Country Living with Francis Farragher

Looking back on life with the benefit of hindsight, it’s only now I realise that there was a very limited window of years available to meet the real Santa Claus. While there were occasional encounters with imposters – and even they were limited enough for kids of the ‘60s – one or two great opportunities were still missed to meet the man himself with a combination of nosy parents, hard luck and the elusive nature of our annual visitor all contributing to my failure.

Many’s the Christmas Eve night when try as I might sleep wouldn’t come easily to me in my upstairs bedroom and sometimes maybe after dozing for a half-hour or two, I’d hear a bit of commotion downstairs, but a lack of courage to investigate what was going proved to be my downfall.

The parental warnings also played their part. “Whatever you do, go to sleep and don’t venture near the kitchen until the morning. If you disturb him, he might hit off in a huff and leave you nothing,” was her stern advice which I took to heart until curiosity got the better of fear by around the age of ten.

It was advice I took to heart and such the absolute dread that Santa would have punished me for not falling asleep quickly enough ‘the night before’, that I’d sit at the top of the stairs on Christmas Morning and refuse to budge, until help was summoned.

A parent or older brother would be entrusted with the task of going down the stairs and into the kitchen as a type of Indian scout who could confirm if the coast was clear in terms of Santa having performed his delivery duties.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.