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MIXED MESSAGES.

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

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And the day he died it was a birthday - And I noticed it was mine

8/6/2019

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My Bucket List is not very long – possibly reflective of the reality that has been encountered, having learnt the lesson of not getting ones hopes up.
 
A night on An Blascaod Mór, a trip to the Skellings, ascending Croagh Patrick and walking part of the Camino remain on the list – as do two places inspired by songs.
 
Peter Gabriel’s So was probably the most played record during my later school days. Afternoons laying on the floor with the big padded headphones plugged into the three-in-one are fondly remembered. From an earlier album, Solsbury Hill has been a song to which I regularly return and a place to which I would like to spend an evening.

​“And the day he died it was a birthday
And I noticed it was mine”
Cathedral by Crosby Stills & Nash had me intrigued by the above line, and I was not alone in wondering as to the birthday and the name of the soldier who died in 1799. Hugh Foulkes of the Royal Cheshire Militia died on February 2nd and appears in many websites explaining Graham Nash’s bad-trip that led to the lyrics. A tweet, similar to this, some time ago, showing the main altar only confirmed Winchester Cathedral’s position on the Bucket List.

Today represents day 159 of 2019 and in an ongoing attempt to categorise my photographic collections. It is the day when I have tweeted the 159th Street Art installation, Post Box, Ghostsign, and Roadside Memorial.
​
Today’s Roadside Memorial was from the N61 from Boyle to Roscommon town, erected to Gavin Lee. I had a Graham Nash-like moment when I came across this memorial, noting it was my birthday. 
"Fiche bliain ag fás.           
Fiche bliain faoi bhláth.  
Fiche bliain ag cromadh.
Fiche bliain gur cuma ann nó as"
As the twenty years when it doesn’t matter whether I am here on not approaches ever more rapidly, today’s Roadside Memorial is another reminder of the motivational line in Shawshank Redemption – Get Busy Living, or Get Busy Dying.
​
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Me Tarzan, You from Boyle

17/5/2016

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I spotted this plaque when in Boyle, Co. Roscommon. I did not recognise Maureen O’Sullivan as an actress, neither the name or the photograph. I suspected that I had not seen any of the films in which she acted – I was wrong.

This morning’s update from Stair na hÉireann advised that she was born 105 years ago, on this day. She played Jane opposite Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan and one of her seven children is Mia Farrow.

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What was a ‘Boot Factor’?

17/4/2016

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I am supposing that it was not a ‘Boot Factory’ – primarily for reasons of layout in that an additional letter would have brought the word a bit too close to Walsh.

If a Motor Factor sells car parts and equipment, did a ‘Boot Factor’ sell parts for boots, or the full pair of boots?

I spotted this ghostsign a few weeks back in Roscommon town. I cannot recall ever seeing reference to a ‘Boot Factor’ prior to this. Chambers does confirm that to factor is to act on someone’s behalf, but that does not really help.

Was ‘factor’ used in times past instead of ‘shop’?

Today, once again, is a day for question, not answer.

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Is the Public House no longer the Church of the People?

12/1/2016

1 Comment

 
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I have seen former churches converted into Museum/Display Centre use, Houses, Hotels and Concert Venues among other uses.  In Mary St, Dublin a church was converted to a bar and restaurant.

I have heard of many pubs closing down. I think that I had only seen the buildings turned into shops or residential but I had never seen a pub converted to a church– until my recent trip to Co. Roscommon, that is.


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Google Maps shows a Guinness sign in 2011 – where the Grace Community Church sign now hangs.
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Flights of Fancy

27/6/2015

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Not a sign that one sees often
Those birds have some high standards.

No garage or run-down shack is good enough. No.

Only the inner sanctum of Ballaghaderreen Golf Club will suffice for chosen residence – and without the necessity to cough up green fees.

Many thanks to SOK for the photo which set me down on two separate memory tracks.

Flight 1.

What is the connection between Ballaghderreen and Ballyvaughan?


Other than the obvious beginning with Ball?


Flight 2.

Can you read Cork?

ABCD Birds
DMRN Birds
DR Birds
OBJURI DR Birds



Read More
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Posting

9/6/2015

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Knockvicar, Co. Roscommon
Some may consider it too cutesy.

But my eight year old and I both liked it when we went for a spin in Co. Roscommon over the Bank Holiday weekend.

So appropriate, I thought, for a quiet village.

  Also a reminder of the joy of receiving a hand-written letter – go on, make someone’s day….

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“So many days you passed me by
See the tear standing in my eye
You didn't stop to make me feel better
By leaving me a card or a letter”


 

Please Mister Postman (Holland, Brian / Garrett, William / Gorman, Freddie / Dobbins, Georgia / Bateman, Robert)
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Let There Be Light

3/6/2015

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A while back, I mentioned the launch of John Spillane’s album – The Man Who Came In From The Dark.

Last weekend, our eight year old was treated to a visit to Lough Kee Forest Park. On Friday night, we stopped at Bruno’s in Boyle for an enjoyable meal – and who was remembered on the wall outside, but
John Reilly.

More reason than is necessary for a blog hereabouts.
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A direct line to God...

1/6/2015

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Those of you who frequent this part of cyberspace are probably aware of my curiosity regarding things on display in public places.


These include
grottoes and telephone boxes.


Upto yesterday, in Co. Roscommon between Boyle and Tulsk, I had never seen these combined – a first time for everything.

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Shamrock Lodge - Excellent or Otherwise

2/7/2013

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Trip Advisor may have many factors that they consider in the awarding of Certificates of Excellence for hotels.


Appropriate use of the apostrophe is obviously not one of them

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    From Cork.

    Old enough to have more sense - theoretically at least.

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