Blog Archives - Reading the Signs

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That Would Kill Anyone

31/5/2018

To lose a child must be so so tough.

Could you contemplate what it might be like to lose two children?

Now contemplate three children dying.

Now, if your three children died within 8 weeks…..

Last Tuesday week brought me to Passage West to commiserate at a funeral. Emotions were still too raw to sit through the memorial service so I headed homeward on a road not travelled before. I spotted Old Kilmurry Cemetery which called out to offer a few minutes chill-out time.

It was the overwriting on R.I.P of the name Josephine Devereux which caused me to pause and read, but then I saw that six months before she died, her three children, Mary, Eddie & Frank all died within 8 weeks – aged for 4 to 6.

It is now on my mental To Do List to investigate as to TB or other disease outbreak in 1943 that might have claimed four lives so quickly.

In the meantime, it will remain on my brain as a story so so sad.

It may be 75 years ago but that does not reduce the tragedy.

There You Are Bernie Murphy

30/5/2018

My first visit to St. James Cemetery at Chetwynd was exactly one month ago. There will be regular visits from here out.

I had seen a photograph of this headstone online but had to seek it out for my own eyes. There was so much to like

The simple message of ‘Here Lies The Bones’
The Corkness of ‘Here Lies’ when compared to ‘Here Lie’
The pint of stout
‘Here I am’

I remember Bernie Murphy as a sandwich board man or holding advertising signs around town – regularly throwing out comments at those daring to pass by.

The Dunne Brothers were musicians who would be spotted on Patrick’s St or Princes St or when my grandfather brought me to matches down ‘The Park’ or the Mardyke. They first introduced me to the sound of the banjo.

They and Bernie Murphy were thought by the younger me to be part of Cork that were always there and would always be there – the innocence of youth.

I will be nodding towards Bernie on my regular visits – There You Are, Bernie Murphy…..

Leaving His Mark

28/5/2018

I spotted tweets earlier today regarding the formal opening of the former Cork District Model School as the new Courthouse Complex.

There are many photos of the refurbished areas and the new extension – some of the 25,000 replaced bricks

What struck me when the scaffolding came down was not captured in any photograph or clip that I have seen but the mark left of the current generation of craftsmen to remind the future that those in 2017 also assisted its retention.

That April Friday evening, while I was taking my photos, a lady also stopped to look at the newly exposed building. She said that she had gone to school there and was looking forward to being able to look inside.

A few weeks later, in Chetwynd, I was reminded as to the titles I might like on my headstone and wondered if my school or place of employment might be one, probably not for me.

Brits Out – Still Happening

19/5/2018

While the women of the house sit in front of a television, waiting for the appearance of a wedding dress, I am contemplating the removal, deliberate or otherwise, of part of the history that remains from when Ireland was part of the United Kingdom.

I have often blogged on matters relating to postboxes – colour & font; split-personalities; repurposing; quirks of manufacture; and, even, the riddle of Shanagarry. Another blog on a post-box should not surprise too many who pass by here often.

This is another reminder to self to continue the populating of the map that I started – hundreds and hundreds still to do.

This blog has been prompted by a tweet from Eoin Lettice about the upcoming Sheppard’s Auction where Lot 2 is a Victorian cast iron pillar postbox, guiding €2,000 - €3,000, previously resident at Patrick’s Street in Cork.

My recording of postboxes only goes back as far as this website and the VR box from Patrick’s St. was before that. If I were to guess, it may have been replaced by the modern rust-bucket style unit, now at the junction with Academy Street, but I may need to flick through books with old photographs to hunt for more clues.

Maybe An Post needed the money and decided to sell off some postboxes from stores. Maybe some ‘enterprising’ person thought that they were being wasted in An Post stores.

The old boxes definitely are better wearing and hardier than that the modern versions. I would have thought that it would be an idea for An Post to keep the old style to replace the postbox causalities – and there have been a few.

There was an old pillar box in Ballyphehane in Cork that is no longer – or substantially no longer. The base is still there and used as a concrete foundation for the new style box. I suspect this was a victim of a road traffic accident.

