Dublin to Kerry

Looking across the Shannon estuary towards Co Clare from Co Kerry


The tail of a Boeing flying boat sticking out from the museum.



A replica of the flying boat.


On our way South from Dublin miles of Munster rugby supporters were heading up to Dublin flags flying.
They were beaten so all the flags were inside the cars coming home.

Such is the sporting life.

Well I am home again after a trip down to just over the Kerry border. A family affair when we all get together.
Nice to see old and new faces again.

The hotel where the function took place had a wedding coming for 250 people, because of the Rugby match the put off the meal until 7.30pm Now with Munster beaten the wedding dinner might just be a bit of a flop, but they are resilient people.

The function took place near Foynes and that is where the flying boats used to come in from America,way before Shannon airport became the "Trans Atlantic" hub for Europe.
They have a museum there to the flying boats 4 times I have been there and it was closed this time as well. When it was opened first the honor fell to Maureen O'Hara of Hollywood fame to cut the ribbon. Her husband was a flying boat pilot.
He was killed in a plane crash RIP.
Irish coffee was invented at this time to "Revive" frozen passengers on arrival.

On the way home there was a shudder and when I pulled over we had a flat tyre.
I jacked her up and took off the wheel nuts and the wheel was stuck fast,it wouldn't budge.
So I did what I have never done in more than 40 years driving...I rang for help.
Hello Quinn direct!! then the questions, Reg? Color?,Make? Model? Where are you now?
I am north of Portlaoise on the M7..Where exactly are you?Its a very long road...
Just North of Portlaoise on the M7...Then I saw a sign which showed me the junction number,, she asked me twice where that was...Then the next question made me loose my cool.

Where were you coming from? and how much of your journey have you completed?

"What the hell has that got to do with the price of tea in China?"

Her response was I am only trying to get help to you quickly....

Well help did come and he had a sledge hammer, a bit too much I thought, but no it took 4 stout blows to loosen the wheel. "Alloys are a disaster" said he and he is right. Give me a steel rim any day.
So I am home late.
I will put the space saver wheel in the boot so that I can work Sunday and Monday and get it fixed on Tuesday.

I picked up a guy the other day and he has been with me ever since. Started on the South Circular Road to Harold's Cross. On the way he stopped at 2 coin boxes to make phone calls, then back into the taxi only to finally get out close to Terenure.

It hit me 5 minutes after he got out of the car, he was trying to buy heroin.
Some dealers will not accept calls form mobiles because the phones all become interlinked and when the dealer gets pulled over the Garda can find out who they have been calling and who called them.
God protect him he was a harmless kid of around 20, probably lost his job and is now hurting a lot, so he is seeking comfort in the needle.

Its the first few steps down a very steep cliff.

Still I am no Mother Theresa going around picking up lost souls, not that I don't care, I do. But it is worse knowing there is little you can do.

I was reading Tim Pat Coogans Blog and I have to agree with him. It is time to get out the Guillotine an top all of our leaders,they are all a total waste of space. You could put a padlock on Leinster house and let the civil service run the country.
To make it worse they have not a clue as to what me might do to turn things around.

Give the kids too much money and see what happens!



The final test