And in the other pocket was a reminder note that Tom ‘Jagger’ Guinan has been home on a visit from Germany. Cannot believe that it is a quarter of a century since he switched from Clonfinlough to Germany.

It was good to see him again and sorry not to hear him play some music. His sister told us that he still plays music now and again.

On Friday 30^th May who arrives but the bold Jimmy Gunn from Ayton in Scotland. Jimmy was a regular visitor to Shannonbridge for many years with his friend Watty Frater and they were known as Frater and Gunn.

A website for butterfly fanciers may be found at www.irishbutterflies.com. And another site covering Irish butterflies is held by the DNF Club on www.butterflyireland.com

An old man kept telling everyone how he was badly crippled and disabled and he had got great relief since some friends brought him a special chair from America. One neighbour had heard the old man repeat and repeat telling this story so often that he said ‘Tis a pity that they did not plug it in when they gave it to you’.

On Monday 2^nd June two people on a boat complained to me about jet skies they had seen on the river cutting across cruiser traffic in a dangerous manner. Their timing was perfect as one of the jet skies on a trailer passed at that moment and parked nearby.

Ray Walsh reminded us late on Monday evening, say 11.00pm that the space weather station was due to appear in the sky to the south. So off I went up the road to the power plant and saw briefly what looked like a bright star before it moved into a cloud. Felt a little foolish standing in shirt sleeves, with pocket, looking up to the sky.

Yesterday some pieces of Italian type food were left out on the roof for the birds. I noticed two birds near the food tray. One was a medium sized black coloured bird, probably a starling and its companion was much the same size with lighter coloured feathers. Both were standing about six inches from the tray. The black coloured one hopped over to the tray and selected two or three morsels. Then she hopped back to the grey one who was waiting with its mouth open. The black one fed the grey one and repeated the process. I was enjoying the feeding pattern but suddenly a big crow flopped down on the roof and everyone took flight.

I was glad to see that one of the bird boxes which were erected with the entry hole facing north had a proud mum sitting on its perch yesterday. Hope the kids like Italian as John Price pitched it about four yards from yesterdays feed tray.

  ¶ 6/03/2008 01:41:00 AM

 

The weather for the June bank holiday has turned out super after a bit of thunder and lightning on Friday afternoon. June 1^st was birthday time for Joan Farrelly and Mary Craughwell. Happy birthday to you.

On Sunday June 1^st Mr and Mrs Paul Flynn visited Shannonbridge on their cruiser. They enquired like so many before them if the power points on the floating jetty were working. When told that they never worked since the floating jetty was first installed they were surprised. They told that they had met another river user in the shower / toilet unit at the bridge early that morning trying to find a slot for his Waterways Ireland card. This unit was erected by the Offaly County Council and is maintained superbly by Des Finnerty.

They are operated with 1.50 Euros tokens available in the village shops and pubs.

The Flynn’s said it was the best maintained unit that they have come across.

In the past few months Deputy Olwyn Enright contacted Waterways Ireland as to why the power points were not working and was told that they were looking into the problem. They are still looking.

There has been a rumour that Waterways Ireland has plans to add the shower / toilet building to their umbrella. Will they maintain the same high standards which are presently in place?

Sunday brought Peter and Brenda Pearson to Shannonbridge with their friends Liam and Olive Keller where they had an enjoyable lunch in The Fort Restaurant. Peter was manager in Hoydens Hotel during the Ballinasloe Gala Fishing Week and he was recalling many of the names from that period such as Tom Beddar, Sid Meades, Tom Coulson, Mick Lakey, Hugh Gough, Pat Lawless, Tony Ellis and Seamus Grennan. Peter and Brenda are now retired and living in Tyrellspass. When they were working at Hoydens Brenda cooked a lot of the pastries and desserts. When I asked her if she still cooked she admitted that she supplied some items for Becks Kitchen which is found in the Tesco outlet in Tyrellspass.

Friday night it was good to see Joe Kennedy and his daughter Claire from Birr. They are both keeping well but Joe was noticing a drop off in car sales.

Last weekend Offaly’s Taoiseach Brian Cowen was actively canvassing for a Yes Vote for the Lisbon Treaty in Tullamore and other towns. The thought crossed my mind if Presidential Candidate Barack Obama will visit his Faithful County Offaly during his current campaign.

If this lovely weather gives you ideas about adding an outdoor patio to your home then have a chat with Bridgway Engineering Shannonbridge before deciding and find out what they have on offer.

On Friday one of the Polish welders Tom returned to Poland after working for four years in Shannonbridge with Bridgway Engineering. Wishing him well in his future.

