Four days ago, I contracted a headcold. Prickly throat, grumpy cough. It was mild to inclement, as colds go. I self medicated with 5000mg of calcium in powder format, and congratulated myself on my stoicism in the face of disease.
Turned out the cold was just warming up. Yesterday morning, it struck me down in my [...]
Archive for the ‘Ireland’ Category
Snot vapour
Posted in Friends, Ireland, tagged cocaine, cold, cough, flu, headcold, influenza, sneeze, snot vapour, virus on 20/11/2008 | 10 Comments »
Lemmings
Posted in Family, Ireland, tagged acid rain, addict, addiction, alcohol, arcade, bank robber, chocolate, commodor 64, computer game, drugs, frogger, gambling, ginger snaps, killer sudoku, lemmings, minesweeper, old, pong, solitaire, tetris, vic 20, vic20 on 18/11/2008 | 2 Comments »
I have an addictive personality. At the age of six I impersonated a lemur for four months. I’ve avoided serious addictions like gambling (marrying Husband was a MEASURED RISK), alcohol (except on social occasions) and hard drugs (unless you count chocolate or cheese – which I never have). You don’t need these crutches when you [...]
Post match analysis by Ceara, age 5
Posted in Family, Ireland, tagged all blacks, Ireland, rugby on 16/11/2008 | 9 Comments »
Unfortunately, I missed the Ireland v All Blacks rugby match this afternoon. I was barricaded in bed staving off flu symptoms with a hot water bottle, three packs of Strepsils and a heavy book.
Later, I followed the scent of food to the kitchen, where Ceara was eating her dinner. By the sink, Grampa discussed the [...]
Good Housekeeping
Posted in Family, Ireland, Recipes, tagged angels on horseback, archaic, brains, bramble jelly, bubble and squeak, burgundy, cakes, calf's foot jelly, coddled egg, cookery book, crab apple jelly, drop scone, gingerbread men, good housekeeping, goose, gooseberry fool, grouse, how to boil an egg, jugged hare, lemon merangue pie, muffins, old fashioned, ox tongue, pavlova, pears in port, pickled, pig's head, pigeon casserole, pork trotter, rabbit stew, recipe, sheep's eyeballs, sherry trifle, spotted dick, steak and kidney pudding, stuffed sheep's heart, toad in the hole, vol au vent on 15/11/2008 | 2 Comments »
Mum’s cookery book is 40 years old. It was given to her as an engagement present in 1968. ‘Good Housekeeping’s Cookery Book’ is about the size of a telephone directory. If it ever had a sleeve, it was lost long ago. The cover is cardboard, scuffed and stained, bound with duct tape. It smells old [...]
The facts from my perspective
Posted in Ireland, Weird, tagged bouncer, cafe, evict, kenmare, kick out, manager, restaurant on 13/11/2008 | 2 Comments »
The other day I was kicked out of a local restaurant. Well, I wasn’t seized by the ears and hurled through the window, but only because the establishment does not retain bouncers. However, the psychological effect was similar.
I will not going to fully disclose why I was booted out of the restaurant, because – well. [...]
Special people
Posted in Family, Ireland, tagged bearhug, cannonball on 09/11/2008 | Leave a Comment »
Ceara: <runs at me, five feet away: launches herself in the air, tucks in her legs, hits me in the midriff>
Niamh: Oof!
Ceara: Yay! Hug!
Niamh: Grr!
Ceara: That’s a bearhug. Isn’t it, Auntie Niamh?
Niamh: Yes. I only give them to VERY special people.
Ceara: Special people . . . and daddy.
Niamh: Yeah, him too
Filthy, disturbing images
Posted in Family, Ireland, tagged compress, computer, crop, disturbing images, electronic savannah, filthy, houses of parliament, images, juicy girls, laptop, multiple, pc, pervert, phish, phishing, reduce, resize, take up smoking, windows explorer on 06/11/2008 | 3 Comments »
[NB If you are a PERVERT, will you ever put that thing away RIGHT NOW, and go and play some hockey or take up smoking or something. The post will REFER to filthy, disturbing images ONLY. No filthy, disturbing images will be reproduced on this site.]
When I am home, I often supervise my parents’ adventures [...]
More from the archives
Posted in Ireland, Weird, tagged archive, conspiracy, demi moore, ghost, kisses not swastikas, loser, material, patrick swayze, puberty, shite, teenager, welsh 6 day, whoopi goldberg on 05/11/2008 | 4 Comments »
But you would not believe how much shite I had to wade through to uncover these nuggets. It appears that, during my teenage years, my parents were engaged in a conspiracy to ruin my life. I think it best not declassify this information during my lifetime.
Holiday in Wales, aged 16 – 1988
I was severely depressed, [...]
