Blog Archives - Reading the Signs

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Thanks, Pat

29/2/2016

IN THE SUPERMARKET CAR-PARK

I see women of little stature
up high in big jeeps
with a bull-bar on the front
and a huge spare wheel on the back
and I pray that they will meet
the rhinoceri they are expecting.

Pat Ingoldsby

Beat that smile.....

I had a great five minutes last Thursday.

In work, some days one might be the pigeon but most days one is the statue. Those five minutes allowed me to be neither.

In Dublin, I took a short detour towards College Green. My luck was in. Pat Ingoldsby was there. He had been contemplating packing up and heading home for the day, just a short while before.

I headed back to the train not just with a new book to add to the collection but also the joy brought by the recollection of that short conversation with Pat.

On the train, page 1 was opened and the first poem so hit home with my morning ‘interaction’ with the black SUV’s on the school run.

Míle buíochas Pat for shortening the journey.

Look Out for the Punch

28/2/2016

I had not thought of the possibility of my vote ever being spoilt by me, or by anyone else. I now know different.

Yesterday, I accompanied our 9 year old to the count centre at City Hall, Cork. It was the first time I was ever at a count centre. It was an experience that I recommend to all, and not just for the pencils and tally sheets that our happy nine year old brought home.

While we watching the gathering of the votes of Mick Barry into bundles of 50, we spotted, in a short time frame, that three voting papers did not have the perforated stamp and so were consigned to the doubtful box and presumably deemed invalid.

It is probable that these voters cast their votes trusting the system that each vote would count in the election process. This morning, I heard of Tommy Broughan in Dublin complaining of 150 non-punched papers in his constituency.

I remember my ballot paper being punched on Friday morning but if it had not been done, I am not sure that I would have been alert enough to bring it to the attention of those working at the Polling Station.

That lesson has now been learnt by me – and our nine year old.

Is Parliament a Festival?

27/2/2016

Parliament Row, Dublin

On Thursday, I was in Dublin and spotted this streetsign off Fleet Street.

I mentally filed this away as something needing further investigation as my recollection of Parliament Street in Cork was a similar word to Parliament. Tearma.ie confirmed Feis is a festival or feast - as in Feis Cheoil or Ard-Fheis.

Yesterday, Logainm.ie’s update was on Parliament Street in Waterford – the Irish translation for this and the three other Parliament Streets throughout the country is Sráid na Parlaiminte.

ComeHereToMe advises that Parliament Row was called Turnstile Alley upto 1775.
Maybe the turnstiles were an entrance to a feast or a festival. Or maybe, those in Temple Bar equate those in parliament to feasting for themselves. I suspect that there is a better explanation – but that remains on the ‘To Find Out More’ list.

Sraid na Parlaiminte - Cork

Droichead na Parlaiminte - Cork

Love the Detail

26/2/2016

Something new to me was spotted in Dublin yesterday.

Some are probably aware of my fascination/liking/OCD with regards to the likes of Foot Scrapers, Hoppers, and even Gutter Brackets. Things such as vent grilles, opening protectors and roof details have yet to break out fully – their day will yet come.

Lately, I have been enjoying the tweets from Christopher Howse on various coal plates.

I suspect they may have influenced my looking down when on North Earl Street in Dublin yesterday when I spotted this gem. I have seen many of these openings in Cork and Dublin. They are or were used for deliveries and ventilation to basements.

This is the only one that I can recall seeing with an ornate tiled surround.
I sense another obsession beginning…..

Reducing by Translation

25/2/2016

Priming the Fuse of Inquisitiveness

A few weeks back, in my Conversational Irish class, a number of examples regarding frequency were written on the board:

uair sa mhí – once a month
uair sa choicís – once a fortnight
uair sa tseachtain - once a week

I was puzzled as to why two words took a seimhiú (h) whereas ‘seachtain’ took an urú, t before.

POF responded, as Gaeilge, that it would probably take 10 minutes to go down a route of Irish grammar explanation. He had not planned that tricky road for the class that night but explained that it was down to words being masculine and feminine; that they are treated differently; and, that when the time was right for each of us, we would probably take ourselves down the tricky road.

Fair enough, I thought.

1 Toilet or More than One?

Jerome Connor b.1847.02.23

23/2/2016

In Summer, 2013 I spotted this memorial in Annascaul. It is in the park, near Tom Crean’s bar – the park with the poetry on the sculpture.

Two years later, I noted that another memorial had been erected – on the new section of road between Annascaul and Camp.

