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Posted by Butch on March 17, 2002 at 03:47:42: In Reply to: Re: The ties that bind...... posted by MM on March 17, 2002 at 02:02:28:
Thanks J.D.P. I have maintained a tenuous but firm contact with James Parsons,and remember only too clearly that tragic day. The waters of Ireland take away many sons and daughters. Where we swam at the diving board and "The point" was very dangerous. The illusion of wading on solid ground gave way to marshy quicksand or a hole very quickly. Do people still swim at the lake? I don't know if I told this small story before: About the Red- Cross instructor who came down from athlone one summer to teach the Red - Cross course of Life saving to a bunch of us lads ,myself, Skipper, I am trying to think of who else. It broke up the monotony of the summer. Attending classes in the pavilion, and at the diving board. The instructor, a young man from Athlone stayed in Digs in Ellison St.?; was a cheery type and put up with the blaggards from the weshst. Anyway the day of reckoning came and we were all togged out at the diving board for to take the official Red Cross life saving certificate. There were three classes of difficulty, one could choose; 1st. 2nd. and 3rd. I recall that I opted for 2nd class . Donal Mcellin being the only one that took the first class certificate and passed. You had to rescue your victim with all your clothes on!. My test was to swim out to my victim, but just before I got there I had to do a surface dive, and turn the victim around by his knees coming up therefore safely behind, and by using a combination of chest hold and chin hold respectively bring the victim to shore. We were all lined up on the platform waiting and shivering to get our results he came to me and told me that although I was the best , that he had to fail me because I had let my victim go! . Aw shiet. Were you there that Summer ? I know there were representatives from ST. Brigid's Crescent, Newtown, Westport Rd. and St Patricks Ave. Skipper passed!.
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