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MIXED MESSAGES.

Using signs, advertisements and messages as the inspiration for observation and comment - enlightened and otherwise

BLOG

The Mouth Of The Glen - Preface or Chapter 1?

27/11/2015

3 Comments

 
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Beal a'Ghleanna - Mouth of the Glen

Read More
3 Comments

Sumbs, Roofs and Rooves

26/11/2015

0 Comments

 
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A Story

I remember hearing a story, most likely untrue, very many years ago, when still in school. In this retelling, I’ll allow ‘Mick’ to be the character in chief.

It was the time of the school exams. The teacher had decided to do three tests one after the other this particular afternoon.

Mr. McCarthy told the pupils to take out three clear sheets of paper and on each write their name and the particular test. Mick O’Keeffe followed by Irish and English were quickly added to the first two pages, but then he stopped – unsure, thinking.

Mr McCarthy was writing the questions on the blackboard and Mick was no nearer being convinced.

He knew about the three ‘R’s – reading, riting and rithmetic. Something in the back of his mind told him that there  was something about the spelling but he couldn’t be certain.
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roof noun (roofs or common in spoken English, but non-standard in writing rooves)
Chambers Dictionary

Roofs vs. rooves
Roofs is the plural of roof in all varieties of English. Rooves is an old secondary form, and it still appears occasionally by analogy with other irregular plurals such as hooves, but it is not common enough to be considered standard.
Grammarist.com

Then Eureka, Mr McCarthy does not call it rithmetic in class. It is mathematics. Or is it matemathics. He was sure there was a ‘h’ in the word but as to where it went, he was no nearer getting something written on the page.

Then he remembered first class when big words like rithmetic, matemathics or even mathematics were not used.

Relief at last. Shorter words are much easier.

The words written on that blank page were:

Mick O’Keeffe – SUMBS

 
I spotted this van on Patrick’s Street yesterday and it immediately reminded me of the story of Mick O’Keeffe. I imagined the thought process when considering what to write on the van.

There was something at the back of his mind that when a word ended in ‘f’, the plural changed the ‘f’ to ‘ve’. He remembered the example of ‘hoof’ and ‘hooves’.

On that basis, it should be ‘Rooves’ but that didn’t look exactly perfect. Neither did ‘roofs’ because the ‘v’ was too prominent in the brain.

Just like Mick, Eureka struck with the idea to introduce an apostrophe – sure, no one will know the difference.

Wrong – there is at least one looking for flying apostrophes!!

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The Boy, Allen

24/11/2015

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Last year, I blogged about some monuments to the Manchester Martyrs, that I had seen around the country.

At end of Summer, POF told me of a memorial at Kilbrogan Graveyard
in Bandon – so a visit was made. I also spotted that they are commemorated on the National Monument in Grand Parade.

I still have not got around to reading the book but the amount of times that I have read of them this year does make me wonder as to why I was so unfamiliar prior to this.

They were killed on 23rd November, 1867 so there has been many On This Day type references in the past few days including ExecutedToday, Stair na hÉireann, Ireland In History  and StuartBorthwick.

Jean Prendergast’s tweets regularly include clips form newspapers 100 years ago. The Manchester Martyrs featured often recently with
marches, parades, prayers among other anniversary actions. ComeHereToMe’s blog yesterday mentioned a final march to Glasnevin cemetery, without the bodies.

Maybe the book will educate but it appears, just like Pearse’s words at Rossa’s grave, that the Fenian dead Manchester Martyrs were a rallying call, a cause behind which Republican groups united in a common cause – such unity proving beneficial for later activities.
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Saying Thanks to Choctaw Indians

21/11/2015

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I had read of this sculpture being made earlier this year.

It was the
first time I read of the donation by the Choctaw Indians to the Irish in the famine times.

Choctaw was filed away in
my mental log with Billie Joe MacAllister. I am not sure I knew of it as a Native American tribe – let alone one who was so generous to Ireland.

The Long March is now on the ‘Books To Look Out For’ list. A trip to photograph the plaque at the Mansion House is also on a To Do list – but I am unlikely ever to get to Cleveland.

Heading east today, the sculpture is in place and visible from the by-pass.

I suspect that it has not yet been officially unveiled – if that is the appropriate word for something so big that no veil will cover. I hope that an information board is being prepared for that day to tell the story.


