The voting on the Lisbon Treaty is now over but the talk goes on. In Shannonbridge 64% of the local electorate voted. The two ladies presiding told us that 3 people were 1.5 % of the Shannonbridge polling station. The countrywide result was 53 % voted No and some 47 % voted Yes.

Kathy Sinnott the EU Democrats MEP had a quarter page advertisement on the Irish Times with the question –

Would you sign a contract you haven’t read?

Read the Lisbon Treaty on www.euinfo.ie and have the words explained at www.euabc.com

Doctor Derek Dilworth from the Ard na Ri Center at Clonmacnois got married on Sunday 15^th June and congratulations to the newly weds. Ard na Ri was the former home of the late John and Nan Molloy.

Recently I met Alison Munson from Canada who was visiting Ireland with her brother Tom on a Family Tree trail. The family involved the Potts Family who lived in Correen Castle. They had visited Correen and the family burial plot at Clonburren graveyard. It appears that there were three William Potts in succession in Correen. The third William had a brother John who went to Ontario. John’s great grand daughter Sarah married George Munson. They are the parents of Tom and Alison. They are also seeking information on the Munson Family. Any history of the Potts or Munson family please send to Alison.munson@sbf.ulaval.ca

Talking to my sister Pat she told me that while my mother was working in Ballinasloe post office she was friendly with Mrs Potts. When my parents got married in 1925 they got a wedding present from the Potts Family of a Davenport Dinner Service which was only used at Christmas and the like. When the Potts left Correen the furniture was sold off and in my bedroom now are a wardrobe, washing table and chest of drawers that were purchased at that auction. Pat was saying that Frank Murphy from Runnymede near Ahascragh worked for the Potts as a coach driver. I am uncertain if it was at Correen or Runnymede or Runymede as the Potts had another property there. Frank Murphy married Annie Loughnane from Clonfad near Correen. I remember the late Kathleen Mc Evoy nee Reid often recounting of the time she worked as a cook in Correen Castle. The farm manager was Peter Sinnott and Sean and Bridie Hicks were employed by the Potts. The Potts family religion was Church of Ireland.

Met a Michael Noone from Mountbellew recently on his way home from a display of alternative energy such as wind turbines, etc. Michael told that a Michael Barrett from Mountbellew erected his own wind turbine some 70 years ago and he used the generated power for lighting and charging batteries. He remembered that Mr Barrett had a full tray of lead batteries which were used to power the old radios of the period. Michael Barrett died in 2001.

Family bit. Missed meeting some of the Foley Family from Dublin who stopped off briefly to say hello. They were on a bus tour and promised to call back again. Their grandfather was Paddy Foley from Limerick and he married Mary Killeen, a sister of my father. They lived in Inchicore Dublin.

Yesterday Vincent Flanagan, from Clara, and friends stopped by. They had been attending the Shannonharbour Boat Rally at the weekend. Vincent is a son of Maureen, who is a daughter of the late Eddie Killeen from Ardnaglug.

The Sunday Times magazine reviewed a book titled ‘We Danced All Night’ a social history of Britain between the Wars. Written by Martin Pugh. An item on Players Navy Cut cigarettes caught my eye.

A promotion poster used a fine athletic female tennis player. This was used to give the impression to smoke and stay healthy. But the prices printed underneath for the cigarettes were interesting. With 240d or pence in the £1 cigarettes seemed cheap at 10 for 6d, 20 for 11.5d, 50 for 2 / 5 or 29d and 100 Players for 4 / 8 or 56d.

I was at the river yesterday evening to get the river level for the weekly fish report. The gauge is erected upstream of the bridge in line with the top of the support isle for the bridge. Just above this isle there is a fair cluster of weed growth and there busily eating out were 13 young wild ducks. I sat and watched them but they swam upstream and headed for the cruisers moored at the floating jetty.

The water level was 2.3 metres and the reading at the top of the old quay wall at this point is 4.76 metres approx. If it gets any higher the measuring gauge is continued up the buttress wall.

Some people home recently include Phelim Egan from Cloghan and Oregon. Phelim is a member of the famous musical Egan family from Cloghan.

Good to see Barry Teehan back in Shannonbridge controlling the sound for Shannonbridge Mid Summer Festival on Friday Saturday and Sunday, Most of the events took place in the neat tented area downstream of the bridge on the village side. There was also a floating barge theatre used and I woke on Saturday morning to the sound of drums. There was a work-shop for young would be drummers being held there and would they – Yes they would.

I enjoyed the little performance given on last Wednesday evening by the eight young musicians that have been attending music classes locally. It was staged in the old church. On Saturday night I enjoyed almost four hours of music in the marquee with performances from a busload of Tullamore Gospel Choir followed by Michael Tolan the tenor from Wales followed by Toucan which was two guitarist that do not sing but they sure play the guitar.

Moore Lotto and Banagher Lotto and Shannonbridge Lotto Jackpots were all won in recent weeks.

A change in the approach road from Ballinasloe. Work is progressing on a new footpath going up Gunning’s Hill on RHS. The old steel fence posts and wire and bushes have been taken away from the Battery Hill and new concrete posts and see through fencing are to replace it.

Yesterday while sitting outside in the sun I enjoyed the traffic passing by. That was the time when some 30 vintage cars went by heading west.

Maybe I mentioned meeting Tom Nevin from Race –Park, Roscommon who told that in 1945 the Roscommon horse races rented 49 acres of the Nevin farm for £26 which was used for racing.