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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

Good Friday?

Published March 21, 2008 in Religion, North Sea, Catholic and On the ship. 6 Comments

Easter Egg

In the North Sea, so there is nothing really good about this Friday, at least I’m not being crucified today for a chocolate egg on Sunday. We have some orthodox Christians in the crew, they won’t be celebrating for another month so we get two Easters this year. Someone decided a long time ago about how to calculate the day Easter would fall on and they couldn’t agree on that or Christmas for that matter. It all has to do with Full moons and equinoxes, and that it has to be a Sunday I suppose, they could have made a simple rule like the GAA have for September; first Sunday Hurling, last Sunday Football, easy no full moons or hokes pokes with equinoxes.

There seems to have been a lot of thing decided a long time ago that have an affect on our lives today that we would be better off without, not least religious decisions about clothes and food and drink and cutting off body parts, for all we know Lazarus was comatose from the drink and Jesus just gave him a drop of the crathur to liven him up, now getting very irreverent here so I won’t give any interpretations on the Easter theory.

The pope will appear in his pharaoh hat and give his Easter message, but it might as well be an Eater message as the whole show these days revolves around getting stuffed with chocolate and food, and pissed on box wine which is just the ticket for our obese western culture. The archeologists of the future when unraveling the mystery of the decline of western civilization will realise that it was because “they must have eaten themselves to death” Jesus would surely be turning in his grave at the way his legacy was being treated if it wasn’t for the fact that he rose from the dead and has no grave at all.

Have to go, the cook wants more eggs. Happy Easter.

Michiel de Ruyter

Published May 8, 2007 in Religion, history of the netherlands, naval heroes, Admirals, History, Politics, Netherlands and On the ship. 4 Comments

The Netherlands is an interesting place and there is a lot more to it than Tulips from Amsterdam and Heineken beer. This year is the 400th anniversary of the birth of one of the great heroes of the Netherlands and one who defended it in it’s infancy. I speak of Michiel de Ruyter born in Vlissingen (or Flushing in English). in the year 1607 as Michiel Adriaenszoon.
He was the greatest Admiral in the history of the Netherlands and is spoken of in The Netherlands as Nelson is in England , he was arguably the most successful Admiral of the era. He defeated the Royal Navy spectacularly in the Second Anglo Dutch war in the Raid on the Medway, a severe loss for the English.
As a young man he was a representative for a Dutch trading company in Dublin and apparently spoke fluent Irish by all accounts.
He raised the standard for the seafarers of his time, and his tactical methods were ahead of his time, his gunners for example fired off 2 volleys at once when the enemy were still only managing one.

The writers of history for English speaking nations have of course glossed over this and many other influential historical figures, I don’t ever recall hearing about this Admiral in school, and his would surely have been interesting and alternative stories to tell, especially as he was a trader in Dublin and an Irish speaker. Perhaps the exploits of a Dutch protestant who served the house of Nassau were not so interesting for Catholic Ireland.
Michiel de Ruyter, Lieutenant-Admiral-General of the Dutch Republic of United Provinces died in battle against the French in 1676 4 years after recieving his title from the Statholder William III of Orange in 1672, William III is of course King Billy to the Unionists in the North. I wonder how many of them know that their Bill was the ruler of a Republic?