Unposed pictures are always the best. This one must be from the late ’80s or very early ’90s, around Christmas time. Daddy has just come in, or is about to head out, still with his cap on. It was taken on Drumkeeran Road, before his younger daughters laid the wooden floor. My three are there, together with their cousin Sadie, and Jess, Mammy and Daddy’s collie, looks as though she is still just a pup.
Today is his birthday.
I only noticed today that he is wearing a tie so it must have been taken on a Sunday. His cardigan is half-decent looking too but those are definitely 'working' trousers. He wouldn't have risked his Chapel Sunday trousers out fothering cattle.
Daddy and Bert at our old place.
Portrait of Seamus by his granddaughter Naoise.
| Product Name | Stock Code | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bargain Basement 10 packets | 1327 | 1 | £ 3.25 |
| Eremurus robustus | 513B | 1 | £ 2.38 |
| Canna indica | 269 | 1 | £ 3.10 |
| Eccremocarpus scaber, 'Tresco' Mixed | 490H | 1 | £ 2.25 |
| Anethum graveolens, 'Mariska' | 102Q | 1 | £ 1.95 |
| Papaver somniferum Mixed Varieties | 954G | 1 | £ 1.75 |
| Lathyrus odoratus, Old-Fashioned Sweet Peas, 'Cupani' | 765Z | 1 | £ 1.95 |
| Salvia patens, 'Blue Angel' | 1141R | 1 | £ 3.15 |
| Salvia sclarea var. turkestanica | 1140R | 1 | £ 1.95 |
| Cleome spinosa, Mixed Colours | 366A | 1 | £ 1.85 |
| Pulsatilla vulgaris | 1075B | 1 | £ 3.25 |
| Helianthus annuus, 'Lemon Queen' | 674J | 1 | £ 2.25 |
| Abutilon x hybridum, F1 Hybrid, 'Bella' Series, Mixed | 5M | 1 | £ 3.15 |
| Angelica gigas | 102E | 1 | £ 3.65 |
| Carthamus tinctorius, 'Zanzibar' | 277P | 1 | £ 1.95 |
| Adonis aestivalis | 48 | 1 | £ 1.72 |
| Sub Total: | 16 Items | £ 39.55 | |
This would have been Daddy's birthday and he would have been 92. I'm glad now that he didn't make it to that age because he wouldn't have liked being so old. He enjoyed being active and getting out into the fresh air. The picture above shows him in his sixties. He was weather-beaten and gruff but always with a look of kindness. Kerry Sister, who took the picture, used to call him 'Badger'. I'm here from half three to half five if you want to go out.
I will never forget youI held you in the palm of my hand
It is past midnight now so it was yesterday was the fourth anniversary of Daddy's death. If he was still around he'd be in his 90th year.
Matty arranged an anniversary Mass in Tannaghmore chapel and Zoe, Hannah and myself were there. Before we left we had tea and scones at Matty's. Naturally the subject of babies and pregnancies were never far from our lips. Matty told this story which I'd forgotten. She said that when I was going into hospital to have Hannah I was quite blase and insisted on taking the town service bus. Once on the bus I asked the driver if he was going past the hospital. He took a scared look at me, for I must have been nine and a half months pregnant, and said, "No. This bus isn't. But if you give me a minute I'll take you to the bus station and I'll change buses and take you there myself." Which he did. Right to the very door. No doubt very relieved that he wasn't called upon to deliver Hannah himself.
Matty told another story and this one was about Daddy. A woman who lived in their parish would phone his house when she knew her baby was coming and ask for a lift to the hospital. Somehow Daddy always got the job of taking her. He was going out with Matty at the time and when she heard about this she asked him what he'd do if Mrs George started to give birth in the car. "What would I do?" says he. "I tell you what I'd do. I'd stop the car and get out and I'd take to the fields!"
Well - I had a child, another on the way, several hundred books, a bed, a toybox full of toys (but that wasn't mine) and a couple of chairs.
Word soon got out that I was in need of household effects and furnishings and friends rallied around to help. I soon had more furniture and bits and pieces than I needed. I never said no and that is a habit I have to this very day.
The house sorted, I began on the garden. I'd never had my own garden before and I was very excited. With help from my father, I began to create a lawn for the children to play on. It was hard work breaking the soil, getting the stones and builder's rubble out and raking and finishing. At last, Daddy pronounced it ready for sowing and gave me a plastic bag of grass seed. I scattered, sowed and waited with mounting anticipation.
It wasn't long before the first green shoots appeared. At first, it was only a light green haze but as the days progressed it became greener and greener. My father came to look at it. There were a lot of areas where the seed hadn't taken. He said, "Don't worry. They'll fill in."
The grass continued to grow. It actually started to look quite lush. Except... except it didn't really look like grass. Daddy said, "Redshank." I was very disappointed. My first attempt at sowing a lawn and I had created a weed patch. A lush and green weed patch but a weed patch all the same. I asked my father what I should do. He said, "Just cut them back, don't let them flower, the grass will come through."
I didn't even have garden shears so I tackled my weed patch with the kitchen scissors. It took a long time and I got blisters. But the grass came through just like Daddy said. Of course, the kitchen scissors proved impractical when that needed cutting and I acquired garden shears from somewhere and used them to keep the grass in check. To tell the truth, it was never much of a lawn but it was good enough for my children to play on.
Nowadays I have a lawn and a ride-on mower and a man to cut the grass for me. It's not the best lawn in the world but it's certainly good enough for my grandchildren to play on.