Blog Posts - Reading the Signs

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LaRue - LeRewe

19/5/2024

Another Cemetery Rambling

I cannot remember a time when I did not know that Danny LaRue was from Cork, from Horgans Buildings to be precise. I suspect that my grandfather’s pride in The Lough parish was the source of my knowledge. I knew that LaRue was a stage name. The fact that his birth name was Daniel Patrick Carroll was not as well remembered hereabouts.

He came to mind when I took some time-out, some me-time, a recharge. I pass the sign for St. Laserians once a week or so. One day recently demanded some me-time – just me and the headstones, perfect.

Bridget LeRewe was one of the first people I met in the cemetery. My first thought was on ‘LeRewe’, a surname not registered previously, and any connection with ‘LaRue’, which did appear more appropriate for a drag artist.

Six weeks later, the web has educated that Rewe; Rouse; Rowse; le Rouse; Rouze; leRus; Russ; Ross; and, Rous all appear to derive from ‘le rous’ meaning redhead – potentially appropriate for an Irish Bridget.

HEADSTONES FROM ABROAD

A few years back, when X was Twitter, I spotted a response from Damian Shiels to John Tierney about how interesting it would be ‘to pull together some of the Irish headstones thar make reference to America or family there, they are great way of visualising the diaspora.’

I did respond to the tweet with some such headstones encountered on my travels. This blog post has been a prompt to start the pulling together of American, and other country, references on headstone - HERE There is only a small number listed for now. I rely on the motto that ‘there is only one way to eat and elephant, one bite at a time’.

A Drop of Mountain Dew with the Dead

6/5/2024

Extracts from poems and songs are a very pleasant diversion on my rambles through cemeteries. Some lyrics I recognise. Others are discovered, or rediscovered, through the nearest search engine.

In Ballinure Cemetery, in county Limerick, in early January, I stopped and took a photo of the words on the back of the Martin family memorial. They sounder familiar but could I place them?!?

In my defence, the Mountain Dew had not been filed in my brain with any associateion with funerals, graves or death. It is now….

I spent a few hours this afternoon putting a list together of songs (and poems) that I have spotted on headstones in various cemeteries – an eclectic mix. If ever I get a one hour radio d.j. slot, my playlist is already done.

Numero Uno Joe

5/5/2024

Erected By Myself To Myself

When in Skibbereen late last year, this headstone caused me to pause a while. It reminded me of a couple of other headstones.

Patrick Morrissey of Balyduff in Co. Kilkenny was interviewed by Cathal O’Shannon next to his own headstone in 1971 that he had erected in advanvce of his death – ‘best thing you could do is to put up a memory stone to yourself before you get too old’.

His policy brough a smile – ‘Live as long as I can, and die when I can’t help it.’

George Marlborough’s headstone similarly brough a smile. I brought an even greater smile when I learnt that he drafted the wording himself, before death.

The headstone at St Patrick’s Cemetery in Skibbereen defied internet searching until this morning’s trip into the Irish Newspaper Archives revealed an article in the Southern Star from 2003 about a short film by Gillian Morrison shown at the Cork Film Festival, called Numero Uno Joe which answered a few questions of mine:

Pearse, Wilde and Who? Joe

‘I passed from life’ and ‘Erected by myself’ are both past tense, which was correct? Joe was interviewed for the film in 2003

Another may need to await the film, if I can ever get to see it.

Sinatra did it his way. Piaf had no regrets. Is touching beauty from a song as well as a Wilde quote?

With his inscription, Joe has definitely increased the likelihood of his existence being remembered – by me anyway.

‘Quoting from the transcript Joe states:– “I don’t want to be remembered for anything. Only just ....that I existed, and that I walked upon the earth sometime. That’s all. And the reason that I put thirty-nine....because John Millington Synge...he wrote “The Playboy of the Western World” and he died at thirty-nine. So I put that. And I put ‘I did it my way’ because, sure, I did. I did everything my own way .... and I never listened to other peoples’ voices. Only to my own, which is kind of selfish, if you like, I suppose, but anyway. I am Joe and that’s why”.’

Southern Star, 22 November, 2003, Page 3

‘“A gentle and intimate documentary which treats its subject with immense respect, while revealing his very particular world”, was the citation the debut director received from the judges. It’s a comment film festival director, Mick Hannigan concurs with. “I had to sift through thousands of tapes for the festival but this one leapt out at me. It had a great subject matter, which was handled very articulately. In this day and age when self expression is frowned upon by the masses of people who live in big cities, a very individualistic Joe isn’t shy about saying who he is”, said Mr. Hannigan.’
Southern Star, 22 November, 2003, Page 3

Parsnip

4/5/2024

To me, ‘par snip’ would be in the easier category of words to spell – two syllables, each a word in themselves. But what do I know. As our small person developed into a young person, ‘how do you spell…..’ was often heard. I do not recall it ever being followed by ‘parsnip’.

I do remember being surprised on occasions by some words asked. But I was also taken aback at words not asked. Proof that words that I had categorised as easier to spell were my categorisation: they were easier to me – not to everyone.

