This day 42 years ago I was a 15 year old kid, I had just arrived home from England where I spent 14 months working in a furniture factory as a general dogsbody, during that 14 months I had come to appreciate the Town I had left behind, I had experienced the anti Irish attitude of some of the English people I had met,on the opposite side of the coin I appreciated the decent folk who tried to make this young teenager welcome. I never really settled, I didnt like the Life style or been the butt of the Paddy Jokes I missed my Mates, I missed the Weekends in town just dossing up and down Henry St on a saturday afternoon. That Friday night I got off the plane and onto the bus into town from the airport I thought Thanks be to jaysus..I was already planning my Saturday night out with the Lads, probably end up having 3 or 6 pints of Bass in Ma Bourkes on Moore St and then around to Bartons on Parnell st to check out the Talent. Something was wrong though as the Bus neared Busarus, the Streets were deserted, If my memory serves me right It was after 10pm and it had been raining, but there was something not right, I walked around onto the Quays and there wasnt a soul in sight only a Cop car driving slowly along the Quays a few yards behind me..I didnt get far lugging my suitcase before they pulled up and a big redneck stuck his big mutton head out of the window and shouts...Here You -Yeah You.. Where da ye tink yer Goin.. I thought to meself, Ahhhh Im home allrite nuthin has changed much...just to piss him off I gave him the deaf ear and kept walking...I wasnt expecting what happened next...the car accelerated and pulled up on the path beside me and the Bullneck jumped out and nearly shoved m over the wall into the Liffey..Im Fckin talking to ye..ye little bollix I was a tall kid but he was wider than I was in height so I thought it wise to co-operate...Im goin home, Im just after getting off a plane I answered in my polite tone of voice..There was something menacing about this big bollix and I wasnt going to press the wrong buttons, I didnt fancy sitting in a cell in the Bridewell all night with some pissy aul lad smelling of red-biddy. Whats in de case he barked at me, I was going to be a smart arse but then the other cop had gotten out of the car and opened the back door..I sensed there was something more to this and played along ...Look Guard, im only after getting back from England, I been over there over a Year I just wanna get home and see me Ma..think the mention of The Ma done the trick, he asked where I lived and told me to jump into the Car, I never trusted a Garda but I hadnt much choice, I still could see meself in the Darkest Hole of the Bridewell that night for no reason, but that fear was waylaid as we headed southside over the Bridge. As we went up a deserted Dame St Mutton head in the front turned and asked me did ye not hear about what happened..I hadnt a clue but it must have been the way I was looking around at the empty streets that had him throw the question at me over his shoulder...No Gard is it a bomb scare?...bit worse than that Son id advice you to stay out of town for a while...A bomb went off earlier tonite, there were casaulties..Do yerself a favor and Keep out of the city centre for a while.. The Garda car turned onto our quiet little street,pulled up outside my front door, I hopped out of the back of the car and Mutton head got out as well, I didnt want me Ma to have a heart attack so I tried to walk away as fast as I could, before I got 2 feet Mutton head gave me a slap on the back with a Big Paw nearly knocking me face first onto the path,his parting wrds were very true ..welcome home Son...Theres no place like it even with Bombs going off, Good luck now and off he went In all the times knocking around town in later years I never seen sight or life of him, but Yeah he was right it was a great little town. December 1st 1972 Never forget it.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:52:26 +0000
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