Category: Northern Ireland

4, Hopefully 5, Brave (and Lucky) Pigeons

23/5/2020

Dowcha Boy, White Vision,

Paddy, The King of Rome

& IHU 15 67080

“Few people can claim that they owe their very existence to a pigeon”

This is the opening line of story that I heard last November on Sunday Miscellany. Gail Seekamp tells the story of White Vision after her heroic experiences during World War II, 60 miles in 9 hours. She was renamed White Saviour.

The Dickin Medal is the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. White Vision was one of the first three recipients in December 1943. Nine months later, Paddy was similarly honoured. I read of Paddy in Ireland’s Own. A plaque was erected in his honour at Carnlough, near Larne, and is on my To Visit list. It looks like there may be two plaques and a song - and another song, of sorts. In 2010, there was a flypast in commemoration.

A Bishop Lucey Park pigeon

This week I read of Cónal Creedon’s excellent book, Begotten Not Made, being selected for an Eric Hoffer Book Award in the U.S., and was reminded of Dowcha Boy whose exploits in World War I pre-dated the Dickin Medal. Feted on returning to Cork, the Legend of the Northside, a small but critical figure of the book, has not been forgotten by this reader.

Sunvalley Drive

The Northside

Fly, Dowcha-boy1 Fly like the wind

Paddy lived until he was 11. White Saviour lived for 10 years after her rescue night. Based in Rialto in Dublin, IHU 15 67080 was ringed in 2015, which I think may also be year of birth. I hope that she is now competing in races for pigeons with disabilities. On Thursday, a ringed leg was spotted in the grounds of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral.

Dowcha Boy survived being shot. White Vision survived the stormy night flight that her fellow pigeon did not. Maybe IHU 15 67080 is flying, and hopping, about quite contentedly having evaded the peregrine around the golden trumpets mentioned in a tweet this morning.

“In the West End of Derby lives a working man
He says "I can't fly but me pigeons can
And when I set them free
It's just like part of me
Gets lifted up on shining wings"

"Come on down, Your Majesty
I knew you'd make it back to me
Come on down, my lovely one
You made me dream come true"

June Tabor

Orla Peach’s tweet and listening to The Unthanks earlier, was enough of a co-incidence about pigeons in one week to warrant this rambling blog.

For further distraction from Cónal Creedon, take a few minutes HERE

If it is good enough for Dowtcha Boy

Paddy Comerford on the Northside Pigeon

0 Comments

Numbers - Queens is the Clear Winner

2/4/2020

0 Comments

For some time, I have been photographing specially made house numbers. They are generally of tiles or moulded plaster. Some tile-types have been used at a number of developments but many of these developments have a numbering system that is bespoke and unique to them – a record of a time when it was nice to be different.

A while back, I spotted some buildings on College, generally owned by U.C.C. where the numbers were stuck to the glass fanlight which I had not previously spotted on my search.

But U.C.C.’s numbers paled into into total insignificance when I spotted the fanlights at University Square in Belfast – the gold standard in unique door numbers has been set.

0 Comments

Remembering A Private Census – Cobblers

1/4/2020

0 Comments

In Goreybridge in Wexford, between 1862 and 1867, the landlord’s agent kept detailed records of the occupants of the dwellings, names, ages, relationship to tenant, occupation – all of which are recorded on the modern census.

I learned of this from Dr. Rachel Murphy in January when I attended the Irish Modern Urban History Group Symposium in Limerick, when she spoke on ‘The Goreybridge Censuses, 1862-7’. A significant proportion of the houses were occupied by one trade, Cobblers (if I remember correctly). There were only a small number of houses – 13-15 from memory – but shoemaking/cobblers was the trade of quite a number of houses, making the percentage significant.

I was in Belfast a few weeks later and spotted this plaque on a modern building on North St. This is definitely my type of plaque – small history, local information. A visit to census information is calling out to me as to whether the Belfast shoe-makes on North St were shops or whether they lived there too. A 2m distant conversation with my father is also calling to discuss whether others who worked with his father in the Lee Boot Co lived near him growing up – whether there was, decades later, a tradition of living near you work/trade colleagues.

If I only took better notes on the Goreybridge talk, I might be better placed to join some dots ……

0 Comments

The Dove is Never Free

2/1/2019

0 Comments

I saw this mural on Sunday through the open gate to a car park and was immediately humming Leonard Cohen’s Anthem.

“The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I seem to hear them say
Do not dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.
Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack
A crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.”
Leonard Cohen