It may be a bit akin to asking a child to name their favourite uncle. Every headstone in a graveyard records a life lived and a life passed – they all represent a passing and an end of life. I have visited many cemeteries and have seen a large number of the CWGC headstones to commemorate those who died in the World Wars or of causes attributable to the wars upto 31 August 1921 and 31 December 1947. The Old Church Cemetery (Clonmel) in Cobh has a large number of CWGC headstones, probably a factor of being closest to the naval base used by boats from many different countries. When in Dunmanway, I only spotted one at St. Mary’s Fanlobbus Church Cemetery but it hit home harder to this viewer than any in Cobh. I had similar feelings when standing in the lobby of the Church of St. James in Killorglin. World War I ended on 11th November, 1918 – eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. William Kingston could say that he survived the war but he could only say that for 12 days – dying on 23rd November, 1918. To survive the war and all its horrors, only to die less than two weeks later – such a shame. I have made a note to self to visit City Library to read possible reports in Cork Examiner as to death of that Royal Munster Fusilier, William Kingston Spectamur Agendo. |
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A few friends have counselled that I need to curb my tendency to point out errors of spelling and grammar – not that such counsel may come back to bite me, that has happened and I survived intact, more a fear of resulting in a punch to the nose.
I have been in The Firgrove Hotel in Mitchelstown very many times – convenient half-way for Cork/Limerick meetings (I spotted Munster Rugby there a few times) and decent food on the road home. I have passed through the entrance lobby often. I cannot recall this sign previously. Last week was my first time reading it – also first time noticing its existence so maybe new. I just had to return to reception to point out the sign. There ensued a discussion as to ‘it’ and the use of apostrophe – only when shortening of ‘it is’ or 'it has' and not denoting possession. Thankfully I left without adjustment to my facial configuration. ‘I have made a magic study of the good thing that eludes nobody.’ – Arthur Rimbaud
Cork still manages to throw up a surprise or two…
I wonder if I have spent too much time looking at signs. I did not spot anything wrong with this when photographing, admittedly from the other side of the road – that happened only when reviewing the photographs from my trip to Tullamore recently.
I like the script for the streetnames as gaeilge but there appeared to be a fada missing - Uíbh Fhailí. I did check with logainm.ie who confirmed that they have no record of an Offally St but do have for Offaly St. – which does translate as Sráid Uíbh Fhailí. I cannot be the first person to have spotted this particular spelling. I wonder if there is a story to its name or maybe the signmaker may have wished to be a BIFFO…
To Find Out More List The three books have provided little bits of knowledge about so many things that I need to find out more (ever connecting). I have enjoyed a pint in The Blue Bull in Sneem. It was Éamon Kelly who educated that The Blue Bull was a Synge Play. I will need to return to Gneeveguilla to photograph the plaque to Mick Sullivan who was shot by Black & Tans while Éamon Kelly was in the adjacent school – the list of Civil War and War of Independence memorials ever growing. There are many traditions that intrigued, sounded lovely or just demanded further exploring – families joined in butter; overnight fasting prior to receiving Holy Communion; family owning a church pew so those standing at back did not have funds to purchase and pay rent on pew; stopping the clock upon a death, as seen in Jean deFlorette; and the giving of a disease to another similar to leaving cloth on a rag tree at a Holy Well. It also introduced words to me, many appear derived for Irish. These will keep me going for some time. The list is below but any education as to ‘gripe’; ‘hoult’; ‘fakah’;or, ‘roiseters’ would be welcome. A Visit To The TheatreThis week I spotted that Jack Healy had a play based upon the stories of Éamon Kelly at The Cork Arts Theatre on Camden Quay.
Yesterday lunchtime was a magnificent hour spent listening, smiling, laughing and remembering. More than halfway through the show, I was reminded as to one of my flysheet notes in The Journeyman. There had been quite a few different stories. Éamon Kelly in The Journeyman was writing of ‘In My Father’s Time’ – ‘We found that a number of stories told one after the other could sound episodic. There had to be a changing relationship between the pieces, and the links had to be carefully thought out to make seamless the fabric, which we hoped would be colourful and entertaining’. My flysheet note was that the book, unlike The Apprentice which I found much more interesting, was failing to flow. Fair play to Jack Healy. With the benefit of reflection on my hour or so in the auditorium, the different aspects and stories flowed; and, the knitting of the stories was brilliant and of a manner that brought the occasion up to date. I had heard or read of a few of the stories but the delivery, verbally and with actions, made them a new experience – I laughed even when I knew the punchline. It is in the Cork Arts Theatre only until tomorrow night but is intended to travel later in the year. I do recommend.
That seed has taken some time to germinate. The growth spurt prompted by a tweet from Luke Portess as to similar bedfellows in Glasnevin.
I remembered a talk from Neil Richardson at Ennis Bookclub Festival being surprised at the very large percentage of Irishmen in the British Army at the time of World War One – as Ireland was a part of the British Empire, they were also fighting for or defending their country. At the launch of ‘The Immortal Deed of Michael O’Leary’, Danny Morrison spoke of his grandfather joining the British Army in 1917 and that very many Irishmen joined on the understanding that victory would lead to freedom for Ireland (text here – well worth a read) The seed has been a long time in bearing fruit but I am thinking that these neighbouring souls could actually have had the same hopes – just a different way of getting there. If one had not died in World War I, they might even have fought together some years later. We will never know….. |
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