stephen’s Day three familiar Dutchmen paid a visit. They had a house in Dingle for Christmas and on 26^th it was raining hard and they drove to Shannonbridge to say hello. One man told us that they will be back as usual on a cruiser on the Shannon in May and this will be his 30^th year on the river. Think he likes it.

Later on Stephen’s Day three youngsters arrived in Hunting The Wren. They had their act shortened to “Give us some money to bury the wren”. Mick gave them 40c and they refused to take it. Burials are getting dearer. They were not local kids and their father drove a Hi-ace van.

Ballinasloe is our nearest town and thanks to their Urban Council one can have a live look at what is going on there via cameras that are mounted at the junction of Dunlo Street, Main Street, Society Street and a bit of the town square as well. See what is going on at www.ballinasloe.com

Sally Kenny nee Anderson, Athlone Road Ferbane has died. Only last September Sally and her husband Paddy celebrated 50 years of marriage retracing the steps with Mass in Shannonbridge and a reception in Birr. Eddie Brown will be interested to know that Sally was a daughter of Jim Flannery ( pet-named Kates Jim ) and her mother was Margaret Coughlan, a sister of Mrs Treacy and Mrs Gunning and a brother of Johnny Coughlan, Clonascragh, the fiddle player May she rest in peace.

Oliver Craughwell, Athlone has died. Shannonbridge folk know his mother Maeve and his brother Seamus. He was a relation of the late Frank and Jimmy Rock from Cappaleitra and of Mrs Tommie Coleman Shannonbridge. May he rest in peace.

Well known entertainer and singer Joe Dolan of The Drifters Showband died in Dublin on Christmas Day and his funeral takes place tomorrow in his hometown Mullingar.

Aged 68 years he brought great joy to many many people. May he rest in peace..