Hello Ireland

First topic message reminder :



I have been busy setting up a PD branch in Roscommon, the nearest branch is in Galway, that is an hours drive from me.
Our first meeting is on the 12th Sept.
Lets hope we can help someone newly diagnosed with PD. as I had nobody to talk too, actually I did not know what PD was. "I FELT SO ALONE"


jb in Canada !!!!!!!!!!!!
to All !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ems you were right it was the postman with a parcel but it was no ordinary parcel. Ems peered in through the back window of the post van and there was Lucy Marie Katie Patsy Clem and JB all squeezed like sardines in the back. My god Sean Ems cried were having an invasion run and put the kettle on oh you better make that 2.

but your last penney is not enough, he needs more and more, he needs the money to give to Angel M

She needs the money to avoid "contagion". Contagion would happen if German gamblers lost a bet.
They placed big bets on a horse called Anglo
But Anglo fell
Not to worry, Angela will make sure that they will still win their bets -- make the Irish pay

They put their money in Anglo for an extra 1%
There were no promises, no government guarantee, it was "unsecured"

They lost - so they should loose - Yet they expect us to repay their debt
worse still - our spinless government is repaying this unsecured loss!!

What bit of “unsecured” do you not understand?

http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2011/11/04/what-bit-of-unsecured-do-you-not-understand

The minister for finance who is coming in a few weeks to take our last pennny

A lost yank, who was a property tax collector............

Ok a postman with a parcel from...

Good morning Ireland, Great start to a story Lucy with many great possibilities presented by Clem. Most excellent.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Lets party at Emma's Castle.




Oh my gosh (pick one)

Insanity Claus
Barak O’Bama the Irishman
Angela Merkil to seize your assets to pay off another Gambling debt
Mr P himself
A leprechaun
Queen Liz on another visit
The Septic Tank tax inspector
The Bean Sí
A double glazing window salesman
A politician seeking a vote
A property tax collector
A postman with a parcel from …
A Guard with a parking fine summons
A Lost Yank

Am I surprised to see you said Em, and me in my cleaning clothes and up to my elbows in soap suds as she smoothed out her silken full length house dress and pushed back a wisp of hair that had fallen down from her swept up hairdo and perfect makeup. The skateboard was quickly pushed to the corner of the entranceway and the vacuum was turned off.. Can you stay for Tea and Scones she asked.

Heard a knock on one of the many doors in the castle. My goodness Sean she cried who could it be? give me that skateboard and I will skate around to see which door they are at, but I do so hope they use the back enterance, my goodness I hope the neighbours are not looking out from behind their net curtains. But much to ems distress the knocking was coming from the front door of the castle. Oh drat she said, I do hope it is someone of great importance one tries to keep the front door for the rich and famous and for the odd canadian that might stray this way. After checking again to make sure the neighbours wern't looking she flung open the large doors and gave a shriek of excitment when she saw who was there it was ..........

Hello Parkys of Ireland,

One thing about this club is that you can't be in it if you are wimpy. Nope, PD aint for wimps.

I just got back from a walk up the hill to the woods. Halfway up the hill I realized that my legs were burning like they were going to fall off. I was dead on my feet. Then I took my gloves off, set down my walking stick, grabbed my belt and loosened it a notch. I could feel the blood starting to rush down my arteries and the burning pain stopped. As I have aged, I have lost my bum and I tend to wear a tight belt to keep my pants from sliding down. Hah, I have been wearing the belt too tight and it interferes with the blood flow to my legs. Imagine that, what a relief.

The doctor is in. Burning pain in the legs, loosen your belt, take an aspirin and call me in the morning.


Earthquake? Wow Lucy, was it scary? When the world vibrates and shakes for the rest of the world, they can understand Parkys better perhaps.


Patsy, good to see you. I will check the link to Emmas Castle.

Katie, about time you got back. We missed you. How are you doing Girl?

And Marie too, I saw you here a few days back. Sorry about your aches, hope you are getting around again.

Clem, I would love to see your museum. I can only imagine the interesting things to be found within those walls.

Once upon a time, on an enchanted Island Nation, A princes named Emma, lived in her Castle at Kilkenny. It had so many rooms and hallways that she was forever running around with the vacuum cleaner. By the time she had all the rooms cleaned it was time to start again. She used to have many servants and cooks and chambermaids but she liked doing her own housework and had let them all go. Her son skateboarded through the corridors and great halls. The castle was so big that they could both be home and not see each other for days. When Lucy and other friends came to tea, they would arrange what door to knock at.

One Day, after making fresh scones for the seniors at the centre, Princess Emma......

Hello everybody I hope you are keeping good. Patsy you were lucky you only had a storm we had an earthquake yes really.

Clem

Another lovely story, very interesting, at my age I am still learing.
Thanks for sharing..

