IRISH TIMES ODDITIES: More light-hearted exerpts from the archives of The Irish Times. by Allen Foster.
"MISS 1927'S" NEAT ANKLES
An ankle competition, always a favourite test for the fair sex, at a fancy dress carnival in Newry, resulted in an easy win for a mere man over 20 fair competitors. Constable RSJ Fowlie, who is attached to Canal Street Barracks, attended the carnival dressed as "Miss 1927", and he entered for the contest. The competitors were placed behind a screen. Unaware of the identity of the possessor of the neatest ankles, the judges made their award, the result causing great amusement.
November 18th, 1927
PUNISHED FOR BEING DEAD
A message from Roubaix recounts the story of an old man who was nearly buried alive but escaped that fate only to be punished after his resuscitation. An inhabitant of an alms house at Roubaix, he went out for a walk. Contrary to the orders which had been given him, he spent his time in drinking, and then, afraid to return, decided to drown himself. When he arrived on the bank of the river, however, the cold and his unaccustomed libations caused a seizure, and he fell, apparently dead, by the riverside. A doctor was called, who issued a certificate of death, and the man was taken to the morgue. As soon as the Religious Sister in charge sprinkled the first drops of holy water on his forehead the supposedly dead mat sat up, to the terror of the nun, who fled, calling for help. When the resuscitated inmate returned to the alms house he was punished for his escapade by being forbidden to go out for five weeks.
January 11th, 1924
FLYING LEPRECHAUNS
A Boeing Stratocruiser took 850 leprechauns from Shannon to New York yesterday. They were plaster replicas, consigned to the Hibernian Banquet Society in New York for use in connection with the St Patrick's Day festivities.
March 7th, 1950
BALL OF FIRE SEEN IN THE SKIES
A prominent Limerick citizen told our correspondent that while going home shortly after midnight on Sunday, his attention was arrested by a peculiar noise in the skies. Looking up he was astonished to see a ball of fire passing overheard at a great height. "The ball of fire was," he says, "a glowing mass of red flame. It was taking an east-to-west direction a little to the south of Rineanna. Its altitude was greater than any plane I have ever seen." It had a circular motion and though it did not make any mechanical noise, it caused considerable air disturbance, creating a sort of vacuum as it passed. "I wonder," he asked, "if any other citizen saw this phenomenon."
May 16th, 1950
ALARM CLOCK FOILS BURGLAR
A young Paris locksmith named Dupont decided to rob the guests at the Parisian hotel where he himself lodged, and seeing a magnificent alarm clock on the table by a sleeping man, included it in his booty. He was descending the stairs with a great bundle of various articles in his arms when the alarm clock went off. Startled, he began to run. The concierge, who had been awakened by the alarm, recognised him, however, and, although he momentarily effected his escape, he was soon afterwards arrested.
June 24th, 1929
Culled from the archives ofThe Irish Times , available online at www.ireland.com/archive. Allen Foster is author ofFoster's Irish Oddities andFoster's Even Odder Irish Oddities (New Island).