Category: Leitrim - Reading the Signs

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B.P. Service

7/4/2016

Do you remember ‘Erik from Oslo’ in the ads for Statoil?

He cropped up when doing some web trawling regarding this sign in Strangress, Glenfarne in north Leitrim. Statoil bought out BP in 1992. It later bought Jet and subsequently sold on to Topaz in 2006 and rebranded in 2008.

This sign was 22 years out of date when I photographed in June 2014. It may not be a ghostsign in the strict interpretation of old painted sign but is definitely deserving of some ghostly classification.

I hope it survives for another 22 years – at least.

More than once… I suspect

5/4/2016

Angry in Leitrim

3/4/2016

‘tell me true tell me why was Jesus crucified
is it for this that daddy died?’
Roger Waters - Pink Floyd

On Easter Sunday 27th March, while many were participating in the Centenary celebrations in Dublin and elsewhere, I was driving the backroads of south Co. Leitrim looking for Effrinagh and the site of the Pearse Connolly Hall.

A while back, I learnt of Jimmy Gralton from a plaque in Carrick-on-Shannon.
When I found the site, a memorial stone had been erected and appeared to be waiting formal opening. It appears to have replaced a timber sign which I did not see that day.

I have read many plaques and signs over the past few years. As they are commemorating and recognising an individual or group, some can be biased towards the subject – to a greater or lesser degree.

I still have not watched Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall but am now determined to correct that – as well as Deported. These may educate me as to the man and the extent of bias, if any, in the plaque.

Allowing for, any possible, bias, I left the Swan Lake Inn behind me and headed back though Annagherly and Sheemore angry with the country that existed at that time – once more annoyed with how power was granted to the church and how it was used in conjunction with the state.

I reached for Pink Floyd and blared The Post War Dreams as I left. Go on, have a listen and replace ‘daddy’ with any of the names commemorated that Easter Sunday.

Jimmy Gralton

What's the Line

5/5/2015

Charleville, Co. Cork

According to logainm.ie, there are 6 streets in Ireland called New Line – four translate as Bóthar Nua (literally New Road) and two as Líne Nua.

It advises that all 20 New Road locations translate as Bóthar Nua.

I remember hearing Matty sung by Christy Moore years ago and assuming that The Curragh Line was a railway line. Recently I have learnt that the road out of Galway toward Headford is called the Curragh Line.

I have heard of line used for railway routes – the Bantry Line; the Cobh Line – but reference to road is new to me

It appears that line or líne may have been another word for road– another on the ‘To Find Out More’ list

Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim

“the house i’ve left is dead to me

to my rhymin and my poetry

all i’ve got is the beat of the stagger

as i’m headin down the curra line”

Matty – John Mulhearn

Michael Harding - Glór - 19th Feb

18/2/2015

Last year, I received a gift of ‘Staring at Lakes’ by Michael Harding.

JG very much enjoyed his articles in the Irish Times but me purchasing the Irish Times was a victim of the Celtic Corpse, so Staring at Lakes was new to me.

Maybe it was the ‘me’ at the time, but the book really hit home. It shot up the list of favourite books. Nearly a year later, it still remains high up the list.

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?

James Gralton

18/10/2014

I hadn’t known of a deportation of an Irish-born naturalised American from Ireland in 1933.

I took this photograph at the end of June when we visited the North-West. We stopped for lunch in Carrick-On-Shannon on the way back and during a walkabout, I did manage to take a few photos but it was only recently that I actually read this one in detail.

Interest was aroused.

I have spent the last 40 minutes or so listening to The Gralton Affair of the DocOnOne Archive, and reading various websites with some aspects of the life of James Gralton including raising funds for the International Brigades; once captured, he was brought to Cork prison and departed for America from Cobh; he refused to serve in India in protest over British polices in Ireland; and he was deported without trial.

Easily known that I am not a major cinema-goer as I had not realised he formed the basis of Jimmy’s Hall.

On my next visit, I hope to factor in a visit to the site of the hall.

