Category Archives: Ireland

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The Donneybrook

The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland
The bridge in Cong, County Mayo. Film site of “The Quiet Man”

So, it is St. Patrick’s Day, and I thought I would post some fun thoughts about this famous day for those of us who are of Irish descent. Recently on a trip to Ireland, we were treated to a visit to Cong in County Mayo to see the site of the filming of one of my favorite movies- ” The Quiet Man.” One of the key scenes in the movie is where Sean Thornton ( John Wayne) takes on Squire Danaher ( Victor McLaughlin) in a “donneybrook” or a public fight all through the fictional town of Innisfree. You have to see the movie to understand the reason for the “donneybrook” but suffice to say- it is hilarious and rather typical of what happens in Ireland after a few pints and some heated words.

Also- typical of what happens is, after the fight, both parties retire to a pub and begin drinking pints together. In some ways, the fight or the donneybrook, is like a sport. And when you see the scene, you can understand that a lot of Irish guys have the fight or sport in them. In the movie, bets were placed , and in many ways- it is like a sporting event with the finale always celebrated together in a pub.

Our first two pints at the Temple Bar in Dublin.

Our tour guide in Ireland was Brendan McCarthy, who told me that people in Ireland are usually buried at noon. So if anyone says to you, ” you will be going out at noon” those are typical fighting words and you better be prepared for a ……….donneybrook.

Now, I have been to Ireland twice, once riding my road bike, and recently with my wife Janet. I can’t wait to go back, but my first memories of the Irish go back to my time with great friends of my family- the Faulkners. Bill and Eileen Faulkner were friends of my folks, and their kids are my friends to this day. But
” Wild Bill” taught me a lot of things about the Irish when he would take me with his family to the Irish Center in Pittsburgh. Lots of music, lots of “craic” as they say in Ireland, and very funny senses of humor throughout the scene. ” Wild Bill” also taught me about the custom of some of the Irish guys to have a ” go” in the parking lot. One day, when Eileen and the girls left me to take care of “Wild Bill”, he sat me down at the bar at the Blarney Stone Restaurant and bought me a pint. Next to us was this guy named Paddy Mahoney. Wild Bill looked over at him and acknowledged his presence but then proceeded to say to him………..” you always had an eye for Eileen, didn’t you?” Paddy responded ” your damn right I did” and both guys stood up and began to approach each other. Knowing what was coming, I stepped in between them and told them to stop, and I would buy them a pint. They both smiled, sat down and drank my purchased pint. I think I may have stopped a good one there all over the good graces of Eileen Faulkner. She would have been mortified if she were there and that fight ensued.

Another example of a donneybrook was when the former commissioner of Ross Township, Coleman Mulkerrins, a native Irishman, came up to me at the Irish Center. Now I knew Coleman and knew that he was kind of a wild man, so when he approached, I wondered what he wanted. He said,” Pat- lets you and I go out in the parking lot and have a go.” He was not angry with me, in fact he liked me. He only wanted to show me ” what a tough cat” he was. His words. I responded that I knew he was a tough cat and to celebrate that, why not have a pint? He smiled, liked the idea, and put his arms around my shoulder’, and we walked together to the bar. Coleman and Wild Bill are no longer with us. I don’t think Paddy Mahoney is either. But all these guys showed me the quirky personalities of some Irish guys and what floated their boats. Donneybrooks are not unusual, and what I came to learn is that not all of them are of malicious intent. The sport of it requires a post pint and lots of laughs sometimes with missing teeth. The Irish, who have made their way here, are fun and enjoy being in America. Listen to them, they are funny, talented, and will be some of your best friends ever. Just beware if someday they look at you and say……………” you’ll be going out at noon”. Slainte.

Brendan McCarthy making Janet a St. Brigid’s Cross.

