Blog Archives - Reading the Signs

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o2 - Let The Great P. R. World Spin

15/11/2014

If a move to a new shop is believed, then a formerly vacant premises has now been occupied and so one does not leave with the reality that o2 have closed a premises and so reduced their rates contribution to the city and that o2 have also contributed to the decline of the principal street by creating yet another vacant premises.

St. Patrick's Street, Cork

Silencing The Drum

14/11/2014

Corcomroe, Co. Clare

The drum may have
been silenced,
the strings of the lyre
may have been loosened,
but the song of the skylark
cannot be stopped.

May his spirit live on.

On our visit to Corcomroe Abbey, I did take a stroll around the cemetery.

This was added to my list of inscriptions that provoke contemplation – even some months later.

It reminds me of the scene in Jean de Florette that remains readily accessible in the brain when they stop the clock – the first time such a custom registered with me. A custom I like.

Butlers Chocolate – Purveyors of Disappointment

13/11/2014

‘Happiness is a Cigar Called Hamlet’.

For those of a certain age, me included, Air on a G String as well as the use of the expression ‘Happiness is’ will have memories of particular ad – my own preferred being the jockey but there are many others including the motorcyclist, and the puppy.

Just before six this evening, after a tiring day in Dublin with the rain and the traffic, I stopped at Butlers Coffee stall in Heuston Station; purchased my double espresso and received my ‘complimentary’ Salt Caramel Chocolate. My thoughts were of the taste and enjoyment as I walked to the train – not a long walk, but one with anticipation of that relaxing moment.

Reading the cup did bring to mind the old Hamlet ad.

Drinking lukewarm double espresso was such a disappointment.

Briefly, I looked around but there were no hidden cameras and no box of Hamlet to tempt me………

SÁMH

12/11/2014

Tonight on my way to my Conversational Irish gathering, I stopped to appreciate this candle display at the Amphitheatre.

This prompted an internet search as to Sámh – Suicide & Mental Health Society at UCC.

I am not one to heed their advice that it is good to talk. It is not in my make-up. I know and fully appreciate that what they say is true and my position is not the most self-rewarding.

The concrete that makes some of us is set too hard to allow change……..

Three's A Crowd

11/11/2014

More than once have I departed on my own tangent of the difficulties of trying to improve one’s Irish by reading streetsigns.

The inconsistencies of translation are, at least, challenging.

When in Fermanagh during the summer, I had the consolation that I only had anomalies in two languages and did not have to add Ulster Scots into the mix. Life is tough enough with two……

Hijacking Remembrance

10/11/2014

The History Show last evening had an interesting discussion on the Poppy including James McClean’s letter explaining why he did not wear a poppy - the poppy no longer represents just those who died in World War I and World War II, but also other conflicts.

He does mourn those who died in both World wars but has difficulty with other disputes and conflicts – particularly Northern Ireland. This brought to mind this monument in Kiltyclogher in Co.Leitrim which commemorates those who died in the Easter Rising, The War of Independence, The Civil War and also after that.

Those who survived the War of Independence substantially went on to be either the Pro-Treaty or Anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. Is it not reasonable, statistically, to assume that those who died in the War of Independence might also have been similarly divided?

After the end of the Civil War, some continued with the struggle for a 32-county Republic. The dead from the War of Independence and the Civil War did not have the luxury of taking a stand or position on the Treaty or end of an armed fight in May 1923. Is it reasonable to infer any such position upon them?

Does this plaque assume that had they survived the Easter Rising, The War of Independence and The Civil War, each of the men would have continued the fight which led to the deaths in 1938 and 1958? Does it assume as to the position that would have been taken by Sean MacDermott?

If one agreed with The War of Independence and The Treaty, but not the Civil War or the Republican Armed Struggle that continued thereafter, could one commemorate at this monument.

If one wished to commemorate the first nine men named on the monument but did not agree with the aims of the remaining five, could one do so at the monument or would one have to adopt a position similar to James McClean?

William O’Connell

9/11/2014

Earlier, I received the latest update from Rebel Cork’s Fighting Story.

They included a snippet from the Cork Weekly Examiner about a William O’Connell who died in 1920. I recalled this monument that I had submitted to Irish War Memorials.

My first thought was that the size of the monument did not correspond with the press coverage of the time.

But the memorial was probably not erected until some years after his death.

That got me thinking as to press coverage at time of death and time of unveiling monument, and possible reasons for change – I do not have any answer, just a thought floating about upstairs……

Closed For Prayer

8/11/2014

Yesterday I spotted this sign on Oliver Plunkett St..

I had not seen such a message previously. This may reflect on where I shop; how often I shop; or, maybe a changing society.

