i went for a walk today. up into the phoenix park and then across over to smithfield. the horsey market was on. i swear to god it was like shedding 100 years. there were barely any tourists and the whole cobbled yard was filled with dads and kids and horses. i talked to one guy who said this is the key horse trading place in co. dublin. A bit further out from the square were kids riding and showing off with (their new?) horses: Just like you would expect with a new scooter or skateboard. I passed one group of country men trying to manhandle a horse float around in a small street while holding a nervous horse. I could barely understand what they were saying, but it was a rich country sound, free of fuck this and cunt that. Good natured whistles and whoops, i think they were having fun?

all of the vendors (i guess, no signs or stalls anywhere) were standing around with grim faces holding their badge of office: a 3 foot dressage whip. Many of the kids had similar canes and lent on them in the same way. there was more than one grizzled whip man leading his boy around, pointing at various horses and grumbling sage advice.

being ireland, booze was seamlessly incorporated. in every hand, or every other hand was a can. The alley leading to the market became a part-converted pissoir-come-vomit-bucket, by 10:30 in the morning. A combined symphony, with the horse piss and shit; the reek helped drag nineteen-ought six ireland out and onto the streets. There was no order and no safety considerations but it was all working. the rough edges of boozed up country folk in the city worn smooth by use and calm by habit. who would have thought an irish utopia?

i did have a very nice walk and by the time i had stopped somewhere to have an irish breakfast (not too big, just about right), it had taken me about three hours. So, now as it is spring and the weather outside is much like it i am going to do the spring cleaning. throw the windows open wide and let some air in!. wash everything and listen to BBC4. the only thing that would make this more thorough is a couple of dexies.