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I Can’t Stop Talking About It

Blarney Castle

You know, most often when you take a trip, you have had a great time, but you are happy to come home. I can tell you that on our recent trip to Ireland, the trip went so fast that now it seems like a dream. I can remember saying to Janet,” I can honestly say that I am not ready to go home yet. ” Because in some strange way- I felt like Ireland was somehow home to me.

The last time I was in Ireland, I can remember seeing so many people who reminded me of my relatives. I swear I saw my grandmother who had passed on, looking at me around a corner and perhaps keeping tabs on me as I made my way on my road bike. This time I saw many people too who reminded me of relatives who have passed on and of people who I currently know. I saw Bob Duffy at least 10 times. Bob and I work together at Armada and he has a classic Irish mug. There is something in my blood that makes me want so badly to return to Ireland. I felt so comfortable there and the people are so warm and friendly that you think, somehow, we are all related. They say that people who visit Ireland are treated in such a manner because the people of Ireland believe that visitors are really returning distant relatives. They are coming back to their roots. Like Janet and me.

The Cliffs of Moher – 60 MPH winds and awe- striking beauty.

I posted about our tour guide- Brendan McCarthy, a couple of weeks ago. He and I hit it off so well that again, somehow, I felt like he was related to me. He did say in Blarney that his relative was Dermot McCarthy who built Blarney Castle back in the 1400s. So, he had a real relative but somehow, again, I felt that we were kin. Brendan regularly sends us videos on What’s App and we do the same for him. We miss him and will reconnect someday. But what is it that is so magical about being in Ireland?

Brendan and my bride- dancing in the van.

Everywhere we went, we felt something that was pulling at us. The rugged coast of Ireland, the winds, the pubs, the people, the food. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that the food is not good in Ireland. We had spectacular meals and the fresh salmon, hake, and other seafood delights in the coastal towns were mouthwatering. Even the potatoes, vegetables, and morning porridge, felt like home to me. Like I was eating again at my grandmother’s on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Anyone tells you that the food is no good has either not been there in a while, or they have an odd taste for good food.

” Cousin Curran” in Dingle.

Jan wanted to stop at Curran’s Pub in Dingle to see if there were any indications of relations there seeing that her mom’s maiden name was Curran. We met the owner and he was a bit standoffish at first but gradually warmed up to us and brought out all his genealogy books to show us the bloodlines. He told us that another Curran cousin just walked out the door. He was from Australia. Jan was thrilled. Sitting in his pub, I felt like I was in my grandma’s house. It felt like the bar was in her living room. It even smelled like her house on the North Side.

Brendan took us to the bridge that was used in the film “The Quiet Man”- one of my favorite movies starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ward Bond, Victor McLaughlin and Barry Fitzgerald. I was so taken by the scene that I kissed Janet on the bridge like I was John Wayne. And I recited his famous line to Maureen O’Hara when he said” There will be no locked doors between us Mary Kate Danaher.” Everyone laughed but I loved being on that bridge. If you have not seen it, take some time to watch…….” The Quiet Man.”

From the first Guiness draughts in Dublin, to the great food in Kinsale, to the rugged coast of The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, we were taken by the beauty. Jan and I both say the next time we would try to get some hiking in because the scenery is so spectacular. But there is this feeling that I have that is hard to put a finger on. What is it? I will be thinking a lot about that because I don’t quite know the answer. But I can tell you we can’t wait to go back. I know I am waiting for ski season to start but I would go back to Ireland at any time.

So, if you ride or ski with me soon, chances are the topic of Ireland will come up. Maybe it will be my Irish sweater that I bought at the Blarney Woolen Mills? Maybe I will talk on the ride or the chairlift about the “craic” or the “goings on ” in the pubs. Maybe I will talk about somehow, I feel like I belong there? I can’t wait to go back, and I will be talking about it for a while until I get there again. Thanks for reading. Slainte’

Shawn Thornton and Mary Kate Danaher. LOL!!
Nothing like the patient wait for a Guiness to settle. Only in Ireland.

