Shannonbridge Fishing Report ….Dated 11^th September 2006

Weather was fine and sunny last week with some wind. River levels remain low.

Mr. Gutmann from Germany fished on the River Suck on 4^th Sept and used spinners to catch four pike and two perch. Comment ‘nice 6 lb pike’

Tony Williams from England fished for ten days from 22^nd August and used a variety of waters and methods. On River Suck he had mixed bag of 5 lbs using stick float. Then on Brosna he had 12 lbs on stick and bomb. Next to Clonfert with waggler but did not weigh ‘crap fishing’. Then to Hot Water for 5 lbs on the whip. He used feeder and float at Bullock Island to catch roach rudd and perch in the forenoon. Next day he fished Devenish Island with feeder float for 10 lbs of a mixed bag from outlet near far bank.

The FIVE DAYS on River Suck downstream from Correen Ford. First day Tony used stick feeder and lead to catch 15 lbs from 30 yards cast.

Next day he fished ledger and caught 35 lbs mixed bag at a distance. The following day he quit because of weather. The next day he had 29 lbs from the same swim on the bomb from a distance. Next day he had 12 lbs and bream did not show. And so he moved nearer the ford at Correen and caught 6 lbs of roach and rudd in the afternoon on the waggler. The following day the waggler had 21 lbs of big roach and rudd from the same swim.

On the last day 4^th September he tried the Brosna and caught 9 lbs on stick float.

Norman Gray from Nottingham fished the Hot Water stretch and had a good day using feeder and maggot to catch rudd perch and hybrid.

Martin Johnson from Southport fished for eight days and expected fish everywhere he went to be waiting for him at Meelick, Grand Canal, River Suck and four other choices.

John Wilson has his swim pre baited for five days before filming it is told.

Horst Tropschug from Bavaria fished the River Shannon on 6/9^th and used a plastic fish type wobbler to catch a pike 80 Cm. Comment ‘good fight’.

Local anglers Peter and Mark and friend Kelvin fished the river on 5/9^th in sunshine and used ledger and maggot for bags of 20 – 25 lbs of roach hybrid and bream each. Peter hooked a roach which was attacked by a pike which he played and landed successfully on a 2 lb line. Some Feat.

Tanja Rolf Gross from Cologne fished Lough Ree from their cruiser on 7/9^th Sept and caught and released a beautiful 80 Cm pike on a one bladed spinner.

Garry Barnes from Crewe fished the Boathouse stretch on the River Suck on 10^th Sept and enjoyed a fine catch of roach perch and rudd using maggot and feeder.

Adrian Faulkner from Cheshire also fished the River Suck on the 10^th Sept and caught five different species. His catches over the week varied from 5 lbs to 15 lbs.

Derrick Sombocall fished the Marina at Shannonbridge from his parked cruiser on 10^th Sept and used maggot and feeder to catch roach and hybrid at a fish a cast.

Sean Reynolds, Tullamore had a fine pike at Shannonbridge on 10^th Sept while fishing with a spinner.

John Gleeson, Tipperary and our own Gerry Casey fished yesterday on the River Shannon and fished from a drifting boat using spinners and jerk baits to catch 25 pike ranging from good jacks up to 12 lbs, ten perch to 1.5 lbs and a foul hooked 4 lb bream. They lost many more fish on a fine overcast day.

Colin Wollaston from Willenhall fished with feeder and maggot on the River Shannon on the 8^th Sept and caught 42 lbs of roach and hybrids. The next day from the same swim Colin caught 34 lbs of roach and hybrids.

Yesterday he fished on the River Suck using stick float and maggots for a catch of 36 lbs of roach and hybrids.

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At the Pattern Sunday Mass in Clonmacnois yesterday Bishop O'Reilly gave the following sermon and a Polish priest gave a similar type sermon for the many Polish visitors that attended.

MASS AT CLONMACNOIS

10th. September 2006.

History is being made once again in Clonmacnois on this day. With the presence of people from countries other than Ireland on this day, something new is happening for this ancient place of pilgrimage. It is not that Clonmacnois has not witnessed many changes, of course. Since the boat of its Founder, St. Ciaran, was first moored here on a January day in the year 545 the monastery he founded has been affected by the high and the low, the good and the bad in Irish history. And that is not all. The history of Clonmacnois and European history are also been connected. From this place on the western edge of Europe the light of the Gospel was to be rekindled in places as far away as present day Poland.

Visitors to Clonmacnois want to know how all that happened here began. The story of its beginning is distant in time and it is difficult to separate facts from myths. But the core facts of the story are fairly certain. We do know that Ciaran was honoured as a holy man. We know that his spiritual life was remarkable for his love of Scripture and that he lived a life of voluntary penance and self denial.

The last words of the saint, said to have been spoken when his followers wanted to ease his suffering by adjusting his stone pillow were: “The man who perseveres to the end will be saved”. In our time when perseverance in the faith is not easy those words of St. Ciaran take on a new significance.

At the centre of what Clonmacnois stands for is the spirituality of St. Ciaran himself, particularly his love of Scripture. One of the best known stories about the man combines two aspects of his life, his love of Scripture and his generosity. When he was reading St. Matthew’s Gospel and had reached the place (Chapter 7, V.12) where it says that “whatever we would wish others to do for us we should do for them” another student arrived to borrow his book. Ciaran gave it to him. His companions made a joke of this calling him ‘Half-Matthew’ since he had stopped half way through his study of the Gospel. St. Finian, his teacher, who heard that his fellow students were teasing him in this way, made the prophecy that it would not be as ‘Half-Matthew’ he would be known but as ‘Half-Ireland’, “for half of Ireland shall be his”.

Ciaran would not himself live to see the day when the prophecy of Finian would be fulfilled. He lived a mere nine months after arriving in Clonmacnois, dying, it is said, on the 9th of September of the same year. In time what St Finian, his teacher, foretold would be fulfilled and surpassed. A day would come when the reputation of Clonmacnois would be so great that Emperor Charlemange would send the scholar Alcuin to Clonmacnois, a great tribute to the reputation of a seat of learning. Here indeed was a great school, “the greatest of our schools in the past”, as one scholar described it.

