We went to Dungloe on the bus today. Joe was our driver (sometimes Michael is driving). I finally remembered to ask him about something I've been wondering about for a month or two. I got my answer in a way we found rather amusing.
A while back, Bill found a book somewhere online called Memories of Dungloe, written by a guy named Patrick Campbell. His family owned Campbell's Hotel and that's where he lived growing up. I read it recently and enjoyed it, but I wondered where Campbell's Hotel had been--it's not there now. Shortly after I read it, we were on the bus and Michael was driving, so I asked him if he knew where the old Campbell's Hotel used to be. He had no idea. I decided to ask Joe next time I saw him--he has shared plenty of stories of his own about how life used to be in this area. Of course, I promptly forgot to ask him next time we were on the bus and many times after that--until today.
We got on the bus got our groceries tucked out of the way and settled in. I asked if he knew where the hotel used to be and explained how I'd heard of the place. He was puzzled. He'd never heard of Campbell's Hotel. He was thinking out loud for a bit and then he said, 'I have no idea, but I'll find out for ya. You stumped me with this one, but you leave it with me. I'll get it sorted.' I said thank you and that would be great. I expected he might tell me next time we see him.
Technically we were on the town run at that point and we had a few minutes until it turned into the bus that comes out our way, so before I knew it, Joe was on the phone. He was speaking in Irish, but I heard him mention Campbell's Hotel. After the call ended, he said he'd called his sister who knows more than him because she's older. She knew where it was and he showed us as we drove by. Turns out it was on the corner a few doors away from our old apartment. It's now a pub called The Bridge Inn. They might rent upstairs rooms through AirBnB, but I don't know. Over a century ago, before the hotel or the Bridge Inn, there used to be a different building there. All that's left of that are the original steps.
So now I know, and so does Joe, thanks to his sister! 😀 Better than google!
5 comments:
That's true!
It looks nice enough now. Were there pictures in the book to compare?
About 20 years ago there was a coffee table book that had old pictures on the left leaf and the current day comparison on the right. I loved that book. It fascinated me that sometimes it was utterly different and sometimes it was shockingly the same. It was kind of like the children's book Where's Waldo, I would have to look back and forth for the things that remained the same. For some reason it comforted me.
Bill used to have that book!
There are a few pics in the back of the book. One shows the hotel in 1943. That's why I couldn't place it--it looked nothing like what it looks like today!
Brilliant - and very nice of Joe to call his sister right away. Dungloer bus drivers are definitely different than Viennese bus drivers ;-)) And you have solved another riddle of your new home community.
All the best,
Traude
The big buses that run between larger towns are different, but these small van-sized (16 seats, I think) buses running through the middle of nowhere have a totally different vibe!
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