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Derry Diary #11
9 July 2004
Derry and Buncrana, Co. Donegal
Overcast with some sun, cool sea breeze
Thanks to many of you who have sent emails. I greatly appreciate them.
They make me feel like I'm not a bazillion miles away, but rather just
next door...sort of. Now, if I can only get my wife to write...
What a brilliant day we had today, all of us together. We started our
day with a great Irish Fry down at a little hole-in-wall restaurant called
Frankie Ramsey's. Great meal to start the day. Then it was off to the
Bloody Sunday Trust building for a slide presentation of the civil rights
movement in the North of Ireland through the horror of Bloody Sunday.
I think the kids were moved by the presentation. You know, back home you
can talk history and explain stuff, but for the events to have impact
it is good to meet people who lived through it. There is a picture book
written by my friend Joanne O'Brien which has interviews with surviving
family members of those killed on that day. What is unique about the book
is that she photographed these folks on the spot where their love one's
were shot dead. I wish I could remember the name of the book, if I do
I'll put it here. Why I mentioned it at all is that some of the kids were
paging through the book at the B.S.T. and remarking that "Hey, we
had these people over for dinner last night..." That's what I mean
about making practical and actual connections. It's work sometimes, but
the journey to the facts is worth it in the end. My son Sean met Joanne
when we flew over for the Bloody Sunday march in January of 2002. But
I digress..
We hopped the Lough Swilley bus from the beautiful and functional Ulsterbus
Bus Station in downtown Derry and headed off for Buncrana a half hour
away. This is new territory for me. I had been to the beach before but
never in the town. To get to the south (the Republic of Ireland) you can
travel North. (are you following me?). North and West of Derry is Co.
Donegal, so you can literally drive North to get to the South.
We walked to Swan Park and followed the footpath to Fr. Hegarty's Rock
and grave. In 1711 there were penal laws in Ireland which forbade teaching
of the Irish language and criminalizing the celebration of the Mass. It
was a capital offence. Well Fr. Hegarty used to say Mass near the ocean
on a flattish rock for the locals. One Sunday in 1711 the Redcoats caught
him and killed him on the spot. They say there are several spots around
where he died where the grass doesn't grow and the legend says that these
were the spots where the priest's head bounced around. Whatever the reality
or the legend, it is a good story and the kids took all sorts of pictures.
It was such a beautiful day and the walk and the talk was so pleasant
that we truly enjoyed each other's company. A leisurely afternoon walking
along the banks of the lough.
We also stopped at the spot where Theobald Wolfe Tone, the protestant
Irish patriot was capture for treason against England and shipped off
to Dublin for trial and execution. Wolfe Tone, along with the other patriots,
has been a hero of mine for years.
I think the kids had a great time and as of this writing are in bed, before
11. Amazin' Tomorrow Tommy and Jackie are taking us around County Donegal.
The kids are looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it. We are
supposed to visit the highest cliffs in all of Europe on the West coast
of the Island facing the Atlantic.
I have to share one final story though before I myself pass out for the
nite. It involves some stupidity on my part. Yes I know it is hard to
believe. But Cal and I went into Fergus Brennan's Chemist shop and, being
the friendly person that I am was chatting with the girl behind the counter.
I noticed that she was wearing a blouse that wasn't tucked in and was
sticking out a wee bit from the rest of her. Before I could catch myself,
my mouth said, "When are you due?" Yes you already know, don't
you. She wasn't pregnant. I must be possessed or something.
More later,
paul and Cal