Frank avails of the Charlie Haughey-inspired free travel and heads West; Our columnist reflects on the election in Roscommon-Galway, while musing on the varying emotions experienced by winners and losers; He highlights some local matters…
For the last week or so my trusty old VW Passat has had a serious version of the ‘flu, and accordingly is laid up. For the most part I have relied on borrowed cars to get me around. In truth, I have managed quite well and have suffered no inconvenience at all.
However, it did serve to remind me that, thanks to Charlie Haughey’s foresight years ago, we older folk have free travel. The truth is I have only used it on very few occasions.
Once or twice myself and Carol used it to go to the airport in Dublin, while I always travel by train to go to St James’s Hospital, also in Dublin, for my twice-yearly ticker check-up.
Other than on those occasions my free travel pass rarely sees the light of day, which is a bit of a waste. I suppose, as I mentioned before, the fact that there is almost no public transport in rural Ireland makes it that bit more difficult to get the full benefit from it.
To go anywhere, I still have to drive (or be driven) to Roscommon or Athlone to catch a bus or train, and sometimes once you start to drive it’s nearly as easy to keep going. However, on Saturday morning last, to keep a promise that I had made to my granddaughter, Riley, I boarded the train in Roscommon and headed west to Castlebar.
The previous week our (Creggs) rugby team had been in Ballina on Saturday evening, and as we were to be playing Castlebar on Saturday evening last, I told Riley that I would travel down early and spend the day with them. At that stage my car was in the whole of its health, but when it got sick I decided to make use of my free travel pass and go by train. At 9.30 am I left Roscommon for the Mayo capital.
It’s funny how you can break new ground even at an advanced age, because never once in my life before had I headed west out of Roscommon. Every other time, I was heading east. I have to say the journey west was very pleasant and seemed to go very quickly. Before I knew it we were in Castlebar. If there was one abiding memory from the trip down, it is of how wet the land was. In almost every field there were puddles (more like lakes). It only served to remind me of how much rain has fallen in the last few weeks.
Anyway, my daughter Lisa picked me up, and after spending some time in her house making strange shapes out of Play-Doh, we hit for the lovely Knockranny House Hotel for a bit of lunch.
The last time I was there was for my nephew Raymond’s wedding a few years ago. It is still a fabulous venue. The bar/restaurant is particularly child-friendly. It’s very spacious, meaning two young children could move around without troubling anyone, and four adults (Lisa, husband Brian, our other daughter, Tara, and me) along with Riley and Hayley had a lovely lunch there and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. We will be back.
After lunch we headed back to Brian and Lisa’s house where I watched Ireland struggle to beat Australia, and after that I did some arts and crafts with Riley. I was decorating paper Christmas trees with stickers and stuff, but I don’t think Arnotts or P&G Cards or anyone who makes or sells that type of thing will be looking to hire me. Riley, who is three-years-old, made trees that put mine to shame. I have decided that maybe I am not very artistic after all.
Anyway, after tea I finished my Castlebar trip by going to see our lads put in a very good performance as they beat the home side convincingly, a big improvement on the previous Saturday’s effort. When all that was done my brother, Billy, gave me a lift back to Creggs. I remember back in my national school days, I used to finish nearly every composition with the line ‘tired but happy after a long day’ and that line perfectly summed me up after a busy and eventful day.
However, I didn’t go to bed immediately. I got yet another lift, this one to Mikeen’s, where I knew a few pints of his best porter would help me get a good night’s sleep – and they did!
Congratulations to election winners
In the week that’s in it, it’s only right and proper to congratulate our own two local successful candidates in the General Election, Glinsk’s Michael Fitzmaurice and Ballygar’s Martin Daly, who along with Claire Kerrane were successfully elected. For all three of them there is the very worthwhile challenge of representing the people who have shown such faith in them.
For anyone to put themselves out there in an effort to win a Dáil seat takes a fair amount of commitment to a cause and the elation on being elected must be equalled by the sense of disappointment by the failure to get across the line.
The name Sean O’Leary may not ring a huge bell with anyone but down there in Wicklow he ran as an Independent candidate and polled a remarkable total of nine (yes, that’s right) votes. In the same constituency where Simon Harris got more than 16,000 first preferences poor Sean must wonder why he bothered. Worst of all for him will be trying to figure out who the other eight were (I am assuming he voted for himself so that leaves eight votes to be accounted for).
It would appear that, unless he has no relations, his family may not have voted for him. As I say, for some it’s elation and delight but for others it has to be disillusionment and despair.
Also on the election front we have to go to Lisaniskey school to cast our votes while up the road some of my near-neighbours go to Creggs. In one local house the parents vote in Creggs while their children have to go to Glinsk. I don’t know why that ridiculous situation exists but it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.
Anyway, well done to our three local TDs and let’s hope we all benefit by having them in the new Dáil.
Creggs Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party
More good news on the local front is that the Creggs Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party is taking place this Sunday, 8th of December in the parochial hall in Kilbegnet from 2.30 pm. This is always one of the social highlights of the year.
There will be beautiful food, a little alcohol and great music and, thanks to the generosity of the Creggs Rural Development Association, everything will be free.
As I said, it’s one of the great social occasions of the year. Everyone of a certain age is invited and even if you’re a year or two short there will be no one checking birth certs. Don’t forget, it’s this Sunday in Kilbegnet Hall at half past two. Bring your dancing shoes.
And finally…
Just a little reminder that the annual St Stephen’s Day Walk is on again this year with all proceeds being divided between the Sunshine Room in Creggs NS and the two hospices, Galway and Mayo/Roscommon.
I will talk more about it next week, but keep it in mind in the meantime. A trip up, down and around the mountain will get rid of any Christmas Day hangover!
