Anybody remember when BC meant Before Christ now it means Before Covid .Well back in the 1960s BC .
Sunday in September
It was nineteen sixty something and meself and the Father went for a walk down the Grand Canal At Inchicore .Da had the transistor radio blaring out the All Ireland Hurling Final and passers by hovered to catch the latest score .I on the other hand was not interested in the match I was fishing .I had a stick I found on the ground and stood on the canal bank mimicking the fishermen .Roach ,Perch and even a Jack Pike swam in front of me and I shouted with excitement interrupting the Da and his match and annoying the fishermen who glowered in my direction .
I don’t know if the Da knew my antics were annoying the fishermen but he shouted out “Go on Ya Boy Ya” as somebody scored a goal for his team ,so don’t think he was really concerned about angling protocol ,I saw this as a vote of solidarity .Now the match was nearing half time and like other six year olds I was getting bored just letting on to fish so I started moaning that my legs were sore and I wanted to go home but the Da wasent having any of that he wanted to listen to the end of the match and bringing me with him meant he could get out of the house and not have to listen to me Ma hinting about that new Twin Tub she saw in the local Electric shop .
During the half time break as the Artane Boys Band played the Da put the radio down on the seat and pulled out the Newspaper from his pocket .Drawing out a page from the middle of the paper with an Add for a building Society and another for a Ladies Dress Suit for 4 guineas .He began to fold the paper into shape and made me a Boat .He placed the boat in the Canal and it floated .I ran along beside it as the gentle September wind blew it along, it bobbed up and down but it slowed as the paper became wet and heavy and it steered into the reeds that lined the banks of the Canal and came to a stop .
Da was intent on listening as Michael O Heir articulate every movement of the slittour from the sixty to just inside the paralagram and “another wide” .O Heir creating great excitement with the deflection in his tone a slow drawl when the ball was bobbing around in mid field to a high pitched rapid whine as the ball neared a forward player,but I had more important things to take care of .I needed to find some stones to bomb the paper boat and sink it .I picked stones from the tarmac road that ran along the Canal and aimed them at the paper ship but had more misses than hits a bit like the lads playing in Croker .Eventually I like to think because of my good aiming but more likely the paper got saturated and the boat sank among the reeds .
The Game ended and the Da and meself walked up the Canal twords home .I complained again that me legs were sore and the Da happy with the result of the match hoisted me up onto his shoulders and we headed home .Then the Da stopped and pointed out a Swans nest on the far bank of the Canal and we watched as White and Grey baby Swans swam by .
Im a Granda Now and I sometime bring the Grankids for a walk along the same stretch of the Grand Canal between Golden Bridge and Black Horse .They seem to be more excited watching the LUAS go speeding by than looking for fish or swans .Last time we went for a walk on the Canal my granddaughter said “Hey Grandad are you tired why don’t you sit down on that seat and rest while I throw some stones in the water .