Don’t forget- an amazing, professional tour company – Irish Tours for You. http://www.irishtoursforyou.com Ask for Fionnuala O’ Loughlin

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St. Brendan the Navigator

Brendan McCarthy- our “illustrious” National Tour Guide. Seen here making a St. Brigid’s Cross for Janet. We called him Brendan the Navigator after the famous monk who discovered the New World 1000 years before Leif Erikson.

Cead mile faitle is the traditional Irish greeting that means one hundred thousand welcomes in Gaelic, the native language of Ireland. And if there were ever a country that welcomes you with open arms, it is Ireland, and their extremely friendly people. Now I could give you a travelogue about our recent trip to Ireland, but instead of boring you to death, I am going to tell you about Brendan McCarthy, our National Certified tour guide, who embodies all the qualities of the Irish that I really, really like. Most countries have a rather neutral, at best, feeling about Americans. Not true of the Irish who cherish their relationships with Americans. I think partly because in some way, they feel that we are all related and are coming back to visit our roots. Brendan certainly made us feel that way.

Early in the trip, we visited the lovely seaside town of Kinsale on the southern tip of Ireland. Before we met the local tour guide, Brendan took us to a high piece of ground that was dedicated to the 343 New York City Firefighters who lost their lives during 9/11. Brendan related the story of the woman who worked as a nurse in New York and donated her land in Ireland to be a spot of remembrance. Brendan knew her and actually planted many of the trees that are standing there today in memory of those brave men. He actually became emotional as he told us how he drove down on the day of the planting, two hours each way. He said he loved Americans and had a huge hole in his heart that day when the firefighters were killed. He wanted to be a part of the dedication in Kinsale. That day, we got a glimpse into the character of Brendan McCarthy.

The Irish are funny, witty, but emotional people. Much of that is seen in the writings of the poets and authors of Ireland, and also with Brendan, and even myself in a way. That day, I saw a bit of myself in the personality of Brendan. In fact, all during our trip, I felt that I knew many of the people somehow because not only was I viewing my geneaology, but also talking to the people, I felt close to them because, well, they are somehow….my people. Yes- they are warm and friendly, but I have to tell you they are funny as hell too! As Brendan regaled us with the history of Ireland, day after day on our van, he also let loose with some really funny sayings that we all grew to love. Like when he wanted us to take a comfort stop, he said in his very lilting Irish brogue, ” I want yous all to squeeze the lemon and be bums in seats in 15 minutes.” Squeeze the lemon!!! Hilarious. As a typical Irishman, he also humored us with many stories and pronounced “th” as “t.” For instance, ” I know what you are tinkin” ” I want you on the bus at 8 turty” ” The time is 5 turty tree.” We all got a kick out of his distinctive and lyrical brogue, and I am sure he wondered about my dahn and ahhts from Pittsburgh as well. He referred to “herself” and “himself”. There is himself. There is herself- in the altogether. He would tell us a story and then say,” Look it up.” It is the troot” ” I swear to God”. We believed him even though we thought that just maybe he stretched the troot sometimes. LOL!! But you would never find a happier guy and he made it his business to take us to all the nooks and crannies that people might not see. Like the bridge from the movie “The Quiet Man”. Or Paidi O’Se’s pub in Dingle that had a lot of memorabilia from many of the Gaelic sports heroes. Brendan made it his business to show us places that a lot of tourists may not find on their own.

The bridge from The Quiet Man in Cong, Ireland. I could just see John Wayne sitting on that wall.
Janet and Brendan dancing on the bus.
We met up with our pal Mike Dunlay, who bought a house in Dingle. He and Brendan hit it off instantly.
The Cliffs of Moher
Blarney Castle
Our group. Strangers at first. Friends in the end. All due to the glue that was Brendan McCarthy.

