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the night of the big wind


Posted by Oliver Killeen on April 25, 2011 at 09:02:00:

..the day of the big wind.......
a cara....in the last few days the weather in hogtown ontario has been a story in itself...in fact the old saying ....four seasons in one day ....becomes a reality.....and high tornado type winds were a feature.....they say spring is here....the grass is .."ris'.."the bird is on the wing....but here ....its a different story....from my 40th. floor perch which looks out over lake ontario....yesterday morning the view was one of murkiness ...rain...mist...and fog....i retired to my favourite recliner...sipped a coffee....listened to teresa brewer on the radio ....singing put another nickel in....and i drifted back to when i first heard that tune......back in number 10.....i recalled when it first was released radio eireann banned it....they claimed the lyrics were too .....suggestive....even.....my mind carried me back to times in the '40s and '50s.....and many of us growing up in those years.....will remember that 1947....had a whole bunch of happenings....much has been written about the blizzard of '47.....but the winter that year was the worst in living memory....winter came in like a ferocious lion....torrential rains lashed in from the atlantic....and howling winds battered everything in their tracks....slates were flying off roofs....and many streets were danger zones ...as these slates were ripped off and came crashing down....then we were gripped in sub artic conditions as the heavens dumped and dumped cold dry snow ....we were blanketed in the stuff....every road and every roof top was covered deep .....the country came to a standstill...and people in rural areas were cut off....there was a danger some would be without food....and many were lost in the snow....alot of livestock died.....and so ...we'll all be ruined said hanrahan....before the year is out...became the mantra....but we got through it.....trucks and cars had snow chains....as did paddy merrick on his float....the grand national....that year was considered to be the most extroadinary race in its history.....on the morning of the race ...aintree was choking in a dense fog.....eamon andrews ...raymond clenndenning....the commentators of the day...thought the race might be postponed.....they said beechers brook was invisible....the track was a shroud of drifting thick fog....but the race went on...and the most famous horse of all time ...caughoo....a 100 to 1 shot ...ridden by eddie dempsey ...won the race.....there is much rumour and speculation...about what happened that day....its claimed eddie kept his steed....hidden behind one of the jumps.....and the rode her in ...several lenghts ahead of those that survived.....many horses in the race that day had to put down....ther was no light visible....later that year castlebar was to get its own caughoo.....paddy mcginty...my friend and neighbour....bought a piebald pony...and trap....he named the horse caghoo....and later that year in the fancy dress parade....young paddy joe...rode the horse ...and went on to win the ...prize for most novel entry.....also that year ...the obrien stable produced another sensation....cottage rake....that horse won the irish cesaerowitch ...and then went on to win the cheltenham cup for the next three years....that year the all ireland final was played in the polo grounds in new york.....cavan were a going concern in the late '40s....and with the likes of gunner brady....mick higgins....simon deignan...and john joe oreilly...the breffni men ...beat the might of the kingdom...kerryi remember that game and commentary very well ...as miceal ohehir....gathered us around our radios...as he broadcast live from new york....i was sitting in horkans ....brand new ice cream and sosa fountain....as the strains of ambhrain na fhiann..played by the artane boys band......reverborated across the airwaves and atlantic....but the following year....'48....was the year of the big wind.....the breffnis..the blue and white of cavan..and the men from mayo...in their vivid green jerseys ..with its red band....faced off.....the wind blew so fierce....that the flag was almost tattered .....as miceal ohehir said ...hold on to your hats.....at half time ....cavan were ahead....3gls 2pts....to zip.....but mayo came back in the second half.....led by padraic carney.....peter quinn....paddy prendergast....paddy mcandrew....and our man from the road...the late great tommy byrne.....but cavan....pipped our boys....4gls 5pts...to mayo 4gls4pts.....while all this excitement was going on ....roy rogers and dale evans ...were singing ...happy trails to you ...until we meet again....the beano ....dandy...and hotspur ....were the...comics of the day....desperate dan...korky the cat were stars.....the phantom....written by lee falk and ray moore ...held us captive...on the sunday independent.......and the nuns in killeshandra ...had us all pricking cards....in their pennies for black babies ...charity drive....tommy darcy....smoked walnut plug.....and the erris hotel was about to have its most celebrated guest.....the irish sweepstakes were the hottest ticket in the country.....and paddy cusack ...bought a brand new ford customline....and....old man watson...claimed a pint ....a package a woodbines ..and a box o' matches....killed the bob.....

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