The other day…
That little premises used to be open – but now it’s closed.
I noticed it the other day, another quiet and silent and dignified addition to the ‘boarded up premises’ statistics.
The life has ebbed from that small business outlet, at least until someone else ‘takes a punt’, if someone else ever does.
The shelves are suddenly empty. The unopened post lies on the floor. The furniture is gone.
Hopefully it wasn’t/isn’t too great a trauma for the entrepreneur who had to ‘call time’. We can only wonder. There may have been stressful nights, long debates, awkward conversations, tensions and torments. A dream, of whatever magnitude, has died, at least for now.
The small premises’ where the shelves were stocked with hope are under serious attack. Online shopping has all the momentum, true…but next time we need to do some shopping/access some services, let’s remember the small man and woman with the scribbled projections on the kitchen table – and let’s think of those doors that are shutting in our midst.
They’ll have told us so!
Wondering what the Irish rugby media will say after Ireland’s crunch game with France this weekend? I can tell you…
If we win: ‘Ship steadied. Calm leadership from Schmidt. Growing into the tournament. Strength in depth. Can look to World Cup with cautious confidence. We told you so’.
If we lose: ‘Wheels have come off. Schmidt should never have said he was leaving. Team is over-rated. One-dimensional. No real strength in depth. 2007 all over again. Bah, humbug. We told you so!’
Gaffer Anthony
I was intrigued by the following reference to Roscommon manager Anthony Cunningham in a report in the Irish Sun on the weekend thriller in Hyde Park:…‘Gaffer Cunningham’.
Gaffer?!! Could it be that the Irish Sun is being influenced (infiltrated?) by their UK colleagues?
Coming next week: ‘The lad done well’?
Not Trumped yet
I know people across the world are thinking ‘something has to bring Trump down sooner or later’, but I’m not sure that Michael Cohen is the smoking gun.
Cohen sought to rip asunder the credibility (yeah, I know, I know) of his former boss (President Trump) from the very beginning of his testimony to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee.
But when I heard this direct quote from the bould Michael on day one, I reckoned Trump had little to worry about.
Mr. Cohen: “I lied, but I’m not a liar”.
With enemies like that Donald, you can continue to stay ahead of the posse…
Short(ish) memory!
It’s almost 21 years since Eastenders famously got into hot water over its depiction of Ireland when some episodes of the popular UK soap were based here (complete with tedious stereotyping).
I don’t watch Eastenders, but under the ‘It was on in the corner’ rule, I noticed on Monday evening that Albert Square legend ‘Dot’ is going to spend some time in Ireland with relatives.
Which prompted this response from some character I didn’t recognise:
“Even Ireland’s got to be a better place than here, innit?”
Even Ireland? Ouch.
We’re suitably sensitive/indignant…and so it’s a yellow (green-tinted) card to the scriptwriter with the short(ish) memory!
Ballboy 1 Klopp 0
Can the owners of Liverpool arrange to have that charismatic but increasingly easy-to-wind-up Jurgen Klopp airlifted from the touchline at the final whistle of Liverpool’s remaining games?
Example one: Recently Klopp furiously rounded on a referee when no-one in the stadium had a clue what the ‘Pool supremo’s gripe was.
Example two: Last Sunday, there was that bizarre footage as Klopp left the field after a disappointing 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby.
Sarcastically applauded by a cheeky ballboy, Klopp initially looked set to explode, before responding with a less than convincing ‘smile’.
To be fair, that Everton ballboy caused Jurgen Klopp more anguish than have most rival managers/teams this season.
Mr. Mourinho, wherever you are, please note: There’s a new maestro of psychology in town. An Everton ballboy…
Fitz…again?!
I had some sort of a weird vision the other night…basically that our local TD Michael Fitzmaurice wasn’t a guest on the Tonight Show with Ivan Yates and Matt Cooper.
I know, it’s crazy. I can only presume that it was a dream…
Poetry in motion
It was a special weekend for Leitrim. We knew it was coming to this, such was the momentum. And so, with two games to spare, our neighbours march into Division 3 and into a league final at Croke Park.
I remember their big day in Croke Park a quarter of a century ago. It’s hard to believe almost 25 years have passed since that memorable day. There was a wonderful atmosphere in Dorset Street before the game, as Leitrim folk from all over the world took over this part of the Capital, prior to their All-Ireland semi-final with Dublin.
They were there, in that era before the ‘back door’ and quarter-finals, by virtue of winning only their second ever Connacht Final.
Managed by John O’Mahoney, Leitrim defeated Mayo in Hyde Park. The scenes were epic, emotional, historic.
And that’s when one Leitrim supporter was inspired to write this simple but memorable and apt poem.
The man from Leitrim (5.30 pm)
With chest expanding
He strides across Roscommon Town
A young son clutches his big hand and asks
‘Daddy, why are you crying?’