But perhaps one of the most touching moments, was when Brendan stopped at St Brigid’s Well, a place dedicated to the female patron saint of Ireland. There he asked us all to depart the bus, and go into the cave that housed the well, say a prayer, and as we all exited the well, Brendan had us hold hands and circle up as he recited the Lord’s Prayer in Gaelic. He then took an older St Brigid’s cross and put in back in the well area in dedication to his mother who he lost the previous year. Well after that, my bladder was behind my eyeballs for sure, and we all got another glimpse into the character of Brendan McCarthy. The Irish are close to their mothers and this was a little stop that was very touching.

St Brigid’s Well site.
The well itself.

As we drove to and through breathtaking scenery that featured the west coast of Ireland, Brendan kept us entertained with history, local lore, and some very funny jokes. Very dry. Like- he pointed out a cemetery and said that the guy that invented the crossword puzzle was buried there. I asked where, giving him the opportunity for the punchline, and he said, ” 6 down and four across.” We all chuckled at that one. He also said that people are buried in Ireland at noon. So, if you get into an argument with an Irishman, the final line may just be…………..” you’ll go out at noon.” I loved that line and we used it on each other for the rest of the trip and laughed out heads off.

We were very pleased with Brendan and also the company he works for called Irish Tours for You. You can find them on the internet and I would highly recommend them. My contact was Fionnuala O’ Loughlin ( How about that great Irish name!) fionnuala@irishtoursforyou.com They even came to meet us for lunch on the last day to say good bye. You will never find a better tour and never find people easier to work with.

Fionnuala second from right and Ellen from Irish Tours for You.

As I thought about the trip and all we saw on the plane ride home, I thought how much the people, the food, and the scenery meant to me. I was very comfortable in Ireland as I thought about the food my grandma cooked, the sayings that my mother and grandmother said along with the sayings of my father in law- George Bope – who loved being Irish. I can’t wait to go back again. And If I do, I will surely contact St. Brendan the Navigator to come with us again for sure. Thanks for reading. Slainte’

A very young Pat McCloskey cycling in Ireland years ago. Can’t believe I waited 40 years to go back.

“May the saddest day of your future, be no worse than the happiest day of your past.”

“May the walls of your home never fall in and those within them never fall out.”

“May you live for a hundred years with one more year to repent.”

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The Bowl from Dingle

Years ago, I rode my road bike through Ireland and had the experience of a lifetime. Great stories like when the guy in the pub asked me,” Where are you from Yank?” I asked how he knew. He said, ” not many people wear shorts and running shoes around here.” We both had a chuckle(craic) over a classic Guiness pint. Or the guy who took me to his friend at the hardware store and told him to sell me a lock for my bike and not to ” give him a hooking.” We laughed at that one too and he told me he was a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous and this was his good deed for the day. The Irish are real characters molded by their history, weather, and humor.

As I made my way west, I ended up in the Dingle Peninsula where I came across a pottery shop. I bought this bowl seen above and had it shipped to my home as I could not carry it while riding the bike. Most days, I was gone all day on the bike. Just me-self, peddling me arse all over the country. So, when the bowl arrived weeks later, I was so thrilled to get it and lo and behold( or faith and begorrah), I have had this bowl for almost 40 years. It has proudly served me soup, cereal, oatmeal, salsa, pasta, and many other meals over the years and every time I use it, I think of the Dingle Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry and the whole west coast of Ireland, which by bicycle, was absolutely spectacular.

A very young Pat McCloskey riding through the Sod.

But the amazing thing about the bowl is how well it has held up over all these years. Hours in the dishwasher, sitting on the counter, etc. Didn’t crack, break, or become useless much like it’s owner. Somehow it manages to stand the test of time and still be the bowl that I remember all those years ago. Truthfully, it has held up pretty well considering the abuse of 40 years. It is a beautiful, workable, piece of art. Everyone should have a cereal bowl like this- especially with it’s history.

Another miracle- shamrocks that were my mother’s. She passed 20 years ago.

