Tuesday, June 03, 2008

And in the other pocket was a reminder note that Tom ‘Jagger’ Guinan has been home on a visit from Germany. Cannot believe that it is a quarter of a century since he switched from Clonfinlough to Germany.

It was good to see him again and sorry not to hear him play some music. His sister told us that he still plays music now and again.

On Friday 30^th May who arrives but the bold Jimmy Gunn from Ayton in Scotland. Jimmy was a regular visitor to Shannonbridge for many years with his friend Watty Frater and they were known as Frater and Gunn.

A website for butterfly fanciers may be found at www.irishbutterflies.com. And another site covering Irish butterflies is held by the DNF Club on www.butterflyireland.com

An old man kept telling everyone how he was badly crippled and disabled and he had got great relief since some friends brought him a special chair from America. One neighbour had heard the old man repeat and repeat telling this story so often that he said ‘Tis a pity that they did not plug it in when they gave it to you’.

On Monday 2^nd June two people on a boat complained to me about jet skies they had seen on the river cutting across cruiser traffic in a dangerous manner. Their timing was perfect as one of the jet skies on a trailer passed at that moment and parked nearby.

Ray Walsh reminded us late on Monday evening, say 11.00pm that the space weather station was due to appear in the sky to the south. So off I went up the road to the power plant and saw briefly what looked like a bright star before it moved into a cloud. Felt a little foolish standing in shirt sleeves, with pocket, looking up to the sky.

Yesterday some pieces of Italian type food were left out on the roof for the birds. I noticed two birds near the food tray. One was a medium sized black coloured bird, probably a starling and its companion was much the same size with lighter coloured feathers. Both were standing about six inches from the tray. The black coloured one hopped over to the tray and selected two or three morsels. Then she hopped back to the grey one who was waiting with its mouth open. The black one fed the grey one and repeated the process. I was enjoying the feeding pattern but suddenly a big crow flopped down on the roof and everyone took flight.

I was glad to see that one of the bird boxes which were erected with the entry hole facing north had a proud mum sitting on its perch yesterday. Hope the kids like Italian as John Price pitched it about four yards from yesterdays feed tray.

¶ 6/03/2008 01:41:00 AM

Monday, June 02, 2008

The weather for the June bank holiday has turned out super after a bit of thunder and lightning on Friday afternoon. June 1^st was birthday time for Joan Farrelly and Mary Craughwell. Happy birthday to you.

On Sunday June 1^st Mr and Mrs Paul Flynn visited Shannonbridge on their cruiser. They enquired like so many before them if the power points on the floating jetty were working. When told that they never worked since the floating jetty was first installed they were surprised. They told that they had met another river user in the shower / toilet unit at the bridge early that morning trying to find a slot for his Waterways Ireland card. This unit was erected by the Offaly County Council and is maintained superbly by Des Finnerty.

They are operated with 1.50 Euros tokens available in the village shops and pubs.

The Flynn’s said it was the best maintained unit that they have come across.

In the past few months Deputy Olwyn Enright contacted Waterways Ireland as to why the power points were not working and was told that they were looking into the problem. They are still looking.

There has been a rumour that Waterways Ireland has plans to add the shower / toilet building to their umbrella. Will they maintain the same high standards which are presently in place?

Sunday brought Peter and Brenda Pearson to Shannonbridge with their friends Liam and Olive Keller where they had an enjoyable lunch in The Fort Restaurant. Peter was manager in Hoydens Hotel during the Ballinasloe Gala Fishing Week and he was recalling many of the names from that period such as Tom Beddar, Sid Meades, Tom Coulson, Mick Lakey, Hugh Gough, Pat Lawless, Tony Ellis and Seamus Grennan. Peter and Brenda are now retired and living in Tyrellspass. When they were working at Hoydens Brenda cooked a lot of the pastries and desserts. When I asked her if she still cooked she admitted that she supplied some items for Becks Kitchen which is found in the Tesco outlet in Tyrellspass.

Friday night it was good to see Joe Kennedy and his daughter Claire from Birr. They are both keeping well but Joe was noticing a drop off in car sales.

Last weekend Offaly’s Taoiseach Brian Cowen was actively canvassing for a Yes Vote for the Lisbon Treaty in Tullamore and other towns. The thought crossed my mind if Presidential Candidate Barack Obama will visit his Faithful County Offaly during his current campaign.

If this lovely weather gives you ideas about adding an outdoor patio to your home then have a chat with Bridgway Engineering Shannonbridge before deciding and find out what they have on offer.

On Friday one of the Polish welders Tom returned to Poland after working for four years in Shannonbridge with Bridgway Engineering. Wishing him well in his future.

Yesterday was christening Baptism for baby Ruth Quirke daughter of Gardai Gerry and Lucy Quirke who live in the old Garda Barracks.

Heard on the radio today that the normal life expectancy for a Corncrake is just two years. The speaker mentioned that if anything happened then they would not return to their Irish home. This must explain why no Corncrakes have been singing in the Callows north of Shannonbridge for the past few years.

Met Mark Kelly today who told me he has just come home from Korea for a few days. He is off again in about ten days time – this time to Peru. Mark is not interested in sharing his impressions with this webpage.

Wish him luck in his travels.