Chrismas carol singers ornament
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My recent Train Trip
During my recent sojourn in Kildare I attended a production of Calendar Girls in Kilcullen.
It was a sensitive, fast paced, at times funny and at times gut- wrenching staging of this play.
The ensemble cast was in top form…all in all a great night of theatre in this unusual and super comfy auditorium.
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Ballybunion for the Holidays
This photo is from The Cork Examiner Archive
It accompanied this article…
Stephen Twohig, born in Kanturk but now living in Maine, USA, has great memories of quite a different holiday location.
“For those of us growing up in North Cork, Ballybunion was our choice of summer resort instead of the Cork beaches those in the city favoured. Indeed, Ballybunion was our Disney!”
On day trips, Stephen explains, one could take the bus from the Square in Kanturk on a Saturday or Sunday, with all your gear packed in bags.
“You were laden down with shovels, buckets, fishnets and armbands, blankets and picnic baskets.
“The long road through Newmarket, Rockchapel, and Listowel seemed to take forever, but when we reached Listowel, we knew we were on the home stretch. Finally cresting the last hill and long stretches of these last nine miles, we would call out ‘Ballybunion here we come’ when we saw the gable end of the first row of houses in the town.
Stephen adds: “Ballybunion really was our Disney. It had a magic and mystique about it. It was circus, carnival, sun and fun all in one place.
“Even the harsh winter Atlantic couldn’t erode all the warm memories we have from this seaside town. There are two long beaches split in the middle by a long outcrop into the ocean. On the tip are the remains of a castle, still standing guard.
“In the olden days, the women went to one beach and the men the other and one still called them by those names. God forbid one saw the other in their long, drab flax burlap costumes!
“I would doubt there was any big run on sun block back then. We always went to the men’s or right hand beach.
You would scoot down the hill, trying not to fall through the coarse, sandy grass and finally plop down on the dry white sand.
“We would stay on the beach from morning until near sundown. More often than not, we would be the last few stragglers left behind, all huddled around each other in goosebumps from the cold. We would erect a windbreaker for a wall and drape a blanket over it if the showers came. When others ran for cover we were staunch and held our ground.
“To give mother her credit, she stayed with us from morning until dusk and never complained of getting bored. Dad, on the other hand, would last about an hour on the sand, on a good day. He would wait for us above on the grass and wave down and wonder when these kids were going to get fed up of the beach and want to go home. He would have a long wait.
“I like to imagine that he still watches over us, and still waits.”
Stephen recalls: “When the tide went out, it left warm pools to bathe in over by the cliffs, and in some cases small caves that you dared not venture in, in fear.”
He and his brother Mike would pull plastic boats or ships behind them.
“When with us, Dad would hold us high on his shoulders as he waded out into the tall waves, scaring the daylights out of us on purpose.
You could hear the screams and yells of children as they jumped the incoming waves, played ball, held on to flapping kites, or just made castles in the sand.
“And there sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the blanket, looking out of place in his heavy tweeds, shirt and tie and cap, is your man from the front of Roches, waiting. Out of place again, on the edge of more the blanket. He will spend the required time then hoof it up for tea in the shade of a hotel. Or head to the pub to wait it out.”
There were forays away from the beach on those summer days too, recalls Stephen.
“Every few hours, we would hop from foot to foot on the hot tar up the steep hill to the two shops near the bathrooms. These shops had all you ever wanted as a child. Little plastic windmills spun in the wind like propellers, balloons, kites, boats, bright buckets and shovels stuck out from every possible place.
“There, laid out, was an array of sweets and delights that would leave your mouth watering if not so already in the sweltering heat. The smells of cotton candy, cones, periwinkles and sun lotions filled the sea air.
“We would each buy a ninety-nine cone with a chocolate crumbling ‘flake’ stuck in the top. Then, before it melted, you would climb up the coarse grass to the hill on top and look down on the beach far below, trying to see your own blanket.
“When we’d finished, we’d scoot down the hill again with a runny and melting cone for the mother.
“In the late afternoon, we would be left to ourselves as the parents went over and had tea at the far end of the beach. If feeling indulgent, they would treat themselves to a warm seaweed bath. All we could think about was the slimy. shiny fronds of the bubbled seaweed and we couldn’t believe they would willingly bathe in it!
