Léargas

  SWEETS I USED TO KNOW. There was a Sweetie Shop across from Saint Finian’s School, just above Leeson Street on the Falls Road. It had a large advertisement for Blue Bird Toffees  as part of its frontage. It was an attractive feature boasting an iconic Blue Bird in full flight.  I call this fine establishment a sweetie shop because my recollection, which may be flawed, is that this shop sold only sweeties. They were there in large glass jars with big screw-on lids. Shelves upon shelves of them. Confections of all descriptions.   Penny Chews. Black Jacks. Rainbow Drops. Whoppers. Kailie Suckers. Love Hearts. Gub Stoppers. Bulls Eyes. Brandy Balls. Walkers Toffees. Sweetie Lollies. Other Toffees. Refreshers. Bubble Gum. Honey Comb. Chewing Gum. Chocolate Peanuts. Chocolate Raisins. Dolly Mixtures. Liquorice Allsorts. Spangles. Fruit Gums. Fruit Pastilles. Fudge. Chocolate Buttons. Aniseed Balls. Smarties. Lozenges. Cinnamon Drops. Malteasers. S...

 I  love benches.  I like to spend as much time as I can outdoors. Now in case I give the wrong impression let me make it clear that I am not all the time walking or hiking. I do do that sometimes but mostly I just sit. That’s why I like benches. I have one I inherited from our old neighbour Billy McCulloch. Truth to tell I inherited only the metal ends. The wooden stays had long ago given up. Billy was a great wee man. A lover of poetry. The lads in the Mens’ Shed in Cooley fixed his bench for me.  I celebrate Billy’s friendship by sitting on his bench and raising a glass to his memory. Then I read aloud a poem. One of Seamus Heaney’s or Patrick Kavanagh’s. So that bench to me will always be Wee Billy’s bench.   The late great Desi Ferguson made me a magnificent bench. Des was a mighty worker with wood as well as a great footballer and a lovely hurler. And a great friend.  His bench is mighty. He made me other pieces of wooden...

  Scots set date for independence referendum.  The Government of Scotland has moved decisively by setting the date for a referendum on sovereignty and independence.  19 October 2023  is that date. Its decision has already won support among Scottish voters. A poll published recently in the Times showed that those for and against independence are neck and neck. 48% of those surveyed were in favour of independence while 47% were against. In June the Scottish government began publishing a series of detailed documents spelling out the advantages of ending the Union. A crucial part of this is reversing the Brexit disaster by rejoining the European Union. On 28 June, in a coordinated series of initiatives intended to politically and legally challenge the Tory government the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that she had written to Boris Johnson seeking formal consent for the referendum vote to take place. If Johnson (or his successor) refuses, she said...

  Do Your Job Leo! Some of our political leaders in Dublin repeatedly reduce their offices to the status of an observer. This affects many matters which fall within their responsibility. Quite often we are treated to commentary from a government Minister on public services or the lack of them, homelessness or the cost of living crisis. It is as if they had no responsibility or obligations for dealing with the issues involved. It is easy therefore to see why many voters don’t take these representatives seriously. Why should they when those involved, particularly some Government Ministers, don’t take themselves seriously when it comes to developing and delivering the policies needed by working people and families. This says a lot about our government’s lack of ambition and their absence of strategic vision. Those involved seem more concerned to serve out their time and to keep their ministerial positions when they should be using these positions to bring about the change which is nee...

  Bingo keeping a wary eye to passing Brits while Joe Austin, mise agus Danny Morrison were showing Ken Livingstone and Kathy Bundred the Falls Road 1983  Bingo. My recollections last week on my successful battle against the dreaded nicotine, sparked, pardon the pun, similar recollections from some of my friends. Richard, who never smoked, reminded me of our old comrade Joe ‘Bingo’ Campbell. Bingo used to work in the old Sinn Féin office at the corner of Sevastopol Street. In those days the office was little more than a slum. It housed a number of projects including the Republican Press Centre, the POW Department, An Phoblacht/Republican News and the transport hub for buses taking prisoners’ families to visits in Long Kesh, Armagh and Portlaoise and other jails. The building was regularly raided. The British Army would wait outside stopping people going in and out, harassing and abusing everyone. It was the target for bomb and gun attacks, including one by a death squad using ...