This morning’s update from Stair na hÉireann mentioned that Jerome Connor was born on this day in 1847 – so I thought as good a reason as any to share the photographs.

Toilet Humour – Skerries-style

22/2/2016

Last week, having a morning meeting in North County Dublin, I spend the night in Skerries and had an enjoyable hour the following morning walking around the town and beach – expect more from there than this blog entry.

There are four signs on the toilet block on the beach road and they did provide some opening for thought:

Irish appears more consistent than English

What are ‘Mens’? Who proofread that sign?

Am I the first person to read the sign and be puzzled by ‘Mens’?

I had thought that the Irish on public signs needed to be at least as large and prominent as the English – on this occasion, size does not appear to equal right.

Hanging by his Fingernails

20/2/2016

Sunday was ‘An Dara Domhnach’, the second Sunday, so I was out on our conversational Irish walk.

I came across this stencil-art on a utilities cabinet on The Mardyke and thought, ‘an chliste’, ‘an chliste ar fad’.

Very smart.

I do like.

Micheál Martin's Head

19/2/2016

There I was heading over town for lunch earlier. Looking up, an unusual looking Micheál Martin was smiling down on me.

For a few years now, my eyes have been open to many forms of Street-Art – painting; stencil art; mosaic; poetry and even full installations. This is a definite first for me.

I have also seen some election poster graffiti – in person and online. Again another first.

This mind is unsure as to the intent of the artist - a suggestion to Micheál Martin as to a possible hair colour; deference to his magnetism; a reference to loose screws,;or maybe something else entirely….

Ballyhooley Road, Cork

Half Moon Street, Cork

Bringing a Ghost to Life

10/2/2016

Sráid Chaeimghein or Sraid Chaoimhín

An Old Sign or a Ghostsign?

When in Dublin on Saturday, I spotted this old sign on Kevin Street. It was so very much highlighted by the modern An Post signage elsewhere on the façade.

Checking the web, there are photographs with modern green signage on the shopfront – Indy Kev ;and, Irish Mirror in August 2015.

To my understanding, it is not a ghostsign if the business still trades from the premises so there may need to be another classification to deal with signs that come back into appropriate use.

Another question to self with no answer.

Little Road, Dublin 2

8/2/2016

Sometimes a streetsign can provide a question to which this obsessive-compulsive-type must strive for an answer.

Did you know that the Irish translation of Drury Street is “Bóthar Beag”, literally translates as ‘Little Road’? Upto Saturday, I didn’t but it appears that I am not alone.

“Bóthar Beag” is confirmed by Logainm.ie which outlines previous names of Little Boater Lane; Boater Lane; Little Booter Lane; Little Butter Lane; and Drury Lane – but I have not found a reason for Little Road.

Yet.

It is on that ‘to find out more’ list.

“Drury Street
This was originally known as Little Boater Lane”
Archiseek.com

“Little Butter Lane 1640 (Ir. Builder 15.1.1896), 163 (de Gomme), 1720 (Ancient records, vii, 128, 129), 1728 (Brooking), 1735-6 (Ancient records, viii, 201), 1753 (Universal Advertiser 10.2.1753). Little Boater Lane 1756 (Rocque)”

Drury Street – DUBLIN 1610 TO 1756 – Logainm.ie pg14

“(South Great George’s St E.). [1640]. Little Boater Lane 1756 (Rocque). Drury Street 1759 (Universal Advertiser 29.12.1759). Boater Lane (Little) 1766 (Harris). Little Boater Lane 1773 (Scalé). Little Booter Lane 1776 (SNL 21.10.1776). Drury Lane 1811 (Campbell map), 1824 (Pigot), 1836 (Ancient records, xix, 256), 1843, 1847 (OS).”

Drury Street - DUBLIN 1756 TO 1847 – Logainm.ie pg20

Oh for a real fancy cake……

1/2/2016

Amiens Street, Dublin

Previously, I commented on the use of the word ‘Fancy’ in old shopfronts in Liscannor and Mallow.

In Amiens Street in Dublin last week, I spotted a reference to ‘Fancy Cakes’.

Maybe it is a sign of getting old when those cakes that were once fancy and exotic are now plain and everyday; cakes that were once a treat are now on par with a scone; cakes that contained cream that tasted a luxury rather than homogenised or fake.

Beam me back, Scottie

Oh for a real fancy cake……

Amiens Street, Dublin

Amiens Street, Dublin

Knock, Co. Mayo