Ulster Rambles BY DAVID MacCONNELL
I SUPPOSE BY THE TIME YOU ARE READING THIS ARTICLE; ST. PATRICK’S DAY WILL HAVE COME AND GONE; FOR ANOTHER YEAR ANYWAY. I HAVE NOT BEEN BACK TO THE OLD SOD IN RECENT TIMES (I NOW DEFINE TIME AS B.C.) SO I GOOGLED “ST. PATRICK’S DAY IN BELFAST” AND WAS SOMEWHAT SURPRISED BY THE RESULT. It appears (to me) that the Ulster folk have become more “Irish” than when I lived there. Well, it was fifty years ago! The celebration in Belfast nowadays is what you might call a real one. They used to close all the pubs when I was there except for the one at the Rugby Union ground Ravenhill which is now known as Kingspan. History tells us that on 5 June 2014, the powers in Ulster signed a 10year contract with the Kingspan Group for the naming rights to Ravenhill, meaning that the stadium will be known as the Kingspan Stadium until 2024 anyway. “Ever eaten a boxty? Or sipped on an Irish coffee after a tasty, traditional meal?” was what greeted me on the screen. “Find out where to discover authentic Irish food and drinks in Belfast.” The information continued about “An expertly-poured pint of Guinness is as much a part of the Belfast experience as our world-class attractions, live music and warm hospitality. Though it might find its home in Dublin, Guinness is as popular in Belfast and Northern Ireland as it is across the rest of the island. Belfast has a thriving traditional pub scene, and with it comes a host of places where you’ll find a topquality pint of Ireland’s favourite drink.” 54 | THE IRISH SCENE
I was then informed of twenty or more Belfast pubs (which were not there in my day) boasting various promotions which included mirrors, memorabilia, history, beer gardens and of course screening live sports and a wide range of tap beers. Years ago, the “Egg”, the “Bot”, the “Club Bar” and even the “Welly Boot” basically had only two or three tap beers. Harp Lager, Carlings and the ubiquitous Guinness. The “Egg” trialed “Thwaites” for a month. We called it “throwing beer” for two reasons. The next promotion was much to my liking: Pull Your Own at Granny Annies. “Think you can pour the perfect pint yourself? Have a go at pulling your own Guinness at Granny Annies from Mondays to Thursdays, 3pm to 6pm. You’ll also receive a Guinness t-shirt, certificate, a photograph in front of the Guinness Gate and a piece of Irish peat in a branded bag, all for £10 per person”. There must be quite a few Americans touring Belfast. I cannot imagine what the locals would do with the photograph never mind the peat. (OK, I must admit that I do have a piece (supposedly) of the Berlin Wall on my souvenir shelf.) This reminiscing takes me back to another story of what it was like to live in the province in the seventies. I had returned home from gallivanting around Europe for a few years and was learning all about life in Ulster again. I quickly decided it was not for me. How was I going to leave? I had been doing jobs as a teacher in various schools and had made some elementary mistakes when driving over speed bumps as I have reported in previous articles. It was time for action. I took a course in Canterbury (Kent) to obtain qualifications to teach English as a foreign language. I persuaded a girl (Jane) to come with me and she asked if I could ‘give a lift’ to two other girls and collect them on the return journey. The course was highly entertaining, and Jane and I won a prize in the talent show singing ‘The Seven Drunken Nights’ which was actually most appropriate. It was a long drive back through London, Stratford Upon Avon (where we picked up Jane’s two friends), Birmingham, Carlisle and on to Stranraer in Scotland before we (luckily) caught the ferry to Larne. I was so fatigued that I barely remembered dropping the girls off near Dunmurry before crashing at my sister’s house situated near Finaghy. Here
