I've had enough of all this economic misery. I'm going to live on an island in the Atlantic.
Until Sunday.
That's right. I'm off to Inis Mór for the weekend, with a couple of the natives. We're meeting up with an advance party led by my No 1 child, who have been there covertly since yesterday, bravely swallowing pints and making observations.
Crude observations.
Whenever I go over to Aran, I always underestimate the trip. It's a long old drive to Ros a'Mhíl where I'm catching the ferry, and I usually end up running for the boat as it pulls away from the quayside.
Hold on a fucking minute. Fan nóiméad, a chuintín!
Not this time though. No indeed. This time I'll leave good and early, to avoid delays, which means there will be no delays. No tractors on the road. No quartets of old ladies driving to bingo at four miles an hour. No trucks transporting hundred-ton cranes. I'll arrive hours early and spend an eternity wandering back and forth on the pier in the freezing cold like a complete fucking gom.
Look. I was going to do a bit of commenting on current affairs today, 
but you know, it's just so disastrous, I don't think I'll bother. I'll just summarise all of today's papers and radio bulletins in one, handy phrase that you can easily fit in your pocket as you shuffle on board the emigrant boat: The country's fucked.
I hear Angela Merkel is going to take us over, and you know what? Maybe it would be no harm, instead of the fucking apes we've had leading us for ninety years. Maybe the country would start to be managed properly for a change. We might even have a government with – wait for it – ideas! A government with ideas. Wouldn't that make a welcome change?
As I said, I've had enough of this shit, so for now, I'm emigrating. To the Aran Islands. Till Sunday.
Let me know when the Germans arrive.
Enjoy! Years ago I used to spend time on Oileán Chléire, and up in Cruit, and it was brilliant. It'll do you a power of good, I've no doubt.
We'll SMS at the sound of the first "Ach mein Gott!"
PS: Wouldn't be great to see a new series of Ted? (sigh)
every year, i say i'm going to order one of those gorgeous sweaters for the MITM, but then he goes back to depestdarkestafrica and it just doesn't seem appropriate be well, have fun and raise a glass for me! xox
Bring your woolies, I'm sitting here in Salthill looking out at the islands, there's a lot of low cloud and a nip in the air (as opposed to a German on the ground that is!) – it's high stool weather for sure so, oil your elbow – you don't want it seizing up on you now. Enjoy.
well feck, arse and drink, I'm going to be shivering my ass off at the other side, tucking into some nice perry winkles :)
Very jealous Bock
You should post some photos
Enjoy, you hoor! Regards to the 'Hopper.
First drink since Tuesday night while ago.
Nuts
Oh dear, Bock. Is it that bad? How 'fucked a country' Ireland must be, indeed, when Angie and the Germans are thought of as (perhaps) 'a welcome change'?
And now for something completely different: Have a great weekend. And my regards to Mr. Synge in case you happen to meet him after the xth pint of plain.
bon voyage Bock… Pausing the world and having some time off is a great idea…
Why stop posting Bock.
Father Hackett has a laptop to keep in touch with his girls and order his drink online.
You may have to bribe him with the promise of a bishopric full of young nuns, or failing that maybe a gallon of brake fluid.
I love Fr. Ted. My little cousin played an alter boy in 1 epiosde. Don't forget to visit Ennistymon on your way. They filmed my lovely horse down by the falls.
Fucking apes for sure, ach mein gott for certain; Nora, but the islands are a tonic:)
you should stop off in killnaboy on the way :-)
enjoy anyway ya fecker.
as the wan behind the counter at the dole office said the other week as i signed on the dotted line "we're all fucked".
Have fun, Bockles and come back safe and sound to us. These people from islands in the North Atlantic – don't trust them for a minute, nor look directly in their eyes.
Stall the ball there sham!! Don't you already live on an island in the Atlantic? Fucking raging I didn't stay on for Tedfest.
A word with Mulley is in order I think.
Nora — It did me a power of good. thanks.
Savannah — Yeah. Hard to see what good an Aran sweater would be to a man in deepest darkest Africa.
Annb — I have to tell you now, apart from a slight soaking due to an ill-advised stroll, we got away lightly. Little or no rain. Well, by Jesus!
Trinity — Enjoy your snails.
Gubu World — Photos posted as requested.
Nut — Seeya soon. Pints at weekend perhaps.
Seán — It's worse than that bad. It's a disaster. that's why we need escapism.
Nevin — You should come over and try it some time. I'll put you up.
Abbot — I had to stop posting due to a surfeit of drink.
Elle — Ennistymon would be a small bit out of my way. I went n=by the main road, but I'm planning to head up around the Burren during the summer and so I might go in search of the falls and hum a verse of Horse.
Unstranger — The islands are always good for the soul.
Eva — I should but I didn't. Boat to catch. Feck!
Sammi — You'd know all about squinty-eyed islanders. Maybe you'd go over to Aran yourself some day. You'd probably feel right at home.
HQ — You would have been the least weird person there.