THURSDAY
A wee chat…
The gregarious Louth man sitting at the bar counter in the hotel in Westport tonight was mad for chat… that I could tell. So we had two pints in each other’s company, during which he gloried in the Wee County’s great season in the All-Ireland SFC.
Mind you, when I lamented the fact that the All-Ireland series is over by July, he made it quite clear that his first love is club football… and off he went on an entertaining overview of his local team’s distinguished past and present. For this man (and many more nationwide), the GAA season is only really starting now.
As a younger man, he had played (and won county medals) and in truth I wouldn’t have fancied receiving even a shoulder, much less a proper dig, from him in full flight.
By the time we were finishing our second pint we had chatted about Bruce Springsteen’s concerts in Croke Park (he “wouldn’t cross the road to see Bruce”) and then randomly moved on to our mutual discomfort with flying. His, it turns out, has to do with feeling claustrophobic.
His claustrophobia also affects him in lifts/elevators. Perhaps it was brought on when a friend told him of being stuck in a lift in Liverpool with eleven other people. “The maximum capacity was eight people” my new friend said, “but twelve got into the elevator. Well, as luck would have it, it got stuck… and they were trapped together for an hour and a half. My worst nightmare!”
After an enjoyable hour – there is a certain pleasure in such fleeting chats with a fellow sports’ fan – we headed our separate ways (I take it he took the stairs).
FRIDAY
Lift (off)…
So, meeting a man (previous item) who dreads confined spaces, and for whom being trapped in a lift would be a nightmare – feelings which many people will identify with – had me thinking.
Here then, is my hastily-compiled list of people I would not wish to get stuck in a lift for 90 minutes with…
Humourless people; obsessive conspiracy theorists; excessively loud tourists; people on their way to or from hen/stag parties; Mattie McGrath and Danny Healy-Rae (together); senior members of the DUP returning from a think-in; the cast of Love Island; Michael Gove; Jedward; 2FM DJs going to a party; 2FM DJs coming from a party; anyone selling insurance policies (no offence); the 2 Johnnies; 1 Johnnie; Joe Brolly; Jennifer Zamparelli; Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald in mid-argument; Alan Shearer; Dáithí and Kathryn if they were as exuberant as when presenting the Rose of Tralee; people who can effortlessly talk about themselves for 90 minutes; boxing judges from the Olympics; Ronnie Whelan when in negative mode (no offence)… and Conor McGregor (list subject to change).
THURSDAY-MONDAY
Westport Quay review
We arrived in Westport Quay on Thursday for a short break/long weekend, ahead of the ‘return to school’. While we made the odd visit to Westport itself, ‘Westport Quay’ has its own delightful charm and beauty and is a destination we have long enjoyed.
There are lots of tourists around, buses of (mostly) Americans arriving on and off to the Westport Coast Hotel. Sunday was a horrendous day, with torrential rain sweeping across the port. Still, the visitors seemed to take it all in their (wet) stride.
A drive into the heart of the Killary Fijord on Friday reminded us of its stunning beauty. The scenery is spectacular, surely on a par with any landscape one could encounter anywhere in the world.
Westport’s restaurants and bars were busy all weekend. We confined ourselves to restaurants, bar an hour-long mandatory visit to Matt Molloy’s. In the famous pub, we met a convivial group of Connacht FAI officials who had just attended the unveiling of new facilities at the Westport United grounds. One of the party we got chatting to is a Mayo native who has been living in the US for almost forty years. When we raised the upcoming presidential election, this gentleman acknowledged the momentum Kamala Harris has, but said he’ll be voting Trump “for the sake of the economy”.
Back in Westport Quay on Sunday evening, we had a lovely meal in the quaint Towers Bar and Restaurant. Nearby, ‘The Helm’ is a lively, attractive premises (bar, restaurant and accommodation) which was busy all weekend.
‘Tertulia’ (billed as ‘a bookshop like no other!’) is a charming, captivating bookstore which is well worth a visit. The fine range of books are the reason you initially pop in, but there are nice touches such as cosy seating (so you can relax and read), coffee/tea service, a vinyl records section, and even a Harry Potter corner.
On Monday we drove to Achill, another place close to our hearts. As ever, the drive to Keem Beach is a wonderful experience, if slightly hair-rising at times! This has rightly been described as an ‘island gem’, a gorgeous, secluded, sheltered bay which is embraced by high cliffs. Truly stunning.
TUESDAY
Oasis in Roscommon
Today, most children returned to school after the summer holidays… so naturally, it’s the sunniest day for months.
I take a walk into our beautiful Loughnaneane Park. At the pond, the ducks take the sunshine and steady flow of visitors in their stride.
Unless I’m mistaken, they appear indifferent to the strife around the world, the housing crisis, the cost of living, the climate change debate, or any of the multitude of micro issues that occupy the minds of their human admirers.
Even this morning’s news that Oasis are to launch a comeback appears not to have cost them a thought.
Instead, our feathered friends gracefully navigate their serene area of this precious amenity, some gathering in groups before occasionally breaking into elegant paddling forays into the heart of the pond.
This morning, a few opt for the shade in the bosom of the island feature, while others stand on rocks and savour the rare sunshine. An Oasis, one might say.
Loughnaneane Park can slow the world down for us, if we open ourselves to its wonders.
