May 11 2016
‘You can’t beat it…’
‘How do you explain to someone from America, who are on their first ever visit to the “Emeral Isle” about the custom of everyone offering them “A cup of tea…”? When I brought them on a visit to some far flung relation the first thing that was offered was not a handshake but a cup of tea as on went the kettle. It was and still is the way in most homes in Cabra West. ‘Ah, come in, I’ll put the kettle on…’. Sure anytime a neighbour would call into the Ma’ with a problem the kettle was put on the Gas Stove or the Hob at the fire and in next to no time at all sure there was a cup of tea, the remedy for all aches, pains and problems. The Ma’ would give us a look and out we went because “Little pigs have big ears”. Now I never noticed that anytime I went to the Cattle Market in Prussia Street and I’d see the pigs over on the far side of the Market, sure all their ears looked the same size to me. Sure I remember the time when the brother worked for a place and he would bring home empty Tea Chests and we’d tear all of the silver paper out of them and bring it to school for “The Black Babies”. The Da’ would turn the Tea Chest upside down on our kitchen table and loads of tea would fall out as well as lots of dust and stuff. I remember one time the Da’ brought home a “Whistling Kettle” from work. Imagine that all the same, a kettle that could whistle. So now, go and put the kettle on and we’ll have a cuppa…’