Every country has it's quirky way with words. Australia is known for it's 'crikey, blimey, strewth' etc, but Ireland has some quaint turns of phrase too.
There are the often heard 'Thanks a million' or 'that's grand' One you hear on the TV a lot from newsreaders after an ad break is 'you're very welcome back'.
When talking to someone about an acquaintance you will often hear them refered to as 'your man' or 'your wan' (woman).
One of my friends has a classic expression when she is worried 'I'm in bits', she'll say!
Parents are often referred to as 'your mammy and Da'
Probably the one I found the most amusing is when ending a phone conversation the person will say in rapid fire 'bye, bye, byebye, bye....' even as they are hanging up the phone.
Ah that's the craic!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The end of autumn
Autumn has gone. The last batches of leaves fell early December, the sun still shone and there wasn't too much rain, but the winds got stronger, the frosts arrived and the days kept shrinking - sunrise is now 8.35am and sunset is 4.06pm.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Freezing Frost
Well that is what the MET said we were in for..and it was freezing!! And stayed frozen for much of the day, especially if still in the shade. We woke to about -1 degrees and -7 with windchill. The cars were caked with frost (good thing we park undercover!) and the roofs were like snow. Gosh even the sand at the beach had frost on it! They day was clear and bright here, but Dun Laoghaire was buried in fog, with one or two church spires looking like they were suspended in mid air. We headed to the park around lunchtime and were amazed at how thick the frost still was. Even more amazing was that half the lake was frozen! I wonder how much was frozen overnight? The ducks were up one end and some in the middle. A couple were a bit trapped, but managed to scuttle onto the ice and fly off. Seagulls were walking on the ice and young soccer boys were throwing anything they could on the ice, cracking it at the edge and throwing the pieces onto the surface in an attempt to break more. Yes, ok, I couldn't help myself and had to pick some pieces up just to show how thick it was..oh and to throw a couple of pieces too..well, wouldn't you?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Autumn in Dublin
What a gorgeous time autumn is in Dublin! Those mild sunny days, some are still, some are wild and windy and some are dull, cloudy or wet, but whatever they are, it is colourful.
The parks are delightful and the vines covering old Georgian buildings are turning ruby red. Recently while cycling in Phoenix Park the leaves were fluttering across the roads as I cycled under them, the hills towards the Wicklows looked stunning with sun on the green fields and misty clouds drifting in. The deer in the park were grazing in a large herd and were only about 10 meters from me. As I slowed to look at them, two suddenly leapt up from the ravine to my right and leapt and bounded across the road right in front of me! It was an amazing sight. Another one of those 'only in Dublin' sights that I was grateful for. The road in the second lot of pictures is one I ride down into the quieter part of the park.
In the Herbert Park shots, it was a late afternoon, still as anything and the ducks were just lazying in the sun.
The parks are delightful and the vines covering old Georgian buildings are turning ruby red. Recently while cycling in Phoenix Park the leaves were fluttering across the roads as I cycled under them, the hills towards the Wicklows looked stunning with sun on the green fields and misty clouds drifting in. The deer in the park were grazing in a large herd and were only about 10 meters from me. As I slowed to look at them, two suddenly leapt up from the ravine to my right and leapt and bounded across the road right in front of me! It was an amazing sight. Another one of those 'only in Dublin' sights that I was grateful for. The road in the second lot of pictures is one I ride down into the quieter part of the park.
In the Herbert Park shots, it was a late afternoon, still as anything and the ducks were just lazying in the sun.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Saturday Breakfast
Routine is important when living in a new place. Getting to know the names of the guys at the pizza place downstairs, and Russell and Ranjid the brothers at the Indian around the corner; Christopher the hairdresser downstairs who is always up for a chat about his next trip when outside the shop for a smoke. Not forgetting Cormac at the gym whom we heckle in spinning classes - we seem to be the only ones who respond to his 'make it hurt' 'work harder'!!!
Our weekend routine is breakfast at Brownes Cafe in Sandymount. Sandymount is a rather quaint village area around a triangular green in a posh area and close to the beach. We love our eggs and crisped bacon and Tara from Nepal makes a good coffee. We always have a chat with him and the waitresses. Then we go to the Spar shop and buy the weekend papers and often head over to the beach to see if the tide is in or out and have a walk and often strike up a conversation with dog walkers.
Sunday is a stroll over to Bellamy's pub in Ballsbridge centre for a Bulmers cider and a small Pringles. In winter the fire is very welcoming.
Getting to know your locals gives a sense of community and belonging.
Our weekend routine is breakfast at Brownes Cafe in Sandymount. Sandymount is a rather quaint village area around a triangular green in a posh area and close to the beach. We love our eggs and crisped bacon and Tara from Nepal makes a good coffee. We always have a chat with him and the waitresses. Then we go to the Spar shop and buy the weekend papers and often head over to the beach to see if the tide is in or out and have a walk and often strike up a conversation with dog walkers.
Sunday is a stroll over to Bellamy's pub in Ballsbridge centre for a Bulmers cider and a small Pringles. In winter the fire is very welcoming.
