‘kinell!

Back when I was running around the country opening SpecSavers stores I found myself in the village of Waterval Boven in a hostelry with a lovely pub run by an Irishman. Waterval Boven is an amazing place – a rock-climbing mecca. I bought the book called something like “The Menu to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe” which listed all the climbs – dozens of them! This is not it, but similar:

Here are two of those climbs:

Isn’t that amazing!?

The publican was a raconteur and a wit and a delight. His brother was famous on SABC radio (Paddy O’Byrne, I think?). Seeing me all on my own, he chatted to me and taught me some Irish, of which I have never forgotten “‘kinell“.

As in ‘kinell! It’s short for Fucking Hell . . fuckin’ ‘ell . . ‘kinell.  A Pom might say ‘You don’t say!’ an American, ‘Beats me!’ – an Irishman will say ‘kinell!

His hostelry was special:

As is the whole village:

So my personal Irishman fed me guiness, old brown, guiness, old brown. Marvelous evening.