"If you break your two legs, don't come running to me!"
This morning, listener Katie Fitz got in touch to say that even though she was on a day off, she was up early to bring her parents to the airport because they were off on pilgrimage to The Holy Land. Ah, the parental pilgrimage! It seems like a very Irish parent thing to do.
They’re a unique breed, Irish parents:
- “Paula only last night I was in the car with my mother and she was on at me to take off my coat because I won’t feel the benefit when I get out of the car. Which means I had to sit in a freezing cold car to keep her happy…. Agony!”
- “A letter came in the post for you, will I open it? As if she hadn’t already had a good read of it. Paula!”
- “7Up cures everything but it HAS to be flat! Vomiting, diarrhoea, the flu, the plague.... Irish parents, and especially mothers, genuinely believe there is a special ingredient in 7Up that can cure you of anything!”
- “Those biscuits are for the visitors!”
- “Paula, my mother had a thing for bottling holy water and didn't have a thing for labelling. Drank a few litres in my day!”
- “Morning Paula. I grew up in a house of 7 lads and 2 girls, so to put it mildly, it was crowded. We regularly were told ‘COME OUT FROM AROUND ME FEET!’ As soon as we all got a bit financially independent, we started moving out one by one. I moved into Castlebar the December after my leaving cert. The very 1st night in my new house she rang and asked ‘well, are you coming home for dinner? No?! Oh.... right’ Can't win with them!” - Damien in Castlebar
- “Exam-time meant lighting candles!”
- “If you break your legs, don’t come running to me!”
- “Paula when my mam is on a cleaning buzz all you can hear is ‘I’M THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES ANYTHING IN THIS HOUSE’ over the hoover!”
- “Morning Paula, whenever I go home to visit my mother she asks what I'd like for breakfast, I say I'll just have some cereal and a cup of tea, ‘are ya sure ya don't want a fry, I'm putting one on for myself’ I said no, no I'm grand, then she says ‘sure I'll put on a little extra ya might still be hungry’ so I give in and say OK, one sausage, two slices of bacon thanks. A short time later, I have 2 sausages, three bacon, fried egg, mushrooms, fried tomato, beans and hash browns, 17 slices of toast and the kettle is being boiled every five minutes just in case. Ya gotta love them though!” - Jeff
- “Morning Paula, can’t beat the old classic ‘shut your mouth and eat your dinner!”
- “Paula she's nothing only a craw thumper, which is someone who’s busy going to mass but has nothing nice to say about anyone so basically a hypocrite!”
- “Don’t sit on concrete, you’ll get a kidney infection! Don’t sit on a radiator, you’ll get piles! Don’t go to bed with a wet head, you’ll get Belle’s Palsy!”
- “Morning Paula. I'm here misty-eyed but smiling at the same time. We lost our Mom in March this year but listening to all the stories brings back wonderful memories. Treasure the Moms and give a hug to them today.” - Sean in Tralee.
