Mí na Nollag

That time of year again.

This is what I’ve been looking forward to since probably the end of October.

Tomorrow, I know that I’ve reached the turning point.

Although the change in the day isn’t immediately discernible it is deeply psychological for me.

Indeed, I think that’s why the week of the Web Summit in early November is such a tremendous boon to my system.

It was clear that Lisbon has more daylight than Dún na nGall, and that rather than the few degrees warmer is what energised me there.

The featured image is a hint that celebrating the turn of the year has a very long history on this island, and it pre-dates the Christian era by millennia.

Of course, it will be the Big Day in this culture on the 25th, Merry Mithras, etc.

However, the important thing will happen after tomorrow, and I can start to look forward to longer days.

It is, of course, a time of year for the family.

Kyogo was still dancing around Hampden in jubilation when I had to manoeuvre the car to the bus station to pick up na cailíní.

Once more, this house is enlivened by their unique sisterly soundtrack.

The Big Fella and his bean chéile join the craic via Skype.

The promise is that next year we will all be physically together.

However, in the age of Covid, who knows what awaits us.

All we have is now.

For the avoidance of doubt, just like last year, emergency supplies of Barry’s Tea and Tayto have been sent across the Pond.

It is the time of year when we should reach out and let people know that they mean something to us.

To that end, a special package arrived under conditions of great secrecy up a bóithrín in Extremadura.

The man who was a clandestine union organiser under Franco deserves many prizes.

His sister Lucila was a key part of the conspiracy as I only know his Madrid address!

My thanks to local artist Laura Doherty for her care and diligence throughout.

She’s seriously talented as you can see here.

Her beautiful print of Mount Errigal is now on a wall to remind my brother Paco and his esposa that they’re in my thoughts.

In February 2020, I had dinner with them both in Madrid.

My plane left the tarmac in Spain just as the Covid numbers exploded there.

By the time I was home, the Pandemic had truly arrived.

Paco’s wife told me earlier this year that I was the last person they hugged in 2020.

It seemed to encapsulate the emotional cost of this pestilence.

Apart from the strictly medical and clinical, we were often prevented from touching.

That is such an integral human activity.

Without the vaccines, where would we be now?

These are the good old days.

When I got my booster shot earlier this month, I proudly told the self-proclaimed Hoops fan who put it in my arm that my eldest daughter made that stuff.

Yes, she’s a thoroughly Moderna woman!

Dear reader, I hope that when the mid-winter feast arrives, you are where you need to be and that you’re surrounded by people that you care about.

9 thoughts on “Mí na Nollag”

  1. Trump did the world a great service getting the vaccine in only 8 months. Now most of the world has the Trump juice jab and is a safer place because of it.

    Reply
    • Aside from the ever increasing death toll, yeah, rob?

      And, aye, Phil, it makes me happier too knowing that the constellations have once again returned to their original positions to repeat their annual Celestial Drift across the firmament of our God given sky as they have unchanging down the millennia.

      Reply
  2. Peace and love to all and a sincere hope that you have a very Merry Christmas.
    Thanks to Big Ange the tone has already been set going into (hopefully) a much brighter New Year.

    🥃 Sláinte

    Reply

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