The recent postings about the Tech, Convent, Hilden and Central schools and English teachers brought to me a poem we learned over 60 years ago in the Ulster dialect, "Wee Hughie"! Miss Skannell taught us it, Elisabeth Shane wrote it
It would be a shame if our Ulster dialect got lost. "Keep the home fires burning"!
donald

Wee Hughie
He's gone to school, Wee Hughie,An' him not four.
Sure I saw the fright was in him when he left the door
.But he took a hand o 'Denny an' a hand o' Dan,
Wi' Joe's owld coat upon him -Och, the poor wee man!
He cut the quarest figure,more stout nor thin;
An' trottin' right an' steady wi his toes turned in.
I watched him to the corner 0' the big turf stack,An' the more his feet went forrit,still his head turned back.
He was lookin',would I call him -Och me heart was woe
-Sure it's lost I am without him but he be to go.
I followed to the turnin' when they passed it by,
God help him, he was cryin',an', maybe, so was I.
Elisabeth Shane

Thanks Donald!

Donald

It reminded me of our little grandson Rufus, all of 3 years old and at half time Nursery School. We picked him up last Thursday and his teacher ran up to us and said that she had had to give him "Thinking Time" His sin was in the wash room, he squirted the running tap all over the place and they had to mop up! Poor little chap, time out, when is only three! We had to smile, but did tell him he mustn't do it again.

Liz
kids are a blessing, except for my brother I never had much experience with children as our mother died in 1949 until our 2 came along and it was only then I realised how much life they bring into a home.When a child moves out it leaves a vacuum.It was only when both girls moved out that we realised that 90% of our conversation was about them. Our 3 grandsons carried on the fun and we had ( and still do ) much pleasure with them. Now they are grown up , 24, 20 and 15 but their interest now is with girls and sport but nevertheless call quite often to see us as we all live quite near each other.
donald

Donald, if family are near, it makes home. Sadly today children are scattered to the other ends of the country, or even abroad. I am so pleased your grandchildren acknowledge you and I have no doubt with your broad knowledge they look up to you (and herself of course).

wee hughie,
very nice donald

Liz

Ireland was always an Emigrant country , as you know, lack of work, poverty and famine forced it to export it´s most valuable asset = educated people. In Hilden and around Lisburn (not only ) there was always families leaving. I remember waiting anxiously at Xmas, Easter and "the Twelfth " for the letter from America with the 6 dollars from our Aunt Mary. It was a small fortune and when the parcels came with such luxuries as cigarettes, chocolate, spam and the comics which were part of the newspapers there then the pleasure was overwhelming. It tempted us to commit a mortal sin such as stealing a pack of Lucky Strike. What sinners we were then. But you are correct having family near is a blessing.Our eldest daughter was chosen over 30 years ago to go to Richmond on a 3 month Scholarship to Richmond USA and it was torture for herself and me. When I´m away on holiday the most welcome thing is the flight home to the family.

donald

Donald - Wee Hughie - So lovely to read this poem, I remember learning this at primary school. Well done you for remembering all the words. Charlotte Rosemary

Percy French´s " An Irish mother " hit me last night, must be getting old
donald

A wee slip drawin' water,
The ould man at the plough,
No grown-up son nor daughter,
That's the way we're farmin' now.
"No work and little pleasure"
Was the cry before they wint,
Now they're gettin' both full measure,
So I ought to be contint.

Great wages men is givin'
In the land beyant the say,
But 'tis lonely — lonely livin'
Whin the childher is away.

Och the baby in the cradle,
Blue eyes and curlin' hair,
God knows I'd give a gra'dle
To have little Pether there;
No doubt he'd find it funny
Lyin' here upon me arm,
Him — that's earnin' the good money,
On a Californy farm.

Continuation
donald

Six pounds it was or sivin
He sint last quarter day,
But 'tis lonely -- - lonely livin'
Whin the childher is away.

God is good — no better,
And the Divil might be worse,
Each month there comes a letther
Bringing something for the purse.
And the ould man's heart rejoices
When I read they're doin' fine,
But it's oh! to hear their voices,
And to feel their hands in mine.
To see the cattle driven'
And the young ones makin' hay,
'Tis a lonely land to live in
When the childher is away.
Whin the shadows do be fallin'
On the ould man there an' me,
'Tis hard to keep from callin'
"Come in, childher, to yer tea!'
I can almost hear them comin'
Mary, Kate and little Con --
Och! but I'm the foolish woman,
Sure they're all grown up an' gone.

That our sins may be forgiven,
An' not wan go asthray, I doubt I'd stay in Heaven
If them childher was away.

Thank you Donald, I enjoyed that, if enjoyment is the word. Remembering is such a happy and sad reaction to how things used to be. I suppose I am sentimental. How big families used to live in tiny two up, two down cottages and all the rest makes me wonder, when we have so much luxury today that we take for granted. But every age has its good and bad, hardships and pleasures I suppose.

Donald, I don't know that poem. However, even thought it's early morning, it brought tears to my eyes. I could empathise with it.