Maybe a greater tribute than that of its renown as a place of learning is to be seen engraved on the old grave slabs of Clonmacnois. Here the great and powerful as well as ordinary people would come asking for prayers. The letters OR DO (pray for) engraved on hundreds of stones are a sign that this was the place to come in search of intercession. Sinners came to stay here to do penance and those choosing to follow a higher call as followers of Christ as monks found here the peace they needed for contemplation in this quiet land by the river.

What remains of Ciaran’s monastery is a powerful reminder of the Christian faith for us who live in a new millennium. Pope John Paul II by his visit to Clonmacnois did much to reinforce that message and to ensure we would not forget the importance of this sacred place. It would surely be unthinkable that we would honour Clonmacnois merely as an interesting old ruin, little different from the many pre-Christian monuments in Ireland. This celebration of St. Ciaran’s day is now needed more than ever to ensure that we keep alive the memory of the faith lived in poverty and penance as well as kindness and hospitality by men and women here by the banks of the Shannon.

The presence of people from other countries this year is a welcome sign of how Clonmacnois can strengthen faith in a new period of history. Clonmacnois has a mission, a task, to accomplish in a new kind of Ireland. Here we have the place where maybe more than anywhere we should show that we welcome not just tourists but those who come to live in our midst for a long or short time. “These ruins are still charged with a great mission”, said Pope John Paul II. Here in this place where Mass is being celebrated he knelt and prayed. What the silent prayer of the Supreme Pastor of the Church on that day was we do not know. We can presume that his prayer included the future of the faith in this land. We have good reason to be sure that he prays with us and for us in the same way today.

The 9^th of September is Saint Ciaran’s Day and I enjoyed reading the poem The Dead of Clonmacnois recently. Remember how it goes?

The Dead at Clonmacnois

In a quiet watered land, a land of roses,

Stands Saint Ciaran’s city fair,

And the warriors of Erin in their famous generations

Slumber there.

There beneath the dewy hillside sleep the noblest

Of the clan of Conn,

Each below his stone with name in branching Ogham

And the sacred knot thereon.

There they laid the seven kings of Tara,

There the sons of Cairbre sleep,

Battle-banners of the Gael that in Ciaran’s plain

Of crosses

Now their final hosting keep.

And at Clonmacnois they laid the men of Teffia,

And right many a lord of Breagh:

Deep the sod above Clan Creide and Clan Conaill

Kind in hall and fierce in fray.

Many and many a son of Conn the Hundred-fighter

In the red earth lies at rest:

Many a blue eye of Clan Colman the turf covers

Many a swan-white breast.

-Angus O’Gillan, translated by T.W.Rolleston

Regular angling visitor Colin Wollaston arrived fit and well in Shannonbridge on Thursday night and on Friday he fished on the Shannon and had a 40 lbs plus bag of roach and hybrids.

This week has been great weather-wise with temperatures of 21C /70F. Wish we had the heat for the winter as today it was announced that the electricity is to get a 19.7% rise in January. The gas price is being increased by 34 % at year end. Now I feel sorry about the two chaps who called in yesterday asking if we bought gas bottles. When I asked him how many he had he said he had a van load of them. It will cost him a fortune to refill them.

Oliver Darcy was reminding us this evening that in 1951 Mayo won the senior football All Ireland and Roscommon won the minor title. Both western counties appear in this years All Ireland football finals in a couple of weeks time. Tickets are like gold dust.

Oliver had a pocketful of freshly picked hazel nuts from Currahill which he kindly broke and ate.

Norman and Lily Gray from Nottingham have been on fishing reading and sightseeing trip for the past week and return home tomorrow. It is their first trip to this area and hopefully they will return again soon Wish we had Lily more local as she read four books in the week and would be very welcome in the local library.

Good news late on Friday evening with the birth of a baby girl to Shane and Sinead and a 9 lbs 9 oz baby sister for Eabah. Congratulations and enjoy. The name Ciara Mary is being considered as the baby was born on the feastday of Our Lady and less than two hours before Saint Ciaran's Feastday.

Wednesday Ag Craven was laid to rest in Moore cemetery after 11 o c Mass in Moore. It must have brought some comfort to hear the homily from Bishop Joseph Cassidy who started off by saying ‘I first met Agnes or Ag Craven with her late husband Martin in Hayden’s Hotel in the early sixties’. Martin will be 40 years dead in a couple of months from now.

In the evening I met a niece of Ag Craven who told me that in her early years she was more or less reared with Ag in Drumalga as her father was in the army and based in the Curragh. She said that the translation of Drumalga was ‘Back of the Church’. Drumalga is becoming more popular with church congregations.

The death has taken place of Stephen Lantry, Clonmacnois and his funeral will take place today Thursday after 12.00 Mass in Clonfinlough.

The death occurred on Wednesday morning of Monica Garvey Banagher who was the wife of retired Garda Sergeant Bill Garvey. A good friend and card player has left us.

May they all rest in peace.

It was great to meet an old classmate Sean Tully whose family were having a get together with the family of Noel and Kathleen Higgins from Liberty. Niall Tully and Laura Higgins will be married in Moore on Friday the 8^th September and best wishes to them both.

Greetings to regular readers Sean and Jodie O Rourke, Clonulty and Sydney, who are moving from Sydney to Brisbane at the end of the month.

First results of the 2006 Tidy Town competition was announced on Tuesday and Shannonbridge was awarded 240 marks. The judge’s report will be available next week.

I hear that a son of Nora Mara from Oughterard has been awarded a Nobel Prize in science for discovering a cure for a tree disease. Nora is a close friend of my sister Doc in Oughterard. It is a marvellous achievement and congratulations to him.

John Egan who once lived in Shannonbridge and worked in the power plant is back working there for a few days this week. He looks right well and tells us that he now lives in Ashbourne, County Meath and is still taking part in motor cross racing.

The river level was 2’16 metres on Tuesday morning when I went searching for a group from Dundalk who were on a cruiser holiday and one of them left his wallet behind. Lucky enough I was not able to find them.