Riding my road bike through Ireland was a treat. I was given a map in the morning at breakfast, and all I had to do was make it to the next stop on the tour by dinner time. The van took my bags to each town. All day, by myself, taking in the sounds, sights, and smells of Ireland. It has been a long time since I have been there, and I can’t believe that Janet and I have not been back. That hiatus will end this August when we will go to Ireland. Me, for only the second time, and Janet for the first time. I can’t wait to see the changes and some of the places where I have not been. Gratefully, Dingle is on the program. As beautiful a seaside village as you will ever see and as far west as Europe goes. In fact, there is a sign that identifies a Catholic church as the westernmost parish in Europe. Next parish- Boston, Mass. This time we will not be riding bicycles. We will be in a small van with some other folks. Hopefully I will remember some of the roads where I rode my road bike like Sleigh Head Drive? Maybe we will see the sheep with the colorful dots on their backs identifying their flock. An aside on my bike trip, I came whipping around a bend and came upon a flock of these colorfully marked sheep and slammed on my brakes. The shepherd said” it would have been a soft landin there laddie.” The Irish humor is dry and so funny. Maybe I will buy another bowl in Dingle? Maybe not? Chances are this one will outlast me. Slainte’ Thanks for reading.

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The Brendan Boat

From the Best of http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com

Just trying to take a break from all the Covid-19 stuff and give you all a little enjoyment for St. Patrick’s Day. Back a number of years when I was in Ireland riding my bike, I peddled my arse to the west coast and ended up on the Dingle Peninsula. That is where I purchased the item above that depicts St. Brendan and his monks rowing their dory boat. You see St. Brendan and the monks were from a place very close to Dingle and they are famous for their explorations of the Aran Islands and westward spreading the gospel. Read Tim Severin’s book ” The Brendan Voyage” for a fascinating account of their voyages. It is said that they made it all the way to Newfoundland 500 years before Leif Erikson and close to 1000 years before Columbus made his way to the Caribbean. National Geographic also did a piece in August of 1977 reporting on Severin’s re-creation of the voyage outlined in the book. My point today is that St. Brendan and the boys were not much into social distancing. In fact they went way out of their way to spread the gospel and also meet new people and visit new lands on the way. The Irish are like that.

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of what the saint did in Ireland as a Christian missionary and bishop. It also celebrates Irish culture with parades, Guiness, Irish Car Bombs, and similar merriment but also recognizes the social character of the Irish and their descendants like me. My mother was a huge fan of the day and also a huge fan of all things Irish. Her humor was represented in sayings like the above and also in her love for things like Belleek china, Waterford crystal and making Irish soda bread. But again- it involved people, and our house growing up had that classic Irish tradition of gathering friends and family and enjoying the humor and the company. I spent many times on the piano in my folk’s house playing Irish songs and to this day do the same at home. My mom’s favorite saying was that “happiness is like a perfume, you can’t spread it on others without getting a little on yourself.” And she did in many ways- cooking, singing, entertaining her friends and relatives, and well…….being Irish. I believe I received her sense of humor as a gift because I always try to look at life from the bright side. If I can offer some humor to my friends and family along the way, I feel good and I hope they do as well. I tell my inane stories of my experiences on the chairlift and on mountain bike rides, much to the amusement of my friends who have graciously heard the stories over and over again. But I believe that a little self deprecation, which is the root of many of my stories, leads to belly laughs and people shaking their heads and saying………..McCloskey???????”

 

So this Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Day. Yes- we are in the middle of a national crisis. The parades have all been cancelled, restaurants are closing, bars are closing, we are encouraged to be diligent and wash our hands and keep our distance. Not in the Irish tradition at all. But we need to do it. But when the day comes, and you have “The Quiet Man” on television or maybe “Waking Ned Devine” , think of the folks that you would like to be with and give them a call or a text. Have a laugh and try to keep some humor during some trying times. I will probably do that and bore people with more stories and corny Irish jokes, but they will laugh and say- ” thanks for the call man”.        Slainte’ .