Blog Archives - Reading the Signs

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Cork Grottos - Update

28/2/2014

In the last few months, I have spotted a few more grottos around Cork. The total that I have recorded in the city now stands at 42 but some may consider Barrett’s Buildings and City Hall not to be within this category.

What I find intriguing is the number within private gardens – that probably reflects as much on me as anything else. In Cork, these would include Old Blackrock Road and Angel’s Rest. There are even more within County Cork which I will get around to uploading some time soon.

Full list

There may be exceptions

27/2/2014

Buttercup café is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Saturday 10am to 4pm - there maybe exceptions

maybe or may be exceptions

It is not often that a sign advising of the opening times will add or detract from the attractiveness of the place. But the Buttercup Café on Dominick St is definitely one.

The inclusion of those final few works really hit home with this reader as the correct attitude for a café – definitely my type of attitude.

The fact that it was open later on the Sunday that I took the photograph just proves that exceptions do exist.

How to make the week longer

26/2/2014

Seachtain = Week

na Gaeilge = of Irish

Seventeen days of promoting Irish may be good for the language but use of ‘Seachtain’ does confuse somewhat…..

Looking Up at Those Looking Down

25/2/2014

“Still, a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest.”

Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer

Many years ago, I took photographs of the upper floors of buildings in Cork and asked people to identify the building.

Few achieved a pass mark.

Many would identify a shopfront or a shop window but above those levels, I think that many do not take in what is there.

These heads are all on one building in Cork city centre.

You are closing down your town

24/2/2014

For some time, I have been beating a drum about the closing of shops in Cork city centre and the need to support them if they are to survive.

Yesterday I read Ian’s Blog and thought that a Re-Blog was in order.

He plays better music than I do.

Lapp's Quay

Bridge St

MacCurtain St

Patrick's Quay

Patrick St

A-Wear

Grand Parade

Incide, Bridge St

YHS Tiles - Eucharistic Tiles

23/2/2014

Some months ago, I did a blog about the three Eucharistic Tiles that I had come across in Cork. That number has increased and I have uploaded a separate section within the Cork City category.

So far, I have come across only 11.

I have photographed over 50 in Ennis – they will take a little longer to upload.

The Irish Owl

22/2/2014

Burrowing Owl – Ulchabhán Uachais

Barn Owl – Scréachóg Reilige

In December we had a family outing to the Ailwee Caves to visit Santa’s Cave – an excellent experience which is highly recommended.

We did spend a while in the Burren Birds of Prey centre.

I don’t know why one owl is an ‘Scréachóg’ whereas the others are ‘Ulchabhán’, but according to the signs that is the case.

Great Horned Owl – Rí-Ulchabhán Meiriceánach

Ural Owl – Ulchabhán Ural

UPDATE 2018.10.29

Another unusual owl ‘as Gaeilge’ was subject of another blog post….

Mixing the Water

21/2/2014

In 1985, one of the lads I shared a house in Dublin got married in Claremorris, Co. Mayo. With two years still to go in college, it was a concept that a lot of us could not comprehend.

That weekend, we paid a tourist trip to Knock Airport and Knock Basilica. In the car-park of the church, there were a few taps dispensing holy water. I still have a printed photograph of this as it was something well beyond my experience and comprehension.

At that time, holy water was blessed by a cleric and elder members of my family arrived home with it in small containers – generally blue. My understanding that each containers was individually blessed.

Knock was an eye-opener in terms of the shops and stalls selling religious paraphernalia but even more so in terms of Holy Water on Tap – it was as if the reservoir or tanker was blessed in a sort of mass-production. I had changed from being a Catholic some years before this but I do remember that thinking that this concept of Holy Water on Tap was a fraud and wrong.

A few weeks ago, I was in Ballyhooly and stopped at St Brendan’s Well. I have been intrigued somewhat by Holy Wells and the like of late – from my travels and observations; and from Liminal Entwinings and Holy Well.

The surface water from the landscape was flowing down into and out of the well. From there the surface water and well water combined to flow onto the roadway.

It brought me back to the taps at Knock. I did pause to consider what would be considered water from the Holy Well if one were trying to collect it on that day.

