Offaly GAA Football Reunion.

Shannonbridge players were well represented at last week's gala dinner to honour successful Offaly teams of the not so distant past. Celebrated was the county's only U21 Football All Ireland Titlein 1988, when they overcame Cavan, at Longford, in the final. This was a marathon championship (knockout) which took all of 10 games, including four meetings to dispose of Wexford! Shannonbridge players were Niall OShea, Alan OShea and Mike Devine.
The 1997 Leinster Title and the winning of Offaly's only League Title, under Tommy Lyons in 1998, were also being celebrated. Shannonbridge representatives were Vinny Mooney and Anthony Kelly from 1997. John Ryan was featured on the 1998 team and, of course, he also won his All Ireland Senior Hurling medal in the same year.

Corncrake Report.

This year's Corncrake Report for the Shannon callows makes sad reading. Only four calling males were recorded, the lowest on record. Among the reasons for the decline were the major summer floods of 2002 and 2006 and the very wet summers of 2007 and 2008. The future of this rare bird in the area now looks very bleak. Incidentally corncrake numbers in Donegal and in such places as Innisboffin in the West of Ireland are on the increase.

Bird Atlas of Ireland.

Tomorrow sees the start of year two (in a four year project) of recording of winter birds in Ireland for the next edition of the Bird Atlas of Ireland. The nationwide survey aims to get an accurate count of the location and numbers of each species of wildbird in the country. The current survey will run over the winter months from Nov to Feb. If you wish to get involved and help out contact Brian Caffrey who is the Atlas Coordinator at Crank House, Banagher - 057 9151676 or bcaffrey@birdwatchireland.ie. They are looking for volunteers and any help is very welcome and the necessary instructions will be given.
As part of the start of the survey, Alex Copland of Birdwatch Ireland, will lead a count tomorrow (Saturday) from Turraun Lakes car park, near Pollagh, at 11.30 am.

Bird Feeder.

Put out the bird feeder in the garden today for first time this winter. One early visitor was a goldfinch.