Welcome to Ireland Veri and Roger Bury from Holland who are visiting
for the first time.Today they stopped off on their journey to visit
Clonmacnois which they enjoyed very much in sunshine,and later came
to Shannonbridge.They did not travel on the new motorway and enjoyed
the scenery on their way.

The Offaly Independent tells us that the National Library digital
archive has 34,000 historic photographs from the cameras of Lawrence,
Poole,Independent Newspapers,Easons,Stereo Pair,Clarke,Tempest and
Keogh.One of the photographs on the paper is of Clonmacnois and there
is one of a Pig Fair on the street at Edenderry taken sometime between
1880 and 1914 showing a wide street with lots of donkey and carts with
high creels.

The Connacht Tribune tells us that the late John 'Tul' Dunne,
Ballinasloe has been honoured by having a roadway in Ballinasloe - just
across from his home in Brackernagh - named John Dunne Avenue.
It is the link road to Ard Mhuire where the Family Centre is located.
John Dunne was an excellent gaelic footballer and later he
successfully trained the County Galway Football Team.

Good to hear that the Garda have nabbed a non national who had stolen a
number of outboard engines from boats at Oughterard.The stolen engines
were shipped to Lithuania within two days of being stolen.
The thief was imprisoned for 20 months and disqualified from driving
for five years on another charge.
A main player in the thefts has yet to come before the courts.
In Oughterard there has been a custom of mooring lake boats with the
engines in position for years until now.

A notice in the C.T. that the final swine flu vaccination clinics
in Galway took place on Thursday 18th March.

A new Rail Service from Limerick to Galway commences on Tuesday
30th March over a 36 mile track.The old line closed to passengers
in April 1976. It had limited freight service up
until the early 1990's.

From C.T. Days Gone By 1935.
The railway gates at the level-crossing at Claureen,Tuam were broken
to bits when the 8.20pm train dashed through them.
It is stated that the train was over twenty minutes behind time.

This week's C.T. or Connacht Tribune came with a 'Discover Ireland'
-spring edition courtesy of Bord Failte Eireann.

The Cripple of Inishmaan - a comedy by Martin Mc Donagh will be staged
in Hayden's Hotel Ballinasloe for four nights wed 24th Mar to Sat 27Mar
at 8.00pm. Admission is 12Euros.
. Cast includes John Boland,Paddy Broder,Marie Ruane,Sarah Fahy,
Mary Cuddy,Barry Healy,Aidan Carrig,Thomas Costelloe,Patricia Cormac.
The play is directed by Eamon O Donoghue.
Sounds interesting and worth a visit.

In the Obituary Section of the C.T. this week is an Irish prayer.

Luireach Phadraig

Criost liom
Criost romham
Criost i mo dhiadh
Criost istigh ionam
Criost fum
Criost os mo chionn
Criost at mo lamh dheas
Criost ar mo lamh chle
Criost i mo lui dom
Criost i mo sheasamh dom
Criost i gcroi gach duine
ata ag cuimhneamh orm
Criost i mbeal gach duine
a labhraionn Lom
Criost i ngach suil a
fheachann orm
Criost i ngach cluas a
eisteann liom

Some good rain this evening and more forecast for four of the next five days.

The good news is that Fishery Enforcement Officer was in Shannonbridge and told us that he found one non national angler? fishing with live bait at Shannonbridge last Saturday
and confiscated his fishing gear.