I make no apologies for most of my ramblings revolving around being in a public house. These were the heartbeat of the nation, the social centre of life itself. I am not talking about your plastic city pubs, I am taking about the real village pub.
You could be from anywhere and arrive into one of these pubs and within seconds you would be engaged in conversation, giving your life story to a complete stranger. If the government's employed these denizens of the village pub to help with their interrogations, there would be no more terrorism.
Your average Irish barman was probably the owner as well or at least a relative of the owner. Also the same barman would be the master of extracting information along with being adept at the art of repeating what you say as a question. In fact a vast majority of what comes out of the barman's mouth is a question and he/she is relentless.
As you walk in for the first time the conversation could go something like this.
Barman: "What'll ya have ?"
Tourist: "A pint of beer please"
Barman: "Is it a beer ya want ?"
Tourist: "Yes please"
Barman: "And what beer would that be ?"
Tourist: "Harp please"
Barman: "Harp is it ?"
Tourist: "Yes Please"
Barman: "and where would you be from ?"
Tourist: "South Africa"
Barman: "South Africa eh ?"
Tourist: "Yes"
Barman: "And what brings you to Ireland ?"
Tourist: "Holiday, looking up family ties"
Barman: "Holiday is it ?"
Tourist: "Yes"
Barman: "Family from around here ?"
Tourist: "Yes, from Tulla"
Barman: "From Tulla is it ?"
Tourist: "Yes"
Barman: "And who would your Father have been ?"
Tourist: "My father was South African my Mother was from Tulla"
Barman: "Father South African eh, And who is your mother ?"
Tourist: "Mary Kelly"
Barman: "Mary Kelly is it ?"
Tourist: "Yes"
Barman: "From Tulla ?"
Tourist: "Yes"
Barman: "Went to South Africa ?"
Tourist: "Yes"
Barman: "Nope don't know her, however I knew a Nancy Ryan who went to America"
Rinse and repeat for an hour and the tourist will have given up the will to live.