The couple from the Netherlands who called in on Sunday on their way to The Glebe Caravan Park, Marke and Peter, called in on Tuesday evening to show where they had been. On their digital camera they had a picture of Saint Brendan’s Cathedral Clonfert and The Clonfinlough Stone. They were very interested in what appears to be a footprint on the stone. Have a look at it yourself. It is located behind Clonfinlough Church.

Two Dutchmen who are staying in Kilkenny visited Shannonbridge on Tuesday. They told us that twenty years ago they had taken a holiday on the River Shannon and called to Shannonbridge. One of them reminded me that I had asked him to write out a notice in Dutch saying ‘Holiday home to rent’. He did and it hung on display for a few years with no mad Dutch rush.

Now they have a house near Kilkenny City. For the hurling final they told us that they were in Langtons Pub in Kilkenny and that there were two bouncers employed outside

the pub. Their job was to prevent anyone from smoking immediately outside Langtons.

Glad to hear from Dave Houghton, Leisure Angling who told me that he is writing a regular angling feature for a publication in England and he is hoping to use some of the recent catches from our area as part of his article.

Yesterday a great lady from Dromalga House in Moore one Ag Craven passed away. Ag was married to Martin raven who died c 1967 and sympathies to her sons Colm, Martin and Hal and to her daughter Bernadette and her sister Bridie Lennon from Four Roads and her extensive family and friends For years she was a stalwart part of the ladies quiz team from Moore and the other members of the team Mrs Scott, Mrs Kelly and Mrs Blake have lost a great friend and team mate. May she rest in peace..

It was a pleasant surprise yesterday when Mrs Murphy from Ard Mhuire and her daughter Helen and Helen's husband from Kinvara dropped by. Mrs Murphy was married to Surgeon Jack Murphy who was a weekly Friday visitor to his patients in Shannonbridge for many years. They had five daughters – Sheila in London, Mary in Galway, Anna Lise in Dublin, Joan in Paris and Helen in Kinvara.

Helen was surprised to hear that her father was a gifted piano player. Pat told her that at 16 years he had passed the highest grades in the Academy of the London School of Music and that he travelled to the Isle of Man to have lessons from Charlie Coomb’s a famous piano player. Helen had never heard her father play the piano.

Helen was telling us that Senator Toddy Byrne from Kinvara who recently died had just written a book about the GAA in Kinvara which our friend from Galway last week might be interested in.

Dick and Doc and their dog Molly stopped by yesterday on their return from Rosslare where they had a break for a few days. Molly looked very well Moby thought.

See on the weekly bulletin that a group are walking from Ballinahown to Clonmacnois for the Pattern Mass and celebrations on Sunday 10^th. Anybody interested in walking from Shannonbridge?

Met an interesting couple from Holland yesterday who are on a three week camping holiday of Ireland. They have travelled all around the south and west coastlands and are now encamped in Glebe Caravan Park in Clonfinlough. Marke Willebrand and Peter Vrowut are very interested in monastic history and plan to use the new publication ‘Stories from a Sacred Landscape’ – from Croghan Hill to Clonmacnois – as a useful guide.

Looking forward to Barry Crawford’s return visit in mid October.

Kilkenny defeated Cork in the Senior Hurling Final yesterday while Tipperary beat Galway in the Minor Final. Ireland were beaten 1 – 0 by Germany in their first qualifying match for the 2008 European soccer championships.

Nearer home Shannonbridge defeated Edenderry yesterday in Gaelic football. There is a three team round robin competition to find out which team will remain senior next year. Doon is the other team involved and they will play Edenderry next Sunday 10^th September. The following Sunday Doon play Shannonbridge.

For one of the few games Shannonbridge won this year Louie Darcy missed being there as the parish outing to Knock took place yesterday. His prayers were answered Thank God.

Shannonbridge Fishing Report … Dated 4^th September 2006

Weather was mixed. Mostly fine days with some heavy rain during the night on Friday and Saturday at weekend. River levels remain low and all banksides are accessible for fishing.

Power plant at Shannonbridge is on overhaul for another six weeks approximately.

Greg Corcoran from Dublin fished upstream on 27^th August with a Jaxon spoon bait and caught 17 pike. The best weighed 24 lbs and all were returned alive.

Mark Cummins from Dublin fished on the River Suck on August 16^th in mixed weather and used a wobbling dead bait to catch 6 pike ( 4lb – 8lb).Mark told that some weeks before he caught a 30lb pike in one of the backwaters off the River Shannon. All his fish were returned alive.

Graferhard from Germany fished on the River Shannon on 3^rd September in the rain and caught a pike 70cm using a wobbler which was returned alive.

Egust Thocke from Germany fished on the River Shannon on 3^rd September and caught a pike 75cm while using a spinner.

Adrian Quoroll, Keith Holcroft and Keith Williamson from Stoke on Trent fished two swims, one on the Shannon and another on the Suck. They prebaited each evening and used maggot and caster with a feeder and size 16 hooks.

Adrian recorded – 28^th Aug 15 lbs roach and hybrids in sunshine. River Suck.

On 29^th Aug in sunshine on the Shannon Adrian caught 20 lbs of roach and skimmers.

On 30^th Aug in sunshine on the Suck he caught 28 lbs of roach and hybrids.

On 31^st Aug in overcast and showery conditions he caught 40 lbs of roach, hybrids and bream.

On 1^st Sept in overcast and showers Adrian had 34 lbs of roach, hybrids and bream.

On 2^nd Sept on the Shannon and showers he had 20 lbs of roach and hybrids.

Adrian recommends fishing the far bank and pre baiting is essential.

Kevin Holdcroft fished alongside Adrian and caught 10 lbs roach and hybrids on Day 1.

Next day he had 15 lbs of roach and bream.. Next day he landed 38 lbs of roach and bream. Keith changed location the next day and caught 15 lbs of roach and skimmers.

The last day he returned to his favoured swim and caught 30 lbs of roach and bream.

Keith commented that there was a definite improvement since last fished two years ago. Bream are beginning to show again and should be in excellent condition in 2-3 years time.