Lesson 1: how to slice with a ski pole
Posted in Family, Ireland, tagged acoose, ballaghbeama, bridha valley, caher, cairn, cumeen na peiste, cumeenmore, curraghmore, dingle peninsula, intrepid explorer, kerry, kerry way, lack road, lake, magilicuddy reeks, mountain, snow, tramp, walk, wicklow mountains on 01/11/2008 | 4 Comments »
Intrepid explorer (don’t be fooled by the beanie)
After days of rain in Kenmare, and snow up country resulting in the daring rescue of a busload of tourists from the Wicklow mountains, this morning was a surprise.
The day was lovely and bright and crispy. Dad and I decided to walk up the Lack Road from the [...]
Freezing point: higher than you might think
Posted in Ireland, tagged atmospheric condition, atmospheric conditions, cold, elements, freezing, frostbite, Ireland, point, temperature, weather on 31/10/2008 | 7 Comments »
This country is f-f-f-free-hee-heezing.
There has been no circulation in my nose for two weeks now.
At present, I am stretched out on the floor of the living room, trying to press as much of my body length as possible against the heater. I hope nobody comes in, because it looks suspiciously like I’m attempting to shag [...]
Photo journal of a holiday
Posted in Ireland, tagged black valley, castle, connemara, davy browne, dingle, dromore, dromore estate, flood in kenmare, high cross, lake, mayo, photo journal, skellig bay hotel, spider on 29/10/2008 | 7 Comments »
26 September – me on a rock in the Black Valley
11 October – walk in Dromore, woodland path
Spot the spider
Entrance to Dromore Estate
Puddle
22 October – high cross in Connemara, lightly weathered
23 October – River Finnaghy floods in Kenmare
24 October – walk in Dingle, from the Skellig Bay Hotel
In memory of Davy Browne
This day the weather [...]
Bringing to mind sweaty rock gods
Posted in Hunka husband, Ireland, tagged connemara, dromore castle, fashion, headwear, Ireland, kenmare, latest, mayo, monolithic, tomb, trendy, wedge on 28/10/2008 | 1 Comment »
Husband abandoned me for warmer climes yesterday. I would like to dedicate this post to him, supported by the Aerosmith song ‘I don’t want to miss a thing’. Since I can’t figure out how to musically accompany a blog post, you’ll have to use your imagination. Sorry if that brings to mind images of sweaty [...]
Legal restitution
Posted in Ireland, Weird, tagged chaser, deep fried nuggets, depth charger, fennessy's, guinness, irish car bomb, jameson, len grossman, north circular road, pub, pub grub, sandwiches, sanger, sausages, tom cruise, tropic thunder, whiskey on 21/10/2008 | 1 Comment »
For weeks beforehand, I briefed Husband on the realities of an Irish wedding.
“You may be required to sing with your eyes closed,” I warned him. “If you don’t close your eyes, the Irish will think you’re shallow and you will be thrown out of the wedding. There will be alcohol involved – no surprises there [...]
Got to be less than two degrees of separation
Posted in Friends, Ireland, tagged bridal, crop, elfin, gamine, hair, hairspray, kylie, makeup, minogue, party, stylist, wedding on 20/10/2008 | 4 Comments »
Sorry about the paucity of blog posts. Husband and I left Kenmare last Wednesday on our Great Road Trip, and it’s been all go, top gear, maximum throttle. First up was Róisín and Tim’s wedding on 16th.
I will write more about the great event later, but for now, this short post is dedicated to my [...]
Even the wedding cake was in tiers
Posted in Family, Friends, Ireland, tagged bridesmaid, bridezilla, fondant, icing, royal, tier, wedding, wedding cake on 14/10/2008 | 3 Comments »
Shortly before Husband and I left New Zealand, Róisín called me.
“You know your mother?” she said.
“My, er, mother,” I repeated. Róisín’s conversational gambits are often challenging, but this was exceptionally quirky even for her.
“Woman who gave birth to you.”
“Oh, her. Well, can you ever really KNOW someone?” I said, playing for time.
“Ok look, how good [...]
Pathologically kind
Posted in Family, Hunka husband, Ireland, tagged breakdown, cork airport, hubcap, jack, nissan micra, rust, samaritan, saviour, spanner, spare, tyre, vintage car on 08/10/2008 | 5 Comments »
On the way to collect Husband at Cork airport this morning, what should I get but a flat tyre. (After two weeks in Ireland, this pattern of speech is now second nature.)
When I say ‘flat’, it is probably more accurately described as ‘shredded all to cock’; and similarly, the word ‘tyre’ should be ‘stringy bits [...]
No no not at all no
Posted in Family, Ireland, tagged grammar, idiom, irish, language, structure on 05/10/2008 | 4 Comments »
The other day, the family was invited out by a couple in Dad’s parish. Dinner was spicy peppered carrot soup, fresh heads of cauliflower in cheese sauce and boiled potatoes bursting out of their jackets. Maureen had made me nutroast, and served up a portion that would have kept a family of squirrels obese for [...]