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Well done Alex Pentek

UPDATE 2016.11.30

Over a year later, surfing through YouTube, I come across Damien Dempsey's message of thanks - definitely recommend a listen
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Keeping Sketch

20/11/2015

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Thank you, Luke B
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This was definitely a first.



I have seen painted street art and stencil art. Art installations, photographs and tiles have been observed. I have even seen powerhose art.

I cannot recall ever seeing pencil sketch street art previously.


I have now.



0 Comments

Urban Exhibition - Limerick

19/11/2015

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I was in Limerick today for a funeral.

After the mass, I walked towards the centre and spotted this. It was new to me.

Limerick’s right to be considered the leader in street art, or Urban Exhibitionism, has a stronger argument.


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Hugh Lane, b. 9th Nov, 1875

11/11/2015

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Century Ireland tweeted that yesterday was the anniversary of the birth of Hugh Lane, born on 9th November, 1875.

It reminded me of this plaque at St Luke’s Church in Douglas.

I understand, from
talk on Heritage Day, that he was born in Douglas, at Ballybrack House on Donnybrook Hill,  and christened in the church but, that that was the extent of his time spent in Cork as soon after he was brought to England where he grew up.

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General Charles deGaulle

9/11/2015

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Féilire Gaeilge tweeted today to say it was the anniversary of the death of Charles DeGaulle.

It reminded me of this monument that I spotted in Sneem last year and had mentally filed away as to why it had been erected.

It appears that he visited
on a number of occasions and that the monument was erected in 1994, 25 years after his visit in 1969.

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Carved Harp and Organ

8/11/2015

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Some more headstones from St Finbarr’s Cemetery by Seamus Murphy - this time depicting a church organ and a harp.

Definitely, an open air gallery.

0 Comments

Land Rover or Landrover?

7/11/2015

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I always understood that it was two separate words – Land Rover. The
Land Rover website
does confirm this.


It does make one wonder as to how much of a specialist they might be. Is it actually a specialist of Land Rover vehicles?



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John Boyd Dunlop

6/11/2015

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More work of Seamus Murphy that I spotted this week – after my conversational Irish class.

That is some beard that Mr Dunlop had.

Considering that John Boyd Dunlop died when Seamus Murphy was only fourteen, I wonder what he had to work on to create a 3-D image.

The plaque is not very prominently located – considering this is my third year attending at the O’Rahilly Building each Wednesday evening of a 20 week course and this was the first time that the corridor door was open and I saw it.

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A Fish - Carved

5/11/2015

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I spotted this work by Seamus Murphy when at St Finbarr’s Cemetery recently.

I do like.

It has got me thinking that the number of blog posts about Seamus Murphy’s work and the number of other headstones and statues that I have photographed on my travels may be best in a separate section.

Another for the To Do list

0 Comments

JOHN HOWELL, DONERAILE  d. 04 Nov 1922

4/11/2015

6 Comments

 
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Today’s update from Stair na hEireann, told of a skirmish at Ballineen and Enniskeane in West Cork.
“1922 – Skirmish between National Army and Republican troops who attack military posts in two villages, Enniskean and Ballineen in West Cork. Five Free State soldiers are injured, two fatally. Republican losses are at least two dead; a section commander Tadhg O’Leary and a volunteer, both IRA West Cork Brigade”

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The plaque on the building in Enniskeane confirms one of the dead as John Howell who was some distance from home.

The plaque to Timothy O’Leary’s is in the adjoining village of Ballineen.

I definitely need to allocate time to upload all of the photographs of the Civil War/ War of Independence memorials.


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6 Comments

HE ALWAYS TOLD ME HE WAS ILL

3/11/2015

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‘Dead Funny’ was one of my purchases on my most recent visit to An Café Liteartha when west of Dingle for the Bank Holiday.

I smiled on page 2 at ‘I told you’s I was sick’.


I definitely did not expect to see something similar only a week later – in Curraghkippane.

But I did.


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Starting at the Front

2/11/2015

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I had ‘tosaigh’ filed away in the conversational Irish part of my brain as meaning ‘start’, as in commence something.

I spotted this recently on College Road and was puzzled.
Tearma.ie has now confirmed that ‘Doras Tosaigh’ is indeed ‘Front Door’ and that ‘tosaigh’ has a range of alternative uses including initial, forward and opening.

It is a bad day that I do not learn something new…..


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    From Cork.

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