The City of Culture...
Yesterday I did my first radio interview on a mobile. I was in Heuston station, waiting for a train to Cork and hiding at the back of the Easons shop where it was nice and quiet. Until, that is, the interview started and a troupe of ten-year-olds on a school trip immediately tumbled into the shop and decided to have a yelling competition. That was a bit stressful. I was in the greeting cards section, surrounded by happy thoughts like "You're the Best Mum" and "I Love You" and "Happy Birthday to a Special Sister" but I have to say the sentiments weren't really rubbing off on me with all those noisy little bastards chasing each other around the shop, doing tyre screeches as they cornered the shelves and everything.
Anyway, the train was due in at 13:40 and you can imagine my surprise when I glanced at my watch as I stepped onto the platform and noticed that it read precisely 13:40. I know I've been out of Ireland for a long time, but this was still pretty impressive!
Even more impressive is Cork.
Now, any Cork man I've ever met is rabid about how brilliant Cork is. Cork, cork, feckin Cork is all you get out of most of them and if they're not being thankful because they're from Cork, they're being sorry for me because I'm from Dublin. Anyway, for whatever reason, I've never been here before and I'm dead impressed. I don't know if it's just been done up cos of the European City of Culture thing or if it's always been like this, but there's a great buzz about the city. And it's smaller than Dublin. And it seems cleaner and, frankly, a bit genuinely cooler whereas Dublin these days thinks the Temple Bar (all twenty-five metres of it) is bloody Greenwich Village or something. Christ, I'll never live this down, will I? Still, I'm being honest. I always thought Galway was a cool place to go, but from now on I'll be trying to squeeze Cork into any trips home if I can. The pubs last night were hopping and the Murphy's was absolutely gorgeous. I'm even going to try the Beamish tonight and intend buying a floppy cloth cap to enhance the experience.
Also, I got to see where my Grandmother grew up. For at least five generations my mother's mother's family lived at the top of Patrick's Hill. I remember Nanny going on about that hill. She'd be up and down it at least a dozen times a day when she was a child; a bucket of milk in one hand, a hen in the other and the family donkey slung across her back to save it the climb. It's not often you can say with conviction that you know exactly where your granny was and what she was doing on a particular evening over eighty years ago, but yesterday I stood outside her house and looked back down the hill at the city and knew that on Dec 11th 1920, Nanny was a frightened kid standing in the same place and looking down at the same city being burned by the Black and Tans. Quite a feeling. Turning away from the city, the view is spectacular and I noticed that some of the tiny old cottages had For Sale signs in the window. Hmm...
And she wasn't bulshitting about the hill either. It was like climbing a ladder!
Anyway, then it was off to UCC, which also took me by surprise by being spectacular. Lovely grounds and old buildings. A bit like Trinity in Dublin, I s'pose, but it didn't have the same wanky vibe to it.
My Big Reading turned out to be a rather intimate affair. Actually, that's what a book reading should be, I think, and I really enjoyed it. A few old friends were there (although I made an arsehole of myself by not recognising Adrian - doh!) and the 'crowd' came to about twenty. There was a poker game going on at the far end of the bar and a few couples out having a scoop. It was exam time, I believe, so the campus was quiet anyway. I'd do more of them no problem. It's not exactly a Yer Mot's a Dog gig or an audience with Billy Connolly or anything, but there was something really fun about reading from Superchick to an audience. I'll have a think about it and try to figure out why, but in the meantime I'm looking forward to tonight in the City Library.
So there you have it. Yesterday was beautiful in Cork. Today it's pissing down buckets of course - hence the long blog entry!
Last thing: A quick note to people from Cork that I know...
Okay, okay, you can shut up now. The whole Cork thing - I get it!
Anyway, the train was due in at 13:40 and you can imagine my surprise when I glanced at my watch as I stepped onto the platform and noticed that it read precisely 13:40. I know I've been out of Ireland for a long time, but this was still pretty impressive!
Even more impressive is Cork.
Now, any Cork man I've ever met is rabid about how brilliant Cork is. Cork, cork, feckin Cork is all you get out of most of them and if they're not being thankful because they're from Cork, they're being sorry for me because I'm from Dublin. Anyway, for whatever reason, I've never been here before and I'm dead impressed. I don't know if it's just been done up cos of the European City of Culture thing or if it's always been like this, but there's a great buzz about the city. And it's smaller than Dublin. And it seems cleaner and, frankly, a bit genuinely cooler whereas Dublin these days thinks the Temple Bar (all twenty-five metres of it) is bloody Greenwich Village or something. Christ, I'll never live this down, will I? Still, I'm being honest. I always thought Galway was a cool place to go, but from now on I'll be trying to squeeze Cork into any trips home if I can. The pubs last night were hopping and the Murphy's was absolutely gorgeous. I'm even going to try the Beamish tonight and intend buying a floppy cloth cap to enhance the experience.
Also, I got to see where my Grandmother grew up. For at least five generations my mother's mother's family lived at the top of Patrick's Hill. I remember Nanny going on about that hill. She'd be up and down it at least a dozen times a day when she was a child; a bucket of milk in one hand, a hen in the other and the family donkey slung across her back to save it the climb. It's not often you can say with conviction that you know exactly where your granny was and what she was doing on a particular evening over eighty years ago, but yesterday I stood outside her house and looked back down the hill at the city and knew that on Dec 11th 1920, Nanny was a frightened kid standing in the same place and looking down at the same city being burned by the Black and Tans. Quite a feeling. Turning away from the city, the view is spectacular and I noticed that some of the tiny old cottages had For Sale signs in the window. Hmm...
And she wasn't bulshitting about the hill either. It was like climbing a ladder!
Anyway, then it was off to UCC, which also took me by surprise by being spectacular. Lovely grounds and old buildings. A bit like Trinity in Dublin, I s'pose, but it didn't have the same wanky vibe to it.
My Big Reading turned out to be a rather intimate affair. Actually, that's what a book reading should be, I think, and I really enjoyed it. A few old friends were there (although I made an arsehole of myself by not recognising Adrian - doh!) and the 'crowd' came to about twenty. There was a poker game going on at the far end of the bar and a few couples out having a scoop. It was exam time, I believe, so the campus was quiet anyway. I'd do more of them no problem. It's not exactly a Yer Mot's a Dog gig or an audience with Billy Connolly or anything, but there was something really fun about reading from Superchick to an audience. I'll have a think about it and try to figure out why, but in the meantime I'm looking forward to tonight in the City Library.
So there you have it. Yesterday was beautiful in Cork. Today it's pissing down buckets of course - hence the long blog entry!
Last thing: A quick note to people from Cork that I know...
Okay, okay, you can shut up now. The whole Cork thing - I get it!
posted by Steve at 11:50 AM
1 Comments:
Steve,
The whole point of Cork is that is a hidden gem, revealed to only the select few. You were graciously allowed in, and we're glad you liked it, but stop banging on about the place! You'll have every jackeen from Portlaoise to Dundalk hoorin' done towards the Jack Lynch tunnel!
Seriously though, that's excellent that you enjoyed it. Murphy's? A new convert, ha? Nice one. Say goodbye to the dark side of the road...
Just checked your blog for the first time today, great stuff. Keep up the good work and we'll see you soon back in sunny Sydders.
Rob
Post a Comment
<< Home