By Paddy McCarthy
I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving Day and of course some Turkey plus a few cocktails as well. I know it has been tough for some families out there, but again a lot of charities have stepped up to the plate to help out, that I do know. I myself was at my father-in-law’s house for a very reduced family dinner; my father in-law is not in very good health so we had to be very careful with contacts. Now we did make the most of it as my daughter Christina and her boyfriend joined us for this special day. Yes, I did have a Guinness or two and a glass of wine or two as well that were especially refreshing to wash down the turkey; yes, that’s my excuse if you believe it.
That is enough about me because my editor Grahame Curtis came down with a serius non-Covid-19 illness. He is being treated in hospital with pneumonia and has to stay there for over a week to recover. We do depend on him as he is our front man on the line and it held us up at a bad time as it was the holiday period with our ePaper. Please forgive us but we got through it as we all had to step up the plate to get the website operating and it did TG. We didn’t miss a beat in upgrading it with all the news, sports and entertainment and of course the Out&About last week that I know you would have missed me ha-ha. He’s now working from his hospital bed and the show must go on and on and it did – to bring a little bit of Ireland while your away and specially with the travel restrictions it gives you a little bit of comfort.
Now onward and upwards as the big day is coming soon and that is Christmas ah, I love it. Now don’t all rush out and buy me presents as my birthday is in between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, just kidding about the presents. I love seeing all the Christmas lights up on all the houses and businesses, it gives you that happy feeling to take your mind off the pandemic and put smiles on faces that we have not seen for a long time. Again, now is the time for giving and forgiving and making sure everybody is safe and well and also to check on friends and family so that everyone is alright. Do you like that nice picture I took of Santa waving goodbye to me? I think that was my present he is giving for Christmas.
I have to come back to the subject of the bars and restaurants hurting very badly not just here but in every country. What are we going to do? Here in New York, I have a better plan on how it can be done without the people controlling New York just telling people what to do. They they need advice not treats from you, this is not a prohibition country as it is supposed to be the Land of Dreams. Look I know that Covid-19 has created a disaster in the social and entertainment business, but it’s all we have. I am hopping on this for a while now because I care and if they can put a man on the moon, they should be able fix this. There are ways around everything if they just put their heads together and, again, sit down with the owners and managers and discuss what is the best way to sort this out and how they can open all establishments before it really becomes a ghost town. The Governor and the Mayor have been bragging for now over six months that New York leads the way and that we are strong… they are killing the most famous city in the World! They should not be copycats in what’s going on somewhere else, come up with a proper plan and get out and do some footwork and talk to the professionals in the business on how you can do it before it’s too late! I am so sorry for going on and on, but I care and I do miss the hospitality with my Out&About and I want to try and make this a jolly Christmas for all the owners and staff of all establishments.
Now that I got that off my mind here is a little bit of news from friends of mine. The coffee man Pete Scalley had to quarantine for almost two weeks as he was in the company of a friend that was tested positive. He himself did not have it as it was just a precaution. Now he will be back blabber mouthing again, I am saying that for fun, but it’s true as when he talks you can’t get a word in. Also, the hairdresser and window painter Noelle Clancy is also under quarantine again as a precaution and she should be out soon ahhhhh.
Just a piece of sad news: a great friend of mine Bridget P. Walsh (nee McDermott), mother of IBO stalwart Dolores Walsh, passed peacefully into Eternal Rest on November 29, surrounded by her loving family. Wake: Friday, December 4, 3 pm to 8 pm, Papavero Funeral Home, Elmhurst, NY. Mass of Christian Burial: Saturday, December 5, 9:45 am at St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church, Elmhurst, NY 11373. Interment: St. Charles/Resurrection Cemeteries. We here at The Irish Examiner would like to send our condolences, RIP.
We would also like to send our deepest condolence to our great friend Maeve O’Malley on the passing of her husband Stephen Kenefick. He is survived by his loving wife, Maeve O’Malley, his daughters and sons-in-law, … MANASQUAN, New Jersey … Deepest condolences to you Maeve and your family.
Please join the Irish American Writers & Artists for its Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award Gala on December 7 as they honor the wonderful actress and writer Kate Mulgrew. This will be their first Virtual O’Neill, and they look forward to welcoming Kate’s fans from all over the world. Scheduled to appear in the interactive VIP (‘Virtual Irish Party’) are Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Picardo and John de Lancie; Orange Is The New Black’s Taylor Schilling and Natasha Lyonne; and from Ryan’s Hope, Irish American Writers & Artist’s Co-Founder Malachy McCourt. The Main Program will feature tributes from Kate’s colleagues, musical performances by Joanie Madden and Ashley Davis, and a fund-raising auction featuring such items as signed copies of books by Jimmy Breslin and previous O’Neill award recipients Pete Hamill and William Kennedy, as well as a Master Class in writing and storytelling with Malachy McCourt. Plus a range of other signed items, from a Black 47 CD collection to a Celtic FC jersey to a Star Trek: Voyager script!
Hope to see you all again WHEN I am Out&About…