Oh Brother!
Uncles: I got a lot of 'em. Here are two more O'Connor brothers. Plus my dad. Plus my aunt. Plus me.
Stevens's Day and the Holiday Visiting
December 26 - 28, 2010
Did you know that in Ireland Boxing Day is called Stevens's Day, said like "stevenses"? Well I didn't, and now I do.
Suddenly there was a big thaw, and we drove over to Dun Laoghaire (said like Dunn Leary) for a walk. We weren't the only ones who had got this notion, and the streets were full of people strolling around, enjoying the mild weather, walking dogs, and trying to transport themselves along the treacherously slippery sidewalks and roads. It seemed the snow had melted and hardened into a smooth icy surface that made it very difficult to walk or drive, uphill especially. We tramped through the slushy and snowy areas where we could get more traction, but watched a bunch of men helping a driver try and get up a hill for... well I want to say a long-ass time. The car did eventually make it.
Later in the week we visited my dad's friend, Eamon, who has spent a lot of time protesting about the Irish government and economy, and comes up with the most fantastic slogans for his sandwich board and posters. My favourite was "Bankrupt, Bollixed, and Bewildered" but he is in the papers with other ones, and they're always really creative and great!
Finally, I went to meet up with the women I've known the longest - we all lived on the same street when I lived in Ireland as a little girl! It was a big reunion and it was great craic... as well as a lot of discussion about fathers who tried to teach their children to speak Irish (let it be known that I was the only party present who doesn't speak Irish!).
Did you know that in Ireland Boxing Day is called Stevens's Day, said like "stevenses"? Well I didn't, and now I do.
Suddenly there was a big thaw, and we drove over to Dun Laoghaire (said like Dunn Leary) for a walk. We weren't the only ones who had got this notion, and the streets were full of people strolling around, enjoying the mild weather, walking dogs, and trying to transport themselves along the treacherously slippery sidewalks and roads. It seemed the snow had melted and hardened into a smooth icy surface that made it very difficult to walk or drive, uphill especially. We tramped through the slushy and snowy areas where we could get more traction, but watched a bunch of men helping a driver try and get up a hill for... well I want to say a long-ass time. The car did eventually make it.
Later in the week we visited my dad's friend, Eamon, who has spent a lot of time protesting about the Irish government and economy, and comes up with the most fantastic slogans for his sandwich board and posters. My favourite was "Bankrupt, Bollixed, and Bewildered" but he is in the papers with other ones, and they're always really creative and great!
Finally, I went to meet up with the women I've known the longest - we all lived on the same street when I lived in Ireland as a little girl! It was a big reunion and it was great craic... as well as a lot of discussion about fathers who tried to teach their children to speak Irish (let it be known that I was the only party present who doesn't speak Irish!).
December 25th, 2010
Christmas Day, Denis and I looked out at the snow-covered city... Much to my surprise, and little to his, Denis pointed out people heading down to the swimming spot in front of his flat for the annual Christmas Day swim! Of course I grabbed my camera, we bundled up and went down to gawk in amazement. One woman said on the news they were claiming the water was 3 degrees. Madness (see more photos here)!
Dad's flat viewed from the swimming spot on Dublin Bay:
For our Christmas dinner, Pops and I made steak and potatoes and mushy peas and mashed carrot and parsnip goodness. T'was delicious. And we had a big Toblerone.
Scenes from Around Dublin
December 20-24, 2010
The snow came like mad on Monday. Everyone was snowed in, slipping and sliding all over the place, broken ankles, the works.
I went to Portarlington, outside DUblin to visit another old friend, Debbie, and spent the night in the country laughing, playing games, watching videos on MTV Christmas, and generally sitting by the fire with friends, as well as 3 dogs, 2 birds, 2 hens, 1 cock, 2 donkeys, and a lemon, which Debbie swears is an orange, and which Niamh says used to look like a lime.
In the morning they gave me three freshly laid eggs to take home to Denis. The eggs in Ireland, I have noticed, have VERY yellow yolks. Yellower than in Toronto. On a side note, when I lived in Cuba I noticed the egg yolks were very pale, hardly yellow at all. True story.
The snow came like mad on Monday. Everyone was snowed in, slipping and sliding all over the place, broken ankles, the works.
I went to Portarlington, outside DUblin to visit another old friend, Debbie, and spent the night in the country laughing, playing games, watching videos on MTV Christmas, and generally sitting by the fire with friends, as well as 3 dogs, 2 birds, 2 hens, 1 cock, 2 donkeys, and a lemon, which Debbie swears is an orange, and which Niamh says used to look like a lime.
In the morning they gave me three freshly laid eggs to take home to Denis. The eggs in Ireland, I have noticed, have VERY yellow yolks. Yellower than in Toronto. On a side note, when I lived in Cuba I noticed the egg yolks were very pale, hardly yellow at all. True story.
Shop lady in Bansha, Tiperary; very chatty, told us the news of course, as well as a story about the tiny wren that stops by her birdfeeder, that's so small it looks like a mouse.
"Curmudgeon's Corner" in Mulligan's Pub. What would a man do without his local? (and yes, by the time the bar was packed, it was mostly packed with men)
Then on to The Cobblestone, where you'll catch a session with traditional music any night of the week.
Political already
Thursday, December 16, 2010
After a lovely dinner with uncle and cousin, Neil and Dan (who picked me up at the airport), I spent the next day jet-lagging in my dad's apartment, and Tuesday night at Seamar's place in Booterstown... Talking, eating hors-d'oeuvres, and drinking white wine.
Denis arrived in Dublin on Wednesday morning, and already by Thursday night we found ourselves attending an interview with Garret FitzGerald, former Prime Minister of Ireland from 1981-1982, and 1982-1987.
The interviewer, who was supposed to be some investigative journalist, along with everyone else in the room, basically got her love on for "Garret the Good" and everyone sat around telling him how awesome he was... Then dad got up and asked GF if he paid tax on the 200,000 punt gift, forgiven to him from some loan or other back in the 80s. I literally heard someone behind us mutter "Jesus Christ". They didn't like us, that's for sure. We didn't stay too long after for refreshments.
After a lovely dinner with uncle and cousin, Neil and Dan (who picked me up at the airport), I spent the next day jet-lagging in my dad's apartment, and Tuesday night at Seamar's place in Booterstown... Talking, eating hors-d'oeuvres, and drinking white wine.
Denis arrived in Dublin on Wednesday morning, and already by Thursday night we found ourselves attending an interview with Garret FitzGerald, former Prime Minister of Ireland from 1981-1982, and 1982-1987.
The interviewer, who was supposed to be some investigative journalist, along with everyone else in the room, basically got her love on for "Garret the Good" and everyone sat around telling him how awesome he was... Then dad got up and asked GF if he paid tax on the 200,000 punt gift, forgiven to him from some loan or other back in the 80s. I literally heard someone behind us mutter "Jesus Christ". They didn't like us, that's for sure. We didn't stay too long after for refreshments.
Dublin at Christmas, at night.
Italian food, and discussion with Denis and Don.
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