“If it was wet or rainy, we would go for tea and Club Milks at Dana’s. There you would pick out postcards from the revolving racks and write and send them, though we probably would be home before they got there.
There were always treats in the front window of Beasleys that would catch your eye, and we wouldn’t be happy until we had emptied our pockets and had it in our hands.
“There were toy cars, diaries, seashells, boats, storybooks and the ever favourite candy rock. This was a long piece of hard candy, the outside pink and inside white which cleverly had the word Ballybunion ingrained in the white centre. You would bring them home as gifts or ruin many a good appetite or tooth.
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Two Hours Free
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More Asdee prayers from the Schools Folklore collection
“God bless the break down” is said of a horse broke his leg.
“The light of heaven to the poor souls” is said when the lamp is lighted in the evening.
“Praise be to God” is said when some wonder occurs.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph” is said when some bad story is heard.
“God help us” is said to a person in trouble.
“God increase you” is said when a person gets some food in another house.
“That God may help you” is said when giving alms to the poor.
“God guard us” is said if you saw something terrible.
Dia linn agus Muire Máthair agus Rí na Domhnaigh agus Naomh Eóghain baiste linn”. If this prayer is said when a person sneezes that person will never get a toothache.
“God be with him” is said when a person emigrates to a foreign country.
“God direct you” if a person is going on a journey or doing some work.
“If my Guardian Angel be truly fond of me, the darkest night I shall have light from your lantern, to have me conveyed to the gates of Paradise. Oh heavenly Father Thy pardon I crave”.
“God guard us” it is said when a person saw something terrible happened.
“That God may help you” it is said if you gave a piece of bread to a poor person.
“Matthew Michael Luke and John God bless the bed that I lie on if I die before I wake I pray to God have my soul to take”.
“God have mercy on us” is said when a person is troubled
“Welcome be the holy will of God” is said when a misfortune happens.
“The light of heaven to all the poor souls in Purgatory and our own souls at the last day” is said when the candles are lighted on Christmas Eve.
“That we may be all alive to see them lighted again” is said also when the candles are lit Christmas Eve.
“God save the hearers” is said when the thing happens but very seldom.
“O Divine Jesus lonely to night in so many tabernacles I offer thee my lonely heart may its every beating be a prayer of love to thee thou art always present. –
The sacramental veils in thy love thou never sleepest thou art never weary of thy vigil for poor sinner. O Loving Jesus, O lonely Jesus may my heart be a lamp of light of which shall burn and beem for thee alone watch Sacramental sentinel. Watch for the weary world for thy erring soul for thy poor and lonely child”. is said to wish good night to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
“God love you” is said to a young person who does something for an old person.
“Snuachan maith chugat” is also said to a young person who does something for an old person.
“Hail and blessed be thy hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary at midnight in the piercing cold in the stable of Bethlehem. At that same moment and hour vouchsafe my God to hear my prayer and grant my request through the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”. This prayer is said fifteen times every night from the 30th. of November to Christmas Eve.
“I wish you a happy Christmas” is said to a person on Christmas morning.
“God grant you all happiness in the New Year” is said to aperson on New Year’s morning.
“A long life to you” is said to a person who gives something to the poor.
“Bad luck from you” is said to a person who does some good act for another person.
“More luck to you” is said to a person who wins something playing cards.
“Lord save us from all dangers” is said in time of thunder.
“Salvation to you mam. Amen a Thíghearna Íosa Críost” is said by an old woman who gets a pinch of snuff from another woman.
“The Lord have mercy on all the poor souls who left you and that you may meet them the last day” is said by a beggar who gets a grain of flour.
“Welcome be the holy will of God” is said when a misfortune happens.
“Go bhfóiridh Dia orainn” is said when a person is in trouble.
COLLECTOR
Gender
Male
Age
14
Address
School; Astee
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New Businesses
While I was away the town went into overdrive, with a new business opening up every day. Here are a few.
A New florist on Church Street
A new barber’s on Church Street
CB Aesthetics, a skincare specialist in Tae Lane
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A Fact
Close on one million turkeys are sold in Ireland in the run up to Christmas Day.
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