Here is an excerpt from my travel journal, written when I was 14 years old, and in Ireland with my whole family. The O’Malley kids ranged from 14 to 4 years old, and, in retrospect, it was quite an amazing feat for my parents to do what they did, pull us all out of school, and take us all over there. I kept a meticulous journal of my time there (what a shock), and unfortunately, since I was 14 years old, my focus wasn’t really on … you know … Irish history, or meeting Irish family members, or anything … really.
I was focused on other things.
This series of entries was actually almost too embarrassing for me to post. You’ll see why immediately, but it just gets worse as it goes on.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
These are some of the fashions here: tight jeans and black and gold leather pumps, grey pinstriped blazers, tube tops, jackets that go below the hips, mini-skirts (black velvet), dotted white tights, red velvet crushed boots, Adidas sneakers, tight-tight-tight spray-painted-on jeans are EVERYWHERE. No one has baggies. [Ed: I am assuming that I am talking about baggie jeans here, which were all the rage in the States at this time. Thank God that trend passed.] They also love bobby socks here, especially with mini skirts. No one has top siders or loafers. [That whole preppy thing was OUT OF CONTROL at my school. I never got into it, so I am sure the lack of top siders on the Emerald Isle was quite a relief.] The girls wear maroon, silver, yellow leather pumps. They seem to be very influenced by the English [Ed: Uhm… what, Sheila? You’re 13. What are you talking about??]. All that punk stuff started in England, and it seems to be very big here too. [Oh please, shut up.] Tight jeans are the thing to wear here. White sneakers (yippee) are also popular. Minidresses too, like I’ve seen in Seventeen. All the girls wear kilts, bobby socks, and black leather Mary Janes shined like a mirror.
ACHILL ISLAND, IRELAND
The towns over here are not towns. Just villages on hills, with like one store and a butcher. The people seem really nice, though. Two boys on bikes literally led us to our B&B. This B&B is called Connaught House. CONNAUGHT, MUNSTER, LEINSTER, ULSTER, MEATH.
My room has a wonderful view of fields, little houses, and then the ocean. There are lots of peat bogs here, and we might be able to cut some peat!!!!!!! [Wow. You’re a geek.] Soon we’re going downtown to look around. But I don’t feel like it because I am SO COLD!!!!! IT’S FREEZING!!!!!
Later:
The walk was ok. It certainly warmed me up. We saw a field of sheep and the babies were the cutest things I have ever seen. All white, with black heads. Siobhan “baaahed” at them all. [Siobhan was 4. The image of her, in Ireland, is a favorite family memory.]
We might go to church tonight but I don’t want to because everyone here dresses up SO much for church and all I have is this plaid skirt that looks like it comes from the 50s. And all the girls wear Mary Janes and I only have my saddle shoes. [Saddle shoes? What are you, Lucy Van Pelt?]
I wonder how Mere and Betsy and Beth and Kate are. OH I MISS THEM SO MUCH!!!!!
Just thinking about living on this island makes me sick. No t.v., one school, not knowing about fashions. [Oh my God, that is so embarrassing. NOT KNOWING ABOUT FASHIONS? This from a girl wearing SADDLE SHOES??? I am so sorry, lovely people of Achill Island, for my judgment.] All they have here is Irish knit sweaters and skirts. I mean, clothes aren’t everything but I want to know something about what is in and what isn’t. [Okay, this is getting even more embarrassing. This is awful.]
Our house has the most WONDERFUL living room [I sound schizophrenic. Achill Island BAD, oh wait a minute Achill Island GOOD] with a fire, the softest fur rug in front of it and a HUGE tv. [Hm. I seem to recall you mentioning in the paragraph above this one that the people on the island didn’t HAVE tv. Hmmm.] We watched “David Copperfield” all afternoon, and now we are going for a drive up a mountain. This is a very mountainous island.
The old couple who own the B&B are so nice. The old man is so funny, so nice. He said to my father that he looked like Kojak from behind. He has been to America and he said that the sand in Florida was so hot that you could “fry a rasher on it”. He also asked us if Rhode Island was very close to Houston!!
[For some reason, the first line of this next entry made me laugh OUT LOUD when I was reading it this morning.]
ACHILL ISLAND, THURSDAY
Last night we watched “Father Damien – the Leper Priest” on TV with Ken Howard. He is SO good. I had already seen the movie before though. [That’s the kicker. I had seen FATHER DAMIEN – the LEPER PRIEST twice???]
