Saturday saw the start of the three times daily trips between Shannonbridge and Clonmacnois. It was good to see two busloads using the service. Some 40 Active Retirement members of the Borris in Ossory town were making full use of their bus. While some sailed to Clonmacnois others travelled by bus and returned on the River Queen. Contact Silverline in Banagher for information.

On Saturday morning Ireland played New Zealand in rugby and for me that meant an early rise.

Later in the morning I tried out the gazebo in the garden and found that John Price had positioned one of the bird nesting boxes on top of some cross beams. I listened but heard no noise. After a while a member of the tit family landed on a timber nearby and gave me a funny look. So I moved away. Before leaving the garden I decided to check if any birds had found the nest. So standing on the bench seat I opened the half roof door to look in. There was a mass of short horse hair all around the inside. Wondering if the young birds had hatched out and gone, I lowered the back of my hand down into the nest. When I felt what I presume was a small warm tit I closed the lid and left. Presumably the horse hair was collected from the horse in the next garden. Hopefully things will work out ok.

Aidan Kelly told us that he shot 4 magpies on Friday. There seems to be extra magpies in the area this year.

Aidan and his friend tried their hand salmon fishing on the River Moy yesterday near Ballina. Aidan had no luck but his friend caught a 9 lbs pike while using copper and silver bait.

On Saturday I began wondering if someone was dead when I saw Peter Grenham from Ballinasloe in the village. Peter is the well known publican and undertaker. It was a joyous occasion as Peter’s as his grand-daughter Abby Gale Alyward had been christened that morning in Ballinasloe and family and friends had come to Shannonbridge to celebrate the occasion with a meal in The Fort Restaurant. Of course it was good to see Celia Alyward and Val Martin. Niall a son of Celia and the late Pat Alyward is married to Philomena Grenham daughter of Peter and Philomena Grenham.

Home from Manchester for the occasion was Conor Alyward. Conor told me that he teaches people to write poetry and did his first Irish workshop recently in Galway. Watch the change in this blog .

Conor is interested in birds and told that in the area where he lives there are lots of walls built using cavity blocks. Some small openings have been made allowing many birds to nest in the cavity walls.

Conor also told of an interesting project in his locality in Manchester. There is some open ground available and some adults invite the kids to sow wild flower seeds on the patch using catapults to cast the seeds into the ground. It comes up very colourful.

Patrick Kenny from America was in Shannonbridge yesterday. He was telling about the neighbour that got gangrene and was taken to hospital. After examination they told him that they would have to remove the leg. After the operation, when our friend woke up, the surgeon was at his bedside. He told him that he had good news for him and bad news for him.

‘What’s the bad news’ asked the patient.

‘There has been a mistake and the wrong leg was removed’ said the surgeon.

‘And what’s the good news’ asked the patient.

‘ The good news is that the other leg is getting better’

This morning Brad Crawford and I set off to visit Clonfert. We went through Shannonharbour and Banagher and crossed the Shannon at Banagher. After a few miles we branched right and soon came to the cross-roads at Clonfert. We headed for Saint Brendan’s Cathedral and had it all to ourselves. Brad took photographs of the outside and the doorway. Inside the stained glass windows and the mermaid got the click.

Next we visited The Emmanuel House of Prayer and met Prince their friendly sheepdog. The small original little round church was locked but we visited the restrooms and the large gathering space. A man varnishing some timber that Wednesdays and a particular Saturday are the busy days.

We reckoned that we were about five miles from Shannonbridge as the crow flies. We got in the car and went to have a look at the backwater at Clonfert and the bridge used to carry peat into the power plant.

On the way we crossed the bridge over what was once the branch canal from Shannonharbour to Ballinasloe. For many years this canal has been converted into a rail-line by Bord na Mona.

We went slightly astray near the Clonfert Backwater and on a good track leading to a closed gateway we passed lots of bog cotton and woodbine and wild iris and dog daisies displaying their beauty. Reckon that we were opposite Garrymore when we turned back and found the entrance to the Backwater and the rail bridge. The driver was getting hungry so Our Lady of Clonfert Church and Meelick Church visits had to be postponed. We did not even consider Clontuskert Abbey.

Back home it was warfarin day and I found myself behind bars. Wasn’t I lucky as a Dublin man and woman from a river cruiser both played the piano and they did. Then another cruiser man played a few tunes. I thought he was from Germany but he told me he was angry with Germany as they had beaten Poland 2 – 0 in a soccer match.

The first bout of this years Shannonbridge Music Festival weekday got going this evening with the official launch in The Fort. Music was played by Louise and friends and I hear the remains of their effort wafting up from downstairs. Enough I am going down closer.