Unfortunately, Paddy’s day was a complete wash out. I had tickets organised for Westmoreland street. I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to make the parade and Comic Relief on the same day, so I sacrificed the parade.
And a good decision it was too!
The misery of the rain is tough, even for the Irish. I felt sorry for those who put so much time and effort into their floats, only to have the spectacle and effects washed away.
The Irish Comic Relief was certainly worth going to. Any atmosphere of the day (up to that point) had been well dampened! Even on the Luas, I think I only saw one person with anything green on.
It was a very well organized evening and raised apparently €300,000 for homeless causes. I remembered Deirdre O’00000000000000000 Kane thanking us for coming.
In reality, it was us that got the great bargain!
Dara O’Briain was good, Al Porter was great, Tommy Tiernan was a good crowd pleasing closer. I was disappointed by Jason Byrne and Panti Bliss, who genuinely wanted to distance him/herself from any supposedly inspirational pedestal that s/he had once been on and instead descended to abject crassness.
I like toilet humour as much as the next person, but not to the point of choking on it!
On Saturday, I saw the Ray D’Arcy interview with Katie Tobin. This ex nun, ex palliative care nurse is now in the final stage of MS.
Of course she doesn’t want to die a “natural death” and maybe lose her eyesight or her ability to communicate in that ugly, mandated choice-less, but holy and commanded Irish ending.
It stirred all the usual emotions in me, anger that humans should be so lucky to be treated half as well as sick dogs are.
I did not like the way she ended the interview, with a sort of begging bowl rattling, which detracted from an otherwise powerful message.
I liked her even less, after going to her Facebook page and seeing that she had brazenly put up her bank account number and sort code.
I have seen other Facebook entries, where she gives out her home phone number. This is a very intelligent woman, doing some very stupid things.
I’m sure not everyone is running to offer help. I just hope that she remains safe and does not put herself into too vulnerable a position.
I suppose you will do anything when you are desperate enough. Its not like any medication is going to restore her health, which MS has torn to shreds.
I wish her all the best of course and a fate different to the local woman who I knew with MS, who did indeed lose her sight and power of communication at the only end available to her in this country.
I saw a homeless person on the street in Newbridge yesterday, totally bent over and having a snooze on the pavement. It was a cold, grey, raining morning and that sight would break anyones heart.
As we come to another easter, these two strong images of the constant suffering that ordinary people endure, makes me totally skeptical and nonplussed about the self inflicted and over lauded antics of a desert itinerant.
I hope that these lazy, over indulged (and patently man made) gods will soon be the subject of a long overdue role reversal, garnishing just a little more concern and focus for us lowly humankind!
Links used for this blog:
Katie Tobin: Clearly no problem disclosing personal information on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/kate.tobin3
Katie Tobin on Ray D’Arcy
http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/the-ray-darcy-show-extras-30003588/10701357/