Easter Sleep-in

 There was no Easter Rising this year. I was still under the covers in bed when Amanda announced that it was 10 am. I was shocked and raised myself out of bed like a bolt of lightning. It wasn’t because I had to be anywhere or take my meds (those are at 11am just for this reason). It was because I haven’t slept until 10 in at least 4 years. Not a single time since my transplant because I have to take my meds. My four year anniversary is next month, by the way. It felt so strange to sleep in; like the day was gone or I had missed something. I didn’t miss anything though. There was nothing to miss. We got dressed and went to breakfast. My mother had already been there but joined us for tea. We discussed the plan for the day. The three of us had different ideas. Amanda, still ailing, but much improved, said she had homework to do. My mother, perhaps assuming I’d be thinking similar said I’m fine here with my newspaper. However, I wanted to go to Roundstone. Roundstone is where my grandfather had roots. I suggested Amanda take it easy and get work done in the cozy bar while mum and I drive to Roundstone. Amanda liked the plan and my mother reluctantly agreed. We missed going to Roundstone last time I was in Galway, so I just had to go. How many times would I get to visit Roundstone again? You never know, so I had to go. Everybody knew it. You even know it. 

After breakfast, we went to the lobby to meet my cousin Micheal. He was at the wedding here last night and was right down the road. We had a chat and planned to meet at Padricians at 530 for dinner. We planned for half five, but it’s mostly Americans reading this so I didn’t want there to be any confusion. I have to say that I take great pleasure in using a lobby, so meeting there gave me satisfaction. It’s the little things in life.

I quickly changed into rain gear then met my mother in the lobby, which was packed. I leaned against a column and posted yesterday’s adventures on my social media. After ten minutes, I looked around the lobby only to find mum sitting ten feet away from me. She had been there the whole time but we never saw each other because it was so busy with a children’s Easter egg hunt.

As we drove to Roundstone the rain came down heavy at times. It was like traveling back in time. My mother and I driving around Ireland. I was born in 1980. Mike was born in 1985, then Mairead in 1986, and John in 1987, so I was an only child for 5 years. You can do a lot more with one kid than four, so the two of us traveled quite a bit in the early days, not that I recall much of it though. I’d likely have been driving if it weren’t for my impaired vision, so it was a real throwback. I’d been driving her around since I had a license, before that if were being completely honest. As we drove and I asked about my grandfather’s family, and when we weren’t talking she sang along to my Hype Irish Jigs. 

What's the significance of Roundstone? My grandfather, John Manning, or Pops, has Irish roots in Roundstone. His grandfather, Michael Mannion, went back and forth to America and worked on the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.  In the States is where I suspected that he got the money to buy a block in Roundstone, which includes King's Bar and that's still in the family and was open today, I think. Apparently, on one boat trip to the U.S., one of his wives had a baby on the boat and they left the baby in Brooklyn! Sheesh.

John Mannion, my grandfather's father, Michael's son, signed over his share of the shop and house and whatever else may have been in that block to the other siblings, and left for America. During a period of heavy rain, my mother pondered, "Think about him here - miserable weather, no electricity, no running water, and no prospects. Fuck it. You can understand why he left." On the boat to America, he had signed on as John Mannion, but sometime later his name was Americanized, and likely altered to sound less Irish, to Manning. So, John Manning, now, joined the army to gain American citizenship and was sent to Fort Devens. Amanda and I drive by Devens every day on a commute to Lowell. That's my great-grandfather and he stayed in America. He raised my grandfather in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and then Pops met Grammy, who’s side of the family we may hear from later this week. 

As we pulled into town, there was a break in the rain and I announced, "Finally, I have come  back to Roundstone." It had been 25 years. The last time I had been here was 1997 when boyhood’s fire was in my blood. We parked in front of O'Dowd's and went in. It's the first pub and restaurant, and now cafe, that you see driving into town. My great-grandfather worked there, so my family usually goes in there. We sat at the bar and had a drink. We chatted with the kid behind the bar and I asked him to take a photo of us.     

We may have stayed for half an hour. After O'Dowd's, my mother wanted to knock on Mary King's door. Mary King is my mother's first cousin and longtime proprietor of King's Bar, but her son runs it now. I took a couple of photos of O'Dowd's then popped in to say hello.

 King's Bar and Mary King's house

Mary King must have gotten quite the surprise seeing the two of us on Easter. We only stayed for a pop-in. We didn't even sit down. Then we were on our way after I took another photo. Not a drop off train fell while we were in Roundstone.

Walking back to the car, I asked my mother, "Are you glad I forced you to come to Roundstone?" She said that she was and I was delighted because I hadn't been here in 25 years and I may never return. I don’t have to now. In my memory I will always see the town that I loved so well.  In the car, she continued to gush about Roundstone,  "There's just something about Roundstone you just have to love." 

We took the other route back to the hotel. Going there we took the coastal route. Amanda texted me that she had established an outpost at the back of the hotel bar and was working on schoolwork. I planned to join her before dinner for a cup of tea.

When I got there I remembered that she had texted me her exact location in the bar, but I had only seen the text and not actually read it, so I didn’t know where she was and I didn’t bother looking at the text because I didn’t see the challenge in that. Too easy. A little Easter wife hunt could be fun. There was a lot of nooks and crannies, but no snugs, and I found her near one of the bars. I sat and ordered some tea. I love the CCH, but the tea cups are a joke. I couldn’t even fit my finger into the finger hole of the cup. This is a major problem because they’re big cups and big cups hold a lot of tea, and heavy cups with a hot liquid should be handled with care, but you can’t really do that. I don’t want to have to think about that. Such a travesty. 

We met Micheal and Peter at Padraicins for dinner. Of course we went two nights in a row. We sat there for almost four hours, and the only thing I remember is that someone, initially, upon reading the title, thought that King Richard was Will Smith doing Shakespeare. The rest you had to be there for I guess. It was an eventful Easter dinner and the craic was righteous.

Full moon over Galway Bay 11:32 pm