Today we are going to visit a man’s peat bog, and then we are going to look up some old crosses, etc.
I washed my hair this morning, and washed my face, and rubbed in face cream and put on mascara. [Extremely important to list my morning skin ritual, apparently.]
I am getting really sick of the same old breakfast every day. But Dad says that there is this coffee shop in Dublin called Bewley’s or something where they sell delicious donuts and jelly pastries, etc. [Sniff, sniff. Bewley’s … one of my favorite pitstops … now no more …] My mouth is watering already!
Tomorrow we’re going to church.
I should have brought my curling iron.
The very fact that your 13 year old self included the phrases “I’m SO COLD” and “It’s FREEZING” is proof that the Irish nature will always win out over nurture.
See Clisare’s ‘Shite Irish Girls Say’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svB6PyPU8PU and comedian Des Bishop http://youtu.be/fia4lpD2ee4.
“Just villages on hills, with like one store and a butcher.”
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Bren – so mean!!!
Your embarrassment is our gain – thanks for the unexpected laughs. The Fr. Damien bit cracked me up too, particularly the note about seeing it twice.
Twice!! So Catholic! Starring The White Shadow.
I had to Google the White Shadow reference. I think that makes me a bad child of the 70s.
Dan – you haven’t seen the White Shadow? I’m not even sure how long it was on, actually. But I think it would be so up your alley. I gave it to my brother for Christmas – it’s on DVD, I believe. Perhaps it’s stupid – but Ken Howard is good and we just loved the show.
But Ken Howard’s crowning glory was as Father Damien, The Leper Priest.
Nope, never seen it. As a kid if it didn’t have G.I’s, cowboys or laser beams I probably wasn’t watching it – the exception being anything syndicated on Ch 56, like ‘Alice.’ I do believe I viewed the entire run of Alice.
// G.I’s, cowboys or laser beams //
There should have been a show with all three.
And Dan – I love how we had identical experiences with Channel 56. I love how often that channel has come up on this site. Such a great channel – saw so much stuff on that channel!
I am most def a channel 56 kid. Eight O’Clock Movie ftw.
I realize that you were too busy watching Return to Witch Mountain to really invest in The White Shadow!
That is why I avoid ‘Real House Wives’, lest my childhood crush (first evah) on Kim Richards be sullied.
hahahaha Yes, that really should be avoided. I only saw one episode but once was enough!
“But Ken Howard’s crowning glory was as Father Damien, The Leper Priest.” I love how he wasn’t just good in it, he was SO good. Thanks for sharing Sheila, it’s gutsy and brave and very, very funny.
The White Shadow is one of the more underrated TV shows of all time. The first TV drama to feature a predominantly African American cast, it was real and gritty, and Howard was great on it. ESPN Classic reran the whole seriers not that long ago.
Interesting note, my favorite character, Mario “Salami” Pettrino, was played by Timothy Van Patten, who directed about 20 Sopronos episodes, including Long Term Parking where Adrianna got whacked, and was a driving creative force for The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. He’s sure come a long way!
Todd – I really need to see it again. I love that ESPN reran it – how many seasons did it run? I remember it being very gritty, but granted I was a teenager.
Nice connection with Van Patten!!
But the most pertinent question here is:
Who here has seen Father Damien, Leper Priest?
It ran 3 seasons, 1978-1981, a total of 54 episodes, and I’m pretty sure I saw every one on original air date. I was 10-12 years old, so this show was my introduction to “high school” problems (well TV high school problems) like teen pregnancy, drug use, etc. I remember one episode where a major character, one of the players on the team, was killed as a bystander during a robbery, and it freaked me out a little. Would not be done on TV today.
And seeing it all from the point of view of a basketball team was perfect for me, since I did and do love the sport. The excellent Friday Night Lights owed a lot to that show.
I remember it feeling very grown-up to me, too – I was younger than the kids portrayed in the series, and it was sort of a real-life Welcome Back Kotter situation. I really should check it out again!
Yes, you would like it. Similar to Eight is Enough but a basketball team instead of a big family.
Which leads me to the fact that I read Ralph Macchio just beat out Rob Lowe for his part on Eight is Enough. I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit I read Lowe’s autobiography, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, and I think you would LOVE it. It’s funny and dishy and he’s surprisingly self aware and self-deprecating, if also a bit self important (I believe he refferred to St. Elmo’s Fire as a classic!).
In case I wasn’t clear – I was a giant White Shadow fan at the time, back in the day – I just haven’t seen it since. My memory of it is spotty at best, but I remember the opening credits sequence perfectly. Would love to reencounter it!