My country
Posted in Family, Friends, Ireland, tagged banshee, beara peninsula, beara way, black valley, blackberry, bunane, castle rock, cummeenduff, curraghmore, elements, fairies, fairy, farranfore, folklore, fuschia, inclement, Ireland, kerry airport, kerry way, killarney, lackabane, legend, leprechaun, macgillycuddy, map, myth, old kenmare road, old killarney road, ordnance survey, reeks, ring of kerry, tarmac, torc, tourism, weather, windy gap on 04/10/2008 | 5 Comments »
Of all the countries I’ve lived or visited, I love Ireland best. Perhaps I always will.
Of course, I am shamelessly biased. Partly I find comfort in the familiar; or it may have something to do with the smell. That is what first hit me fresh off the plane at Kerry Airport; specifically, the bucolic bouquet [...]
Reign of terror
Posted in Family, Ireland, tagged Family, niece, babysitting, baby sitting, to bed, bed time, story, psychological warfare, emotional blackmail, torture, resources, manoeuvre, tactic, offensive on 03/10/2008 | 3 Comments »
The battle was long and arduous. At least one of us was in tears at any given moment, and I’m sorry to say that most of the time it was me. I had experience and physical presence, but she had guile and stamina.
She was focussed and absolutely remorseless, employing a wide range of tactical manoeuvres. [...]
Analysing the appeal of the leading man
Posted in Ireland, tagged australia, banjo, breeches, brumbies, brumby, gold rush, harrison, jessica, jim craig, kirk douglas, man from snowy river, mob, mountain, paterson, sigrid thornton, spur, tom burlinson on 24/09/2008 | 7 Comments »
On the flight to London, what did the Emirates Entertainment System feature, but The Man From Snowy River.
(NB Apologies to those who do not recognise the grammatical structure of the opening sentence. It is not punctuated with a question mark, largely because it is not a question. It is a correct and recognised statement in [...]
Tragic Argyle
Posted in Hunka husband, Ireland, New Zealand, tagged argyle, cool, cycle, cycling, eighties, growing up, Ireland, jumper, limerick, naff, pothole, pullover, sweater, teenager, trendy on 27/08/2008 | 3 Comments »
Husband stays connected
I used to hate cycling. (NB: in this context, ‘hate’ is too mild a word, but I am not aware of a single alternative that fully conveys my deep-rooted, fundamental, bone-chilling, teeth-grinding loathing. There can be no more perfect confluence of distilled misery than of being a teenager in Ireland in the late [...]
The Seekers
Posted in Hunka husband, Ireland, New Zealand, tagged 1960s, carnival is over, folk music, georgy girl, i'll never find another you, judith durham, long play, lp, music of the sixties, niamh shaw, record player, the seekers, world of our own on 12/05/2008 | Leave a Comment »
When I was a kid, my parents had an LP of The Seekers, an Australian group who popularized the folk dirge. Maracas were an integral part of the group’s percussive strategy. ‘The Best of the Seekers’ featured classics such as ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’, ‘A World Of Our Own’, ‘Morningtown Ride’, and ‘Georgy Girl’:-
When [...]
Learning from past mistakes
Posted in Hunka husband, Ireland, tagged airplane, cavity search, driving licence, Dubai, flight, hard lessons, heathrow, Ireland, london, margin for error, passport, past mistakes, public transport, Stansted, train, visa, wrong queue on 07/10/2007 | Leave a Comment »
Previously, my average public transport success rate was inching up to around 80%, but it took a bit of a knock on the Irish trip. Of course, there was the disaster at Stansted when I missed my flight to Ireland after standing in the wrong queue for an hour.
Then I caught the wrong train [...]
Mum ponders seaweed
Posted in Ireland, tagged atlantic, kerry, seaweed, southwest ireland on 06/10/2007 | Leave a Comment »
Chantal
Posted in Friends, Ireland, tagged ahillies, cliffs, climbing, garinish, hag's glen, kenmare, kerry, macgillycuddy reeks, southwest ireland, walking on 26/09/2007 | Leave a Comment »
My gorgeous friend Chantal and me, on the cliffs near Garinish
Magic day
Looking back out the Hag’s Glen
Fugitive cows
Posted in Ireland, tagged bealach beama, bridha valley, carauntoohil, cork, curraghmore lake, devil's ladder, expert on, expert on cows, false hip, fugitive cows, glenbeigh, kerry, macgillycuddy reeks, nice weather, religion, replacement hip, southwest ireland on 24/09/2007 | Leave a Comment »
My father used to spend a lot of time in the mountains, but hadn’t done any serious climbing since he had his second hip replaced this time last year. On the top of Carrauntoohil and Cumín na Péiste, I got wistful text messages from him asking me what it was like and to pelt rocks [...]
The Deans
Posted in Ireland, tagged brandon, climbing, drop of sun, frog, kerry, macgillycuddy reeks, sunshine, walking on 15/09/2007 | Leave a Comment »
Me, Dan and Philip after climbing Brandon. If you look closely, you can make out the cartoon cloud on the left
Dan from above
Froggie
A drop of sun on Cumeen na Peiste
