Mohill is well enough served with the pubs it has. A lost cause from the off you’d imagine.
Agree rating.
Seamus O’Rourke with yet another rural viewpoint. You’d be lucky to see a vehicle there never mind a deer………
Signs of deer in Carrigallen - what next - bears?
The deer sign was erected about ten years ago, near the football field. The thing is, in 54 years of toing and froing from that town – I have never seen a deer - peep, leap or swagger onto the road
The sign was erected about ten years ago, out near the football field – I remember the excitement that ran through me when I first saw it. A sign with a deer on it, in Carrigallen – what next, bears?
It took a few days to get the sign up and straightened, but it was worth it, it would catch your eye. ‘There’s deer in these here parts’ – That’s what it says to me!
The only thing is, that in fifty-four years of toing and froing from that town – I have never seen a deer - peep, leap or swagger out onto that Mohill road.
Maybe like the Kit-Kat ad, the beasts only come out when I’m not there or have my eyes closed, but I don’t think so.
There’s obviously something more to this mysterious sign. Maybe it was the start of an art installation that got shelved due to the economic downturn. Maybe it’s a stand-alone piece. A lone deer on a road where there’s no deer – what does that say? – That we are alone, always seeking attention, yet no one passes the slightest bit of remarks – Yea, there’s something in that.
But the thing is, we Carrigallens wouldn’t be the greatest drivers at the best of times and fine art is certainly not our forte – so maybe we should be encouraged to just keep between the ditches instead of inspecting them for deer or antelope.
There is however another theory that Leitrim County Council had deer signs left over from the deer age (the boom) and, sometime later, the lads in charge of putting up road signs had a gap in their calendar.
‘There’s a deer sign, put it up in Carrigallen, no one will ever notice’. Or maybe the sign is not for the road user at all, but for the deer themselves.
Perhaps it says in deer language - ‘Don’t go out onto that road or you’ll be kilt by a car!’
But the positive side is, no one has been ‘ran over’ or hit by a deer since the sign went up. In fact, that should be the least of your worries as you cautiously enter or leave this south Leitrim village.
You’d be more likely to have the snout taken off yourself by a load of badly built round bales hanging off a ‘just about roadworthy’ Scania truck.
It is also at this very point in the road, near an ancient hairdressing site, that you are more liable to meet an ‘old dear’ in a small car doing a thirty-three-point turn, with nothing showing above the dash, apart from a purple perm and a lock of St Christopher medals.
Then there’s the Mart crowd, a mobilised unit of nomadic herders, who drive around with their livestock in tow. The global warming emissions coming from the off-road transport, matched only by methane gas-clouds emanating from the trailer.
These hardy custodians of our landscape would make shite of a deer, if a deer was to tip-toe out for a peek at our sparsely populated community. There’s a greater danger of getting hit by a size five O’Neill’s football that has missed its target above at the pitch and on a trajectory that will bring it closer to the deer sign, than to any goalposts.
When I think about it – there’s ‘Boy Racers’ going that road – doing donuts around the deer sign – There’s a woman from Cloone goes jogging that road with a pushchair and side-car, with about four childer hanging out of her.
There’s a man drives in and out that road on his lawnmower.
I’m not complaining, I’m proud of the fact that we have a deer sign in Carrigallen – Many’s a community would love to have the sign, especially ones near to a deer or two.
And you never know, it’s coming up to Christmas, maybe a herd of reindeer will come bounding out from the forest to join us on the road as we walk to town with our high morals and hi-vis jackets and then hours later console us as we meander in the opposite direction with neither morals, jackets or the price of a lift home.
There’s a new brightly lit footpath that goes all the way from the village out to the deer sign.
After that you can shake a smidgen of magic dust on the road and hopefully Rudolph will step out from the hedge to escort you the rest of the way.
Whatever way you look at it, this sign gives our humble village a sense of mystery and sophistication, which must be the envy of our more embryonic neighbours, who in spite of their numerous championship medals and ‘Men Sheds’, are simply in the ha’penny place when it comes to deer signs.
Have a great Christmas and watch out for the deer!
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I was out campaigning there in the afternoon kicking off in Cloone village. 'Twas a grand crisp evening for it which lead to a brief delay as we passed Tommy Creegan’s noble hostelry.
In honesty, I was a little taken aback by the greeting that I received personally from people I haven’t seen in possibly 10 years. Their concerns were pointed at my personal circumstances rather than the case at hand, but the genuine empathy and goodwill was frankly staggering.
There was a moment when I was accused of failing to provide something I “promised” 10 years ago to which I responded “I was with FG then” to hearty laughter.
Country people are the salt of the earth.
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Not a teen in 1989 mate but close enough.
A right cunt of a ‘priest’ involved as well,
Weren’t they all
In other news, Bridie McGirl, widow of the late John Joe has passed away at what I’d imagine is a noble age. Expect a serious influx of Republicans over the next few days.
Forum Republican stalwart @anon61878697 has sent me a message already seeking suggestions for accommodation for a busload from Cork.
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Stick him up there in that hotel in Drumshambo itd be fairly empty this time of the year
Didn’t realise she was still alive.
RIP
Stella and the late Bridie McGirl being visited by Gerry Adams last year.
Oh!!! The tales that Bridie McGirl could tell.
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I never knew that wee girl was one of them.
Well she’s a McGirl (daughter of Liam and granddaughter of John Joe) and all.
The passing of Bridie has been a blessing for the incumbent Martin Kenny. The rakes of Belfast die-hards about the place have galvanised support. Gerry Kelly showed why he’s so well got, pressing the flesh and introducing Conor Murphy…
Maskey, while convivial as ever (these boys have been here before) exuded sulphur… Scalder Scollan whispered to me during the Mass, “would that bulge in Maskey’s pocket be a revolver”…I replied - No Scalder - a grenade… Laughs all round…
A terrific funeral, a great turnout of Gáels…
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When you’re a member of a GAA Club there’ll always be 4 to carry you out and lower you down.
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I know of elderly people who were neighbours of the McGirls and never wanted for anything in terms of errands. I’m sure that also extended to protection!
I won’t /can’t go into the inns and outs of it but my late father and John Joe McGirl were the very best of truly great friends. I have many great memories of him at Communion and Confirmation days in our parish pressing £1 notes into children’s paws…
He’d left politics by then, it was just his good nature really. His monument tells all:
An unbreakable and unbroken Fenian…
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