8th August, 2002
Well folks, with the August weekend over and
gone, at least we got a few good days of sunshine before we face
another long winter. We went away for the weekend, taking a
chance, like so many other people, we headed for the Kingdom of
Kerry, and where else but to our favourite destination,
Waterville. It took us almost half an hour to get through Macroom
on Saturday at about 12.00 noon. We stopped for lunch in Mickey
Ned’s in Kenmare. Did you ever walk into a very busy
restaurant and think to yourself “We’ll be waiting all
day” not in Mickey Neds. The service and staff are excellent
and the food is hard to beat. One bowl of homemade soup, two huge
chicken with stuffing with potato made those sandwiches the best
we’ve ever tasted. A pot of tea for two, total cost ¤12!!
Superb!!
Onto Waterville, through Sneem. Incidentally Kenmare and Sneem
were packed with tourists and I hope the businesses made a few
bob to make up for a terrible season they have had to endure.
Waterville was buzzing, the sun was out and a cold bottle of Bud
at The Smuggler’s Inn was like nectar.
We met some friends of ours. Jerry and Sheila Russell were
celebrating their wedding anniversary at The Smuggler’s.
That night in the restaurant I met Louise and Peter French.
Louise works in Power & O’Callaghan Insurance Brokers,
Douglas. The last time I met Peter and Louise was when I snapped
them on their wedding day in St. Columba’s Church. Peter
told me that he works for Barry O’Halloran Fitted Kitchen
Furniture and he swears they’re the best around. That must
be worth an ad Peter!! They were with Louise’s mother
Angela, who’s married to well known golfer, Tom Egan, who
spent some time on the golf course across the road from The
Smuggler’s Inn.
On Sunday we went to church, a beautiful little church on the
hill as one enters Waterville. It looks down on the ocean and it’s
as close to heaven as you will get. Back to the village we sat on
the seats on the green looking out on the ocean. I heard a shout
behind me “Douglas Weekly” as four young men from
Douglas asked me if I had my camera and of course I had (see
photo).
That night we went into the Butler Arms Hotel which was like
walking into a pub in Douglas (see the snaps). We were told that
there had been a great sing song there that night before with a
well known doctor based in Douglas playing a pretty cool piano,
but on our visit the music didn’t happen, but the craic was
good.
On Monday it was time to return and we took the same route and
stopped again for lunch in Mickey Ned’s. We missed Bertie
Ahern and his daughter who had been there the day before. I
called into Hallissey’s Supermarket in the square. I stood
at the counter as the young girl was reading a newspaper, she
looked up, looked back down and continued reading. She wouldn’t
last thirty seconds in Mickey Neds. She was bored and her
expression said it all. I paid for my purchase, she didn’t
say “Please” or “Thank You”. She was what my
son would call ‘a waste of space’. We continued on up
the mountain road into Glengarriff. I’ve said it before.
Glengarriff needs a makeover. Don’t let it become grotty
because if it does people will pass it by. In Dunmanway I met my
old friend Garda Sergeant Dan Sheehan on traffic duty. I knew Dan
when he was a young Garda in Passage West twenty years ago,
shortly after we were back in Douglas. Verdict! A great weekend,
but too short. Time flies when you’re having a ball.
I agree with James O’Sullivan of the Cork Business
Association. This rampant clamping is doing great damage to the
city centre business community. We all agree that it is necessary
when motorists park in disabled drivers spaces, at traffic lights
etc., but to clamp some cars on old Blackrock Rd., Albert Rd.,
Turner’s Cross etc. makes no sense. Why not put a ticket on
them if they are not displaying a parking disc. People will cease
driving into town because of this heavy handiness. The suburban
shopping centres will continue to grow as long as the motorist is
treated like a criminal in the city centre.
Speaking of shopping centres, a reader, a very angry reader, who
went shopping with an infant last week in Douglas Village
Shopping Centre contacted me to ask shoppers not to take the
trolleys with the baby seats. She had trouble finding one. She
saw two elderly people using them. They’re the trolleys once
can take without a coin. So readers, please do not take and use a
trolley with a baby seat unless you have a baby with you. Be
considerate.
The letters in this week’s issue just about sum up people’s
anger and frustration at the condition and lack of toilet
facilities in Fountainstown during the August weekend. Thousands
of people were there over the weekend. The main toilets were
locked and bolted. I showed pictures of them a few months ago.
There were two portable toilets there on the weekend and I’m
told that they were the worst ever seen. People were looking for
hedges, bushes, trees, third world conditions in the land of the
Celtic Tiger. Why can’t we get it right?
Speaking of litter, local litter warden Tom Walsh called into the
office on Tuesday and we had a long chat. Tom showed me some
horror photos of rubbish he had encountered in his job. A picture
tells a thousand words certainly rang true as I flicked through
them. He told me that he goes around to all the schools and
speaks about the evils of litter to the children and older
students. I’ve always maintained that it’s only through
education that we will bring about change in our fight against
litter, a fight we must win.
Finally, for all you people who need glasses, as most of us do,
the good news is that Eye Deal have opened a super opticians in
our area. At the airport roundabout, turn left, go about 100
yards onwards. John is at hand to help and advise on all aspects
of glasses to suit you, and not a clamper in sight!!
Bye for Now,
Michael O’Hanlon.
