16 hours Ago
Christmas stirs memories and I am remembering our childhood neighbour, Frank. He was born in 1907 and he was an expert on domestic water fowl, geese in particular. His house was on the edge of a small lake and he kept about 20 geese for eggs and meat.
He was born in New York and his people returned to Ireland when Frank was 10, but he was a delicate child and could not accompany them. Some time later he was put on board a ship and arrived at Liverpool where a relation awaited him to complete the journey to Ireland. Over the years he would return to New York for a few years at a time and back again.
During the 1950s my father would send for him a week before Christmas and he’d cross the fields with a fat goose under his arm, her wings interlocked. There were five or six children in our house then and we used be mesmerised by him and by the skill of his work. He’d pick an empty shed, throw a rope over the rafter and hang up the goose.
By this time a basin would be at the ready. Looking back on it now, I can hardly bear to think of the cruelty of the times. Frank would seize the goose by the beak, cut the back of her head and hold her still till her blood had drained into the basin.
While busy at his work he’d fill our young heads with stories of New York and various adventures which he had experienced there. Even though he usually spoke with an Irish accent, his tone became American as soon as he began storytelling. One of his interests was the Klondike Gold Rush which began in 1897 and Robert W Service’s famous poems about it.
As he plucked the dead goose between his knees, he’d launch into a few verses of The Cremation Of Sam McGee . “And that very night as we lay packed tight in our robes beneath the snow, and the dogs were fed and the stars o’erhead were dancin’ heel and toe, he turned to me and, ‘Cap,’ says he, ‘I’ll cash in this trip, I guess, and if’n I do, I’m askin’ that you won’t refuse my last request..
.’” We’d be sitting in a semi-circle around him, most of us not having a clue what he was rambling on about. He also liked Dangerous Dan McGrew and off he’d go while relaxing his fingers from the plucking.
“A bunch o’ the boys were whoopin’ it up in the Malemute saloon, the kid that handles the music-box was hittin’ a rag-a-time tune; back of the bar in a Solo game sat Dangerous Dan McGrew and watchin’ his luck was his light-o-love, the lady that’s known as Lou...
” As soon as the goose was finished he’d look upon her with satisfaction. “God, how ghastly she looks through her rouge ..
. the lady that’s known as Lou.” It was customary in our area then to hold house parties at Christmas.
Neighbours would gather in and those who volunteered to sing or recite would do so from a chair or from the corner, but when Frank’s turn came he insisted that table, chairs and other furniture be pushed aside to give him maximum space as he moved full tilt in Dangerous Dan or Sam McGee , nostrils half-closed while he held the audience spellbound on a trip through Alaska and Yukon Territory. Years later, I, too, developed an interest in the writings of Service and any time I’m reading it I have Frank in the back of my mind, plucking a goose in a shed, his hair and eyebrows frosted in goose’s down. Brían Mac a’ Bhaird, Carraig Mhachaire Rois, Co Mhuineacháin Let’s reflect on peace and stop the Nato juggernaut dragging us all into war This season of peace is the time to reflect on Article 29.
2 of our Constitution, where Ireland affirms its belief in the principle of the peaceful settlement of international disputes. The head of Nato recently said that it is time to shift to a wartime mindset, and the European Council stated in August this year that Nato is an “essential partner of the EU, sharing the same values and strategic interests”. Could our new government please call a halt to the ongoing militarisation of the EU and initiate peace talks where possible? Elizabeth Cullen, Address with editor The Kingdom of chat has plenty of material: taking back Sam being one topic Having read Édaein O’Connell’s episode of verbosity (‘A chatty Christmas Eve mass taught me not to stray too far from safe traditions’, Irish Independent , December 23), I suspect that with Sam Maguire spending Christmas in Armagh, the people of Kerry might have a little less to talk about this festive season.
However, knowing the Kingdom’s resilience, it’s safe to assume there’ll still be plenty of chatter – whether in Jet O’Carroll’s bar or over a pint on St Stephen’s Day – about plans to reclaim Sam in 2025. After all, Kerry rarely stays quiet for long. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran, Co Armagh Keep your flues clean and try to avoid the flu – and it’ll be a clean Christmas sweep Hope that portly purveyor of presents doesn’t catch the flu(e), when he descends from the chimney.
Happy Christmas to all. Noel Kelly, Doonbeg, Co Kerry A festive song that I like to forget – thankfully, I have stayed on Santa’s ‘nice list’ During my “Santa” years the one song I dreaded hearing was Nat King Cole’s The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot . Thankfully, I was never “that boy”.
.. thus far anyway.
Tom Gilsenan, Beaumont, Dublin 9 Embarrassing bill failure for Trump and ‘President Musk’ to Democrats’ glee I note that Donald Trump recently suffered a humiliating setback when Republicans in Congress failed to pass a pared-down spending bill. It appears that it won’t all be plain sailing for Trump when he’s back in the White House, especially in his dealings with Congress. I found it rather hilarious to hear that US Democrats are now referring to Elon Musk as “President Musk”.
The Democrats are doing this to get under the skin of Trump. The peddling of this notion that Musk is running things will grate on Trump. I find all this to be absolutely extraordinary, when one considers that Musk was not elected by anybody and holds no official position.
Trump himself is not even president yet, but it feels that way. Musk has really thrown his weight around in promoting the passing of a pared-down spending bill but it failed to pass. This bill all looked set to sail through until some of the Republicans in Congress decided not to give the green light.
John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.