Keith Williamson recorded one catch for 31^st August when he used a feeder and worm to catch 17 lbs of bream and roach with best bream weighing 4 lbs.

The trio had a digital camera and Adrian promised to forward a selection of photographs.

Tom Thacker from England fished the mouth of the Hot Water on 3^rd September and float fished with maggot to catch 42 fish with the best weighing 1.5 lbs.

Manchester lady Sharon Norbury went fishing on the Shannon on 30^th August and caught her first fish, a roach, which she described as fantastic.

Some local youngsters are discovering the joys of fishing and have recorded their catches.

Niall Tumulty from Moore caught a pike and two perch on the Suck using a spinner.

Another day Niall caught 4 pike and 2 perch with the best pike weighing 6 lbs.

Shane O Rourke from Moore was ledgering on the Suck and caught two gudgeon.

Yesterday Declan O Rourke from Correen caught 3 perch on a spinner. Nice fat ones.

Friday’s Weather Eye in the Irish Times tells us that the swallows have departed from his garden on their way to Africa for the winter. Friday was also the first day of the duck shooting and after Mass there was a chorus of Bang Bang Bang ringing out. Surely an area of conservation is required in the area.

Father Joe Flannery from Brisbane called today before he returns to Australia. This year he was home to celebrate his ordination in Mount Mellary fifty years ago. Father Joe is from Clonmel but his family were closely connected to many of the Flannery families in this area including Martin ‘The Dane’, John and Kieran from Aughnacabe. It would be nice to know if his family or his Aughnacabe cousins travelled with the stone quarries years ago.

Pat Mc Cambridge from Galway and a friend called in Shannonbridge on Friday. There had been at a demonstration of a wood chipping machine somewhere between Tullamore and Kinnity. Pat was in school with my brothers Jim and John and he was hoping that one of them might be home. It surprised me when he said that he had never been to visit Clonmacnois but he has a cruiser on Lough Corrib and plans to bring it onto the Shannon maybe next year. His friend was once editor of The Connacht Tribune and is currently writing a history of the GAA in the County Galway.

Saw a website advertised on television called www.irishjobs.ie

It was sad to hear Val Joyce broadcasting his last Late Date program on the radio this morning. For 19 years he hosted a Saturday ‘Airs and Races’ radio Eireann programme and then some god moved him to a 12 to 2 night slot called Late Date where he made many friends. Then some months ago a new goddess arrived and shuffled the programs and gave Val the heave ho. He finished his last night with the song he played for his first program; a song by Neil Sedaka called Our Last Song Together. Thank you Val for many enjoyable programs over the years. His manager is Cathal Mc Cabe.

Congratulations to Liam and Genine Fallon on the birth of their baby girl Christina Sarah.

Also birthday greetings to twins Joseph and Robert Carry on their fourth birthday from their grandparents Charlie and Brigid.

Wedding bells will be ringing in Clonfinlough Church on Saturday 2^nd September for the wedding of Michael Camplisson and Denise Loonham. Michael hails from Belfast and of course Denise is the daughter of Dennis and Mary Ann Loonham from Clonfinlough. May the sun shine bright for the occasion and may they have a great day.

Time is running out for our Val Joyce who has been presenting a two hours plus late night radio show for years. A new broom in RTE has swept Val clean. Thank you Val for many many wonderful hours of music and enjoy your forced retirement.

Midlands Radio 3 seems to be getting fond of Shannonbridge for August.

After Ricey Scully’s live two hour show from Killeens Bar last Thursday the 24^th August from 10 to 12 pm the same station are having a live broadcast on tomorrow morning Friday 31^st August commencing at 9.30 am and going on until about noon.

I presume you can listen to it on the radio in many counties and on their website www.midlands103 .com

Just heard that Brendan Scanlon is in Shannonbridge and must go and say hello to him.

There are bits of squally rain showers around today.

Mick Killeen and Brian O Meara have headed off to Portumna on Brian’s barge.

Padraig Turley sent on the following. If you can help him with the poem contact him and maybe let the rest of us know as well. DK

I was listening recently to the John Creedon show. He was doing a piece on what he called local songs. What he meant was songs made up about events in local area e.g. sporting events, political events, contrary people etc etc. This jogged my memory and I recall as a young boy my grandfather Michael Claffey of Clerhane and Tom Gaffey of Clerhane used to sing such songs about the Bloomhill area. There ware many and I can only recall one verse of a song that Tom Gaffey used to sing. It was about a Bailiff or Gamekeeper called Hanrahan who had squeaky shoes. It went thus:-

Be God a man,
Says Hanrahan,
They are such rogues
They can hear me stale upon them
With the whistling of my Brogues.

I wonder does this ring a bell with anyone. Hanrahan might have worked on the Mooney Estate in Doon. I would love to hear from anyone who might be familiar with this or any similar songs. My email address is pturley1@eircom.net

Mick Fleming from Rhode and Paul ‘The Gizmo’ Glennan stopped off in Shannonbridge today. Mick is a son of Christy Fleming who served as a Garda in Shannonbridge in the late fifties. He was transferred to Portarlington for a period before being appointed a Sergeant in Rhode where he remained until he died in 2001 from cancer. At the time of his appointment Christy was one of the youngest sergeants in the Garda Siochana. While in Portarlington he met Nora Kelly and married her. They had two boys Mick and Stormy Norman and two girls Chantelle and Elaine who died

Mick and the Gizmo were on their way back from a stag weekend for Norman who is getting married in Croghan next month..

Today Monday I was glad to meet Annie Price that was our neighbour and her daughter Lesley who are on holiday this week from England.

Many thanks to Padraic Turley for sending on the tribute poem to his aunt Sister Monica which was composed by her friends in religion as a celebration for her 90^th birthday.

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Sr. Monica

1916-2006

In nineteen sixteen, great events did abound,

At Easter in Ireland new freedom was found;

A little while later in August that year,

Annie Claffey was born amid smiles and good cheer.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to our Annie who's 90 today.