Must be getting old and sentimental I searched the Web for this last night, for me one of James Young,s best poems, it brings tears and memories
donald

They have given me me notice. I must pack me sticks an go
It's part of this slum clearance scheme an it must be done a know
because, a house is like a person, it gets run down an oul
an it suffers like the rest o us from the years aheed an coul.
The talk is all o housin trusts an flats an new estates,
have bathrooms an wee gardens an subsidies for rates.
but down near at the City Hall uner the big green dome,
that the minage place their pullin down is some poor crater's home.
It seems like only yesterday since my Mary dear an me
come to this house from our honeymoon it was a trip to Cardeley
an this wee house bit us welcome, we knew that this was home
an always we would mind it no matter who would rome.
The front door had a knocker with a shine that would blin your eye
an the winda's got a lick o paint each year around July.
With paper an its temper, we would always kept it neat
an sure Mary scrubbed the front door step half roads across the street.
We had the wee back yard well white washed an as neat as it could be
o nastursium's an bergonia's an some ferns ecarnity.
There's a wee hout who's placed down the yard it often makes me grin.
The doors still got the chisel marks where wee shoey got shut in.
The childer grew up roun us six fine sturdy sons we had.
This wee house bid them welcome, it was home till every lad.
It'll linger in their memories still, though far they had to rome.
The waters call it just a slum, till them it's, it's home.
We had no television then, but ach, sure we'd never lack
lots of good company round the fire an a bit of friendly craic.
An ja know this wee house seemed ta listen. When a neighboured toul a joke
an, somehow it would hear it laughin back when I'm given the fire a poke.
We had one wee golden lassy were we'd be watchin smile.
we thought her light the brightest for it shone that short a while.
an on the day she left us, it was as if this house knew
for with silent sadness this wee house, mourned her to.
Soon Mary was to follow after, the man above knows best,
I'll be content till I'm beside them when it comes my time to rest.
But I wish they'd let me stay a while till the master bids me come.
An the wee house bright with memories, an they call it just a slum.

Donald,

Thank you so much for that little piece from James Young. I heard him recite that at the "Group" many years ago and I also have it on a DVD. To see it written down I tried to repeat it in his accent,I just don't come close. I am going to search for the DVD just to let Doreen and the family listen to it,he was a master at this kind of thing. Thanks again

Beano

Beano I have a video of him ( but no video player), must ask some of my mates to put it onto a DVD. If I remember correctly I saw him perform in the 50s or 60s in the Assembly Rooms in Lisburn. He died of a heart attack sometime in the 70s. He was able to joke about the "troubles " and no one took offence.
donald

Another blast is " Tea time with Tommy", each weekday on UTV in the 50s and 60s. Anyone remember him? Tommy James I think was his name. James Young once joked about him, he said he worked with a fellow for years and did not know he was a Catholic until he saw him performing one evening on the Tommy James show. He said they were thinking of changing the name to " Taig time with Tommy"! James Young could joke about things like that without anyone taking offence.
donald

omg lisburns been nuked. everybodys taken refuge in wetherspoons fallout shelter with no access to computers or any communication with the outside world. I'm all alone again. (not much difference there then}

Wrong again, the´re all out doing their Christmas shopping or baking wee buns and scones for Xmas.
donald

Donald, you have it right. Shopping, putting up decorations cooking, baking and getting it in the neck for spending too much. Who'd be a womAn?

Ann,

correct, a woman´s work is never done. Herself has a very painful and swollen forefinger on her right hand, pointing and indicating at all the work I have to do.

dessie

Arbeit wird euch frei machen herr watters

Remember that old song " Work for the night is coming"?
When I arrived in the Vaterland 45 years ago I was told I do not have to work, all I have to do is just push a button. Unfortunately I could not find that button and had to work like two men and a wee lad all my life!
donald

But you did retire early Donald, so that made up for it! Work hard, retire early sounds right to me.

Have a great life
Liz

Liz
correct,The Company were very generous to their older employees, I stopped work a few days before my 58 birthday, with 8 75% Gross = 82% Net ) of my previous salary until I was 63 and entitled to the State Pension ( and that from the Company )All employees 54 and older were entitled to do this .A gift from Heaven each day you do not have to go to work. Believe it or not, some ( for me ejits ) were not happy with this. Why, still remains a mystery!I am at home now over 13 years and enjoy each day. I,m still able to help my friends and neighbours and of course Herself with little jobs and love searching for bargains and reading the Obituary notices in the local and norniron newspapers.
donald

Sounds great Donald, I raise my glass to you and herself! I have to say the sixth decade of my life was the happiest, and just into my seventh, it continues so! Anybody else say the same folks?

Liz,absolutely not. I wish I was 20 again. There's absolutely nothing to recommend advancing years. Sorry I cannot agree with you on this one.

I wholeheartedly agree with you ann. there's nothing good about advancing years. were' all in god's waiting room never knowing when the lift arrives for us. I still work among the younger generation who tend to view us as a separate species to generally avoid at all costs socially. never having had children of my own(as far as I know)it lets you stand back and watch other people's children's behaviour critically. mostly they appear to be waiting to be able to p**s their legacy down the drain. now I know there are exceptions to every rule but they seem to be in the minority. I'm sorry but love tends to put blinkers on a lot of people. healthwise if I was a horse they'd shoot me & if I was a horse I'd let them. now If this post doesn't regenerate lisburn.com's forum it's doomed.

Donald rescue me! Actually I didn't say the healthiest decade, I said the 'happiest*. Now then, anyboday happy enough to want to live!!

Liz
Those of us who worked our fingers to the bone all our lives are glad to be old and retired.
donald the hard worker

Donald,


Whatever you enjoy is the way to go, personally I find I am busier now than ever, as it takes longer to do things I did without thinking years ago. When I put glasses on I always have to redo things I thought were done perfectly, like dusting etc.

Every stage of life has its ups & downs but retirement gives us freedom at least, time is our own. I have spent 2 hours at this computer this morning so now I must catch up, but what the heck,tomorrow is another day.

Pat