The little one just made the bus in time.
We hadn’t seen her in Dún na nGall since here GP placement in January.
I shared it with ye all at the time.
Baby Doctor has a taxi driver, a guy called “dad”, who also pays her bus fare.
Seeing her off was a group effort as the Bean A Tí crammed a nutritious dinner into a plastic tub as our youngest was about to leave.
Rusty contributed to the farewell by doing her trademark performance art entitled “someone is leaving and I’m upset about it” patrol up and down the hall.
We will see our youngest again at Easter.
She isn’t all alone in Baile Átha Cliath.
Baby Doctor can, at any time, call on one of the best big sisters ever designed.
Moreover, Number One Daughter is now motorised.
I’m not saying that I panicked when I heard about her new purchase, but I could probably now pass a university entrance exam on the safety features of the Hyundai i10.
Before Baby Doctor packed up today, the three of us huddled around Dad’s Android as it was time to chat to the Big Fella.
It was late at night in South Korea and he had just about recovered from the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities in Seoul.
He was wearing a storming T-shirt commemorating the event.
I reminded him that such a harmless cultural celebration was still fraught in the city that was his home until he was three years old.
My big 26-year-old Gaeilgeoir gets it.
Yesterday was a day for everyone in the South Korean capital, but I think he enjoyed being among his own as well.
Sure, we Irish get everywhere.
So much so that he is starting training with the local Gah team.
They don’t know it yet, but they’ve just acquired a very effective right corner back.
His news brought back memories of watching him do battle on the playing fields of Donegal.
For the avoidance of doubt, back then I was less than zenlike on the touchline as he collided with opponents.
However, I think that’s allowed if your name is “dad”.
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The Scotsman has banned the word ” Irish ” on their football forum !
Unbelievable .
Phil – I think your daughter will be in demand here in Glasgow in the near future. I believe there are signs of Early Onset Tenitis in the district of Govan. The symptoms of this little-known medical condition is a fear of the colour green, as well as an overwhelming desire to wade in human blood. So far, the early signs of this condition kicks in around the 90th minute of a “rangers” match, and/or a Celtic win, when the cerebral cortex stimulates the nasolacrimal ducts. These ducts react profusely, particularly to the number “ten”.
Beautifully written (and I think fluidly done rather than crafted).
Laughing and crying.
Thanks.
Many thanks Tom.
And yes, not crafted in the slightest.
The place is suddenly quieter without herself.
Phil,every time you mentioned baby doctor i get the baby shark tune in my head,thank you.
” Sure we Irish get everywhere ” – were you not born and raised in Scotland, Phil ? If I moved to another country , for whatever reason , I would still see myself as Scottish regardless of the bitterness displayed by some neanderthals in my homeland as to my family history .
A belated Happy St Patrick’s day !
HH
Millsy I was Scottish but left in 1981 with a hop skip and jump.
Have lived in Switzerland since 1984, and taken Swiss nationality.
I have no regrets about abandoning the most institutionally bigoted anti Irish country in the world.
Sorry! Donegal parents and absolutely love the place. But the land of my birth is my country. For all its imperfections I love it dearly and I won’t change ANY of those imperfections by leaving and sniping from afar.
Charger, as Millsy says, happy for you. All four of my grandparents had Irish surnames, but three of them were born in Scotland and the fourth arrived there when she was nine. All four deplored the environment in Scotland – bigotry everywhere.
My maternal grandparents moved here in the early 1900’s and then returned to Donegal. Their nine surviving children – one died in infancy in Glasgow and I’m sorry to say I have no idea where she is buried – were born between the two countries. They all grew up in Donegal but scattered over the world. Interestingly, one of those born in Scotland emigrated to the USA at the age of eighteen, and although he considered himself Scottish his sons always referred to their heritage as irish. Mind you this may have had much to do with the domineering Irish woman he married.
Out of curiosity does anyone out there have any idea how someone would go about locating an unknown grave with only the sketchiest of information.
Well spoken Sir. It may have lots of flaws but it’s still our country and I, like you, am proud to be Scottish.
Donegal parents, and it’s the place i call home, I have never thought of myself other than Irish. I supported the irish national side and my friends could not get over this, my DNA is 100% irish🍀🍀🍀
Great piece Phil, it’s hard to watch them go. Hail Hail
Maith thú.
Happy for you , Tom . But I don’t recognise your description . Yes there are still ( sadly ) throwbacks to an earlier , more bigoted time – but things are far better than when I was a lad .
Hopefully we can keep improving – will take time , but if we all left because there were things we didn’t like the country would be left to the neanderthals .
Millsy, in agreeing with your last sentence, this means I was selfish and was happy to escape from a country I had no affinity for, given the documented evidence that the church, police, judiciary, football authorities, and media are all anti catholic and anti Irish. I never considered the implications of large numbers of people doing the same as me – but thinking about that now, I would have discounted these anyway as unrealistic. It’s good to hear you say you are happy for me as my main reflection of what I did was that I was luckier than most people, just getting the chance to get out.