It’s another Monday morning and as if it wasn’t miserable enough already, everything I heard on radio and television since I struggled out from under the blankets, well before the hour of eight, would nearly make me think there is a media conspiracy to carry on the long-held belief that Mondays are only to be endured, certainly not enjoyed, and that we should all go around with long faces and heavy hearts.
As I sat down to the bowl of Rice Krispies with plenty of full fat milk and a dollop of cream (I’m watching my weight), the telly was focusing on the sad subject of post-natal depression – a condition that is extremely common, often misunderstood, and very difficult for sufferers to deal with. And yet, much as I sympathise with all of those who are afflicted with the ailment, I wasn’t thrilled to be hearing all about it as I ate the breakfast and so I flicked over to the first radio station that came to hand, which happened to be RTE 1, where I listened to some lad tell about his battle with depression, and how he had, several times, attempted to commit suicide.
Now I am only too aware of the enormous blight on our society that suicide has become, particularly in young males, and I am full of admiration for places like Pieta House, and all of those who work so hard to help the vulnerable at risk patients. However, once again I thought it might be better to keep such topics until later in the evening when I (and other listeners) might be a little more awake and receptive.
For some reason the opposite seems to happen in the media on Fridays when we have shows like Joe Duffy’s funny and fiver Fridays – and it seems to me it’s the wrong way around. By Friday, with the weekend arrived, most of us are already in good form and don’t need any pick-me-up whereas Monday is a day we could do with a lift.
Manic Monday to follow Irish rugby win?
Many years ago, on our tours to some match or other, we found ourselves in Liverpool and Manic Monday was a huge thing. All the pubs reduced their prices, and from what we could see, Monday was a great day all over the city.
Anyway, purely by accident our annual tour is on next weekend when we hit Cardiff for a weekend of rugby so it’s safe to say that come next Monday, not even a Manic Monday will be enough to lift my spirits. Let’s hope the rugby team will have done that for us in the Friday evening match, which kicks off at the unusual time of five past eight.
An apology to graceful Katherine
On to entertainment, that’s if you call ‘Dancing with the Stars’ entertainment, and even though I have never met her, I feel like I owe Katherine Lynch an apology – I always thought, based on her television show portrayal, that she was the most vulgar, loud, horrible person ever seen, whereas on the dance show she has been quite normal and she took her departure on Sunday night with grace and good humour.
I see today that she was glad to go and she is right because, in fairness, four of the remaining five are all better dancers – the exception, Des Cahill, will probably win it on the back
of the popular vote, which sort of makes a joke of it all.
Gilligan should be treated like everyone else
Talking of jokes, I see in this week’s papers that John Gilligan, pictured below, has applied for job seekers’ allowance and I can only hope he has to go through the same wringer that everyone else has to go through to get what they are entitled to. I’d say his answers to where he has tried to get work recently, and to whom he has applied for a job, will make interesting reading. I have no problem with his applying for the dole but I just hope his application is treated no differently to anyone else’s.
Setting the bar high…
Out here in Creggs there is great work taking place in the rugby club with the whole clubhouse being revamped and a little bird has told me that there is a possibility that the bar may re-open in the near future, and I have to say it would be a great boost to us all, and the village, if that were to happen. We had many a good bit of fun there, over the years, and I would dearly love to sit on a high stool and relive old memories over a pint or two in the future – here’s hoping it comes to pass.
We can do more for rural Ireland
I make no apology for returning to a subject which is very dear to my heart – and that is the continuing decline of rural Ireland. While there is no doubt that rural communities are being neglected shamefully when it comes to such basic rights as infrastructure and transport, it dawned on me over the weekend that maybe we should be doing a bit more to help ourselves.
On Saturday night, I was in Mikeen’s bar and it was like old times – the place was packed and it was great craic. My recipe for a good night: good Guinness, good food and good music were all present and I realised that the excuses we give all the time for the decline of the rural pub are really only that.
Fair enough, the reason everyone was there was because it was a big birthday party for Theresa Devaney, and congrats and best wishes to Theresa, and we had a great night, but all the excuses we trot out like the drink-driving and the smoking ban, and everything else, didn’t stop the people from getting there, and home, last Saturday night.
So is it possible we are allowing ourselves to stop going out simply because we couldn’t be bothered? It may take a little effort, and even a small bit of planning to go to the local but if you want to have a local to go to maybe it’s time we made the effort again.
The same applies to your local post office because if we don’t use it, it too will close; and as the song says ‘we’ll only miss it when it’s gone!’ (Not sure what song that is, but you know what I mean).
And finally…
Finally for this week, the Creggs Tidy Towns committee, who are doing trojan work in having the village looking so well, are holding a table quiz in Mikeen’s on Thursday, March 16th, the night before Paddy’s Day.
The money raised will go to help with the cleaning, planting and tidying of the village and they need every help they can get, so get off your ass and get to Mikeen’s where it all kicks off at 10 pm. There will be the usual raffle and great prizes. I will be asking the questions and I expect to see you all.
‘Till next week, Bye for now!