Tidying my photos into files and folders, I came across this photo from last year from the Narural Food Bakery in Blackrock village. ‘Parsnip’ obviously is on that variable category – dependant upon the ear of the beholder.

My recollection is that the soup was perfect for a winter’s lunchtime.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold – ............. Sometimes It Is Just Sticky Paper

3/5/2024

The Good Side

CRK0121A

A couple of weeks back, I managed to get to Ballintemple village to visit the Cillian Murphy postbox. My memory had it that the postbox was repainted in a gold colour to honour the recent Academy Award.

Checking the media, The Irish Times clearly states that the postbox was repainted. But that is the sub-editor who wrote the headline. The reporter does say wrapped as does the Irish Examiner; RTE; and, C103.

To my mind, and to my eyes when visiting the postbox, gold wrapping, especially when it is flapping in the wind, is tacky and so is very many leagues below the respect level of paint. It may be a very thin coating but paint does require time and a level of skill to be applied and does have an expected life greater than the one month – which was all it took for the wrap to go flapping.

The covering to the postbox reminds me of gold wrapping to a cheap chocolate egg. Maybe that’s just me.

Flap, flap

The not so good side

The Eyes Have It. The Eyes Have It.

2/5/2024

Sometimes I wonder if I spend too much time reading and wondering about things that I have seen on display in the public realm. On this occasion, it is stickers: particularly, stickers of eyes, or, at least, what I think could be interpreted as eyes.

Regularly, one can spot the same sticker in many different locations – but not these eyes. Since mid-January, I have photographed over 25 stickers that appear of a similar theme. Only two that I have photographed looked the same. All the others were different.

So far I have only seen them in Cork.

As for why, my best guesss so far has been a guerilla marketing campaign by Fighting Blindness, whose advertising message can be spotted in many locations in Cork and elsewhere.

Teddy Bears Cannot Read

2/5/2024

This appears to be a definite case of ‘do as I say, not as I do.’

Most are probably well familiar with the teddy bears placed on many bridges throughout the country: river bridges and road bridges alike. In many places the teddy bears are showing evidence of weather beating: at some locations the laminated message has been lost leaving the solitary teddy. Elsewhere, only the plastic tie-straps remain.

Walking home this afternoon over Mary Elmes Bridge, there was a teddy looking back up at me. He had gone off-script - 180° about turn from the message on the bridge.

Teddy Bear must be well into Cork Harbour by now. I suspect his future may not be as positive as Stickman – that story that what read to a small person years ago.

Gagged Sheela

22/4/2024

Last Sunday, visiting St. George’s Market in Belfast, I spotted a first for me – a Sheela-na-Gig sticker. I have noted modern versions on my travels but sticker was definitely a new form to me.

As I walked the block, I spotted 5 more.

The various colours suggested different print runs. However, it was the sticker over the eyes that has persevered as the question that has rattled around my head.

Why put a sticker over the eyes of another sticker? Were they, as I presume, applied by the same person, or a later addition?

What is the message(s)?

On my Tuesday early morning drive, the Death Studies Podcast (at 37:10) educated that at the start of the Covid pandemic in India, yellow stickers were placed on the houses of those who had contracted the virus to warn and restrict access.

The podcast also reminded that yellow was the colour of the patch required to be worn by Jews in WWII in a number of countries.

There may be other stickers beyond the block that I walked. They may have colours beyond the Red-Yellow-Blue primary colour range. One week on, the Sheela stickers and the gag remain a mystery – the reason for yellow even more so.

Updated 2024.0422 - Second sticker on eyes - not mouth

Dog Spending Area

13/4/2024

One sign spotted yesterday led to a few questions.

WHAT?

Adjacent to the sign was a small enclosed area – approx. 3m/10’ x 3m/10’. It has 4’/1.2m fencing to secure it from the surrounding space. The gate had a shooting bolt but no lock so it could be opened and closed by anyone. It had a brushed concrete finish which differed from the adjoining area.

I have seen some hooks on buildings to allow dogs to be secured while the dogs’ owners shopped/coffee’d. That was my first thought as to spending area – an area in which a dog could spend some time while the dogs’ human had other duties.

That thought was wrong. The internet has educated that it is an area in which dogs are placed for toileting/relieving.

Place for dogs to spend time - but not to spend

“spend verb (spent, spending) 1 tr & intr (often spend on) to pay out (money, etc) eg on buying something new, for a service, repair, etc. 2 to use or devote (eg time, energy, effort, etc) • spent hours trying to fix the car. 3 to use up completely; to exhaust • Her anger soon spends itself. noun 1 an act or the process of spending (especially money) • went on a massive spend after winning the Lottery. 2 an amount (of money) that is spent • allocated a £5 million spend for advertising. spendable adj. spender noun. spending noun. spent adj used up; exhausted • a spent match. spend a penny Brit euphemistic to urinate or go to the toilet
ETYMOLOGY: from the charge sometimes levied for the use of public toilets.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon spendan, from Latin expendere to pay out.”

