The ‘dear little Swiss' meet ghosts of Brexit Britain as they debate relations with EU
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Irish Post
2 days ago
- Irish Post
A phrasebook of Irishness abroad
WHAT time is it there? That was the first one that seemed to confuse them. This was around the time that I'd first moved away from home and was, again for the first time, mixing with English people. I remember it distinctly. I was sitting in the living room which led on to the kitchen and simply asked, there being a clock in the kitchen, what time is it there? The time here, came the reply? The time here? Well, the time here is exactly the same as it is there. I honestly didn't get what the joke was. Now, I have a Birmingham accent, even after more than twenty-five years back here in Ireland. Accents form early and even though they change over the years it seems as if the basic architecture is built wherever you spend your formative years. What I did have though, I suppose, was certain Irish phrases or certain Irish ways of saying things that I wasn't even aware of. Who's yer man, was probably the next one. That seemed to cause some confusion too as I remember. Yer one I don't remember saying but I can only imagine the guffaws that would have been met with. Ah, sure. What's that yoke? Suddenly I was in a new world of being conscious of things I said. Irish words with a Brummie accent. To be fair it must have been confusing for them. I do remember one time saying where's me geansaí but by that time I'm fairly sure I'd become so self conscious that I might have been putting it on. My speech pattern was fairly banjaxed by then, you see. Wisht, I said once calling for silence, something my Granny Murphy never stopped saying, and just got funny looks. Of course, there was the craic. I think the English have taken this one up now, even though they still don't know what it really means, but back then, I'm talking about the 1980s, early 90s here, it was still just ours. I remember distinctly not even telling them about the craic but showing them it instead. I took a few English people at different times to Irish social clubs and pubs in Birmingham and always said I'm guaranteeing that you have never seen anything like this. What that actually was it was harder to define but I'd learnt enough to know one thing without doubt. An Irish social club in inner city England, bursting at the seams, the music and the drink and the talk and the smoke and I knew these English people had never seen anything like it. And they hadn't. As for what the craic is or was I couldn't say even now. I just knew that we had it and they didn't. If I had to choose a favourite though it would always be one that still makes me smile now whenever I hear it. 'I will, yeh' must be one of the greatest and most underrated Irish phrases ever. It has that soft sarcasm that seems uniquely Irish. I've always loved the idea of explaining it to an English person and I remember using it and getting very quizzical looks. I remember using it once with an English person and when it caused confusion revelling in explaining that, when I say 'I will, yeh' in what sounds like a very affirmative way what I actually mean is completely the opposite. I mean, in fact, that I will not under any circumstances, ever. Apologies, I thought that was clear. Grand, good luck said on departure, sound. All these I think might have been co-opted by the English now and have lost their distinctively Irish flavour and that's okay because that's how language works. We steal from here and there and they steal from there and here. I'm not saying any of these phrases either with any sense of superiority, all the places I lived in in England, had their own sayings and phrases too, I'm just doing it out of a memory of distinctiveness. I'm sure, you see, that the sayings and phrases I grew up with will eventually fade away. After all, I'm struck that one of the Birmingham phrases I picked up along the way was what we called the many wastelands we played on as children. We called them bomb pecks, which only much later I realised, probably meant that they were left over bomb sites from the Second World War. Only an Irish person, though, or even more specifically a Cork person would realise how I never stopped smiling back then whenever I heard the name of the German golfer, Bernhard Langer. Joe Horgan posts on X at @JoeHorganwriter
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
The ‘dear little Swiss' meet ghosts of Brexit Britain as they debate relations with EU
Some French cynics, especially those who live close to the Swiss border, mockingly refer to their rich neighbours as 'Les chers petits Suisses'. The pun, enhanced by the coincidence that it is also the name of a type of sweet cake, also works in English: 'The dear little Swiss.'
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Former Wicklow school reimagined as vast family home on the market for €1.15 million
Located in Killiskey, just minutes from Ashford village, 'The Old Schoolhouse' was built in 1936 using Garden County granite and slate, serving as the local national school before being renovated and repurposed as a unique, 314 sqm home set on approximately 0.38 hectares. Integrating historic detail like original cornicing and ceiling roses and present-day refinements, The Old Schoolhouse features a spacious entrance hall that leads to a large formal living space that was formerly two classrooms and has been merged into one double-height room with solid wood floors, a large fireplace, and 12 Georgian-style sash windows. Meanwhile, the kitchen and breakfast area feature large skylights, integrated appliances, and a dining nook with exposed original stonework. The home's four double bedrooms are contained within a private wing, with the master bedroom boasting French doors to the garden, a newly renovated en-suite with walk-in shower, and a generous walk-in wardrobe, while two of the bedrooms include fitted wardrobes and built-in wash hand basins. The bedroom wing also includes a recently refurbished family bathroom and access to a fully floored converted attic that has panoramic countryside views from a large skylight balcony. Outside, the walled gardens with mature trees and the grounds have been landscaped to create several defined areas, including a granite-paved patio beneath a pergola with festoon lighting and a full-size tennis court There is also an array of outbuildings, including a brick-built shed, an Adman Thermostore steel shed with mains electricity, multiple wood stores, and purpose-built kennels. Chief among them is a large, self-contained annex, complete with a tiled floor, fully fitted kitchen, shower room, and bi-folding doors that open onto a pergola-covered terrace. 'Whether you seek a tranquil retreat surrounded by nature or a vibrant community enriched with culture and activities, The Old Schoolhouse offers the perfect balance,' a Lisney Sotheby's spokesperson commented. 'This unique home invites you to experience the enchanting lifestyle of Wicklow, where storybook charm meets modern convenience.'
