City of the Tribes.

Just returned from weekend away in Galway with she who must be obeyed.The kids very kindly stumped up the break as a surprise for our birthdays.
We enjoyed the break and rested well.
We stayed in the Raddison Blu,beside the Coach Station.No complaints there.It is not far from Eyre Square and Shop Street which appear to be the hub of the City now,unlike the years of yore when all the action was at Salthill.
To begin with the Coach station is half finished ,the Contractor seemingly being NAMAD.It is perhaps a sign of the times past when an entrance way to the site,which shows signs of wino's usage ,is adorned by a sign threatening a clamping release fee of E.1,500.00 for illegal parking.Talk about losing the run of yourself.Sure everybody carried around that sum just to free their cars a few years ago .Didn't they?No wonder we are fecked.
There is a Taxi rank outside the Coach Station at which the vast majority of drivers were black with the minority being of native stock.
Because of my situation we had to get taxis a few times.Both blacks and whites were grand and very considerate.By coincidence maybe, the Galway men that ferried us were GAA men and we struck it off straight away.Like Meath emigration is a huge problem there and they tell me that there is no money floating about.The local team were beaten the weekend in the Senior football championship .Seemingly they came up from Intermediate a few years ago, a feat we hope to accomplish ourselves this year.We beat Syddan this week but I  missed the match and will put up only a truncated report in due course.
On the Sunday we went to Mass in the local St.Patricks Church at 10.30 a.m.Given that the Country is now lead by men from the Western World,the Taoiseach being a Mayo man,the Tanaiste being a Galway man ,  the Minister for Jiggery Pokery and several other brathair  also hailing from thereabouts I was anxious to gauge whether the recent anti Catholic invective was having an effect in the heartland of Government.
Well I can say that the Church was far better attended than the Dail and that the children's soundproof room was well full.While I have no way of knowing whether the attendees were mostly locals or visitors I suspect that the former was the position.I would say that the Church was a third full.Nearly all went to Communion,nobody left early when the Hymn "Sweet Heart of Jesus " was sung by the Priest and Conregation at the end of Mass and many stayed for a chat outside the Church afterwards.Very few a la carte CAtholics as far as I could see.
Of course agressive secular disrespect is found everywhere and broken glas from cider and liquor bottles littered the pathway into the Church.This had been cleares away by the time mass was over.
After the Games on Sunday we went for a jog on a horse drawn carriage around Eyre square.I thoroughly enjoyed it as I did the horseman,as straight a man as you would meet.
He confirmed that there is not a bob stirring .Even race week was no good as after spending on food etc., nothing was left  with the punters for further spending.He could see no future in the game and would probably have to re-emigrate to the U.S.A.whence he had recently returned.When you hear triers like him calling it as it is you get very worried.
The city itself was full of Mediterranian visitors,Spanish,French ,Italian it seemed to me and there were a good few Yanks and Scandanivans  around also.There is a nice buzz in the City and a great sense of security.There is no sense of danger nor of mugging.How this is achieved without any visible sign of police presence is a mystery to me,but it is.I had absolutely no fear of being accosted in  Galway as I was in Trim for example.
Eating out is what you make of it.You can pay from a tenner for a main course up to fifty for three courses depending on your preferences.All palates are catered for and as the Italians and the Spanish seem to eat late, most establishmenyts stay open late.
We found an astablishment called "Finnegans " a  little way from Shop Street ,run by a decent man fom Ahane in Limerick which ticked all our boxes.The food was first class.the surroundings grand,the service excellent and the prices very reasonable.There is a small bar attached to the diner so all needs are catered for under the one roof.Grand place.I would recommend it to anybody.
W came and went by coach from Kinnegad.At E18.00 return it was not dear.Going down and coming back  the drivers were Galwaymen.They were the essence of decency and consideration.In particular the return journey driver couldn't do enough for an elderly lady passenger in dropping her at her destination ,
To misqoute an uncle of mine,"If  he does not go to Heaven ,there is no such place."Good on you,you son of Corofin.
My great grandmother on my mother's side came from that neck of the woods.I hope that the kindness these people showed rubs off on me.