Memories of Belfast
Grandad February 11th, 2007
I was just listening to Grannymar talking about her experiences in Belfast in her blog Oldbones.
It brought back some memories of my own.
In the course of my work, I had to go to Belfast for a week during the Good Friday Elections. The company I worked for put me up in the Balmoral Hotel. It was a nice enough place and I wasn’t there much anyway apart from sleeping.
It was only when I got back to Dublin that I learned that the Balmoral had the reputation as the second most bombed hotel in Europe. That record was held by the Europa Hotel.
A while later, there were more elections and I had to go up again.
“Don’t put me up in the Balmoral” says I.
So they didn’t.
They put me up in the Europa.
I had a bit of a problem working in Belfast. Apparently I bore a remarkable resemblance to Gerry Adams [at a distance]. Now this may not seem to be a problem to you, but it was to me.
Everywhere I went there were calls of “Hey look - it’s Gerry Adams”. Now the atmosphere was a little strained at that time, so I never knew whether I was going to get a handshake or a bullet. I had to play it very carefully.
One night, we decided to go for a few pints in The Crown. We sat into one of the snugs, and got chatting to a crowd of women. They were all locals. Of course the crack came out - “D’ye know ye’re the image of Gerry Adams”. They knew I wasn’t him of course and were delighted to hear we were from Dublin.
It transpired they were staunch Loyalists, and had a great sense of humour. They kept calling their pals over to show how they’d kidnapped Gerry. We had great craic.
In the course of the week I got to meet most of the Big Names in the Kings Hall - John Hume, David Trimble, [not Ian Paisley, unfortunately] and of course Gerry Adams.
“D’ye know” says he, “Ye look a bit like me”
“Would ya f*ck off” says I, “you look a bit like me”
- Rambles
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I hope you had the correct coloured tie.
My doppelganger is my mother, I see her in the mirror every morning. She gives some funny looks.
Its strange really because she has been dead for years.
Thank God I don’t look like my mother at all. Strange thing is I don’t really look like my father either. I know there wasn’t any hanky panky because I have one or two of his features, but that’s all.
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I am unique! [apart from Gerry, that is]
Great story, good craic!
Best regards
Apparently, I look just like Nicole Kidman. Of course I am the only person who thinks this. I am confident if I keep saying it eventually it will come true in a Cosmic Ordering type of way. Best of luck at the awards!
Frankly I’d rather look like Nicole Kidman than Gerry Adams. Though she might look strange with a beard.
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Anyway, in my mind, you are now a Nicole Kidman lookalike.
I don’t know, Gerry is kind of cute
Aw gee thanks
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Not as cute as Nicole though. Looks like we’re the ideal couple. I’ll have a word with Herself.
And what about ME! Whaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Aw sh*t! Fancy a threesome Flirty? [a Grandad sandwich!!]
Could you manage two of us?
Not forgetting ‘herself’ banging on the door!
With all that nice medication the spammers keep sending me - no problem!
well after close encounters with the younger kind at the weekend I may have to consider your offer
“The older the fiddle, the sweeter……..” etc.
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That right, Grannymar?
I’m saying nuttin!
But they pay plenty for ould Fiddles!
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