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Liverpool (Learphol as Gaeilge)

Published March 29, 2008 in Irishness, graffiti, Liverpool, Police, going ashore, photos, Religion, Ireland, Irish, England, Catholic, History and On the ship. 3 Comments

Famine

I cycled into the city of Liverpool from the docks to have a look around on Easter Monday, we had previously that day tied up in the Huskisson branch dock after going through the Langton locks, a fairly hairy business on the best of days. Anyway I was at the end of the dock taking a photo of the ship when this big white van pulled up, and in it were two big coppers with body armour and the utility belts with cuffs and radios and jaysus know what else.The driver scowls at me and says (THICK SCOUSE ACCENT), what are you doin’?, “I’m off that ship” I point at the subject of the photograph, (SCOUSE)“takin’ a picture of yer own ship, are yeh?” I think I nodded at this when he says “yer, not supposed to be takin’ pictures down here” and that was that, apparently I neglected to read the notice that said “no photography” as I left the gangway, or I would have if there had been such a notice, anyway I was allowed to proceed as the UK isn’t a police state…..

I headed into town and visited Paddy’s Wigwam, for some reason a remnant of my Catholicism pushed me in that direction and it was Easter Monday, it was closed due to a TV recording for HTV so I took a photograph (and played with it in photoshop), I took a few more photos and wandered around the town, it felt familiar even though it was my first visit. I found a memorial to the Famine in the city, I stood at it and was silent, I didn’t take a photograph. I cycled onwards and managed to stay away from anything to do with the Beatles except for seeing some graffiti entitled “Sgt.Pepper spray” very clever.

Beatles
I went to Bootle, won’t be doing that again. Sorry Bootle.

On the way back I found a plaque in English and Irish on the wall near the Clarence Dock gates, 1.3 million Irish people passed the spot where I stood 160 odd years previously avoiding the starvation, I don’t know what I felt. I felt Irish and sad. I took more photos, as I did the white cop van passed me by again, shit I thought and tried to look like I wasn’t the same person. They kept going, and so did I.

Later back on the ship, the mate came into my office, out of breath”The Police” he gasped, slow down I said to him…. “The Police are looking for you”, shite I thought, so I walked down to the control room, and there was my old pal from earlier, “Good evening, Sir, sorry to bother you but you are under arrest for……..only taking the piss, he handed me the following notice, making me understand his suspicion from earlier, he went to explain about all the crooks in the area and warned us to be on the alert, and then he shook my hand and said “good luck now to you” put on his cap and away he went.

Police warning

Snow & Irish flag & Whats another year?

Published March 18, 2008 in From Sweden, Irishness, flags and emblems, Ireland, Irish and At home. 0 Comments

I don’t know how often the Irish flag gets to see blizzard conditions but today in Sweden it had to share air space with lots of the snowy stuff.

The locals gave a few odd glances at the strange flag flying, where normally a Swedish flag might fly, but there were no protests or demonstrations, in fact it was hard to believe it was St. Patricks day at all apart from my bottle of 12 year old Jameson, the pound of Dennys sausages and the ribbons sent over by the Ma. And the stereo was playing a few Irish tunes, or a few more than normal.

Another Irish person popular in Sweden is the bould Johnny Logan, there is an ad on the telly with Johnny and pals singing Molly Malone and other songs in a sort of a pub scene with pints of the black stuff….in fact you can click on the youtube link below. Is this on sale in Ireland? I don’t think so….cash in time, whats another year?

Lá Féile Pádraig Shona Daoibh (Happy St. Patricks Day to everyone)

Published March 16, 2008 in Irishness and Irish. 7 Comments

A fine rendition by a threesome of muppets, Happy Paddys day to one and all.

Roundabout way

Published March 3, 2008 in Irishness, Ireland and from Erin. 1 Comment

In Sweden there is a phenomenon of roundabout dogs, where wooden models of dogs are placed in the centre of roundabouts as a sort of modern urban expressionism. There is even a Swedish artist who made a sketch of a roundabout dog with the head replaced by an alleged image of the Prophet Mohammad. He (the artist) has a Fatwa out on him now for his trouble and police found the plans of this artist guys house in a raid on suspect Islamic terrorists.
In the photo above you have an example of Irish roundabout stealth construction, I don’t know what it is with bricks but if you leave a pile of them around in Ireland they will be put to use as an impromptu building, be stolen or thrown through car windows all usually occurring in the hours of darkness. The Roundabout in question was built by the clever engineers in Wexford as a way to allow the traffic chaos to be moved closer to the centre of the town and gave it the name Corish (as Flann O’Brien said once Corish Iompar Eireann) to “honour” a former Wexford politician Brendan Corish, who was Tanaiste and Labour leader in the 1970’s. He used to live nearby the above construction and in his retirement he used to walk his dog around the area. I don’t know if he would be smiling or frowning at the above image, probably smiling at the cheek of these youngsters, and wondering when and by whom it would be repaired. What he would be shocked about though are the streams of traffic that have taken over the town and country but thats another story.

Berties pay rise

Published October 27, 2007 in Irishness, Bertie, Ireland, Irish and Politics. 5 Comments

No need for a whip around now. Just give yourself a massive pay rise. This must be a tactical move to take the heat off, I wonder how the spin doctors figured it out…….

“OK Bertie, lots of bad press at the minute, we have to do something to make you look better in the public eye….”

Lots of head scratching and holding of chins and pointing the frames of eye glasses towards pie charts and graphs, then folding arms across chests, humming and hawing, suddenly one spin doctor has a glowing light bulb over his head and the sound of an old cash register is heard from nowhere in particular…kaching ching….

“OK Bertie we give you a f..k off large pay rise then nobody will think about anything else other than that, and everyone will forget about the other stuff!”

Cheers all round and off down to the Horseshoe Bar for elevenses.

Another victory for Irish politics.