Chambers

WHEN?

This discovery led to the question as to when this became an accepted use for the word. It was definitely not a term that I had heard used before.

Dictionaries do add words every year or so. Chambers has yet to list toileting/ urinating/ defecating as an option for spending – so maybe I am not alone.

There is a document on the web dating back to 2018 using the term

REALLY?

I now realise that we only got to the first rung on the ladder with our dog training. The dogs did, after a while, relieved themselves in the garden or when on walks.

The upper steps of that ladder involve the dogs being trained as to when to relieve themselves – meaning that the owner can decide as to where.

Balmain

12/4/2024

“You talk like Marlene Dietrich
And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire
Your clothes are all made by Balmain
And there's diamonds and pearls in your hair, yes, there are
You live in a fancy apartment
Off the Boulevard St. Michel
Where you keep your Rolling Stones records
And a friend of Sacha Distel, yes, you do”

Peter Sarstedt

Up until last week, it was a word in a song, a word which I would probably have spelt incorrectly.

Walking through Milan, there was a Eureka moment. In a very-definitely not-downmarket area, the shop was in front of me and the metaphorical water went overflowing the metaphorical bath.

Fashion house opened in 1945 but not discovered by me until 2024

Come In: We're Closed

11/4/2024

Lost in Translation

It was taken last week during riposo – the Italian version of siesta, Riposo was a word discovered for the purposes of this blog post.

Back to the sign. The shop was indeed closed. It was not possible to ‘Come In’. Returning a while later, the reverse of the sign was equality contradictory. They were open and seemed pleased, not sorry, to see me.

The Inquisitive Me would like to know how this happened. If deliberate so as to be the subject of discussion, to be an example of ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity’, it worked.

POULTERER

10/4/2024

I was this day old when I learnt of the word, POULTERER.

It may exist on signage that I have passed. But today, in Bangor, was the very first time that the word registered with me.

Outside of the English Market, there are no stand alone butchers remaining in the island of Cork City. Meat can be bought in supermarkets but O’Flynn’s was the last of the independent own-door city centre butchers.

I remember doing work with a builder who was reroofing a building on White St / Sawmill St., possibly the City Veterinarian’s Office. It had a layout drawing of the English Market that showed very many fishmongers where now only two exist.

There have been a few butchers who have closed in recent years in the English Market. None have been replaced with meat stalls.

I cannot see any POULTERER starting a business any time in the near future. This shop in Co. Down may be the only place that I will see this word.

poulterer noun a dealer in poultry and game.
ETYMOLOGY: 17c: from French pouletier, from poulet pullet.

Chambers Dictionary

High Street, Bangor, Co. Down

Please Return What You Stole

18/3/2024

Last August, I was on a road not-before travelled, the best type of road to feed the O.C.D. of sign-spotting, memorial-spotting, and finding things new. I turned off the N70 Ring of Kerry. I had passed Dooks Golf Club and was on my way towards Cromane when I spotted this sign.

My initial thoughts were as to the odds of the person returning the troughs having read the sign; and, whether spending money on the printing of the corriboard sign was a good investment.

These photos remained foldered away on my drive for thoughts and rambles that may turn into a blog at some stage.

On Saturday, I was chatting with Colm whose fishing routine has been interrupted in recent years by the theft overnight of outboard engines – such engines seemingly departing the country. This has had the consequence of less boatmen in the market to cater for the needs of fishermen.

Then later that day, I spotted the tweet from @CorkCoast with the hand written sign requesting return of stolen garden roller. These were enough relocate those photos from last August into the blogged folder.

The spelling issue was not necessary to justify inclusion in this blog – but it definitely helped….

As I drove off, another thought was whether ‘Cattle Nut Troughs’ or ‘Cattle Nuts Trough’ was the more appropriate.

Google did not think either appropriate: Cattle Feed Trough being their preferred description.

#A_Sticker_A_Day

1/1/2024

It appears that the sticker has replaced marker graffiti.

Marker graffiti was definitely much more prevalent when I was younger – a time when a smile would be brought by the message that Bill Posters Is Innocent.

The sticker as a message form is a more recent phenomenon. It is so prevalent now that a pole or utility box without a sticker is a rarity.

Most people probably ignore these stickers – me, I photograph many.

Sharing them on twitter is a good a plan as any for 2024.

#LostCatsOfThePast

#A_Door_A_Day

1/1/2024

There can be beauty in ironmongery; a carving in wood; or, even flaking of paint.

It was many years ago when we visited Casa Battló in Barcelona. As part of the tour, we were told that Gaudi had spent a significant amount of time in the design of the door handle, to best be accommodated in the profile of the hand.

It was so tactile.

Last Summer, we were in the photograph gallery in Castlegregory village. There was a lovely image of the handle and lock. The post office green was a bit of a giveaway. The image – I think by Bernard Fitzpatrick – has been the prompt to catalogue the very many door details among the building features that I have photographed.

I am not sure if I will be able to maintain for 365 days but today, the hashtag #A_Door_A_Day has been born

The type of thing that is to follow