Stories

A Visit to the Doctor

Mikey had woken several times during the night. It was hard to rest in the same room as someone who coughed and spluttered through to the early hours. It was a relief when the weak sun, emerged from the thick blanket of cloud and heralded morning. Maybe a sup of tae would bring relief. Mikey plugged in the kettle and when the water boiled he wetted the tae.

The Proprietor’s Dilemma

The hardware shop was situated adjacent to the railway junction, precisely where the tracks bisected the steeply inclined street. His family had traded at this intersection for three generations and held their heads high as part of the local business community.

They supplied the townsfolk and the farmers of the hinterland with all types of hardware necessities, buckets, spades, pots, pans, shears, saws, axe heads, picks, shovels, everything that could possibly be needed for the tasks of daily living.

Saturday Confession

Winter had done its worst. At last spring had made her appearance on the high windswept plateau. The very earth showed signs of warming. Early morning frosts evaporated with the growing strength of the morning sun. With just a few weeks remaining of the final school term a sense of freedom lightened the air.

Coal for Madam

The winter had been hard, almost as bad as forty-seven, people would remark.

The emergency was over but even in the heart of the Leinster coalfield folk were still feeling the effects of rationing. There was talk of the government lifting the rationing of meat, but without sufficient fuel, there was no way to cook it.

Coal, the black gold was in short supply and hard to come by.