12.08.06

The latest in Kilnaleck

Posted in Feminism at 9:06 pm by Sarah

My esteemed uncle-columnist is hard at it in the Anglo-Celt.

I like this story from this week’s Kilnaleck Notes

“I seen worse”

The above was an oft-used saying among rural people to console those affected by some accident, injury or disaster. it was brought to mind last Sunday morning in a Kilnaleck business premises as the gales and torrential rain of Saturday night and that morning were being discussed as the storm continued outside.

As one person gave the opinion that the storm was the worst in memory another made the remark “I seen worse” and went on to give a description of the 8th December 1954 storm – the affects of which were to be seen for almost a year afterwards.

However in the view of a highly versed G.A.A. person present the saying was used on another memorable occasion which had nothing to do with weather. The event was a Cavan County Board meeting in 1942 at which the referee’s report on an outbreak of violence at the Bruskey v Kilnaleck junior championship semi-final of that year was being discussed. The Kilnaleck delegate had just completed his address to the meeting and the chairman, Fr. Maguire, called on the Bruskey delegate to do likewise. He got to his feet, “I seen worse” he began. Like a flash, Tommy Gilroy, then representing Stradone, interjected “You must have been in Dunkirk” he shouted to loud and prolonged laughter.”

However, last week, its clear he doesn’t think much of New York bound shoppers…

Christmas season tip-toes in

Indications that Christmas is on the way are, so far, thin on the ground in Kilnaleck. True, there is the odd pub raffle on the way, a Santa or two can be observed and junk promotions falling out of Sunday tabloids can be seen littering the streets.
It looks that as far as Christmas shopping is concerned we are a long way from the affluent New York bound women who can be seen in hundreds at Dublin Airport preening themselves for the cameras as they depart for their annual and well publicised splurge in the Big Apple.

A Sunday newspaper has reported that on airfares, hotel and a Broadway show, these women : no men apparently : will spend §1,500 before purchasing a single item in New York.

Nor does he think much of modern methods of compiling the register of electors

The electoral register

There are wry smiles among political old timers in the area as they observe computerised State establishments get their “collective knickers in a proverbial twist” about the construction of the electoral register.

They recall that in pre-computer days vote collectors, Co. Councillors and political activists called to rural post offices, rural shops, “rambling” houses and priests homes with what were known as “voters lists” in one hand and a “fuse” pencil in the other and came up with a register in which mistakes or omissions were rare.

Official policies and changing times have ensured that the above mentioned centenarians of local knowledge have all but disappeared from the rural scene and that what has replace them – computers : are just brainless machines that at the end of the day can only store and display what is fed in by human hands and minds.

Finally, as a publican himself, he felt obliged to comment on Michael Fitzgerald’s views

Is the rural pub on its way out?

The words of Michael Fitzgerald, the Tipperary Co. Councillor, about drinking and driving while somewhat clumsily expressed have found a certain resonance among a wide cross-section of the people of Kilnaleck and its hinterland.

While it is difficult to meet anyone who disagrees with efforts to reduce death and injury on the roads, there appears to be some concern about the side effects of the current campaign on what has over many decades become part of the social fabric and even heritage of rural areas : the visit to the local pub for a drink and a chat. The feeling persists that the laws and regulations as they stand impact to a much greater degree on rural dwellers than on those who reside in larger towns and cities.

Many ideas have been put forward in discussions on how the difficulties might be addressed. These include a return to bicycle and shanks mare; better public transport in rural areas; modifications in the car to take account of age, road distance from home and time of day or night. It was even pointed out that in the old “bona-fide” days a person was entitled to a drink after standard hours if he or she had slept three miles or more from the pub the previous night. This gave rise to the suggestion that a person who lived less than five kilometers from the pub could have a higher alcohol limit than someone who had a longer distance to travel.

It must be said however that there is little confidence that any of these suggestions will find favour with the powers that are. In relation to fixed time public transport, the difficulty appeared to be that for maximum enjoyment a visit to the pub should be spontaneous other than pre-arranged.

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