Getting to know your locals gives a sense of community and belonging.
Waiting.....
Life is full of waiting and it's no different whatever country you are in. Two weekends ago I was waiting at Dublin for a flight to Birmingham, UK. Leaving home at 3pm for a 50 min flight seemed straightforward. It was, until the skies opened and Dublin was deluged with rain. Thunder and lightning meant planes couldn't be refueled till the danger had passed and plane arrivals were delayed out of other destinations. I'm not sure why the brand new departures area from Dublin airport doesn't have air bridges (maybe they are still to be added) but it made for a rather damp trip to the plane once it arrived and was refueled. Still, I passed the time chatting to Fran, from Birmingham, who had been to visit her mum in Wexford and shared her family story with me. It ended up being a 6 hour trip but they say patience is a virtue!
This week it was waiting at Immigration for our GNIB 'Garda Cards'. We seemed to arrive as everyone else did, had to queue for a number, then sit and wait for 2 hours to pay for our new cards (100 euros) then sit again and wait 'about 20 minutes' for our new cards. This took actually took one hour and was delayed further as now fingerprints are required and it seems my right index finger must be nearly worn to the bone as they had trouble getting a scan of it - took about 6 attempts till they were happy. I hope that doesn't happening every time I try to get into the country!
This week it was waiting at Immigration for our GNIB 'Garda Cards'. We seemed to arrive as everyone else did, had to queue for a number, then sit and wait for 2 hours to pay for our new cards (100 euros) then sit again and wait 'about 20 minutes' for our new cards. This took actually took one hour and was delayed further as now fingerprints are required and it seems my right index finger must be nearly worn to the bone as they had trouble getting a scan of it - took about 6 attempts till they were happy. I hope that doesn't happening every time I try to get into the country!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Belfast - after the Troubles
Belfast and Northern Ireland have had a tumultuous history. To me, Belfast was the bombed city, where Catholic and Protestants were at each other, where bombs and soldiers were a way of life and so was retaliation and on the television news at night.
In 1998 The Good Friday Agreement was finally signed after two years of talks and 30 years of conflict. This is one of the better things Tony Blair may be remembered for. The history is long and complicated.
We took a Black Cab tour of the Falls and Shankill Roads area and the famous murals. Gerrard, our driver was a wealth of information (from the Falls Road himself) and his childhood was marked with the scars on the conflict (including his leg from a car bomb) The history is fascinating, Shankill Road area is depressing and Falls Road, well I wouldn't want to go there at night either. The housing has been rebuilt, mainly because the rows of cottages were bombed out.
The murals represent many of the branches and factions of the IRA - a complicated history and the fighters for their causes and the victims. Bobby Sands, the IRA freedom fighter is probably best known for his 66 day hunger strike in the Maze prison in 1981- a film last year called Hunger, based on Bobby won an award at Cannes. Life is a high price to pay for your cause.
The peace wall pictured below divides the catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods in Belfast and divides this region of the city running for over 3 miles. It has gates and is open, but can be closed electronically and are often closed at night and in the 'marching season' and other memorial times. The barriers consist of iron, brick and steel walls up to 25 feet high, topped with metal netting. Houses on the Falls Road side of the wall have metal grates over the yards of the houses, as it is still common practice to have objects hurled over the wall.
Belfast is currently undergoing a huge regeneration and is a popular tourist destination now. Oh and George Bush is noted for his 'part in history' in war by the artists of Belfast. And you can even go and see where the Titanic was built!
In 1998 The Good Friday Agreement was finally signed after two years of talks and 30 years of conflict. This is one of the better things Tony Blair may be remembered for. The history is long and complicated.
We took a Black Cab tour of the Falls and Shankill Roads area and the famous murals. Gerrard, our driver was a wealth of information (from the Falls Road himself) and his childhood was marked with the scars on the conflict (including his leg from a car bomb) The history is fascinating, Shankill Road area is depressing and Falls Road, well I wouldn't want to go there at night either. The housing has been rebuilt, mainly because the rows of cottages were bombed out.
The murals represent many of the branches and factions of the IRA - a complicated history and the fighters for their causes and the victims. Bobby Sands, the IRA freedom fighter is probably best known for his 66 day hunger strike in the Maze prison in 1981- a film last year called Hunger, based on Bobby won an award at Cannes. Life is a high price to pay for your cause.
The peace wall pictured below divides the catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods in Belfast and divides this region of the city running for over 3 miles. It has gates and is open, but can be closed electronically and are often closed at night and in the 'marching season' and other memorial times. The barriers consist of iron, brick and steel walls up to 25 feet high, topped with metal netting. Houses on the Falls Road side of the wall have metal grates over the yards of the houses, as it is still common practice to have objects hurled over the wall.
Belfast is currently undergoing a huge regeneration and is a popular tourist destination now. Oh and George Bush is noted for his 'part in history' in war by the artists of Belfast. And you can even go and see where the Titanic was built!