To Mam and Dad Claffey, in Clerhane in the bog,

Their family was special, for them they did slog,

To make life worth living for their pride and joy,

That was Myra and Annie and Joseph, their boy.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Annie, you're 90 today.

Annie travelled to school on 1^st Class every morn.

Her bike was her life-line - Free Travel was born;

Clonmacnoise was the seat of her learning back then,

'Twas far from the end as you later will ken.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Annie, you're 90 today.

At school she was taught her 3 R's and much more

At home she was taught by her Mam the home chores;

And when she was older, of Clerhane had her fill,

Mam let her go to Uncle Pat at Bloomhill.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you Annie, you're 90 today.

The years flew in quickly -'42 came along,

The Lord called to Annie, she didn't go wrong;

To Gallen she went with a song in her heart,

'Twas there that her work on far missions would start.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Annie, you're 90 today.

Soon Sister Monica, since that was her name,

Set sail on a ship and to Scotland she came,

Further studies she did with a Cert, stylishly,

An expert was dubbed in what she'd learned at Mam’s knee.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrat to you, Sister, you're 90 today.

Expert in Home Ec. To Kildonan she roamed,

And later in Freetown she there made her home,

In various places her part she did play

But `twas in the North she was destined to stay.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Sister, you're 90 today.

The 60's were ending, of school she'd hr fill

She then took on nursing, looking after folks' ills,

She worked in the Clinic, to her bribes were flung,

She even was offered a pail-full of dung!!!

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Mona, you're 90 today.

Her gifts they were many, plant life played a part,

Gardens and flowers are close to her heart,

She tended them well and awards came her way

For beautiful gardens she tended each day.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Mona, you're 90 today.

She left the West Coast for her homeland once more,

St. Vincent's in Dublin then opened its door;

She worked for the sick who went there in a throng,

The friends that she made were to last her life-long.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you Mona, you're 90 today.

She has special loves in her life, we can tell,

And Padhraig, her nephew, she thinks is just SWELL;

Paul and Padhraig can make her heart soar,

Whenever they come with a knock at her door.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Mona, you're 90 to day.

Mona, your mind is so active and clear,

We trust `twill be so for still many a year,

The crosswords enjoy as the paper you read,

At them you're a wizard, to this we concede.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Mona, you're 90 to day.

90 years young we all wish that today,

All joys and all graces may come now your way;

May the Lord who thus far has blessed you from above,

Continue to give you His joy, Peace and love.

Too ra loo, too ra lay, Congrats to you, Mona, on this special day.

Lord, for everything that has been

Thanks

For everything that will be

yes

Shannonbridge Fishing Report …Dated 28^th August 2006

Generally good fishing weather last week with the occasional rain. Many anglers speak of how clear the water is and maybe some additive to groundbait might make it more murky.

River levels remain low as in previous weeks.

Frank Sherlock from Birr fished the River Suck on the 24^th August and on a sunny day used lures to catch three pike that averaged 6 lbs. Next day he fished on the River Shannon and fishing with a dead perch bait he caught a pike weighing 18 lbs. Good fishing was his comment.

Brothers Rob and Mick Peake were in Shannonbridge last week and were disappointed with their fishing. Their comment was ‘worse in 25 years’

They did fish a number of swims which never pays off unless someone else has done the work of prebaiting by fishing the swim the week before.

Rob recorded catching tench, bream and roach while fishing the River Suck at Ballyforan in sunshine on the 23^rd August. On 25^th August Rob fished the Grand Canal at Pullagh and had a mixed bag of fish using float and caster.

Mick Peake had his best day at Pullagh on 25^th August in the rain when he caught tench bream roach and skimmers.

Garry and Brian Smith from Ballyduff fished the River Shannon at the local power plant on 13^th and 23^rd August. They did not record their full catches but left in three photographs. One was off a 6 lbs tench caught on sweetcorn. Second was a double figure pike that went for a dead roach bait. The third photograph was of a 5 lbs tench also caught on sweetcorn.

Tom Carty from Shannonbridge fished under the bridge and used a 28 gram Toby lure to catch a double figure pike which he returned alive.

Rafael from Birr / Poland fished at the power plant yesterday and caught a 70 cm pike while fishing with a lure. He lost a much much bigger pike in the same swim.

Youngsters Craig Burke 14, and Sean Burke,9 years fished near the village bridge yesterday and used worm and maggot to catch 10 perch and a few roach. Not big enough was their comment..

Maggie Brien met Loretta Birch, nee Moran this week. They were school chums but have not met for 62 years. Aint that something.

The Wolf Family from Long Island are on holiday on a cruiser on the River Shannon at present. They travelled down the river from Carrick –on-Shannon and enjoyed the trip across Lough Ree and the town of Athlone. They had an enjoyable visit to Clonmacnois and we hope Shannonbridge. They had hired bicycles and used them to get to the Bog Rail Tour about three and a bit miles from Shannonbridge.

On Saturday the Cassidy Clan had a re-union with about 180 members of the family coming together to meet and chat and visit graveyards and old homesteads. That evening they attended a special Mass in High Street Church with many of the family taking active parts in the celebration. Afterwards they had a banquet in The Fort Restaurant in Shannonbridge. Some Trojan work had been put into the re-union by Mary and Tony Cassidy. No doubt this will be an annual event and so it should be.

Seven cruisers from Portumna arrived in Shannonbridge on Sunday carrying some 41 people from Australia. They were mostly from Adelaide and Sydney and are on a two week cruise on the River Shannon. They picked up their Emerald Star Line hire boats at Portumna and plan to journey upstream and onto the River Erne where they will leave their boats at Belturbet.

They told us that for the two weeks previous they had been in South Africa holidaying at Makutsi Springs.

After their stay in Ireland they are off for two weeks to Croatia.

The two people I met were Richard Dix and Chris Edwards and they were interested in trying out the wonderful shower units cared so well by Des Finnerty.

The whole trip is being organised by Derek and Anne Crichton from Sydney.