Todd – I’ve been meaning to read Rob Lowe’s autobiography – I’ve heard it’s great!! A friend of my dad’s actually sent me a copy because he so thought I would love it – so it’s definitely on my list. Just a bit busy with Elvis at the moment to read anything else.
Wow – thank goodness Ralph Macchio got that part on 8 is Enough. I am being totally sincere. That one episode changed my LIFE.
When the hell will that come out on DVD? I just want to see that one episode again!!
And I never saw Lepper Priest, but a quick search astonished me because it’s based on a true story!
Oh, we Catholics know all about Father Damien! Which I’m sure is why I …… saw it twice??
I still remember the final shot, that’s how powerful it was for me. Haven’t seen it since that time on Achill Island though. Would be curious to see that one again too!
Yes, I’m aware of the Elvis phase! The Lowe book is a light quick read, and you will love it. No idea why that Eight is Enough isn’t out yet, in this day and age that’s hard to believe. If they only knew the demand!
Todd – I know! I was not a fan of the whole show – even as a kid I thought it was cheesy, I was too young for it – I was more into the Waltons and Little House – but I just want that one episode where Macchio sings and dances! I’ve signed petitions. I bet SOMEONE out there in the universe video-taped it.
I can tell this has become your cinematic holy grail, like an uncut version of Magnificant Ambersons!
It really has!
What a sweet blog entry. It must have been a gret memory of your time in Ireland if you decided to post it here. How long did you live/visit there?? And for the record, as a Catholic with 12 years of Catholic school, I have abdolutely no idea who Fr. Damien was or this movie to which you are referring. Did I miss out on some important piece of my religious education?? My ancestors are too many generations removed to go to their origin.
I have been posting embarrassing diary entries from the inception of this site in 2002. I love the catharsis!!
My dad was on sabbatical so that was why we were over there. He was a book collector and an expert on Francis Stuart. We traveled all around, and then my dad stayed on. I go back periodically. It’s one of those vacation spots for me where I get off the plane and I feel at home.
I had no idea that not everyone knew about Father Damien!! hahaha I seriously should try to track that movie down. I love Ken Howard, to this day.
I am beginning to feel shortchanged in my education over this entire Fr. Damien thing. It is possible that Fr. Damien never made it all the way to the backwoods of the Deep South.
Father Damien is KEY!!! He worked amongst the lepers and then contracted leprosy himself!
I am so motivated now to find this movie again. I wonder if Netflix carries it.
Podting from my phone so please excuse the typos. It is so difficult to put my thoughts down with such a small key pad.
Your childhood diary entries are some of my favorite things you post. They always make me cry with laughter, and this was an especially good one. Totally cracked me up! Even if you hadn’t told us you wrote this at age 13, I bet we could’ve guessed. The mood swings (Ireland is GREAT, Ireland SUCKS) and the fixation on clothes give you away. ;)
Season 1 of Eight is Enough is being released on DVD in April, so I think there’s hope that you’ll get to see your Ralph Macchio episodes again eventually.
Melissa
// Ireland is GREAT, Ireland SUCKS /
hahahahahaha
I am so thrilled about the 8 is Enough news … yes, the others MUST be on their way, right??
“All the girls wear kilts, bobby socks, and black leather Mary Janes shined like a mirror.”
I think I finally have a clear definition of what Heaven will be like.
hahahahahahahahaha
“No t.v., one school, not knowing about fashions.”
This is why Joyce left Ireland, if memory serves.
Also, I’m scared to even Google “Father Damien, Leper Priest” because it cannot POSSIBLY be as good the movie in my head right now. I keep imagining some Hobo-With-A-Shotgun-esque grindhouse film, but with Catholicism.
// This is why Joyce left Ireland, if memory serves. //
Jake, I’m dying with laughter.
And yeah, I think after your grindhouse fantasy you may be let down! It was a movie about a man fearless and devoted enough to go amongst the lepers and work with them … despite all of the advice he got against doing so … and (SPOILER) then contracts leprosy himself. Clearly it was good enough for me to be thrilled about it being on in that b&b on Achill Island. I love that THAT was what was playing. Makes sense for a Catholic country.
I love Diary Fridays! I wish I still had mine…I think.
Gotta find the Father Damien movie. For many years, I thought he was an *evil* priest because of that name and the popularity of The Omen. Whoops.
The stubborn bit of trivia lodged in my brain about Ken Howard is that he was married to Ann Landers’ daughter.