Other than bereavements, I cannot recall a sign advising that a pub or shop was closed for mass/service – differing priorities of religion.

Back To The Future

7/11/2014

I noted this sign being put up at Scoil Mhuire last Friday. It replaced a thinner sign that was included in a post last year.

When I first went past, I thought that there was an error in the spelling. It should be ‘Mhuire’ and not ‘Muire’.

In full daylight, I noted the dot over the M, which in times past and in Gaelic fonts, used to represent a following ‘h’.

I suspect that if any pupil of Scoil Mhuire used the dot in exams, the marks may not be as high as using a ‘h’ – a perfect example of do what I say, not what I do.

Before the 1960s, aspiration (aka, lenition) was symbolized by putting a dot over the consonant. Since the 1960s, it's been symbolized by putting an h after the consonant.
Philo-Celtic.com

The lenited consonant is denoted by a following h.

(In the old script with a dot above the consonant)
Nualeargais.ie

Sausage Question

6/11/2014

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity - Chapter 16

Imagine what your sausage might taste like if the mix included 10kg instead of 1kg of salt; or even if it was cooked for one minute instead of ten – there are all within a range of ten units.

Most signs and plaques stating when a company has been established actually state a year.

O’Flynn's Gourmet Sausages are the only company that I recall who need a range of 10 years.

Do they know.......?

5/11/2014

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity - Chapter 15

Yesterday was 4 days after October ended.

These photographs were taken yesterday.

I hope that Perry Street Café are more vigilant with best before dates than they are with special offer dates.

Kruger – Gael Siúlach Scéalach

4/11/2014

I will be under pressure to complete my challenge to myself.

During the summer, I did read a few books about The Blasket Islands including A Pity Youth Does Not Last – Micheál O’Guiheen and Island Cross-Talk, Pages from a diary – Tomás O’Crohan.

Bíonn Siúlach Scéalach

3/11/2014

Last April, this photograph arrived in my Inbox. It was beyond my Irish level of competency.

I asked of a number of friends with varying degrees of fluency and received a number of different suggestions:

Irish Water Public Relations – An Oxymoron

2/11/2014

You might think that these images are of a damaged water valve.

I have seen it on Devonshire Street and can confirm that it is a water valve of some sort and that water has been leaking from it and a rate of pressure since Friday evening, at least. Irish Water’s website says that ‘Clean water is both expensive to produce and manage‘, but this expensive clean water has been flowing down the street and into the drain.

Reporting

The Irish Water website does outline what you should do when you find a leak on one’s private property but there is no mention anywhere that I could see as to reporting a leak on a public road to prevent the waste of such a costly resource.

Not being put off by this, I phoned that Irish Water contact number and after some press this for that, I was speaking to, what I assume was a Abtran-operator who is passing on the available information as she reads from the computer.

No Leaks at Weekends

The computer told the operator and she told me that Irish Water service department do not operate and weekends. She suggested that I contact the Local Authority directly – the same Local Authority who, when I contacted them some months ago said that I should contact Irish Water to report a leak, which is why 1890 278 278 is now stored in my mobile phone.

After my comment as to how customer unfriendly such a procedure was, that I was happy to pass on the details then over the phone but I would not be phoning any other telephone number, she took down details of the leak.

They need to learn from the fault-reporting system at Airtricity – a dedicated telephone number and webpage.

Removed from Reality

The Abtran-operator probably breached protocol by taking the number as this was not the option as stated on the computer.

To think that some manager who prepared the brief for that section of the Customer Relations Software; the programmer who wrote it; and the Irish Water supervisory staff who tested it before passing it as fit-for-purpose, all thought that it was o.k. to have a different reporting system at weekends and, that it is reasonable to expect a member of the public who has taken time out to report a fault to be willing to take further time to write down and phone another number.

24 Hours

The photographs were taken a day after I reported the fault.

The clean water still flows into My Own Lovely Lee.

Remembering

1/11/2014

Jeffrey Donald Bedore
September 28, 1962 – April 21, 2012

Matthew Gerard Fitzgerald
September 5, 1996 – May 12, 2012

Growing up, I was familiar with the memoriam card – very much part of the Irish custom relating to death.

Similar to not knocking a grotto or not knocking a fairy fort, I don’t know of any memoriam card that has been put in a bin. In our house, some are on display, some in a drawer and others in books.

I had always considered them as having been issued by the bereaved family to friends and relatives as a memento. Until last April, when I passed some time in the church in Adare, Co. Limerick and saw two memorial cards left on a candle table, did I think of a memoriam card as a way of travelling the world and introducing the remembered to a new audience.

They are remembered here by me on All Souls’ Eve.