Behind me

Behind me, I hear a chair scrape across the floor and a heavy footstep, followed by three or four more, a door opening with a squeak or creak - and then a bang that is loud enough to be classed as violent.

Behind me, I hear the owner of the café we are sitting in ask another patron about the prospects of Clare in the All Ireland hurling final.

I’m embarrassed that I know so little about hurling. But it is a sport that creates much excitement in these parts- houses decked out in blue and yellow, and banners hanging from doors and windows with the unironic phrase “Up the Banner”. For this is Clare, the banner county.

We walked here yesterday, up the limestone shoulder of Mullaghmore. We reached several summits, each one teasing the real summit.

As we walked, 10-year-old Liam chatted non-stop. Mícheál, 16, walked mostly in silence. Tadhg, Liam’s dad, with a steady step and lumbering presence - mostly silent too.

The longest conversation of the day was about whether, and where, to stop on the way home for a 99 ice cream.