BEING aLIVE

CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Yes I finished my 1000 mile walk from Le Puy to Santiago, and went on and walked a further 54 miles to Finisterra.

2011 General Election

There are some very fortunate canvassers , canvassing where I live. though I have been at home they have been able to sneak in and out without me being able to talk to them. Labour, and Fianna Fail (by 2) have been and gone. The literature they left ,went unread, into my recycling bin. I need to talk to candidates to hear them telling me what their part was in the bankrupting of our country and putting so many people into unemployment, and causing people to lose their homes, and causing so many of our young to emmigrate. And then what they are going to get our country back for our children and grandchildren.
Will the other parties sneak in and out as well? Independents of course will not be able to visit every home so I will forgive them if It meet them.
So Party sneakers, you missed a chance of explaining yourself to me and missed my vote for you- I will not even give you low preference.

WALKING THE CAMINO

When I was walking the Camino down through France I rested for two nights in a lovely town called Moissac. I stayed in a hostel called Ancen Carmel a former Carmelite Monastry, which was run by pilgrim volunteers.
When I was there a number of the volunteers were from Belgium. I got the lyrics of ULTRIEA which is a Camino pilgrim song from one of them.As I didnt know the air either one of them sang it for me and I recorded it. We then practised it with other pilgrims and volunteers.
That evening I sang an Irish song for some of my Camino friends that I wouldnt see again which got a great response from the 50 or so pilgrims staying n the hostel. Then we all sang Ultreia .

About 4 days later as I lay in another hostel, with an injured back, one of the pilgrims passing through , inquired whether I had been in Moissac.When I replied ,yes, and that I had stayed in Ancen Carmel, she told me that they were still talking of the Irishman who sang there and learned the Pilgrim Song ” ULTRIEA” from them.

WATER- AT LAST

WEDNESDAY 12th January 2011

The Naas Town Council arrived on Wednesday morning at 8.45 and within hours, they had dug up the stopcock and replaced it with a new one and I again had water.

But why did it takes so long for this public service to do its duty. I just also happened to have a breakdown with my car. I rang up my Car Plan and the got me started in less than one hour. Compare this with Naas Town Council who took two weeks to restore my water.

NO WATER FOR LAST TWO WEEKS

Yes, its true, I still have no mains water on today Tuesday 11th. January.

As I was getting nowhere with Naas Town Council, I contacted Bernard Durkan T.D. by e mail on Sunday evening. He replied early the following morning to tell me that he was contacting Naas Town Council as soon as their office opened. A few hours later I was visited by one of the NTC emergency crew who examined my main water supply and confirmed that there was no water supply entering my property and that the stopcock would have to be dug up and replaced. I rang NTC this afternoon and was told that the stopcock would be replaced after 9.00 O clock on Wednesday 12th. January 2011.

I am convinced that I was ignored by NTC and I only got action because Bernard Durkan intervened on my behalf. If so,IS THIS RIGHT?.A member of the public, a senior citizen, is ignored by a Local Authority, who would not check to see if what I said was true, and to make an effort to restore my water supply.
As I was recovering from a serious operation, I hadn’t got the energy to go to their Ivory Tower to make a public protest about their lack of action.
So I keep my fingers crossed so that they will restore my water supply so that I can have a shower ,flush my toilet , and have a cup of tea.

NO WATER FOR LAST WEEK

Came back after Christmas to find a burst pipe in boilerhouse. Got a friend to repair iot for me. Next day I noticed that my water supply was not back on when the Town Council switched on the water again. When I contacted Naas Town Ccouncil the person on the phone wasnt too interested in my problem. I had to say that I was officially reporting that I didnt have water and gave my name and address.

Next day I reported again that I had no water and the person on the phone said that she couldnt understand why?
Marks out of ten for Naas Town Council—-ZERO. As I am a Senior Citizen recovering from a serious operation, I expected more
In both instances no effort was made to do anything for me and that it was probably a private matter- in other words thay were washing their hands about my problem- something that I couldnt do- wash my hands-

ICY AND SNOW COVERED FOOTPATH IN NAAS

Is there even a thought given to the problems of older people during cold spells in Naas. During the last winter I highlighted the problem of the unsalted and ungritted paths in Naas and how motorists weremore important.
Nothing has changed.

KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL JUNKETS 2010

Over 12 months after I got the ball rolling on Junkets in Kildare County Council, some councillors are still not happy and want more controls on Expenditure on these Junkets- they are to be commended.

FEELING THE PAIN PART TWO

I have written before in my Blog about “Feeling the pain” The last budget was a disgrace in a civilized country like Ireland. The “vulnerable” were hit unashamedly by an uncaring and incompetent Green/Fianna Fail government. The blind, the carers, and the unemployed among other vulnerable people will certainly feel pain. The minimum waged will in future also suffer reductions. more well off have also been hit, but the pain for them will be manageable while some higher income earners will not be hit at all.

And why are the vulnerable being forced to feel pain.? It is because of incompetence of the FiannaFail/Green government, the absolute incompetence of the Financial Regulator, the head of the Central Bank,
the greed and corruption in the Banking sector, the speculators and big developers. Yes, but why are the vulnerable being forced to feel the pain?. It is because they are an easy target and are not really represented at political level.