The Lough
(I posted this a couple of weeks ago but unbelievably the comments were degenerating into an orange and green issue. The Loughs water is owned by lord Salisbury, but all political parties here can’t wash their hands of the issues)
I held my Das hand at Barton’s bay, as he introduced me to a beautiful sea that wasn’t a sea.
Even the eels couldn’t tell the difference between it and the Blue Sargasso.
Awestruck that we were at this beautiful beach without the two hour drive, the fights in the back seat, and fan belts blowing in the old blue Cortina.
As we paddled in waist high I asked him, do you think I could swim to the other side?
He said, “not today son”..
I’ve been down there on summers days, cycling from meadowbrook with my friends Carvy Jeff Stooge JP Kevy Jim, and we swam in beautiful clear waters forgetting the war and mayhem of the eighties, on a beautiful blue sky day, wishing it could be like this all the time.
School trips to Oxford Island introduced to us it’s precious nature, and we loved it even more.
Tom Kevilles daughter told us then forty years ago that we must protect it from eutrophication.
Tried to explain, the Lough is in fact our world.
On low days I took myself to the Lough and it never failed to lift me.
One day I wondered again at a very low ebb, I wondered again could I swim across it ?
I packed in the cigarettes and booze trained for months, asked whatever gods there may be in the Lough, for safe passage and had a nine and a half hour pupation.
I got out at the Battery bar along with my pinebank pal Gerdy Martin.
Two big eels swam up the slipway in front of us and a big Ardboe man lifted them and said, youse are some boys youse have even brought in two eels.
Later in the battery bar I was lifted into the air by big Tyrone fishermen, with my lurgan mates playing music in the background
I had the day of the mayfly and I promised whatever god that there may be in the Lough I would pay her back.
I cannot believe that I and everyone else inluding the chiefs of our too proud tribes, will fight and riot over perceived fundamentals and yet allow the absentee landlords to let her die.
By
Gordon Padraig OHadmail
Aka Gordy aka wrecking ball aka weasel aka flash etc etc.
I personally like flash given by Eamon Cassidy aka Feet!
