Tis
A Memoir
Chapter One
When the MS Irish Oak sailed from Cork in October 1949, we expected to
be in New York City in a week. Instead, after two days at sea, we were told we
were going to Montreal in Canada. I told the first officer all I had was forty
dollars and would Irish Shipping pay my train fare from Montreal to New York.
He said, No, the company wasn't responsible. He said freighters are the whores
of the high seas, they'll do anything for anyone. You could say a freighter is
like Murphy's oul' dog, he'll go part of the road with any wanderer.
Two days later Irish Shipping changed its mind and gave us the happy news, Sail
for New York City, but two days after that the captain was told, Sail for
Albany.
The first officer told me Albany was a city far up the Hudson River, capital of
New York State. He said Albany had all the charm of Limerick, ha ha ha, a great
place to die but not a place where you'd want to get married or rear children.
He was from Dublin and knew I was from Limerick and when he sneered at Limerick
I didn't know what to do. I'd like to destroy him with a smart ... read full excerpt from: Tis: A Memoir ebook