Jb click on the link in Clem's post, when you have watched it, go to "Europe Trip 2012" and you will see "Ems" Kilkenny Castle, it is beautiful.

Hope everybody is on a good day, and not blown away by that storm yesterday. Patsy !!!!!!

The “C” word – I agree, ignore it, at least for a month.

Glad you liked the Lady Nelson story. I have plenty more where that came from. If any of you can make it to Dún Laoghaire, do visit the Maritime Museum. We are on the DART line. Let me know in advance and I’ll show you around.

Here is another story: [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/embed/XlywwX9_934?feature=player_detailpage [/youtube]

Good Morning all,

Hi Katie..nice to hear from you and no worries think we all get stuck with posting every so often..looking forward to meeting up.
however i am trying to ignore your comment about the C word..lol

Clem thank you for posting..great posts!

everybody else take care...
Em

Hi Ladies and Gents

I've been a bit lazy about posting lately. Every once in a while I run out steam and can't think of anything to post. I hope you are all keeping as well as possible.

I hope the day is better wherever you are. Here in the not so sunny south east the rain is pouring down.

Here's a thought, only 36 more shopping days to Christmas

Take care,

Katie

Birthday Girls with Flowers
the birthday cake
SJ, boyfriend and big brother
the two birthday girls
SJs 21st Party

I survived - I survived the 21st party - My last 21st party
On reflection – when will the grandsons be 21? – don’t think about that

It was a good night – I feared worse – but they are good kids
I stayed until midnight – so I’m assuming that nothing happed after I left

But the noise – it was non-stop – how people have conversations – I just don’t know
The next song starts being played before the last one stops - There are no breaks
It was a joint 21st with my girl and a friend of hers in college – there was a huge crowd

And I must compliment the venue, in was – as far as I’m concerned it was in Jurys
Although it was Jurys 40 or more years ago, when the pint was 3 shillings and ten pence
Now they call it Dublin Citi Hotel (note that spelling) and now a pint is 5 euro and 50 cent

The only negative was when platters of hot food arrived
Two guys came in and just took the grub away. An uncle of the other birthday girl intervened and was pushed out of the way. I went and complained to the management. On the way I saw a group of lads in the main bar enjoying our platter. I was assured that it would be taken care of. Ten minutes later more food arrived accompanied by two “bouncers”. A satisfactory outcome, I don’t know if anything happened to the culprits in the main bar. Not my worry

What else went wrong – oh yes the piñatas. If you haven’t seen this, this is what happens. There are cardboard animals – donkeys, elephants etc made of cardboard – with colourful decoration. They are filled with sweets and suspended from the ceiling. The birthday girls hit these cardboard figures with decorated sticks. They are meant to split open and shower those below with the sweets. But the cardboard wouldn’t break. Several times they were knocked to the floor. They were tied up again and the beating continued. Eventually patience expired. Rules were broken and the sweets were distributed.

It really was a good night and the youngsters all enjoyed themselves. My last 21st is over. And even if I’m around for the grandchildren – I won’t be paying – their parents can

Good morning folks..

Hi Marie.. you have had your share of it hope you feel better soon.x look forward to meeting up.

Hi Clem..I agree with the others thanks for sharing the Lady Nelson
story ..great post!

As for Lucy and Patsy..did I hear someone's cheating??..Lucy.he he..lol

Hope ye all have a good day..Jb, Katie and anyone else looking in. em

Hi Clem,

That was a great story about the Lady Nelson. Heard the story a few times since coming to Ireland. It was all the more interesting because I originally hail from Liverpool. Im sure its a story my father would have been familiar with too. Very interesting!

Sorry Ive been incommunicado everyone but have been to hell and back these past few weeks with sciatica pain. Still not out of the woods but getting there. Trouble is Im full of extra strong zombifying drugs which I can tell you are not funny. Its all very boring as well as painful to even think about so will say no more but hope u understand my absence.

What mischief are u and Ems up to Lucy? Sorry we didnt meet up last week Ems but I know Tel saw you and Sean. He said u r looking very well and thats good to know. Looking forward to our trip to see Katie in early December. Fingers crossed we'll all be on top form.

Have a great weekend everyone (that includes jb, Patsy and anyone else, ive missed)

Marie

Hi Clem,

That was a great story about the Lady Nelson. Heard the story a few times since coming to Ireland. It was all the more interesting because I originally hail from Liverpool. Im sure its a story my father would have been familiar with too. Very interesting!

Sorry Ive been incommunicado everyone but have been to hell and back these past few weeks with sciatica pain. Still not out of the woods but getting there. Trouble is Im full of extra strong zombifying drugs which I can tell you are not funny. Its all very boring as well as painful to even think about so will say no more but hope u understand my absence.