I got a surprise when I met Derek and Anne later on Sunday night as their faces were very familiar. And so they should as a couple of years ago they had called in and they remembered a drink associated with the pub – Hot Chocolate and Rum. They enquired about Louise whom they had met and maybe had some e-mail contact. Anyhow they are gone off with a copy of her CD recording so look out Australia not to mention the upper Shannon. Great to meet Derek and Anne again, and thank you for including Shannonbridge as one of your stop off points.

The brother John has been home for a time but one of his parishioners died on Friday so he is flying back to New Jersey in the morning for the funeral. We lost out on four days for a good reason.

Some GAA news. First Roscommon Minor Footballers had a great semi-final victory over Meath on Sunday. Then Mayo Seniors took on mighty Dublin in Croke Park and looked badly beaten when falling seven points behind early in the second half. But they earned a place in the Senior All Ireland with a great recovery and winning by a single point.

Ricey Scully is a well known name on local radio and for a number of weeks he has been bringing his recording equipment to various towns and villages in the Midlands of Ireland.

On this Thursday August 24^th the Ricey Scully Show will be recorded live in Killeens Bar in Shannonbridge. A number of musicians will be performing and Mick Killeen has a team lined up for Ricey to interview.

The show will be broadcast on Midlands 103 from 10 to 12 pm. It will also be broadcast live on www.midlands103.com

The death has occurred of Michael Kennedy, Bloomhill and Athlone. His funeral takes place to Clonmacnois tomorrow Wednesday 23^rd August after Mass in Clonmacnois. He was a brother of Joe Kennedy, car salesman in Birr. May he rest in peace.

Shannonbridge footballers were defeated in a crunch match this evening by a Banagher / Cloghan team. The defeat may mean that they will go from senior to intermediate.

Last Friday evening the annual Mass was held in Teamphaill or Cloniffeen. Steve and Colm Kenny and Kieran Kelly and others had done a great job in tidying the old graveyard for the occasion. Some fifty or sixty people attended and the Mass was concelebrated by Father O Hanlon and Father John Killeen who was home on holidays from America. Prior to the Mass a rosary was recited while the two priests went around to bless the graves of what were mostly still born and un-baptized babies that were buried there.

Teamphaill is situated to the left of the roadway leading to the hot water outlet from the power plant and the remains of a small churchyard located there. A number of years ago a small group set about developing this area with the co-operation of the land owner Steve Kenny. The walls of the old church were tidied up and an altar and shelter are now in place. All around are a number of unmarked stones in memory of those buried there.

After the ceremony there was a very welcome cup of tea and food available in the village hall for anyone attending the Mass.

Met a couple from Glendalough on Monday who are on a type of pilgrimage to Clonmacnois and this area in general. He is a Laois man and she was born in Kildare but they have been living near Glendalough in Wicklow ever since they got married. They decided to make a visit to Clonmacnois and today they visited the Nunnery and Clonmacnois and had a look at the bridge at Shannonbridge and the Fortifications. Tomorrow they plan to visit Meelick Church, Clonfert Cathedral, Emmanuel House of Prayer and Meelick Church as well as Shannonharbour and Banagher and the Bog Rail Tour and Shannonbridge Pottery Works etc.

Perhaps the idea might be used and sometime a group from Shannonbridge might arrange to visit Glendalough or some such place.

It was great to see Maggie Brien from Bristol and originally from Raghrabeg arrive in the village for a few days visit. She is accompanied by her son Ken and daughter Fran. She is in great form and was having a long chat about old times with Alo Moran. The brother in Chicago will want to know her number which is ommc-raecemo. That is in Bristol and she will be around for a number of days yet.

Rubbish seems to be a growing problem in Shannonbridge. The usual industrial skip that had been supplied for holidaymakers on the river was abused recently and filled with a three piece suite and some old carpet. Six bins were provided instead and that has been increased to twelve. These are for the use of people holidaying on the river and it begs the question ‘will they also be abused’?.

Shannonbridge Fishing Report ….. Dated 21st August 2006

Weather has been a little colder and many days were described as overcast. The river levels remain near to minimum. Holiday anglers are scarce resulting in less pre-baiting of the favoured swims. The hot water from the local power plant has been producing but an overhaul is planned for the next five or six weeks. This will mean no hot water.

Ivan Vandevren and Etienne Goemaere from Belgium fished the last two days of their holiday (14^th and 15^th August) at the salmon run at Meelick. Ivan had 7 kg of hybrids on the first day and 6kg on his last day using maggot and caster on a feeder.

Etienne had 6kg of hybrids using feeder maggot and caster on the first day. On his last day he caught 2kg of hybrid and a 5kg pike while using feeder maggot and caster and dead bait for the pike. There were lots of pike in the swim in attacking form.

Youngsters Christopher Bookless and Ciaran Kenny from Moore fished the Hot Water on the 17^th August and caught 47 perch using float and worm. Some of the perch were massive and they returned them alive.

On 18^th August George Hersee Athlone / Dublin fished the Hot Water in sunshine and used legered worm and sweetcorn to catch two tench weighing 5 lbs 14 Ozs and 4 lbs 11 Ozs with roach and hybrids making a great days fishing.

George’s friend Mary O Grady from Dublin fished alongside and caught two tench weighing 4 lbs 10 oz and 2 lbs 9 Ozs with others. This was Mary’s first time fishing.

On the same day young Christopher Bookless and Ciaran Kenny returned for another day at the Hot Water. This time George Hersee took an interest in the two boys and set up their floats and tackles properly. Christopher fished with float and maggot and caught a tench, rudd,roach,and some hybrid as well as his perch. Ciaran Kenny used maggot and float and caught his first tench. Two happy boys and many thanks to George Hersee for his help.

On the 19^th August John Gleeson from Tipperary went pike fishing along the banks of the River Shannon and used a jerk bait to catch 16 pike that averaged 4 lbs. He was also attacked by some big perch.

Madeleine and Louise from Shannonbridge fished the River Suck on 20^th August in sunshine and used worm and maggot to catch three skimmer bream and roach and perch.

Then they saw a bull in the field so fishing was abandoned for the day.

Shannonbridge Fishing Report….Dated 14^th August 2006

Generally the river level remained low but rose from 2.1 Metres to 2.2 Metres on Sunday 13^th August.

