Blue McCarthy is remembered by some as a very strange character who would sit at the bar counter in the bottom

bar of the Ocean Hotel, playing games with his bottle of stout and glass, and muttering inanely to himself with a

cigarette dangling from his mouth.

There were whispers that he was mad, but others said he was highly intelligent and his going a bit barmy was his

way of dealing with what he perceived as a mundane world.

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Here are two stories about Blue:

The Transportation of Blue McCarthy from Bill's to the Woods

This tale comes from days of yore when drunken Men were often to be seen staggering through the village of

Dunmore . In those days Dunmore had its share of such Men. Women were mostly absent from pubs, (not a bad

arrangement I might add) It was expected of a Mon to enter a pub and drink, talk of the hard work he was engaged

in, and sing songs. Men were often heard singing on their way home in the night, that a life it was, the Woman

cooked and cleaned and the Men worked and drank, no house work, Men would work, but house work was not

considered a Mon's work. (and rightly so I might add)

It was the late sixties, The times were good in the village; the herring season was in full swing as was the building of

the new harbour. The pubs were crowded with thirsty Men. Saturday evening in Katie Bill's as it was known (Powers

Bar), was not to be missed, herrings were being caught in shoals by the men at the bar, Scotsmen were drinking

with Irishmen, German fishermen were drinking with Dutchmen, the Dutchmen smoking Van Nellie tobacco and

wearing yellow wooden clogs. Katie Power moved up and down the bar ensuring that her customers were being

served, and in general keeping an eye on things, her presence much respected by all there. All that was but for one

William (Blue) McCarthy who on account of consuming a large quantity of stout was semi-conscious at that

particular moment, his demure and condition immediately attracting the attention of the vigilant Mrs. Power.

Katie immediately raised her voice and a semi hush came over the assembled gathering. "I need someone" she

said "to take Blue McCarthy home", gesturing towards Blue, "as you all can see" she continued, "he is in no fit state

to make it up the hill to the woods and the night is coming in”. Few moved, or volunteered to manhandle Blue from

the warm confines of the bar, up the road to the wood, over the ditch, and finally to his door. Cars were scarce

(mostly the property of fish buyers) and those who knew Blue also knew that he would often pretend to be drunk

and lifeless in order to get transported home by motor vehicle.

Then a local Scots fish buyer by the name of Jimmy McNab stepped forward and volunteered to help Blue to his

home, he as it turned out was probably drunker than Blue, "I'll take him Katie", he said, "me and Nicky", press

ganging Nicky Flynn into helping him. Nicky was employed by him barrelling herrings on the quay at that time. Nicky

was also very drunk but decided he had better assist his employer in removing Blue from the premises, thereby

doing a good deed in front of Katie and at the same time furthering his employment prospects. Blue must have been

delighted upon hearing the response for assistance as surely this strange Scotsman would have a motor car parked

outside the door. His luck was out however on that evening as Jimmy's car lay parked on Dunmore pier, and any

transportation of Blue would have to be accomplished by brute force and ignorance.

Both Men dragged the drunken Blue into the lane beside Powers Bar and started heading up circular road towards

the wood. They staggered from one side of the road to the other, Jimmy carrying Blues legs and Nicky his arms. Not

a sound came from Blue, he was too drunk to realise who was carrying him but it sure beat walking and was the

next best thing to the back seat of a Morris Minor or a Volkswagen. One and a half hours of staggering later the trio

finally arrived at their first obstacle, a stone wall about 4 ft high that had to be climbed in order to enter the wood.

Blue was stretched on the ground as both bearers decided on what would be the best way to get him up the wall.

The wood itself reached the top of the wall on the other side so all that had to be done was to climb the wall on this

side to reach the even ground. Blue still looked unconscious, after all he could hardly jump up now and pretend to

these two strangers that he had sobered up, and after all, there was still a small distance to go beyond the wall to

his house.

"I have a plan", said Jimmy McNab to Nicky, "I will get up on the wall and pull him up, you can push from your end".

