THE CELTIC CONNECTION « MARCH 1994
Page 13
A Precocious Boy Ponders Politics and St. Patrick
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By BRENDAN LANDERS ....HA HA HA!
I'm nine years old, checking out the statue on the mantel.
"Who's that, Ma?"
"Saint Patrick, son."
"Who's he?"
" He's the patron saint of Ireland."
"What's a patron saint?"
"A patron saint looks after a country."
"He's not doing a very good job, is he?"
"What do you mean?"
"Da says that, with 20 per cent unemployment and that bollix Reynolds running the country, the place is in a state of chassis." "Your father has a mouth on him." "Huh?"
"Saint Patrick looks after Irish souls."
"I thought the Pope did that."
"He does. Saint Patrick helps him."
"Oh. Okay." "Good boy."
"His hat is funny-looking."
"That's a mitre."
"It's long all right."
"A mitre is the kind of hat that bishops wear."
"Was Saint Patrick a bishop, Ma?"
"Yes. He was Ireland's first bishop."
"Did he have a son in America too?"
My Ma looks funny at me. "Saint Patrick brought the one true faith to Ireland," she says.
"He was with the EC?" "No, love. He brought Christianity to Ireland." "What was there before?" "Pagans."
"There were pagans in Ireland, Ma?"
"Yes."
"What about the saints and scholars?"
"What about them?" "Were they the pagans?" "No. Pagans can't be saints." "Why not?"
"They don't believe in God." "You mean John Hume?" "No, son. I mean the other God. The one in Heaven."
"Where did Saint Patrick come from?"
"England."
"I thought he was a Christian." "He was."
"Wasn't he a Protestant?" "Why?"
"All the English are Protestants, aren't they?" My Ma rolls her eyeballs.
"No, son. Not all of them. Anyway, Protestants are Christians too."
"Go 'way." "Really."
"If he was English, Saint Patrick was in the Tory Party."
"Why do you say that?" "Look, he's a man and he has a woman's dress on.
I betcha he's up for family values."
She looks at me funny again. "Kids know too much these days," she says.
"My middle name is Patrick."
"That's right. You're called after Saint Patrick".
"I thought I was called after Uncle Paddy."
"You were. But he was called after Saint Patrick. So you are too, sort of. You're called after both of them. Lots of Irish men are called after Saint Patrick."
"Is that why the Brits call us Paddies? Because we took their saint?"
"Could be."
"Who's the patron saint of England?"
"Saint George, I think."
"We should call them Georgies."
She thinks.
"Maybe we should," she says. "Saint Georgeslayed the dragon, didn't he?"
"He did."
"Mrs. Thatcher. The dragon lady."
My ma groans.
"That one he missed," she says.
"What's that he's standing on?" I say.
"A snake. Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland."
"I thought that was Padraig Pearse."
"That was later. Different snakes."
"Where's Saint Patrick now?" "In heaven." "With Granny?" "Yes."
"Granny will like that." "Why?"
"She always said she liked a large Paddy of an evening."
(Paddy — an Irish Whisky)
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Brendan Landers is the managing editor and publisher of Ireland's Eye, a Toronto-based quarterly magazine.
Author's Depictions True-to-Life
CARN
by Patrick McCabe Picador/paperback 252 pages ISBN 0 330 32808 5
Reviewed by Sharon Brown One of the pleasures in reading Patrick McCabe's novel, Cam, is his sparse, raw writing style — there is nothing verbose about this writer.
His clear, concise treatment of words is wonderful in conveying a powerful, tragic and melancholy tale about the inhabitants or a small border town in Ireland, where the title of the book comes from. It was a real treat to discover this author, having never read any of his other works.
Cam unravels the story of people living out their mundane lives in a seemingly tranquil town, suddenly transformed into a thriving, bustling place when a native, recently returned from the United States, opens a factory.
There are many stories interwo-
ven in this delightful novel, but without a doubt the most moving is the one depicting the character of Josie Keenan.
McCabe's portrayal of her sad life shows a depth of understanding, compassion and sensitivity so difficult to capture in prose.
Her pitiful story is one of sexual abuse, isolation and inevitable destruction amongst a narrow-minded community during the 1950's to contemporary times.
Particularly noteworthy is McCabe's rendering of the town's hypocrisy and ultimate ostracism of this pathetic, broken woman. His understanding of the dark
side of human nature is simply remarkable.
McCabe demonstrates courage and backbone in imparting the calamitous and evil consequences of British interference and tyranny in Ireland, so often avoided by the Irish themselves.
That is the frustrating unwillingness of many people from the South to confront the atrocities and blame the real culprits in this conflict, where a society under unbelievable pressures often react with violence.
His jarring d escription of a bomb set off by a loyalist paramilitary group is chilling ana deeply disturbing. In fact, this book will leave you disconcerted but hopefully more thoughtful and charitable.
Patrick McCabe is the author of Music on Clinton Street and The Butcher Boy. He was shortlisted for the 1992 Booker Prize and was winner of the Irish Times Literature Prize for Fiction. He was born in County Monaghan and now resides in London.
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* ST. PATRICK'S DAY SPECIAL *
* Reg£E1& now $24.95
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^ (St. Pat's Price Special to B.C. residents only) ^ ************
MURPHY'S PUB
Recently Renovated
• Tues — Jazz
• Wed — Karaoke with Gwen
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Be sure to visit us on St. Patrick's Day Special entertainment all day — no cover
515 Seymour Street (Pender & Seymour)
Vancouver, B.C.
(604) 684-7757