Al Morrison Boston who has connections with the Kenny families in Kidlawn and Clonburren has made contact
with Tom Kinsella Boston and Clonburren connections. Al had a visit from Father Peter Kenny recently and
he told me that Jim Killeen Chicago telephoned Father Peter while he visited.

Great golf victory in the Irish Open for 22 year old Shane Lowry at the weekend. Shane Lowry is from Clara
in Offaly and comes from a great Gaelic football family, with his father Brendan and his two uncles winning
All Ireland medals with Offaly over twenty five years ago. Congratulations and well done Shane.
A young girl from Clonmacnois School was in yesterday to buy an Irish Tri-colour flag. She told us that Shane
was to visit the school.
Todays paper tells that Shane will make a statement tonight on his plans for the future. Whether he will turn
professional and when. Lots of family and friends had a wager on his winning and the Paddy Power bookmakers
are said to have lost about one million on his win. Runner up to Shane was Robert Rock from England.
Here on Sunday and watching the golf was John Shanahan from Ferbane and now living in Cork. John is a son
of the late Louis Shanahan, one of the whiz quiz team from Ferbane who died ten years ago.

The Pilgrim Road from Kilgarvan to Clonmacnois runs through the bogland and was a track of stone boulders.
I was sorry to hear that last week that when clearing away bushes and scrub from the bog some of the stones
were moved by the machinery and dumped with the other waste. By coincidence the title of the recent RTE
programme recently was titled "Stories of the Stones". The end of the road is near Saint Ciaran's Church
in Clonmacnois.

Yesterday Monika Krumscheid was in a party of holidaymakers on the river that visited Shannonbridge.
She took along a December 2005 Boote Magazine www.boote-magazin.de that has a story about the River Shannon.
On page 52 there are a number of photos including a photograph of part of the bridge and support structure
taken from downstream, one of Mick Killeen and another of Bridie Carry and myself perched on two stools
behind the shop counter. They waited on to hear Louise Killeen and Lorraine Devery and Mark Donegan play
their music.

Today Martin and Petra Schwavs from Bavaria arrived by car from Donegal. They first visited Ireland in 1981
and Martin remembered that I was sick that year. More or less since then they have visited Ireland each year.
They stay on land one tear and take a boat on the river the next year. They were unable to wait to hear
Paudge Bennett tonight as Mary Burbage owner of The Ferry Inn in Portumna is celebrating a special birthday
and they were on their way to join the celebration. Martin was enquiring about Timmy Devery the accordeon
player and the late Joe Hickey the bodhran player. Timmy is an uncle of Lorraine and is in the retirement home
in Birr.

New Zealand expect to see 'Trish Duffy and her mother and her aunt paying a visit there next week to visit
Patricia's other aunt.

Some recent deaths.
- Kathleen Rooney Drumalga,nee Glynn and relic of the late Michael has died.Family include Tommy, Yvonne,
Noreen and Gabrielle.
- Doctor Stanley Hewitt, retired, Ballinasloe has died.
May they rest in peace.

Patrick Kenny, America was telling the story of a holidaymaker going into a shop for a newspaper.
"Is it yesterdays or todays you want"?
"Todays of course"
"I'm sorry but you will have to wait until tomorrow".

The Irish Times on Monday 11th May page 20 has an article headed Public urged to listen out for rare bird.
It is about corncrakes but is an associated press piece and deals mostly with the UK.
They had 480 calling birds or males in 1993 when the RSPB launched a recovery programme for the bird.
In 2003 the calling birds numbered 832.