Tag: Horse Racing

A Wedding in Dublin

| July 10, 2016 | 0 Comments

After the 1916 Tour, we attended the wedding of Cyril and Margaret. Margaret is cousin to Bob and Richard on their mother’s side, obviously unrelated to me. None of us, however, was invited to the wedding. Apparently, the Irish term for us is “plate lickers.” You can probably figure out the derivation.

Nevertheless, we were welcomed enthusiastically. The Matriarch of the family was thrilled to see Bob and Richard and they were able to connect to a number of cousins who they hadn’t seen in a while.

I ended up with the husbands of the women who constituted the bride’s posse. They were at the bar having a boisterous good time. They seemed to recognize me as a plate licker once removed and invited me over to join the party. The picture is below.

L to R Liam, Me, Charles, Michael Winter and Joe Photo by Richard Black

L to R Liam, Me, Charles, Michael Winter and Joe
Photo by Richard Black

I explained to Michael, the fella next to me, that my mother would have said, “He’s got the map of Ireland on his face.” The group was intent on convincing me that Michael was a famous man. Despite his very distinctive face, I didn’t buy it. Then, they told me to Google his name. Sure enough, he’s a walking stereotype. The grizzled horse trainer who almost beat the Queen’s horse at the Royal Ascot with his horse Missunited. The horse only lost by a nose.

Here’s Michael hoisting the Powers Gold Cup.

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And here’s a short video documentary on Michael and his horse Rebel Fitz.

Fair warning: If you like listening to an Irish brogue, you’ll love this video.  However, it probably needs subtitles, particularly when Michael speaks.