What mischief are u and Ems up to Lucy? Sorry we didnt meet up last week Ems but I know Tel saw you and Sean. He said u r looking very well and thats good to know. Looking forward to our trip to see Katie in early December. Fingers crossed we'll all be on top form.

Have a great weekend everyone (that includes jb, Patsy and anyone else, ive missed)

Marie

Hi Clem

Thanks for sharing the story of the Lady Nelson, very interesting.

Lucy that would be cheating, did you read the small print ??????

?? Jb

Patsy !!!!!!!!!

And the prize in the guess the dog comp is

2 nights bed and breakfast and 1 dinner courtesy of clem

guess what I think I know the answer right clem get the kettle on me and ems are on our way

Hey no you cannot disqualify me it did not say in the rules that the owner of the dog could not enter

I never really understood how they managed to introduce prohibition in the first place

and there are plenty of stories of alcohol and the sea

the most recent (that I can think of) is the Plassy of the Limerick Steamship Company

Have you every seen Father Ted? - remember the ship in the opening shots
It is high up on the rocks. It must have been quite storm to throw it up that far.
I think that it was 1960. The story of the shipwreck and rescue is a story in itself
(I have - or rather the museum has - photos of the rescue)
suffice to say that the crew were rescued using a Breeches Buoy

When the crew told their rescuers that the cargo was scotch whisky
It was the only time - as far as I know - that a Breeches Buoy was used in reverse!
Although they all denied that it happened.

When the authorities arrived, the vast cargo of whisky had magically disappeared.

Hi Clem, you up late on Thursday or up early on Friday?

Good story of the Lady Nelson. Ah, wine to be salvaged..

In our neck of the woods there was a great distillery. It bottled Rye Whiskey and lots of Gin. During the time of prohibition in the USA, many fast boats made a lot of money taking loads of illegal spirits across Lake Ontario to thirsty Yankees.

So, anyways, Clem, and to the rest of Ireland, have a great Friday and I will raise a glass of Whiskey to a historian named Clem, Lucy's dog, and the Lady Nelson. That will actually require three toasts I guess, Good day to all, be safe,
jb

Actually its a good yarn and Jim Robinson did his research well. He had access to old diaries and financial records. So do you want a good yarn ? - and every word is true, if so - read on - if not : skip this post.

If you were ever drinking in Kerry, particularly Killarney, you would have heard of the shipwreck, for there was so much port wine recovered that they were still serving it centuries later - or so they still claim in Killarney - she sank in 1809 by the way

It was a successful smuggling operation (until the ship sank). England was at war with France. Trade in alternatives to French Brandy was encouraged. Sailing out west via Ireland - to stay away from France was accepted. But going via the Kerry coast facilitated smuggling. Dan O'Connell's grandfather had lands there and made a fortune.

Anyway there were these two. One was a ship's captain and the other was a farmer in Kildare.; a farmer in Kildare who supplied the Dublin wine and spirit merchants? To ensure their alliance the Captain was married to the farmer's sister. It seems that she didn't want this arrangement, but then - in those days - her wishes didn't matter. They ran the ship from Liverpool to Oporto. But there was an unofficial stop in Kerry and most of the cargo dropped there and sent to the Kildare farm. The ship continued to Liverpool with their official cargo. They both became very wealthy.

A child was born and the Captain had good reason to believe that he was not the father.

The Captain encouraged his brother-in-law to invent in a really valuable cargo. A lot of money was borrowed. He sailed bringing his wife and child on the ship. In Portugal, they loaded a very valuable cargo, worth one and a half million euro in today’s money. Approaching Kerry he sailed towards the Skellig rocks. Some crew warned the Captain. He was drunk, but stayed at the wheel, himself.

She was shattered on the rocks. 25 died including the Captain, is wife and child. His brother-in-law was financially in serious debt. The sea was littered with casks of port-wine and boxes of fruit.

Four crew survived on some wreckage. One was a strong swimmer; he collected floating fruit for his companions. After some days, one of them announced that he was stepping ashore to dine. He stepped off and drowned. Later the three were been driven by wind and tide towards rocks, where they too would have perished. A small currach with a man and his four sons came into view. They had three barrels of brandy or port-wine in tow. This was a fortune for them, sufficient to permanently change their lives. When he realised that he could not rescue the three survivors, the man cut the tow rope and rescued the three sailors. Sadly one later died of pneumonia.

So ends the story of the Lady Nelson; a tragic story; a story of greed and of marital infidelity.

Lets see ..

youngest having 21st party this sat
there is too mush fuss going on

I'm told that one of these is Lucy's
lets have a competition to decide

JB - yes I spend as much time in Spain as i can

bought myself a book: book

went to an interesting lecture on a ship called the Lady Nelson.
If you were ever drinking in Kerry, you would have heard of her
Although she sank in 1809, there was so much port wine recovered
that they were (allegedly) still drinking it centuries later