The young boys would always remember where they were that day. To say it was historic would be to underplay its significance. It brought people together at last, families who had been divided, separated and isolated were now free to travel from east to west, west to east.
There was smell in the air. Later in life the eldest boy would associate it with freedom, the youngest, for some reason, with burning horses. Despite the November chill the day was clear and sunny, jet trails scuttering from the arses of planes the only marks on the pristine sky. The boys were giddy, messing about, but grew more solemn than their ages when they realised what was about to happen.
They watched as the work began. They had never known life without the wall, they had been told of its significance and its impact, but they had no sense of loss. Not like those who stood now before it, ready to knock it down. For them it had been a nightmare, some trapped on the wrong side, those who fell trying to cross it were never forgotten, and as they lined up, muscles bunched, teeth gritted, ready to strike a blow for freedom, for dignity and for life, the years of torment were evident in their strained expressions.
The chunks of concrete flew as they hammered away at the wall. For so long it had been a symbol of division, of all that was wrong with their lives, their communities. From up on high it had been decided that they had to be kept apart, regardless of the human cost. Yet people didn’t matter to them. There was no thought about what might be best for those who had to endure life with the wall. It was indiscrimate – young and old, healthy and sick, rich and poor, all partitioned.
The atmposphere built, there was excitement, someone sang, others joined in, and the work continued. The boys could feel it, they could almost touch it, and they were caught up in it despite not really understanding how important the event they were witnessing was. Eventually the breakthrough was made, a small hole appeared and through it came a hand. It grasped the hand on their side, at last the connection had been made.
Grown men wept openly, cries of laughter and celebration echoed through the air as they continued to work on demolishing the thing which had caused them such pain through the years. Now they could live as one, they could reach the other side, they could live together as they had always wanted to. Families and friends were reunited that day, they hugged, they laughed and cried together, and as they did the two boys jumped through the rubble from one side to the other, over and over until even their young legs, so full of happy energy, grew tired.
From that day forward the people of Blarney Park and Tonguefield Road would never be divided again.
Hah. Which was the scummy side? Probably Blarney Park. Any roads named after a part of Ireland are a bit crap.
Blarney Park is in Kimmage.
Seeing as how Twenty is from Crumlin you obviously have it the wrong way ’round HM.
Crummage, if you please.
Or Kimlin.
Nice! The queues at the Capri chipper must have been mental that evening.
Any idea what year this happened, Twenty?
No, I don’t. Have been trying to find out but no luck so far.
Terenimmage
Cruminure
Foxteely
Cabinrock
Rathfermot
Ballyowth
Dungrove
Nutdrum
Sandyteer
Ballinford
Rathogue
Templefarnham
Windytown
Goatsarbour
Ringsorgan
Stillend
SallyBrack
BallyNoggin
What’s with the coded posts ?
Different neighbourhoods of Dublin broken up and reassmbled.
e.g
Crumlin and Kimmage – Crimmage
Ah, I thought I had been excluded from the inner circle again.
Newtownmountmount
Beautownmountkennendy
Ballsorgan
It would be even more interesting if certain urban areas in the North were almagamated.
Bogfountainside or The Shan-falls Road(s) anyone?
Haroldsorgan
Stoney-organ
Ballsbatter
Windy Bush
Leopardsend
Five places in Dublin ending in ‘o’, anyone name them? Phibsboro doesn’t count because of the ‘ugh’.
Rialto
Marino
Pimlico?
Portobello
Does Martello count ?
The Zoo
Monto ?
Diagio
Ballyfermo’
Anto.
The S.W.O.
Rialto
Marino
Portobello
Casino
Pimlico
Phibsmines
Foxnoggin
Crumdrum
Fortunesfarnham
Ten points for Git.
Actually turns out it was five with Phibsboro included. My bad. I vow to quit blogging as a result of this oversight.
Holemaster do you want a ‘Very Good’ sticker or whats wrong with you?
A medal would be good.
Why can’t you write like that more often? Instead of calling people cunts? My mum would respect you too. Excellent spiel.
HM? for you.
http://i41.tinypic.com/10sfxjl.jpg
Ten points!
Hurrah!
Thank you ‘Cut & Paste’.
Thank you Google.
Well, for your mum then, Itchy. Ok.
A really surprising end for it though would have been if it were two little Berlin lads witnessing the tearing down of the Berlin wall…
heh
Is your mum still OK for supper my place tonight itchy ? She’s not answering her phone.
maggot Says:
May 11th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Is your mum still OK for supper my place tonight itchy ? She’s not answering her phone.
maggot. Your number gets re-directed to sinn fein head office as crank calls…then the baseball bats start. Adams topped the poll again…fucking hell.
Ah but there’s still the 38th Parnell separating Kimmage from Dolphin’s Barn.
What did you tell her about me itchy ? She seemed so keen!
“maggot. Your number gets re-directed to sinn fein head office as crank calls…”
Leave me out of this itchy. The Brits are in enough trouble.
I think I may have mentioned orange and fascist. Something along those lines.
I think I may have mentioned orange and fascist. Something along those lines.
You have hurt my feelings.
I hope that fish finger had diphyllobothrium.
I wonder if the chemist will take the Blue Stratos back ?
I don’t what it had but me bollix are itchier than they normally are
Crank; too late now, you’re dragged into it
I don’t what it had but me bollix are itchier than they normally are
That’s not the fish finger, it’s the crabs
That’s what you get for dragging me into it. And those are finest Republican fighting crabs.
Mwaaahhhhaaaaaa…….
Shuddering to think where he got them …..
Why can’t you write like that more often? Instead of calling people cunts? My mum would respect you too. Excellent spiel.
What the fuck? Are you on drugs? Ya cunt