12th April, 2001
One of the best movies I’ve seen in a long
time has to be “Billy Elliot”. It’s available on
video now. It’s a story about an 11 year old boy who lives
in an English mining town during the Thatcher era. The miners are
on strike and times are very hard. The youngsters play football
and join the local boxing club. The girls are learning ballet in
the Hall which they share with the boxing club. But Billy is
different and he becomes attracted to ballet. This causes huge
problems for his father and brother who are striking miners. Rent
this video now, it’s a masterpiece! I’ve said it
before, the British are masters at this type of movie. Its
available from M&M Video Club. Tel: (021) 4363562.
Good luck to Leonard and Bill Lynch on the opening of their fifth
O’Brien Irish Sandwich Bar. The latest outlet is situated in
Douglas Village Shopping Centre. Things are really beginning to
happen now in the second oldest shopping centre in Ireland. So
many people have mentioned to me that they love the sense of
community within the centre. I feel that’s because almost
all the outlets there are operated by the owners, which gives the
centre a ‘family feeling’.
Over in the new shopping area in Douglas East thing are also
beginning to happen in a big way. Last week I called down to the
lovely new wine shop and coffee bar opened by Terry and Maeve
Brugha. I met Terry on Saturday morning and I remarked on his
surname and asked him if he was related to the man “who
rattled as he walked”? Terry told me that his grand-uncle
was Irish freedom fighter Cathal Brugha. The story goes that
Cathal, during the War of Independence, was shot a total of 22
times in his fight against the British forces. None of the bullet
wounds were fatal and not all the bullets were removed, thus the
title, “the man who rattled when he walked”. Sadly,
Cathal Brigha, like many other great Irishmen, died in the worst
type of war that can befall any country, the civil war.
Anyway, getting back to the coffee bar. It’s one of the
nicest coffee bars I was ever in. As I sat there on Saturday the
morning sun was shining through the window. Edith Piaf was
singing French songs on the music system. The wines on offer have
to be seen to be appreciated. Cuban cigars, which I told Terry
are made by the female workers in Havana, the women roll the
tobacco leaves on their thighs, an art which they have perfected
down through the years. Terry and Maeve have brought a touch of
class to Douglas. I wish them well with Olgrin Wine Shop and
Coffee Bar.
I usually write this article when the whole family goes to bed.
It’s now 12.30am on Wednesday morning and just when you
think Jerry Springer can’t get any worse he comes up with a
show entitles, “I’m sleeping with my momma!” Where
do the researchers find these misfits? The chances of finding a
normal person on the show is about the same as winning the lotto!!
Now some TV company wants to show the execution of the Oklahoma
bomber, Timothy McVeigh, on a pay-per-view channel. Did America
really send a man to the moon? I wonder.
By now we all know how the GAA vote went last weekend.
Personally, I don’t give a damn who plays there - rock
bands, rugby, soccer, hurling, miss world, Jerry Springer live,
etc... However, I thought the voting system was a bit of a fiasco.
Some voters went to the toilet, or for a cup of tea, when the
vote was being taken. Surely it could have been done by ballot, a
secret ballot where voters are free from intimidation and looks
of betrayal. The motion was defeated by two votes when 25
delegates got the urge to go to the loo or have a cuppa tea. Was
this democracy? That’s the £60,000,000 question.
Speaking of £60,000,000, that’s a lot of money in anybody’s
language, but then there’s plenty of it in the state coffers.
Is that why the state does not want to pay the family of an
autistic child who was awarded damages in an action against the
state?
There are a lot of new hairstyles in the Dail at present. On
‘Questions and Answer’ Dick Roche, TD, had a semi-Beatles
hairstyle and a Rolling Stones tie. Talk about covering all your
option!! What about Bev Cooper-Flynn? A £2,000,000 legal bill
and still had the price of a holiday in the sun. Bev, like your
daddy, you’ve got some neck!!
Finally, enjoy the holiday weekend, drive carefully, belt up, don’t
eat too much chocolate and have a Happy Easter.
Bye for now,
Michael O’Hanlon.
