Gaughan's Irish tour Epistle, Part the Third
Cork, 1.50pm, Saturday 13th Oct 2001

I made my escape from Dublin and found myself on an excellent road which lasted until I hit Kildare and then it was right through the middle of every town and village across the heart of Ireland. Bit confusing that the distances are all signposted in kilometres but the speed limits are in miles. Fortunately my antecedents are Highland and Irish so it takes more than a bit of confusion to phase me.

I'm not usually the most observant soul in the world but even I couldn't help noticing the Chinese Restaurant with the rather unfortunate name of "The Soon Fatt".

Given who and what my father's parents were, there's hardly a place in Ireland I can pass without knowing a song or tune about it (except for the Soon Fatt Chinese Restaurant) and a trip here is always an emotional experience for me, filled with the voices of my childhood. I find myself mentally going through "The Lads of Laoise", "The Trip to Durrow", "The Fermoy Lasses" and dozens of others but the one which hits home is when I see the sign telling me I've just crossed the River Barrow. Into my head explode thoughts of the United Irishmen and the failed - but heroic - attempted Revolution of 1798 prompted by remembering the lines of the wonderful "John Kelly, the Boy from Killane" -

"Enniscorthy's in flames and old Wexford is won
"And the Barrow tomorrow we will cross"

and the bitter tragedy of betrayal and defeat -

"But the bold sun of Freedom grew darkened at Ross
"And it set by the Slaney's red waves
"And poor Wexford, stripped naked, hung high on a cross
"With her heart pierced by traitors and slaves"

You can taste the tears of heartbreak and rage in those words. Thank god for folk songs. The history books record the naked events (sometimes) but the songs record the pain, joy, laughter and tragedy as felt by the participants.

There followed 200 years of the scourge of sectarianism, the consequences of which we're witnessing again this weekend. What a tragedy that so few now remember or celebrate the fact that Theobald Wolfe Tone, the man called "The Father of Irish Republicanism" and on whose grave the Taoiseach of the Republic lays a wreath every Easter Sunday, was a Protestant. As were many of the leaders of the United Irishmen, which is why they were so named. In origin, Irish republicanism is as much a Protestant phenomenon as it is Catholic, rooted in the same soil as American and French republicanism. Tonight I sang "Tom Paine's Bones" with an added passion.

The only other sight of note on my trip down here was on crossing into Tipperary and seeing a large anti-litter notice board saying "Don't Rubbish Tipp". Err, quite. Somebody probably got paid a fat salary for thinking that one up.

A word of advice. If you want to drive around Cork, walk. Lord knows how many times I've been to the Lobby and it still took me 45 minutes to get to it. The local authority have discovered the joys of the one-way system and, being Cork and therefore taking second place to nobody when it comes to innovation, have decided that the entire city should benefit. Ever had the experience of being able to see exactly where you want to be and with every junction being shunted further away from it? Not to mention the fact that these days everyone in Cork seems to own 3 vehicles and takes them all out for a drive round town on a Friday afternoon.

Anyway, the Lobby was as good as ever and I came off dripping with sweat. Today is Saturday so it'll be Cork again. I notice that Andy Irvine is playing the Lobby on Sunday and I have that night off so I'll stick around and see him.

25th January 2005

Tour Dates - last update 30 August 2005

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