Pew Sheet – 25th April 2021

The Rector writes  ‘Our friend Barry Cogan  (with his Tidy Towns ‘Hat’ on)  asked me to mention to you all those people who are involved locally in the National Spring Clean Initiative from An Taisce which is happening during this month of April.  I do remember that for several years we had a sponsored parish clean up walk for this initiative (back in the ’good old days’).  Carrigaline is very lucky to have such a wonderful Tidy Towns committee and some of you are very active in that group.  So I am delighted to send our heartiest congratulations to the many Clubs , Schools  and Organisations, Resident’s associations and just ordinary civic minded people in the area who are taking part this April.  Because of their efforts, we all get to enjoy a well cared for and clean area and we are very grateful to all those who work so hard to make our community a more beautiful place.’  

Random Notes CCCLXXVII

The city of York is regarded as one of the most haunted in Britain. One ghost story began in the 1950s when Harry Martindale, a labourer, was working in the basement of a 15th century mansion known as the Treasurer’s House.

According to his account, he heard the sound of a trumpet and then watched, horrified, as a troop of ghostly Roman soldiers walked through the wall at one end of the room, crossed to the other side, and exited through the opposite wall.  Martindale bolted from the basement and refused ever to go back.  He learned afterwards that other people had also seen the Romans in that cellar.   In the 1970s, historical researchers questioned Martindale about his ghostly experience. He described the soldiers as wearing green tunics, carrying spears strapped to their right sides and having round shields. The researchers ridiculed his account, saying that it was known that the Roman Army dressed in red tunics and used rectangular shields. They dismissed the story as a total fabrication.

In the 1990s, however, archaeologists were stunned to discover, during an excavation of a Roman fort that, indeed, there was evidence that some Romans did wear green tunics, carried spears on their right sides rather than the left, and used round shields , instead of rectangular, just as Harry Martindale had said, details he could not have possibly known, unless his ghostly tale had been true all along.

MMPC