I had some errands to do last night but I needed cash so I drove to the ATM. As an aside, cleaners should acknowledge that nobody wants to carry cash any more and not being on Revolut is very inconvenient. Since the BOI branch closed in Killester village and with that the ATM too, and because these fucking Euroconnex ATMs in Supervalu and a couple of nearby petrol stations have a €4 withdrawal charge, I drove to the AIB ATM at the top of St Brigid’s Road at the Killester/Artane border. I withdrew money to pay Anita and Sandra for this morning’s cleaning and then made my way to the Centra in the triangle at the Killester/Donnycarney border.
The triangle could be described as gritty. There’s the tiny opticians that nobody goes to (only some very elderly people) and the equally elderly optician is usually spotted standing outside his premises smoking. Then there’s the All Care Chemist owned/run by a Wexford native, which is permanently locked and they buzz you in once they suss you out. I forget his first name but he’s a son of retired St Peter’s College career guidance teacher Philip O’Sullivan. Sully, a lovely man, told me I’d do well to break 400 points for the leaving and I should put down Business Studies in WIT as my number 1 and there was no point focusing on the university options in Dublin or elsewhere. It was the exact opposite of the perceived/received wisdom…put down what you want, not what you think you’ll get. Gas really when you think back.
Then there’s Gary’s centra shop but I hadn’t realised it closed at 8pm. Then there’s two unoccupied premises, which haven’t been used in years but still have the old shop signage/frontages - a bookies and a chipper. Then there’s the weird house/flat in the middle where yer man has lots of newspaper/conspiracy theory clippings stuck on his front door. Poor Roderick O’Gorman getting grief on there lately. Then there’s the Chinese and then there’s the seemingly rough pub The Ramble Inn, the closest pint option to Parnell Park. A recent development is that there’s now an Indian restaurant/take away called Bawarchi or something attached to the pub. They seem to have given them the lounge and consolidated the roughness into the bar.
I digress. As Centra was closed, I decided to drive over to Supervalu in the main village (open until 11pm daily). I needed to get some staples for this morning such as bread and milk. The car park wasn’t particularly busy but, as I’m a terrible driver/parker, I drove up towards the back where it was very quiet and where I’d be less likely to clip another vehicle or person. I was strolling back down towards the main shop entrance when I spotted one of those sponsored Dublin GAA Mitsubishi cars parked up ahead of me. I noted that it was same car they’ve had for the last year or two and the reg was either 20 or 21. I mentally noted that losing their title last year and the covid years might have resulted in the sponsorship gravy train slowing down a bit. As I neared the stationary car, I realised that there was an occupant tip tapping on his phone in the driver’s seat. I had a glance as I went past and it was former FOTY Brian Fenton. I bought the items on my list and, as I was walking back to my own car, I confirmed that Fenton had left.