I guess it’s a time to remember When the snow falls to the earth Over this great world in December, With its sadness and its mirth. The holly branch of memory Adorns another time. The toasts of happy yester-years Now make my life sublime.
The flames from a turf fire burning Above an open hearth, The old songs give me yearning For a younger time on earth. The father went down to the corner Which had a corner-store, With toys and cakes and everything, Aye and something strong for sure.
For lord ‘twas only the divil And we all waiting there For him to be home for the supper, Out of the cold and frosty air. My letter to Santa was written. I asked for tracks and train And hoped I’d not be forgotten When Rudolf and Santy came.
And after an early supper ‘Twas off to bed in glee. There’d be no sleep on Christmas Eve Till Santa Clause I’d see. But somehow, something peculiar, For many a year and oft , I always went to slumber And sight of the man I lost.
My sock was on a bed railing Waiting for the dawn, I awoke to the crackle of bacon And church bells praised the morn. And how I tore at that stocking That was stitched up bewilderingly And I got a kick and a shock When Santa answered my plea.
How happy was everyone then, A lifetime from today, But in perfect harmony Are the joys of that morn and today. We are in a way our memories They’re the greatest gift of all. As the fire burns bright in the hearth And the snowflakes softly fall.
And as I gaze at the children Assembled in awe by the fire, I’m as young as ever then Though given a bit to tire. For Christmas has never been old, No matter what the year, So, a toast in good warm whiskey, With a laugh and a little tear.
Toast those before and are with us And those to come and all And the joy of a child at Christmas Be with you one and all. As the yuletide logs are burning, And the snowflakes gently fall, The world is a quare ould place But don’t we love it all. END
Tom Ryan, “Iona”, Rahealty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
The eagerly awaited fourth publication by Rahealty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, based freelance writer, author and poet Mr Tom Ryan, is about to hit the book shelves in the coming days.
This ideal Christmas gift, “The Cuppa Sugar Days”, includes light-hearted tales from another era, against the backdrop of County Tipperary, together with a collection of seven short stories and poetry.
Photo courtesy Bríd Ryan.
In“A message from Misty’s Dog Heaven” we discover that there might, indeed, be a heavenly place for our dear departed friends from the animal world.
In “The Lovers of Rathnakray”, love finds it difficult to find a way for one crazy mixed-up playwright.
The beautiful tale, “A Christmas Card From New York”, reveals how a simple Christmas card changed one man’s attitude to life, living and love.
In“Christmas Romances”an old man looks back at Christmas Eve on his cherished loves of a lifetime.
In “The Gambles of Goosegogs O’Hara”, Goosegogs and his pal Shifty Condon, get a raging ultimatum from fiery Georgia Mae, latter spouse of the horse racing enthusiast, Goosegogs.
In “Alexander’s Dream Girl”, a husband longs for a positive outcome to his wife’s battle for good health.
In “The Visit”, an unusual short story in verse, loneliness and old age is put under the microscope.
This most charming of publications also features numerous tales about interesting people, each from every walk of life in County Tipperary.
They include a Goldmining Prospector in Alaska; an International Sheep Dog Trialist of BBC renown in historic Drom; an International Designer’s achievement in China; a World Champion Powerlifter; a man who is at home in Graveyards; a Global Busker and friend of the famous; the late, Jimmy Doyle and John Doyle and hurlers of another era; Liam Sheedy’s inspiring words at Colaiste Mhuire Awards Night; the magic of the Munster Final in Thurles long ago and All-Ireland hurling traditions; Postmen; Railwaymen; Newspaper Personalities; Theatre Folk and Show Business people (both amateur and professional); Tales Out of School in Thurles and elsewhere; Tipperary Traditions; Profiles of Interesting Personalities from a Militaria collector to a Records Enthusiast; an Organic Farmer; an England-based Thurles Blues Musician; Messenger Boys; a Fiddler’s Retreat in Thurles; Scouts; Publicans; Teachers; Nuns; Ballad Singers; Rugby Personalities; Hockey Players; Athletes; Equestrian Folk; Cricket Enthusiasts; a former Inter Milan Soccer Player; an Inspiring Farmworker and Talented Wife; a Thurles family’s Military Tradition; Vintage Vehicle; Poets; Playwrights; Victoria Cross heroes; Carol Singers; reminiscences of Life in London and Dublin in the “Swinging Sixties”; the tragic Kennedy family of the United States and the Thurles Association.
There is a special tribute to eminent Tipperary poet and friend of the author, the late great Dennis O’Driscoll from Thurles.
All these and much more, feature in this wonderful publication by Tom Ryan, who has been writing about County Tipperary life and times for over 50 years in both regional, national and other media publications.
The 560 page publication includes photos by Bríd Ryan and is dedicated to Tom’s late wife, Christina (Ina). Details of the official launch by Dr Labhras O’Murchu (Director General of CCE) will be confirmed within the coming weeks.
In the meanwhile, for further information, do contact author Mr Tom Ryan, Mobile Tel. No. 0872131003.
Early on a silver frosted morning, After a steaming cup of tea, In the uncle Pakie’s house out the road. Shivering in my short trousers At the prospect of digging the potatoes, In the pit at the headland, Below the fence, With the cruel wire traps for the rabbits, And beside the hen house, With the eggs shining and white and brown In all the secret haybarn places. My nails would be sore with the frost And the picking. Then just when the winter had won, Pakie would point to the cabbage patch, Planted row by frosted row In the garden, And urge me; he whispering, to seek The silver golden treasures Of the Fairy of the Frost. At seven I loved a secret And so, on wondrous adventure bound, I sought this treasure, And in this fairy foggy morning, After a search Under a great big head of cabbage, There was the brown paper bag of wonder, With the chocolate bars And the soft and hard papered sweets In, oh, a myriad of magical colours. END
Tom Ryan, “Iona”, Rahealty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
I saw a tree; its branches like five gnarled fingers, Bare, barren, against a sky of austere lead, And I shivered. Cold, gaunt the time, The mist’s on the mountains. Night shadows fall fast on the day. The wind moans in the haggard, crying for summer. And each human’s greeting More a wheeze, a cough, a sneeze. The woodshed’s full. A cat, back to fire, Glares at secret places round the house, That warm retreat from winter and from woe. We clap our hands for warmth. For comfort grimly eye the sky. And all in vain, We sip the tea, With hearts in one great hurry for the Spring.
END
Tom Ryan, “Iona”, Rahealty, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
I’ll measure not your worth in days, Nor by a calendar your beauty note. But only the memories ever and always Of a loveliness you wrote On stars and earth. Your years of life Gracing the world. Beautiful the tale you told Of silver childhood, youth of gold, And, lit by the light of the future, Are still yet bound For brave and beautiful horizons all around.
END
Tom Ryan “Iona”, Rahealty, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Recent Comments