ON my next visit to the Republic of Ireland, I flew to Cork and, on landing, saw the famous statue of a fly-fishing Jack Charlton which was erected in 1994.
It depicts big Jack in full fishing gear, wearing waders and a flat cap, and was paid for by public donation in recognition of his success in getting the Republic to the 1994 FIFA World Cup Finals.
In the group stages, Ireland beat Italy 1-0 before drawing 0-0 with Norway to secure a place in the knockout stages.
Their journey ended when they lost 2-0 to a Netherlands team which included the likes of Bergkamp, Overmars and Ronald Koeman but the Irish squad included no players from the Irish domestic league which was unusual.
Meanwhile, back at Cork Airport, I met my friends who took me to my hotel and later collected me with typical Irish hospitality for dinner at a restaurant. I have a vague recollection it may have been a traditional Irish stew, slow-cooked with beef, carrots and onions, with, if I am not mistaken, a dash of Guinness in the rich delicious flavour.
Whilst I may not remember the dinner – due to the copious amounts of Jameson’s I was “forced” to drink – it would have been impolite not to do so – but I do recall the breakfast the next morning in the hotel.
It was a full Irish breakfast with sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, baked beans, fried tomatoes, mushrooms and hash browns with a choice of toast or soda bread, which set me up for the day ahead which included a visit to the Titanic Exhibition at Cobh.
The museum’s authenticity is its attraction with your admission ticket being a replica of the boarding card on the ill-fated 1912 White Star liner.
You can walk through the first and second-class cabins and your journey ends at “Heartbreak Pier” where the fate of passengers is revealed.
Tickets for the Cobh Titanic experience are about 10 Euros with a family ticket, setting visitors back about 25 Euros.
Cobh’s original name was Queenstown, named after a visit by Queen Victoria in 1849, but it reverted to its Gaelic title, meaning cove or inlet in 1920.
A much larger world-leading Titanic attraction can be found in Belfast where the original RMS Titanic was designed, built and launched. I am reliably told it is housed in a six-floor building and is an unmissable part of a visit to Northern Ireland.
I have not visited personally but it’s on my bucket list and I was advised that, when you visited the bar in either Cobh or Belfast,it would be inappropriate to ask for ice in your gin and tonic!
My final day in the Republic included watching a televised match of hurling which my hosts said was a “must-see” game. It is thought that the game has been played for more than 3,000 years but was banned for a while by English authorities who believed it was giving roots for a rebellion.
The modern game was standardised in 1881 with the founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in County Tipperary. It is aptly named as “the clash of the ash” – named after the axe-shaped stick used for striking, blocking and carrying the ball. The ball is a small hard leather ball, similar to a tennis ball but heavier and with a cork centre.
Teams consist of 15 players a side and if I had to give a summary, I could do it in one word – brutal!
So, from a ball with a cork centre, I returned to Cork Airport, and said my farewells to another lad from the North East, Jack Charlton, but our paths would cross again one day in Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Author: John
Author of Around The World In 80 Years