Happy St. Patrick’s Day

A Leprechroon’s Irish Superstitions

My maternal Great-grandparents were both born in Dublin, Ireland around 1857. My Great-grandfather Matthew moved to London, established himself, and returned to Dublin to marry his sweetheart my Great-grandmother. As was the case with many Irish at the time, not long after they married in the 1880s they emigrated to England and started their family,

My Grandmother Madge, St Patrick’s Day, and Colcannon

I often think of my maternal grandmother, Madge, particularly around this time of year. She was born in London, England within a few years of her parents emigrating from Dublin, Ireland. As such, on ‘paper’ she was 100% English, yet she never forgot that the blood that coursed through her veins was pure Irish. In

Cycling Rights Versus Personal Safety

Yesterday Montrealers awoke to the sad news that a woman cyclist had been hit by a car on a main downtown street. Thankfully she was alive when transported to the hospital.  I wish her well. When these incidents occur it brings about the debate about the safety of bike riding in urban areas, particularly during

Like Sting I Hope the Russians Love Their Children Too

It’s been a scary time. Over the last few years, we have managed to deal with a deadly pandemic, only to find ourselves on the brink of a disaster in Ukraine, one that has already created a humanitarian crisis as innocent Ukrainian citizens either flee for their lives or stay and fight a much bigger

Epaper or Hardcopy: It’s all about access

I love newspapers. In fact, I am a news junkie in general but have always loved the local coverage of my world found in my local newspaper. In my case that is the Montreal Gazette. I held out for a long time, but several years ago I gave in and switched to the epaper version.

Dr. Hook: Sylvia’s Mother was a Bitch

In 1972 Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show made it to Billboard’s #5 with their song Sylvia’s Mother. The song was a hit in many countries including Australia and Ireland. To this day the song regularly pops up on oldies stations, no doubt ensuring the band members “keep gettin’ richer”. The song is about a

Backpacks on Buses – Bring Back Briefcases

In the carrying-out of my daily affairs, I don’t have need of public transit very often, opting to walk as often as possible. Although there have been periods in my life when I was a regular strap-hanger. During a recent cold snap, I did avail myself of the warmth of Montreal’s Metro. It was the

We’re all fed up

Over the weekend thousands of people converged on Parliament Hill in Canada’s capital city Ottawa. The so-called Freedom Convoy of truckers from across the country, and many hangers-on are protesting the government’s stance on COVID-19 vaccinations and mask-wearing. Indeed, as this convoy grew over a week or so to denounce vaccine requirements for cross-border trucking,

Irritable Vowel Syndrome