Killeens
Sister Maeve the Superior of The Cluny Sisters has forwarded a thank you to the Pool Players
for supporting their Haiti Relief Fund. More good news for the fund as last Saturday night
the Ladies Pool Players in Killeens organised their own fund raising tournament and some
350 Euro was raised with help from a raffle on the night. This is being forwarded to Mount Sackville in Dublin for their Haiti Fund.
Weather for the past few days has been clear with a cold wind from Russia putting a chill
in the air. There is talks of snow in some areas.
The Offaly Independent at the weekend had the story titled 'Five a day
lose jobs in Offaly'on their front page.
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Elsewhere they tell of 'Wedding bells for Tullamore born bishop'
this is about the controversial independent bishop Pat Buckley who
was consecrated a bishop by Bishop Michael Cox.
The people of Clara will be encouraged to read together in a project
called'One Book,One Clara'for the next six weeks.
The chosen book is 'Holes'by Louis Sachar
On page 4 there are photographs of AIT Graduates being conferred.
Among them are two from the parish Joseph Kenny and Noel Higgins,
each received a Higher Certificate in Business.Also pictured is
Aaron Boland from Ferbane son of Joe and Martina Boland, who was
conferred with a Certificate for Higher Studies.
Congratulations and best wishes to all conferred.
Bus Eireann are to stop their direct services from Birr to Dublin
and from Birr to Dublin.
Have a listen to singer Susan Boyle at short.ieboyle
Susan appeared on the x Factor talent show on BBC a few months ago.
She ends the year as one of the biggest selling album artists of 2009
worldwide. This is old news.
The Motorway from Dublin to Galway cost 427 Million Euros.
The Irish Roots Column on Monday's Irish Times tells us that the
1911 census information is available at census.nationalarchives.ie
where there is lots of information such as who lived on your street
and names of teachers.It is a free service.
For example I was curious about the Butler Family and the name of
Mr.Butler. Choosing Kings County and Shannonbridge the Census 1911
has John aged 58, his wife Hannah aged 68 and children Michael 14,
Jack the blacksmith 11 and Bridgie aged 9 years.
Terry Wogan finished hosting his Morning Show on BBC radio last
Friday morning after some 40 years.
Recently Eleanor Cunney has been working as producer in the production
of three episodes of Ras na Ruain for TG4.Filming of the three episodes
took five weeks to complete and they will be ready for showing in
February next.
Yesterday Ursula Flanagan of Ballinasloe and Cape Cop was here.
Ursula was home for the wedding of her nephew David Flanagan in
Tubber last week to Emir Dempsey.Ursula was travelling with her
brother Lar from Moate. Both were interested in the recently
published book by Brendan Ryan about the RIC policeing in West Offaly
as a Sergeant Mc Guire who was stationed in Shannonbridge, after the
barracks in Ferbane was burned down in c 1920, was shot dead outside
an undertaker's house in the middle of the night as he knocked on the
front door and Jimmy Claffey arose to answer the knock and lit a candle
which was seen by one of the soldiers surrounding the house and who
was looking in the back door and saw the flame from the match.
The soldier fired his gun and shot Sergeant Mc Guire through the front
door.Mc Guire died a week later and was closely related to Flanagans.
A fire in Guinness Brewery yesterday was brought under control by
several units of Dublin Fire Brigade. Two members of the Fire Brigade
had to go to hospital for treatment afterwards.
Some deaths of note.
Tommy Salmon owner of Salmons Shop in Main Street Ballinasloe has died
and was buried.
Father Aidan Murray Columban Father who worked in the Phillipines and
in recent years in Kilrickle has died.
His funeral will take place in Dalgan Park tomorrow.
Father John Higgins who for a time worked in Peru and taught for many
years in Garbally College before retiring has passed away.
Father John will be laid to rest in the Clonfert Diocese burial plot
in Loughrea.
May they all rest in peace with the Lord.
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 30th 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 2nd 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.
The weather for the June bank holiday has turned out super after a bit of thunder and lightning on Friday afternoon. June 1st was birthday time for Joan Farrelly and Mary Craughwell. Happy birthday to you.
On Sunday June 1st 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.
