Guns & Roses Part I

Another true story.
Guns & Roses
There was a loud rat –a-tat on the door.
“ Almighty’’ exclaimed the Maisie.
“ Who on earth can that be” she said, clutching her hands to her heart.
“ Go open the door, Kathleen, and see who it is.”
Kathleen duly opened the door, and in dashed a boy of about 12 years, a son of one of the I.R.A. men, her sons colleagues.
“ Mrs. O’Toole, Mrs. O ‘Toole”, he cried. “ The Commandant sent me to warn you if you have anything incriminating in the house, get rid of it quick. I must be off as I have more calls to make”.
“ What am I to do” moaned the maisie. “ We’ve only got a yard, We cant hide or bury anything there. I have an idea, go into the parlour, Kathleen and fetch me the music case out of the piano stool, and empty it out, and you maddie, come upstairs and will have a look in Jacks room to see what we can find.”
There were two revolvers, and a box of rounds of ammunition under the bed in a suitcase.
“ Put them in the music case, Maddie, and both of you, go up to the Rev. Mother, in Weavers’ Square. Convent. She’ll know what to do ‘with it’’, said the maisie.
The two girls, Kathleen and Maddie set off at once for the convent. They didn’t pause as they usually did to look through the grating of the grain store in Ardee Street, to see the barefoot men threading the grain.
Just then as they walked along Ardee Street, an army lorry turned the corner of Cork Street, and bumped along the cobblestones of Ardee Street. Out of it poured a number of the ‘Irregulars’ or ‘’Black and Tans”, as they were known, who proceeded to form a cordon across the road.
With thumping hearts the girls decided to brave it out. “what ho me beauties, said one of the soldiers, who had a gamey eye. “Wot ave we got ere? Where are you two flappers off to?
“ We’re going to our singing lessons in the Weavers Square convent”, answered Kathleen (slightly braver of the two)
“yeh, must have a lot of music in the case” said the soldier.
“ Well we’ve brought our brothers Lunches along, as well as our own because we’ll be there a while”
“Give us a bit of a song then,” said the soldier with a grin.!

TO BE CONTINUED

The Grand Plan ( La Plan Grande?)

My Brudder, Frank is off with Joan and the Kids to France and Spain next Monday. Part of the holidays is to have a look for a french home or a bit of land and build a french Bastide, hopefully with a Pool, shed and some shade. Well thats our plan but so far its been difficult to find a decent house or site. Many houses I saw either have no land or even a small garden or are in the wrong place etc. Have been to Southern France a few times and have at least got to know the area well. Despite all I heard from other travellers I found France quite cheap to stay and found really cheap food and acomodation everywhere. I don't have great french but get by and although I'm usually terrible at communications normally, I get by with the basics and theres always the 'Point at what you want to eat'. French people are supposed to be notoriously snobbish but never found that myself. In the South of france very few speak English so you have to make an effort yourself. Also found prices for meals are much less than in Ireland. Most towns have an Auchen or Casino Hypermarket with a restaurant beside, so can eat for about 5 euro! Some places have a meal plus wine for euro 5.75 at lunch time!
Hopefully the proposed house will be a good base to possibly live and definately travel further in Europe. Maybe build a little Studio and pretend to be an artist?
Hope that when the gang come back from France they will have found out some more possible homes or sites. Cant wait, I have been saving for ages and the money is really starting to 'burn a hole in my pocket'