Random photos - Belfast
Here's some shots from Belfast that just had to be included. Roseleigh House, our B&B we stayed in - it was gorgeous!! The breakfast was awesome, white linen and silverware and we had a front room.
Knockbreda Presbyterian Church. We were taking photos when a guy strolled over and invited us in - they were having a floral exhibition and when I said I knew a lecturer at the Presbyterian College back in Australia, they got the minister and we had a lovely chat. The displays were wonderful and very creative and the pipe organ was stunning. I would love to have heard it played.
Now who would be a policeman in Northern Ireland? Check out the security at the police station!!!! And they are all like this -no windows, grates, wire...it doesn't bear thinking about.
Cows!! a 'call of nature' stop near a paddock and then I turn around and see my audience!! I had to laugh.
Knockbreda Presbyterian Church. We were taking photos when a guy strolled over and invited us in - they were having a floral exhibition and when I said I knew a lecturer at the Presbyterian College back in Australia, they got the minister and we had a lovely chat. The displays were wonderful and very creative and the pipe organ was stunning. I would love to have heard it played.
Now who would be a policeman in Northern Ireland? Check out the security at the police station!!!! And they are all like this -no windows, grates, wire...it doesn't bear thinking about.
Cows!! a 'call of nature' stop near a paddock and then I turn around and see my audience!! I had to laugh.
The Antrim Coast
Northern Ireland is stunning. We think it is one of the prettiest parts of Ireland we have seen so far (there is plenty to see yet!) Probably the beautiful warm sunny weather helped, but this area is very open, rolling green hills and the usual green cliffs right to the sea edge. Portrush beach and sandunes were just like home - we even took photos of the sand!! The day was so clear we could see right across to Scotland and see the Mull of Kintyre. Fortunately Paul McCartney wasn't out with the bagpipe brigade that day!
We did go to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge that I planned to cross, but a 20 minutes wait to buy tickets that cost 8 pounds and another 45 min wait to cross both ways forced us to keep moving in search of lunch. It is a 20m long and 1m wide bridge of wire and rope spanning the chasm between the sea cliffs and the little island of Carrick-a-Rede - 30m about the water. Not sure Scott would have carried out his threat to cross it. I would have, I'm game for anything!
Dunluce Castle is perched on a crag of basalt and was the seat of the McDonnell family in the 16th and 17th centuries. Part of the castle including the kitchen fell into the sea in 1639 taking seven servants and a night's dinner with it!
The rest of our trip back to Belfast was along the Antrim Coastal road and through the 9 Glens of Antrim, beautiful little coastal towns.
We did go to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge that I planned to cross, but a 20 minutes wait to buy tickets that cost 8 pounds and another 45 min wait to cross both ways forced us to keep moving in search of lunch. It is a 20m long and 1m wide bridge of wire and rope spanning the chasm between the sea cliffs and the little island of Carrick-a-Rede - 30m about the water. Not sure Scott would have carried out his threat to cross it. I would have, I'm game for anything!
Dunluce Castle is perched on a crag of basalt and was the seat of the McDonnell family in the 16th and 17th centuries. Part of the castle including the kitchen fell into the sea in 1639 taking seven servants and a night's dinner with it!
The rest of our trip back to Belfast was along the Antrim Coastal road and through the 9 Glens of Antrim, beautiful little coastal towns.
Antrim Coast Northern Ireland
A selection of pictures of the Antrim coast - stunning scenery, Portrush Beach and ruins of Dunluce Castle and some Aussie braving the icy water. The locals all wear wetsuits!!
The Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is basalt columns, solidified lava from an ancient flow. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 in recognition of its outstanding geological features. It receives half a million visitors each year (and you can see some of those in the photos below!)
Of course the Irish are great story tellers and they will tell you it is called Finn MaCool's Causeway..he was a giant and wanted to do battle with a rival giant in Scotland. Finn built the stones across the sea so the giant could cross and face a challenge. Seeing him approach Finn fled home and had his wife disguise him as a baby (she must have been creative!) when Benandonner saw the size of the 'baby' he assumed the father must be HUGE and fled in terror ripping up the causeway in case he followed...hence the steps in Antrim, Ireland and similar at Dingal's Cave on the Scottish island of Staffa!
My Dad visited this same spot on a leave pass from the Air Force during WW2 (1942)and sent me copies of some photos of him in his uniform on the same spot we were.
Of course the Irish are great story tellers and they will tell you it is called Finn MaCool's Causeway..he was a giant and wanted to do battle with a rival giant in Scotland. Finn built the stones across the sea so the giant could cross and face a challenge. Seeing him approach Finn fled home and had his wife disguise him as a baby (she must have been creative!) when Benandonner saw the size of the 'baby' he assumed the father must be HUGE and fled in terror ripping up the causeway in case he followed...hence the steps in Antrim, Ireland and similar at Dingal's Cave on the Scottish island of Staffa!
My Dad visited this same spot on a leave pass from the Air Force during WW2 (1942)and sent me copies of some photos of him in his uniform on the same spot we were.
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