My interest in things historic is only relatively recent so the reading and documentary so highlighted the power of the church at that time and the fear of communism – which does go some way to explain why some joined O’Duffy’s Irish Brigade to fight with Franco and how difficult and against the society norms for those to join the International Brigade.

Main Street

8/10/2014

My struggle with improving my Irish by using streetsigns continues.

Those responsible for translating and erecting the streetsigns can in no way be accused of consistency.

One would think that Main Street should be reasonably standard. After all, it does appear in very many towns, villages and cities.

So far, I have come across three options – which roughly translate as Principal, Big and Middle. And even among them there are variations.

Príomhshráid, I can understand as it is the merging of two words into one – similar to cúlbhóthar and seanathair.

Príomh Shráid, Príomh-Shráid and variations without the h (séimhiú) and fada, I have difficulty with as my understanding was that the adjective should follow the noun – streetsigns are obviously an exception, at least in Kiltimagh, Killavullen,Caherciveen, Manorhamilton, Castlelyons, Youghal and Ballinrobe.

Claremorris’ Middle Street translation has me completely baffled – I hope it is an error of translation. Otherwise, I fear for my chances of improving my Irish vocabulary.

Bob Seger considers Main Street as one word

Mór = Big, Great, Large, Grand, Main

Príomh = Prime, Principal

Variations on Príomh

Packie Duignan & Ciarán Emmett

17/9/2014

June was the first, and to date only, time that I have been in Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim – and it was only a ‘passing through’ trip but I did stop for these plaques to Packie Duignan and Ciarán Emmett

I thought it nice and fitting that two who played together are recognised so close together.

Similar to Gort, it appears that recognition is in terms of a Traditional Music Weekend

The Black Pig's Dyke

16/7/2014

Often, there are phrases or expressions that I will hear in conversation or on the radio which I do not fully understand the origin or the exact meaning. Most of the time, by reference to the context I can make a reasonable guess as to the implications. The rest of the time, the phrase does not really matter and so it gets filed in the mental junk mail folder.

When in Leitrim, a few weeks ago, I was reminded of one of these expressions. I could not even remember where I had heard it before but it definitely has been in that junk mail folder for a while – possibly from the play ‘At the Black Pig’s Dyke’ or possibly somewhere completely different and completely of origin lost forever.

The title of the art installation did bring a spark of recall and the internet did the rest.

A Garda Welcome

15/7/2014

A ‘Garda Welcome’, or ‘Police Welcome’ for anyone outside of Ireland, has connotations of a group of Gardai waiting for you as you pass through arrivals at the airport; or, of a riot squad ready and waiting for rival supporters at a match. Maybe, that is an outlook and impression that is mine alone.

Regardless, I cannot imagine a ‘Garda Welcome’ as actually being welcoming.

It has been a few weeks since we were at Glencar Waterfall and I am still puzzled as to the welcome……

An Affront to Self

6/7/2014

I would have been with the likes of Ted O’Driscoll Joinery, Crossan Joinery, Lohan Joinery, and also Meath County Council.

To me the timber or plastic surrounding the window in a commercial premises is a shopfront. It is not a shop front.

I spotted this sign last weekend in Carrick-On-Shannon and was planning a blog on the wisdom of using a sign-writer who puts in gaps in words that they write.

I am glad that I checked the online dictionaries before continuing too far with that planned blog.

Maybe it is my construction training, maybe it is my sense of being right, but I find it difficult to accept shopfront as being an incorrect spelling. It might go in the same folder as window sill and window cill – that of multiple spellings in regular use.

Or maybe I will have to accept that I was incorrect……

“Sorry, no results for “shopfront” in the Collins English Dictionary.”

Collins Dictionary

“Sorry, no entries for shopfront were found.”

Chambers Dictionary

Kilty

2/7/2014

Regularly, I am reminded that knowledge is merely connecting the bits of information received from many different sources.

A month ago, I would not have any idea as to where Kiltyclogher is located.

Connection 1

Stationary affects.....

1/7/2014

Early Saturday morning in Manorhamilton, I did stand stationary taking this photograph but am still at a loss as to how Party affects Toys.

As the shop is now closed down, maybe this riddle, or telling the public to stop, put off potential customers.