Yesterday was christening Baptism for baby Ruth Quirke daughter of Gardai Gerry and Lucy Quirke who live in the old Garda Barracks.

Heard on the radio today that the normal life expectancy for a Corncrake is just two years. The speaker mentioned that if anything happened then they would not return to their Irish home. This must explain why no Corncrakes have been singing in the Callows north of Shannonbridge for the past few years.

Met Mark Kelly today who told me he has just come home from Korea for a few days. He is off again in about ten days time – this time to Peru. Mark is not interested in sharing his impressions with this webpage.

Wish him luck in his travels.

  ¶ 6/02/2008 03:31:00 PM

 

The Newgrange Winter Solstice was discovered by Professor O’Kelly, 40 years ago today.

So it was good that the shone rose this morning and some 20 minutes later started lighting up the narrow corridor leading in to the chamber. This year cameras captured the event live and it was shown on television. Tomorrow morning will also be shown and you may see more on www.heritageireland.ie/en/solstice2007/- Newgrange is much older than the Pyramids I am told.

Congratulations to David and Dympna Fitzpatrick on the birth of their first baby – a girl.

Clonfinlough Gun Club held a table quiz on Wednesday last in Killeens and over 280 Euro was raised.

A new ring road around Kilkenny City has been opened and they reckon that some 6000 cars and heavy duty vehicles per day will not now have to go through the city. Yesterday when opening a shrink wrapped parcel of Dun Carrig water in the store I noticed something moving in the bag. Not another version of Paddy Kenny’s famous story but a red admiral butterfly which flew away. Hope that the pretty heavy frost last night did not put an end to its life.

Had a welcome surprise when an e-mail arrived from John Wilson, England, who back in the early 1980’s came on holiday with his grandparents for six years in a row. John tried to teach Shane, Louise and Colin Killeen and Mike and Aileen Thornhill in the art of coarse fishing. He can visit www.louisekilleen.com and she still has a great interest in fishing..

JP or John Price told a story about a parachute jumper that one day jumped from 30,000 ft. After he jumped he waited for a time and pulled the cord.

Nothing happened.

After a while he pulled the Emergency cord.

Nothing happened.

As he fell he met another man on the way up.

He shouted “Do you know anything about parachutes “?

“No”, replied the ascender “do you know anything about gas boilers”

Timing was perfect as the gas heater in the self catering had just gone on the blink.

Congratulations to Ciara Macklin who has been elected as a Director of Ballinasloe Credit Union. They are the ones with the great calendar for 2008 with photos by Liam Jordan.

There are 32 counties in Ireland with six in Northern Ireland. The local paper this week tells us that at present in County Westmeath that over 5000 homes are vacant at present.

Jane Mooney from Doon / Ballinasloe called in yesterday with a dead bird which she thought was a peregrine falcon. It seems it had probably caught a bird and flown in to a shelter place to kill it. It flew against a building and died. Kieran Guinan our local bird raiser thinks from my description that it is one of the smaller hawk species. Anyhow even dead it looked beautiful and Jane intends to have it stuffed. She must first obtain a licence to have the work done.

The river level has dropped to 4.1 metres and there were lots of seagulls feeding on the flooded callows today.

Must be the cold night or lack of natural food but ten goldfinches joined the motley crew at the bird feeders in the yard this morning. Just in time Kieran Guinan brought along a fresh supply of peanuts for the feeders today as we had just used the last ones to fill the feeders. He also promised to pick up a few new bird feeders at Clara Market on Sunday.

Our Parliament which we call Dail Eireann sat for 76 days this year.

Welcome home Karol and Alan Rock for Christmas the first of the arrivals.

No Christmas visit this year from P.J O’Rourke from New York, his niece Paulien tells us.

Enjoyed a lovely dinner in Haney’s in Ferbane last night and a game of cards afterwards.

Hineys Bar and food is now leased to Damian Spollen and everybody was full of praise for the meal presented to us.

Adian Kelly told us that he did some voluntary charity work for the firm that lays kerbing. Tonight they are having their Christmas Party in Ballygar and they sent Adian an invitation. Better still they phoned him yesterday to remind him to come. Sorry that I do not know the name of the firm but good on ye whoever remembered the good deed.

  ¶ 12/22/2007 12:24:00 AM

  Watch this space for details of this months Music at the K.V.T.  ¶ 3/09/2004 06:17:00 PM

  Self catering three bedroom bungalow available for rent by the week commencing on Saturday afternoon. For available dates phone 09-09674112.
On 11th January 2006 the bungalow has been booked for eight weeks in 2006.  ¶ 2/26/2004 01:52:00 PM