John Arnold: I love to talk, but everyone was on their phone
John Arnold was unable to strike up a conversation on a recent train journey because everyone was on their phone. iStock
About 20 years ago when suffering from a severe bout of pharyngitis, I was actually rendered completely speechless for a whole week.
By the way, for the medically uninitiated, pharyngitis is a condition that causes a ‘dry throat’, irritation and severe inflammation of the vocal chords. At the time, a specialist in Cork explained it to me in simple agricultural terms: “Now, Mr Arnold, if we were able to fit a grease nipple to your throat and give it a few shots of grease daily, you’d be right as rain” - unfortunately, such a procedure wasn’t and isn’t available!
In fairness, though, that self-same specialist removed a large swelling from my wallet the same day!
So, going against the commonly-held belief, I wrote a poem titled
Thankfully, in recent years, the condition hasn’t affected me greatly.
I do have to be careful - four nights in a row at sing-songs is my ultimate limit - and of course that also depends on my daily routine.
For the last dozen or so years, I’ve gone to Lourdes for a few days every November or December. A week in solemn silence with no talking and plenty walking - heavenly! That winter ‘retreat’ is of my own choice -some call it ‘charging the spiritual battery’ - but I think everyone needs space and solitude now and then.
Let me tell ye about two contrasting days I had recently.
One addiction is hurling. Maybe because as a child, teenager or young adult, I could never master the hand-to-eye co-ordination needed for such a wonderful game, I envied those that could.
Just because I wasn’t a successful practitioner never dimmed my absolute love and admiration of our native game.
Look, I don’t really despise any sport - well maybe one - but hurling is my No.1, always - and always will be. You know, I get as much pleasure, thrills, and pure satisfaction from watching an under 10 game as a Munster or All Ireland final.
Another passion, yes addiction, of mine is drama. Drama in all it’s variations - plays, sketches, pantomimes, stand-up comedy, and storytelling are just amazing.
“Are you for real or gone completely loo-lah?” was the puzzled reply I got from a friend last week when I told him I was going to see a particular play - for the fifth time since February! Crazy or what?!
Not really, Hugh Leonard’s classic was the object of my desire. Produced by Brideview Drama Group in Tallow and directed by a good friend - and former hurler - Jack Ahern, the play was on the Irish ‘Drama Circuit’ in the March to May period.
Annually, drama groups from North, South, East, and West traverse the country on the festival circuit with the aim of getting to Athlone. The All Ireland Drama Finals are held there annually in early May.
Brideview were thrilled to reach the ‘Holy Grail’ this year. Yes, I’d seen their production already four times, but wild horses wouldn’t keep me from Athlone.
So I got the train from Midleton to Cork, then from Kent station to Dublin’s Heuston and on then to Athlone - credit where credit is due to Charlie Haughey for bringing in the free travel!
was brilliant and got a standing ovation, and as I was staying overnight, joining the ‘after play’ party until two in the morning was permissible -and enjoyable. I completed the reverse journey the following morning and was back here and in my wellingtons by half-two.
The train journey was lovely and smooth and I’d never travelled by rail across the midlands previously so I took in everything. The silence on the train was remarkable - almost funereal as practically every single passenger, young and old, had their head stuck into a stupid not-so-smart phone. In truth, it did frighten me a bit. I bought a paper each day, but Lord, passengers were looking at me as if I had two heads.
I know there’s so much good and positive stuff available on these phones but the court case in America which found that addictive products are now built in to many social media devices needs to be heeded. We can’t stop progress, but we must question what kind of a society do we want -human or robotic?
As it turned out, it was a West Cork group that won the All Ireland - Kilmeen, with Enda Walsh’s chaotic and amazing - well done to them and Brideview and all the groups that have entertained thousands in the last few months.
Those were my days of Cistercian-like silence, which left me with mixed feelings in truth. I‘ve always disagreed with the theory of Will Rogers who espoused the idea that one should ‘never miss a good chance to shut up’! Nor would I pay any attention to an ancient Buddhist phrase that ‘the mouth is the front-door of all misfortune!
About ten years ago, Finbarr Motherway, an erudite schoolmaster, asked me to ‘entertain’ one morning at the Killeagh Monday Club. I told a few stories, yarns, jokes, tales - tall and small - sang a few songs and maybe gave a poem or two. My contribution went down well - and I’ve oft been asked back.
Finbarr retired recently having guided the Monday Club for 20 years. His successor, Helen Kennedy, rang me a while back so on Monday last I was Glenbower-side once more.
The Angelus Bell had rang out at noon when I turned the car over the Mogeely road for home.
Driving on a bit, I met a friend on the roadside. A former Dungourney hurler, Dick Walsh is a great talker – a bit like myself. Like the words of Percy French in The Mountains Of Mourne - ‘And while we were talking of days that were gone, sure the whole population of Killeagh looked on’. Not exactly, but we surely enjoyed the chat in the sunshine – I was home about three o’clock!
A Killeagh horse, Local News, owned by the Hennessy family, had won at 100-1 the previous day in Mallow -the same day we had the Point to Point races in Bartlemy.
Back in the spring of 1912, another former great Dungourney hurler, Jamesey Kelleher, won a historic race in Bartlemy on his own Ocean Breeze. Oh lads, we spoke of hurling and horses and old times and new ways, good days and bad days.
We both agreed that the times are a- changing. I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt, American First Lady from 1933 to 1945, who said, ‘Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people’. Well, last Monday Dick and meself discussed everything!
As we parted, we agreed to meet again soon - for a longer chat!
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