By Paddy McCarthy
This is how one of the busiest train stations in North America, Grand Central Terminal in New York City looks like at 8.25pm on a Friday evening. It’s so sad to see and as you know this is what the Covid-19 does as this picture of Grand Central was taking by Noelle Clancy, hairdresser come window painter supreme on her way home from one of her assignments, thank you Noelle.
I just seen my good friend John Moran on FOX live describing the struggles in the bar and restaurant business. The Moran family have been the owners of the Killarney Rose on Pearl Street in the Financial district in Wall street for over 50 years and have never seen anything like this in their lives. He was interviewed about how New York City’s bars have survived some of the city’s darkest hours, but this time the pandemic is squeezing many of the city’s long-standing Irish pubs to the point of extinction.
FOX 5 NY’s Sharon Crowley spoke with John about how he’s trying to stick it out, with no indoor dining and no relief in sight. As you have read in my Out&About for the last few weeks, I have repeatedly called on the Mayor and Governor to sit down with the owners and come up with a plan to open, but to no avail. Now they have a protest organized for this Monday, September 14 at City Hall to get their voices heard.
The politicians and officials sit there talking to the cameras as if they were experts on how to safeguard the bar and restaurant’s customers but they are not even close to being experts on this matter. Again, the biggest city in the world is still locked down and it’s on their shift. Not so good I might tell yea.
If they are using this coronavirus as a political ball they have to stop because they are killing the city of New York and it will take a very long time to rebound. They have different laws for the suburbs on opening inside dining that can be easily implemented in Manhattan. Wake up and see what you have done to the City and let’s get real and open up and let all the owners be the masters of taking care of their business.
I am expressing my thoughts because I LOVE this City and want only the best for it. So, come on those in power in Albany and City Hall, put your thinking hats on and let’s get this moving before it’s too late.
Now for a little piece from The Irish Arts Center of a few pronunciations in Irish amm. I am so happy it came with a sketch that is close to my heart. Now here we go, there was a sharp rise in the popularity of Irish names from the mid-sixties onwards. This was thanks partly to an increase in national self-confidence, and some of it was also down to the work of the Second Vatican Council, which led to a less strict attitude on which names were appropriate for the baptismal font. (Previously only saints’ names were deemed acceptable in many parishes.)
Coincidentally, the surge happened right after the publication of a major dictionary in 1959 in which Irish spelling was modernized, with letters like “v” and “x” included for the first time. A consequence of this modernization is that if an Irish name was popular before 1959, multiple acceptable spellings would now exist, reflecting old and new conventions. This was the case with Medhbh (or Medb, or Maeve, meaning “she who intoxicates”) and Sadb (or Sadhbh, or Sive), names where the “bh” indicates a “v” sound. Other examples of “bh” pronounced as “v” in Irish include: Bhí was vee Aoibhinn delightful even (or ay-veen, ee-veen) Gábh danger gawve.
Famous Medhbhs include Queen Medb, the formidable ruler of Connacht in the Táin; Maeve Binchy, one of Ireland’s best loved novelists; and poet Medbh McGuckian. Now I will stop there, did you get your mind around all that?
For information on all classes and events at The Irish Arts Center of New York visit irishartscenter.org.
The Irish Repertory Theater have announced ‘The Show Must Go Online’ – the digital series by Irish Rep and Michael Mellamphy featuring Irish Rep company members! Irish Rep will be announcing additional digital content in the coming weeks, as a way to continue to connect the Irish Rep community and theater audiences with leading Irish and Irish American playwrights, scholars, performers, poets, politicians, theater-makers and more. Check out #TheShowMustGoOnlinePlaylist daily for updates.
That what I have for you this week and I hope to see you all again WHEN I am Out&About…