The Carron Scotland pillar box at the Holy Ground in Dingle lost its battle with a truck that came down Green Street and ended up in the Woolen Store shop. It was replaced by an old-style Handyside pillar box

The Carron, Scotland pillar-box that stood outside Bandon Road Post Office in Cork city is yet another that is no longer.

But whether this was another victim of road traffic or revenge for the ambush at Ballynamona, Mourneabbey is still open to debate and supposition

Urban Oasis & Urban Myth

18/5/2018

Twitter threw up a beauty last Tuesday.

I was reading down the twitter feed and spotted an open invitation by Alex Pentek to the National Sculpture Factory today to view his ferns which have been commissioned by Brisbane – my RSVP was nearly immediate.

Even in the horizontal position their height is so impressive. The horizontal definitely allowed greater appreciation of the fronds and especially the curves in every direction.

I thought they were brilliant.

They were calling out to be touched

I stood in admiration. In doing so, I overheard some conversations.

One advised that the fronds on the taller straight pieces are in two parts to facilitate transportation, which seemingly happens next week, via Rotterdam and Singapore.

There other brought to mind a similar situation in Cork, or so I thought.

Seemingly, the original intended location in Brisbane could not be used as the concrete base for the ferns could not be provided due to the extent of underground utility services. This immediately brought from the recesses of my mind a similar story – that of Christ the King church in Turner’s Cross, designed by Barry Byrne.

I spend a while this afternoon checking the internet and reading through some of my books on Cork to try and find where I had learned/dreamt that Barry Byrne had understood that the site was at a t-junction and so the church would be much more prominent as one approached the intersection – but to no avail.

Brisbane and Turner’s Cross may well be connected by Urban Myth.

Ballygowan - Special or Stupid

5/5/2018

We have a visiting 9 year old this weekend. Dan has just decreed that this marketing campaign ‘is stupid’.

Even when I told him that it possibly took many people in Marketing Departments, earning tens of thousands of euros each, to come up with this marketing strategy, he was not for changing – still stupid.

He could not see what was special in paying 25c more.

I am with Dan

Jesus Rocks – Or Plays Hurling

4/5/2018

We spotted this car sticker last week.

It was definitely an image of Jesus that I had not seen before.

Personally, I think it could be related to Star Wars of even playing hurling.

MAYBE IT'S THIS WORLD THAT'S CROOKED

3/5/2018

Spotted this on the former Garda Station on MacCurtain St, or, even, the former R.I.C. station on King Street.

Maybe they have a point

Wisdom & Talent

2/5/2018

I cannot remember ever been so taken with such a sticker message on a pole.

On Pine Street, I stopped, pondered and smiled. I even pictured some faces.

HAVING ONLY WISDOM & TALENT IS THE LOWEST TIER OF USEFULNESS

An Interview With Death

1/5/2018

There we were- waiting.

The 17th of January, and the first family meeting, with the care staff at Marymount Hospice, was imminent.

Curraheen, Co. Cork

I don’t know what people do to prepare for or even distract from such meetings.

Me – I read the sign and was immediately on Teanglann as I had understood that the word was spelled ‘Agallamh’. The web confirmed that ‘Agallamh’ was nominative singular and genitive plural; and that, ‘Agallaimh’ was genitive singular and nominative plural.

‘Agaill’ is another word for ‘interview’ – but no sign anywhere of ‘Agaillimh’, except on the door of this room, possibly deliberately placed there to distract the likes of me.

Births, Deaths & Marriages Registry Office, Adelaide Street

Fast forward to May Day and the Cherry Blossom petals getting a bit of a bettering with the weather.

I have taken my chair. I wait to be called to request and receive a Death Certificate. I am once again distracted, trying to remember the genitive plural – fairly sure that it ought to be ‘Agallamh’

When I took my place in Interview Room 4, I was absolutely convinced that both ‘Seomra Agallaimh’ and ‘Seomraí Agallaimh’ could not both be correct.

Getting It Right - I think

Sometimes it is good to be distracted.