Young Peter Brady from Naas used a lure to catch his first pike on 7^th August while fishing on the River Suck in sunshine. He released the fish alive.

Billy Shearer from Peterswell, Galway fished on the River Shannon on the 9^th August on an overcast day and used plug baits to catch four pike all were released alive.

Fifteen year old Aaron Black from Dublin fished the Shannon in sunshine on 7^th August and using float and maggot he caught four pike, six roach, six perch, seven hybrids and an eel. No trout yet was his comment.

James Bagnall from Wrexham fished the Hot Water at the Shannonbridge power plant on 8^th August and on an overcast day using maggot and feeder had a good day fishing catching three tench, two bream and rudd.

Martin and Richard Downey from Dundalk fished the Hot Water on two days. On 9^th August on an overcast and windy day Martin used worm and maggot to catch two tench and some good perch which he found to be entertaining.

Richard used corn and maggot and caught some pound size rudd and roach for a good days fishing.

On the 11^th August which was blustery and overcast Michael used maggot, corn and groundbait to catch rudd, pike, roach and hybrids which he described as shy fish.

Richard used maggot and worm to catch tench to 4 Lbs, perch and hybrids. He asks ‘where’s the bream’

John Hodgins from Cloghan celebrated his 21^st birthday on the 12^th August by fishing in overcast conditions downstream from the village bridge. He used his favourite lure to catch four pike – 12 lbs, 7.5 lbs and two jack pike as well as eight perch with the best a two pounder. Nice birthday present for John.

Father and young son Ryan and Garry Smith from Ballyduff fished the Hot Water on the 13^th August and used swimfeeder, corn and maggot to catch six tench, best 6 lbs, hybrid to 1.5 lbs and roach and skimmer bream.

Regular Belgian visitors Ivan Vandevren and Etienne Goemaere fished the Grand Canal at Pullagh on 11^th August in sunshine and used the pole, maggot and caster. Ivan had 4 Kilograms of a mixed bag, mostly roach and Etienne had 3 kilogram’s of mostly roach.

On the 12^th August they fished on the River Suck in overcast conditions using feeder, maggot and caster. Ivan caught 5 kilos of a mixed bag of roach and hybrids while his friend used the same tactics to catch 4 kilos mixed bag of mainly roach.

They commented that on the River Suck the fish were feeding for two hours and then the swim went dead. Any theories?

Clonmacnois Parish Newsletter
Sunday 13th Aug 2006 - 19th Sun B
Tel (090) 9674125
Fax (090) 9674267
E-mail. clonmacnoispn@eircom.net
Shannonbridge
Masses: Mass @ 10am Mon, Thurs - Sat; Wed @ 9am. Tues 15th Aug is the feast of the Assumption of BVM, a Holy Day. Mass for the feast on Mon eve @ 8pm & Tues @ 12 noon
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €520. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: M.Moran, M.Murphy, M.McManus
Eucharistic ministers: Group 3
Readers for next Weekend: S.Grennan, S.Quinn
Altar Servers: Darragh, Graham, Megan, Ciara, Amy
????
Clonfanlough
Feast of the Assumption, on Tues is a Holy Day. Mass @ 10.30 am
This Mass will be said for the late Pádraic Devery
Last Sunday's Offertory collection: €282. Many Thanks
Church Cleaners: J.Egan, B.Dolan
Readers for next Sunday: C.Coughlan
Altar Servers for next Sunday: Group 3
Eucharistic minister for next Sunday: N.Egan

Annual Pilgrim Prayer in Clonmacnois
This Sun 13th Aug from 5.30 - 6.30pm. All welcome
Cloniffeen Burial Ground
We hope to have Mass and special prayers there on Fri next,
18th Aug @ 7.30pm. All welcome.
????
Shannonbridge Active Retirement Association
S.A.R.A will have an outing to Galway on Wednesday 16th August 2006. Interested parties should give their names to any member of the Committee as soon as possible. The Bus will be leaving from Shannonbridge @ 9:30 sharp.
????
Clonmacnois Parish Pilgrimage to Knock
Sun 3rd Sept; a bus will go from the Parish as usual. The Fare will be €25. per person, and this will include Morning & Evening meals. If you wish to travel, please give your name to Darran Finnerty or Teresa Rohan ASAP.
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Knock Novena: 14th – 22nd August
Twice daily: - 3pm & 8.30pm
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Feast of St Ciaran – Pattern Day
We will celebrate Mass for the feast of St Ciaran, Sat 9th Sept in Clonmacnois @ 7pm. Pattern Day is Sun 10th Sept; Mass @ 3pm
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Pilgrimage to Fatima - departing 19th September
7 nights, Full Board / en Suite, Hotel Avenida, Guided Tours.
Fare: €699.00 plus Insurance €25, if required.
Spiritual Director, Fr John Naughton, Eyrecourt
With Lauri Duffy Travel, specialists in Pilgrim Tours to Fatima.
For more details phone Nuala on 090-9674158
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Lough Derg
Places are still available for One-day Retreats on selected dates during Aug & Sept. Cost: €25. Includes boat fare, coffee and light lunch. Reservations are essential. Tel. 071-9861518

Helplink South, Athlone
Provides telephone alarms designed to help the elderly and disabled. If you are 65 or over and would like your name to be submitted for a grant please contact Helplink South on 090 -6445081

On Friday evening everything seemed to come right for the annual open air Mass in Clonmacnois cemetery for the deceased. Some of the local papers told of the event beforehand and people came from many a big area. Fathers O Hanlon and PJ Fitzpatrick blessed the graves while the Rosary was recited. Even the amplification was spot on and after Communion a voice was heard remarking ‘there was just enough’. There was a similar open air Mass on Monday evening in Glebe cemetery. Glebe is a bit like our local Cloniffeen graveyard.

I noticed that the film ‘The Flight of The Doves’ which used Shannonbridge as one of the locations is now available on DVD and costs 10 Euro. Columbia Pictures have a www.cthe.co.uk on the cover.

