September 1 2013

What is it about Dublin versus Kerry?

The answer is  here

<<<<<<<

Seamus Heaney R.I.P.

Writers' Week shared this photo of Seamus Heaney on the occasion of his death on Friday August 30 2013. It shows the poet with Michael Lynch, Máire Logue, Eilís Wren and Joanne Keane-O'Flynn.

One of my favourite Heaney poems is Scaffolding. It is appropriate here for many reasons.

SCAFFOLDING

Masons, when they start upon a building,


Are careful to test out the scaffolding;

Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,


Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.

And yet all this comes down when the job’s done


Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.

So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be


Old bridges breaking between you and me

Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall


Confident that we have built our wall.

Seamus Heaney


<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Maidhc Dainín ÓSé  R.I.P.

When I was a teacher of Gaeilge in Pres. Listowel a high point of the year was always our trip to The Seanchaí during Seachtain na Gaeilge to hear Maidhc Dainín read from his autobiography and to play a few tunes for us. Here is my photo from 2008 of the great man with Mary Moylan, Ciara Dineen, Aoife Kelliher, Angelina Cox, Catherine Lyons and Elaine O'Connell.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Meanwhile down under....

This picture was sent to me by Julie Evans. Some of you will remember Julie, descendant of Famine orphan, Bridget Ryan. That is Julie on the right of Minister Deenihan and her cousin Barbara is second next to her. They were with other descendants in Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney for the Famine commemoration last month, August 2013. I'll be telling you lots more about Julie and the story of her ancestor and the other Famine girls anon. Meanwhile Kay Moloney has a very succinct account of the Sydney commemoration on her blog

<<<<<<<<<

This is a new second hand shop on Church St.
There have been lots of comings and goings since I last posted here. I'll try to bring you news of some of them over the next few days and I'll fill you in on where I've been as well.