Can you imagine coming to Ireland on holiday and being told there was no Guinness or Irish Stew to be had?
That was the thought that came into my head on a recent trip to Athens, Georgia in America's Deep South. Georgia is famous for its peaches and there's a Peachtree Avenue, Peachtree Road and Peachtree Boulevard in Atlanta and various other towns and cities. But where are all the peaches?
During my week long stay the only fruit I saw was a bowl of apples at the hotel reception. I failed to find any trace of a peach in any shops in the town. In fact there were no shops selling fresh produce of any sort. There were plenty of bars and restaurants but nowhere to get a loaf of bread, a pint of milk or a peach in the centre of the town. “You need to go out to the mall for stuff like that,” I was told. No small grocery stores or bakeries are left. This is a town that has over 30,000 college students during the year, do none of them ever have to make some beans on toast during their time here? “Walmart killed the local grocery store,” sang Rev Peyton at the Rhythm and Roots Festival this year. Now I know what he means. Let's hope it doesn't happen in Kilkenny when our new central access scheme is in place.
I arrived in Georgia at nine o'clock at night after an 18-hour journey. I headed out for a burger at the Five Guys Diner, the first of many jumbo sized meals and at about half the price of the local Eddie Rockets. Then it was time for a couple of cold beers before bed.
“Sorry sir, could I see your ID Please?” There's just a handful of customers in Barnettes Bar, but I'm not served without an ID card. I explain that I'm nearer to the old age pension than trying to sneak an under age drink, but to no avail. “Sorry sir, it's the law, everyone must have a valid ID.”
I don't fancy having to carry my passport around all day, but the policy seems to be hit and miss. I head into the next bar along the street and there's no request for identification from the friendly barman, who advises me on the various local beers on offer. I settle for a bottle of Terrapin, a beer that's brewed in the town.
“What is the purpose of your visit?” was the question at Atlanta Airport Immigration. This was part of a process that took two and a half hours from the time the plane landed until I finally got through the last security check. I told them I was going to a music festival in nearby Athens. This was on a much smaller scale to the mud fest up in Punchestown, with the atmosphere much closer to our own Roots festival in Kilkenny. I had a list of acts to check out for next year's event and managed to see and hear good music in the sweltering heat.
The town relies heavily on its music reputation. It is home to bands such as REM and The B 52s and there are over 600 bands living and playing in the area, all hoping to become the next big thing..
It doesn't have an awful lot more to offer to the casual tourist. Two of the big attractions listed are 'The Double Barrelled Canon' and 'The Tree That Owns Itself.'
The idea was to load the cannon with two balls linked by several feet of chain. When fired, the balls and chain would whirl out and cut down the unfortunate enemy soldiers caught in the path. Legend has it that it was only tested once and a field of cows were the only victims of this new weaponry.
'The Tree That Owns Itself' is just a tree with a plaque beside it, but there is a constant stream of visitors lining up to have their photographs taken. Back in the early 1800s a Professor William H Jackson, out of love for a great oak on his property, deeded to the tree ownership of itself and the land within eight feet of it on all sides. I presume he was having a few shots of bourbon when he fell in love with his tree, but the story has lived on. The original tree fell in the 1940s, but this didn't pose a problem, they just grew a new tree from one of its acorns and it was business as usual.
If they can make a tree and a canon into big tourist attractions, you wonder what they could do if they got their hands on Kilkenny Castle, Rothe House, or St Canices Cathedral.
The road to Kilimanjaro
Things may be tough here, but there are still plenty of people willing to help those less fortunate both at home and around the world. Frank Manning heads off today, Friday, on his trip in a Ford Fiesta to Mongolia to raise funds for Susie Long Hospice.
Another local man, Ger Mulvey, is launching a CD of original songs in aid of the African Charity Kiliminjaro Direct, which was set up by local teacher, Sheila Ryan.
He is hoping to raise €15,000 from sales of the CD, with €10,000 funding the construction of a classroom and €5,000 the construction of a house for a family in need. The launch takes place at 9pm on Friday July 24 in the Ormonde Hotel.