My sister Doc was telling about a pilgrim Mass last Sunday on Maimeam Mountain in Connemara when those attending climbed up the mountain to the altar site where Mass was celebrated and there was tea and a picnic afterwards. Maimeam translates as the path of the birds.

Speaking of birds John Monaghan was telling me recently that at Mc Keown’s sandpit mid way between Shannonbridge and Ballinasloe sand has been placed to cover off the sandpit as one travels from Ballinasloe. This year birds have used this as a nesting place.

The young neck ringed dove was on our shed roof on Friday and I noticed it kept its ground when the other birds were disturbed in their feed.

Becoming Jane, a film about Jane Austen’s life Starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy has just finished filming in Ireland. A lavish ball from the 18^th century was recreated in Charleville Forest Castle near Tullamore. Due for release next year.

Mick Kinsella, ex ESB was in Shannonbridge on his boat today. Mick looks right well and told us that he keeps his boat at Lowtown and uses the canals and the River Barrow more than the Shannon.

In The Midland Tribune of 2^nd August Jonathan Fanning has an article bannered ‘Shannonbridge Native earns Top Award’. He tells about John and Freda Sheehan and their new award winning restaurant in Killarney. It is adjacent to Killarney golf course and is aptly named ‘Par 4’. Recently it clinched the coveted Leading Restaurant Award.

Freda is a daughter of Louis and Mairead Darcy of Templedew and well done on winning such a great award.

Had a little rain this Tuesday afternoon and temperatures are have dropped back somewhat.

At the end of July Ramon Alcalde from Catalonia was in Shannonbridge. When I enquired what part of Spain Catalonia was situated Ramon said that it was not in Spain. Catalonia is Catalonia according to him and they have been seeking independence since the 1400s.

Ken and Betty Smith forwarded an information pack from a Uganda couple that were successful in the USA and have organised help for Uganda. They were surprised that our Kate Thornhill was able to achieve so much during her stay in Uganda.

In recent weeks there has been much use of the waste collection wheelie bins at the riverside. For years a big industrial skip was a great help but this has now been replaced by wheelie bins. The last skip arrived on a Friday evening and on Saturday morning it contained a three piece suite and a heap of used carpet.

Michael and Mary Kate Horan from Connecticut are presently on holiday in this area. Michael is from Clonaderrig and Mary Kate is a Flannery from Crevagh.

Met a family of Mc Cauleys who were enjoying a cruise on the Shannon last week. Rita told that the family lived in Belfast until the Troubles started in the north, when the family of eleven moved to Dublin. Rita herself now lives in Orland Her friend Tenley Hibbard came along for the trip.

It was great to have Eamon and Tony Killeen and Corey from California stop by while on a mini European holiday last week. The first evening Colin took us on the boat for a late evening visit to Clonmacnois. Corey caught a good sized perch which was returned alive. Next day in beautiful sunshine we took the boat downstream to Banagher but caught no fish. Before departing Eamon visited his great-grandfathers resting place in Clonburren Abbey which was very well maintained.

On Friday Father Rory Deane from Wexford and Port Aransas Texas came along with my cousin John of Togher whom he knew as a priest in Texas. After Mass Father Rory had a good chat with Jim Rodgers with whom he once played with on the Wexford football team. He wished to see Father Sonnie Kinlough’s grave so off again to Clonmacnois. He noticed the tombstone of Father Patrick Lane and commented that a Father Pat Lane taught him Irish in school in Wexford. And it was our Father Pat Lane. There were so many priests in the diocese at the time that the Bishop farmed them out to other dioceses and Father Pat Lane was loaned to Wexford. Father Rory gave me a few little poems. One is in the Fishing Report this week. The other goes as follows –

Last night I held

A little hand

So tender and so sweet

I thought my heart

Would surely break

So wildly did it beat.

No other hand

I ere had held

Such joy to me did bring

As the hand I held last night

Four Aces and a King.

Shannonbridge Fishing Report…Dated 7^th August 2006

The river level remains at a low level with just a few short showers last week.

Wayne Pitt from Newport, South Wales fished the harbour in Shannonbridge on August 2^nd in the sun and wind and used a small spinner and he also float fished with 4 red maggots as bait. He landed a four pound pike, 4 perch to 3 lbs and 8 roach to 2 lbs.

A nice quiet afternoon until the boats came in and spoiled it.

Ten year old Tara Naomi G-Jones from Germany fished the River Shannon on 3^rd August on a sunny day and used an imitation pike lure to catch her first pike which measured two feet.

Teenager Daniel Devery from Ballinahowen fished from the jetty at Clonmacnois using float and worm and caught 20 roach all over a pound weight.

His friend Eugene Boland 15, had no rod but fished alongside Daniel using a piece of line, a wine bottle cork as a float and hook and worms and caught 14 fine roach all over a pound.

Paul Burt from Sevenoaks, Kent fished the Hot Water stretch on a dull 4^th August and using a swimfeeder and sweetcorn he caught four tench weighing about four pounds each.

Mick Burt also fished the Hot Water on the same day and used the swimfeeder and corn approach to catch 6 tench weighing 3 to 4 lbs each. Mich also caught some small bream.

Rory Mc Allorum of the Dublin Pike Anglers fished on the River Suck on 5^th August camped by his swim. In the dawn hours he used a feeder and maggot on a SIZE 8 hook and caught 50 lbs of small bream and roach. Not bad he says. He also had a pike rod set up and used a legered dead bait to catch two low doubles and a 4 lb pike. His friend David Hughes also fished the Dawn and used feeder, corn and maggot to catch 30 lbs of small bream and roach.

K. Conroy and friends from the Midland Region fished what they call “The Cusack Stand” at Clonmacnois on 5^th August in very humid and breezy weather. They used Jerks to catch six pike with the best one weighing over 10 Lbs.

On Friday a Wexford footballer / angler Rory Deane was in Shannonbridge and passed on a fisherman’s prayer which goes as follows –

The Fisherman’s Hope

God grant that I may

Live to fish

Until my dying day

And when it comes

To my last cast

I then most humbly pray

That in the Lords

Safe landing net

I am peacefully asleep

And in his mercy

I be judged

As big enough to keep.