Comments on Ken Armstrong Writing Stuff: My Dad – In His Own Words

That's great. I love it. Reminds me of my Dad tel...

2010-06-19T12:11:41.126+01:00

That's great. I love it.
Reminds me of my Dad telling me stories, he only tells them when I don't ask or we go past something he remembers or a thing knocks something loose in his head and it spills out his mouth.
I love them.

That is such a lovely story. I like to listen to m...

2010-03-04T10:51:37.196Z

That is such a lovely story. I like to listen to my mother telling stories of the old days and I to like to visit the area where she was born. We have lived in Enniscrone for over 20 years. Its funny how the local Gard was able to get a hold of you like that, you dont remember his name do you?

love the photo, thanks for an interesting post

2009-07-30T23:23:04.846+01:00

love the photo, thanks for an interesting post

I agree with Dave K. - the picture is a story in i...

2009-07-24T05:28:30.423+01:00

I agree with Dave K. - the picture is a story in itself - colour digital photos just don't do that.

Laura: I will. Or at least find a pic of a simila...

2009-07-21T18:31:19.729+01:00

Laura: I will. Or at least find a pic of a similar house, I have lots on file, I think.

Matt: I love the 'posh' images our place names evoke with you! It's all 'Castle this' and 'Castle that' over here are nary a posh person in sight, I'm afraid. :)

Dave: Thank you. The photographer is a talented guy and his other stuff of worth a look too. My dad was most uncomfortable about the pic - he is an accomplished fly fisherman and would never hold a rod like that but yet the picture, as you rightly say, captures something.

Good story, but most impressive is the character w...

2009-07-21T09:33:36.052+01:00

Good story, but most impressive is the character written in your father's face. Enjoyed the post.

Castlecronner? So, are you descended from Irish r...

2009-07-20T13:47:13.082+01:00

Castlecronner? So, are you descended from Irish royalty?

Get pictures please! My Grandmother was Irish and ...

2009-07-19T18:21:00.214+01:00

Get pictures please! My Grandmother was Irish and grew up on a farm. They came to Canada when the parents died and an older step brother took over the farm. I've never seen it and would like some idea of how it may have looked. She was in County Cork I think. My Mom would remember, maybe. Anyway, would really be nice to see an old Irish farm house. You probably think not much of it cause you can see them any time. :)

Hope: He does indeed spin a yarn or two. Thanks....

2009-07-19T10:50:42.750+01:00

Hope: He does indeed spin a yarn or two. Thanks.

Kat: Even I was impressed by the syntax, seeing it written down like that. I guess the story was extracted piecemeal from a conversation but it's very well done. Certainly I can read the piece and make sense of every inflection.

Jim: Yes the phraseology does stand out. It's interesting that you could hear this told without remarking too much on that but writing it down brings it right to the fore.

Rene: If you met us both on the street, you would probably find we are strikingly similar in many respects. The picture if more formal than he normally is but it captures something which is in him but which might not normally be seen.

Laura: I haven't got picture of the house! And I've been over there myself once or twice. It's a tiny tiny cottage.

Susan: Nail on the head. I will look like him if I get that far. That's okay.. :)

Jena: Thank you. I'll pass that on to him, he will doubtless want to come and visit you. I'm afraid I don't have any pictures of myself of this quality and I am now increasingly camera-shy. The photographer who took Dad's one is a very talented man, I think it shows. The photo in my post links to more of his work.

Your father is a handsome Ken. And he has the same...

2009-07-19T06:38:06.004+01:00

Your father is a handsome Ken. And he has the same witty style of recounting his story.

This post reminds me of what I plan to do with the book. I just hope you could send me a photo of yours just like this one?

I laughed! What a coincidence they found each othe...

2009-07-18T23:49:13.349+01:00

I laughed! What a coincidence they found each other like that. It's a superb portrait btw. But posting it on your blog has me thinking of Dorian Grey (is this a photo of Ken and he's aging backwards?? LOL) You two are a great pair. My mother and I are the same; if I live into my 70s I know exactly what I'll look like.

Did you get photos of the house? Would be nice to ...

2009-07-18T21:20:55.768+01:00

Did you get photos of the house? Would be nice to have a few pictures of that fireplace and the house itself before it falls apart. I love the old houses (as you probably noticed by now). I seldom see photos of old places from Ireland, only castles which are really old but they make me wonder about the houses, the smaller places.

You don't look a thing at all alike ;) I wish I c...

2009-07-18T21:14:35.252+01:00

You don't look a thing at all alike ;)

I wish I could've heard this being told...

Peace - Rene

Fascinating phraseology. Nice story too.

2009-07-18T16:51:45.609+01:00

Fascinating phraseology. Nice story too.

Now this explains much. You are certainly a chip o...

2009-07-18T14:27:36.879+01:00

Now this explains much. You are certainly a chip off the old block--in so many respects.

I loved his way of telling it - the syntax so favoured by the Irish ("I was down the town of Sligo") It has intrisic rhyme and rhythm, doesn't it?

It was just grand! (And so is the photograph).

Caitlin

That is so cool! And you father looks like a man ...

2009-07-18T13:40:57.560+01:00

That is so cool! And you father looks like a man who could spin a good yarn himself. :)

Thanks for sharing!