He and Jen picked me up about 2.30pm and up the road we went.
Neither of them had been to Toome so after parking up we walked to the Celtic Cross erected in memory of the boul Roddy. Because they hadn't been to Cargin GAC I suggested we dander down to it and as we walked towards the clubrooms I couldn't get over the size of it. It was a few years since I'd been there.
We went into the social club and right away the people in it were very friendly. Unknown to me a few knew me so after ordering our pints we got talking to some and as I looked at one of them he looked familiar. It ended up we were on the same block-H5- during the blanket protest. That was the last time I saw Seán Lavery and we had a great oul yarn talking about the lads we knew. We also spoke about how bitter and cruel most of the screws were.
We only had the one pint but if anyone is passing through Toome and looking a pint go to Cargin! We then drove to Duneane church were it's said Roddy McCorley was buried after his execution but his body was dug up by bigots and it's not known what happened to it. Any time a memorial was put up to him the usual crowd wrecked it.
None of us had ever been to the Crosskeys Inn but when I said to Jen and Aindriú it was a pub I'd heard of for years and would love to go they agreed. It's a great spot and the pints of Guinness were delicious.
So, many places in the Free State are brilliant but I would argue there's places in Aontroim which are just as good, if not better. I'm obviously not talking about snoutvilles...!
PS That memorial in Duneane graveyard is to a John Carey who was a person that, in my opinion, should never be immortalised. Check him out
Neither of them had been to Toome so after parking up we walked to the Celtic Cross erected in memory of the boul Roddy. Because they hadn't been to Cargin GAC I suggested we dander down to it and as we walked towards the clubrooms I couldn't get over the size of it. It was a few years since I'd been there.
We went into the social club and right away the people in it were very friendly. Unknown to me a few knew me so after ordering our pints we got talking to some and as I looked at one of them he looked familiar. It ended up we were on the same block-H5- during the blanket protest. That was the last time I saw Seán Lavery and we had a great oul yarn talking about the lads we knew. We also spoke about how bitter and cruel most of the screws were.
We only had the one pint but if anyone is passing through Toome and looking a pint go to Cargin! We then drove to Duneane church were it's said Roddy McCorley was buried after his execution but his body was dug up by bigots and it's not known what happened to it. Any time a memorial was put up to him the usual crowd wrecked it.
None of us had ever been to the Crosskeys Inn but when I said to Jen and Aindriú it was a pub I'd heard of for years and would love to go they agreed. It's a great spot and the pints of Guinness were delicious.
So, many places in the Free State are brilliant but I would argue there's places in Aontroim which are just as good, if not better. I'm obviously not talking about snoutvilles...!
On our way we stopped in Casement Social Club - Cumman Sóisialta Mhic Ásmaint because it's the best in Béal Feirste and I met my son, Pádraig MacOitir and his friends. We had a good oul laugh and because I'm an oul lad I went home to get into my pyjamas and get a big mug of Horlicks . . .
PS That memorial in Duneane graveyard is to a John Carey who was a person that, in my opinion, should never be immortalised. Check him out
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| Padraic Mac Coitir is a former republican prisoner and current political activist. |
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