And so it was that Jimmy stood up on the wall and began pulling Blue towards him. Nicky pushed from behind until

finally Blue lay face down spread-eagled over the stone wall and Jimmy sat exhausted looking down from the wood

at Nicky. Not a peep out of Blue, he knew he was nearly over the wall and soon would be indoors.

It was then Nicky's turn to get up on the wall and enter the wood next to Jimmy. They both could then pull Blue the

rest of the way into the wood. Nicky was drunk leaving the pub and all the extra effort and fresh air had added to the

dizziness he felt in his head. He began to climb the wall almost over the spread-eagled Blue; Jimmy stood up on the

wall and had just held out his hand for Nicky to grab when disaster struck.

Right at the top of the wall Nicky missed Jimmy's hand and felt himself falling backward, he tried to grab the

outstretched arm but missed again, he tried to grab a few tree branches but missed them too, finally in a last

desperate effort to arrest his fall backward he grabbed the only thing that was near to him at the time, the top of

Blues trousers. In doing so he also grabbed Blues drawers which were poking out over the top of the trousers, but

rather than stop him falling backwards, both garments gave way instantly and back went Nicky on to the ground

pulling Blues trousers and drawers down around his ankles as he fell.

The wood was silent, Nicky sat on the ground, Jimmy was still on top of the ditch, Blue lay across the wall only this

time he was without his trousers and drawers as both were around his ankles.

Suddenly he lifted his head and speaking for the first time in a sober voice to his rescuers said:

“I hope you Boys are not planning to accost me!"

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A good one, makes me wish I was in the pub. I could imagine Nicky Flynn laughing at that one.

I remember hearing a yarn about Blue's brother's death. Apparently they shared a bed, not in an incestuous queer

way, but because it was the only bed in the house. As far as I remember when the man died Blue kept sleeping with

him for weeks, not realising he was dead. You may have more details about that one.

Another time Blue was in a coma for three weeks and when told upon waking up he simply replied, 'that's

remarkable'.

I'd say the internet wouldn't be big enough for all the tales that could be told about Blue. I wonder if anyone has a

photo of him.

Da Dalton would be another hero of the village that would be worth mentioning.

05-11-05

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The Night Blue Scared Me Sober

I lived on Circular Road . At one end of the road was Bill the Butchers Pub and the Ocean Hotel and at the other

side was the Candlelight Inn with the Shippe Bar just a little further down the road (no wonder I drink). On a night

that was blacker than black I was on a tour of the lower village.

A few pints at the Strand Hotel, sat on the storm wall with the mot, hit the Shippe for one and stopped in to the

Candlelight Inn to see the lads. Now full of drink and a list on, I would start my way home from the east side of the

Circular Road . Little did I know old Blue was about to enter the road from the west, full from a long day and evening

at Bill the Butchers. Blue used to cut through the woods beside our house to get to his place. Blue did not talk much,

mumbled a lot and always had a woodbine hanging from his mouth, looked a rough, sometimes a little dirty, but

again a harmless man. Getting back to the story, Blue and I were on a crash course. I had walked this road all my

life but as I got older I could stay out later. I can tell you I could not count the number of times I had run like hell to

get home, I was sure the Bogieman was going to get me. But here I was now, a big boy full of drink, but remember

no street lights, black as black. I was just behind Pitt's Field, I looked down and saw a glowing thing (no, not a UFO,

I said to myself).

It was on the side of the road, so like a good lad I was just about to put my size 10 on this glowing thing, which by

now I figured out was a fag. Just as I was about to stomp on the fag I hear “BOO!!”. That would be Blue laying on

the ground too drunk to walk the rest of the way home. The Boo!! was his way of saying good night, remember I

said he mumbled a lot but you have to remember, he was pissed.

WELL !!!! When I stopped running I was somewhere around Woodstown Beach . I am here to tell you to this day I

have never been that scared. I am not sure if I passed out from the fright!. I know one thing, from that night until the

day I left for Canada I never stopped for anything on the way home. My younger brothers and sisters had it made,

street lights were put up some years later.

From Peter O'Neill