THERE’S a scene in the 2015 film Brooklyn that stops me in my tracks every time I watch it. At a Christmas dinner for Irishmen who "built the tunnels and bridges" in New York, Frankie is called for a song. In a cameo appearance, West Cork sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionaird breaks into a couple of verses of Casadh an tSúgáin.
The scene in question is a Christmas dinner, away from home, and there is an incredible loneliness and sadness about it.
I visit New York regularly and this week, returned home from my first stay in Brooklyn. It was great to see the city from a new perspective.
I arrived on a blisteringly hot day and from the second I got on the train at JFK, I was surrounded by so many nationalities, languages, cultures. All these people's ancestors arrived in this great city to put down roots, just like mine did.
My great uncle and aunt left Ireland in the late 30s, early 40s. Aunt Kathleen died only a few years ago, aged 99. My uncle and his family live there also, most of them to the north of Manhattan.
Many of my friends have spent time working and living in the city which, in turn, has enhanced my experience every time. I try to visit at least once a year and have done so for about 20 years now.
Being Irish in New York is a special feeling. The Irish continue to contribute hugely to the workings of the modern city and in particular areas – Queens, and Westchester in particular, you would be forgiven for thinking that you hadn’t left the Emerald Isle at all.
Last weekend was Memorial Weekend in the States. The annual holiday is the time of year set aside to honour those have joined the military and who serve the US at home and abroad.
For the visitor to New York city, the holiday meant more street festivals, street food and entertainment and ‘fleet week’. Remember the episode of Sex And The City when the sailors and soldiers docked in New York for the long weekend and toured around Manhattan in their uniforms? Yes, that. Underwhelming for this visitor.
I have in the past, however, been sucked into the ‘fabulousness’ of the ‘Sex And The City’ tour of NYC. I went on it once, around 15 years ago. I enjoyed it at the time. We got photos taken outside Carrie’s apartment, visited The Magnolia Bakery and had Cosmopolitans in ‘Steve and Aiden’s’ bar.
The shopping in NYC is great at certain times of the year. The glory days of $2 for a pound are well gone. My days of shopping til I drop are in the past as well, but I made a few purchases this time round.
Most of this trip was spent walking and dining. The real NYC is far from the Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik-wearing image of New Yorkers as portrayed in Sex And The City. Flats are the name of the game, and I can report that Birkenstock sandals are bang on trend this year. All the walking in flats makes dining an even more joyous experience.
As for the ‘grams’ – Instagram for the uninitiated among you – my photos of builidings and bridges might disappoint. I am obsessed with The Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline in particular. No posing, pouting and no #livingmybestlife posts.
The Brooklyn Heights Social Club was a great discovery. Located on the 10th floor of the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo Park, the views of the Manhattan skyline are the best you’ll find, especially at night time. Apparently Jay Z and Beyonce rented the club out for a party recently. That’s as showbiz as we got on a Saturday night – and yes, that part of the holiday ended up on my ‘Insta’ story.
The showbiz is contrasted with the feeling of home. Drinks in a friend’s apartment while we watch the BBC Biggest Weekend live from Belfast, lunch with my uncle on the Upper East Side, calling in to see good friends playing at The Dead Rabbit Sunday night session and the most surreal part of this trip was watching the second half of the Champions League final with my cousin and his FDNY colleagues in the Firehouse of Engine 33 on Great Jones Street.
Every trip is energising and inspiring. I take a small bite out of the Big Apple each time I visit, just enough to sustain me until the next time.