V and M must now be approaching their twenty-ninth anniversary – tempus fugit and all that…….

That's It.......

20/2/2014

Sin É, Coburg St., Cork

I would frequent Sin É on Coburg St on occasion. I would regularly pass the building.

It is true that we take the commonplace for granted. We do not actually take everything in.

It was only when reading a copy of The Archive magazine that it was brought to my attention, the appropriateness of location – the finality of the name of the pub together with the business activity conducted in the adjacent premises.

A Pop-Up Closes

19/2/2014

Many of you might have been in or known of the discount book shop that operated at the end of Patrick’s St. – opposite Marks & Spencer.

Some weeks ago I took these photographs. I was thinking that at last I can be happy seeing the closing of a shop. I assumed that the pop-up shop was closing to facilitate a new shop that was opening and so it was a sign of confidence in the Cork City retail sector. Maybe the tide has turned.

That was then.

Two weeks later and there is no planning application for a new shop. There is no sign of shopfitters for a new enterprise. There is just an empty shop unit.

So when even the pop-ups are closing, it doesn’t reflect well on our city centre and its attractiveness as a commercial hub.

2014 Awards - already

18/2/2014

Coughlan's, Douglas St., Cork

HOT PRESS LIVE MUSIC

VENUE OF THE YEAR AWARD

SPECIAL COMMENDATION 2014

COUGHLAN'S

CORK

HOT PRESS IMRO

We were in Coughlans on Sunday night for a very enjoyable gig with Dar Williams supported by Malojian.

I noted this plaque on the mantelpiece and was rather surprised that by mid-February, any organisation could have decided their best thing of the year.

It definitely does not encourage excellence or quality for the remainder of the year.

Baker's Road Bookshelf

17/2/2014

Last September, I commented upon the painting of Utility Company boxes in Dublin.

Yesterday, I spotted this art installation on Baker’s Road.

Well done to Blarney Street & Surrounding Areas Community Association Ltd. Tidy Streets Group.

I suspect that there could be some debate as to what books have been included and, possibly more to the point, what has not been included.

Tobin Street

16/2/2014

Recently I walked down Tobin St. to the Triskel Christchurch and spotted some wall art.

A much more pleasant route than walking down Washington St.

Dar Williams - Coughlans, February 16

15/2/2014

"You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin'
When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb"

Pink Floyd

Another day for remembering the past – a time when the radio content, rather than one’s thoughts, kept one awake – until 2.00 a.m. anyway.

Even then I would rarely have listened to 2FM but they had a late night show going for a few years where the presenter regularly had guest musicians – generally after gigs, so started about half-past-midnight for an hour or so. I must have listened to quite a few of these interviews.

One night Dar Williams was interviewed. I had not heard her name before and not heard her music. Shortly afterwards, I went out and purchased a double cd –checking it this week, the price was £14.99 so that dates the interview and the radio show to pre-2002 and pre-euro.

I was taken back to then recently when I spotted that Dar Williams was playing in Cork – so tomorrow, hopefully, I will be in Coughlans on Douglas Street.

Coincidence or what…

Until doing this Youtube crawl, I had not realised that Dar Williams recorded this. The Wall definitely left an impression on this teenager.

Sharing a Bath on Valentine's Day

14/2/2014

I was only in Rathmines Swimming Pool once; it was well over twenty-five years ago. I cannot remember where, or with whom, I was staying. I cannot remember how I managed to have some time off in a morning and why I went swimming. But I did.

I know that there is so much that I cannot remember but the reason that I am certain that I was there is the memory of Andy Moore singing Bright Blue Rose to himself, and anyone who cared to listen, in the changing room. That is one of those things that one tends not to forget.

With the day that is in it and the sign that I recently spotted on Evergreen St., I was reminded of that semi-private rendition many mornings ago.

The sign is another example of giving part of the information and letting people try to interpret the actual intent.

So is it:

A short bath that would be challenging to accommodate two, be they singing Bright Blue Rose to each other, or otherwise?

A low bath so that it will only cover part of one’s body?

A narrow bath so that one needs to lie on one’s side?

A room with no bath, but a w.c. and a w.h.b. (meaning a half-bath actually has no bath)?

Or something else altogether?