An Irish ghost story
 

This happened in Dublin and is supposedly true. John a Dublin University student was hitchhiking on a very dark stormy night. He could hardly see a few feet ahead. Suddenly he saw a car slowly coming towards him and stop. John desperate for shelter and without thinking got into the car, He then realized there was nobody behind the wheel. The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared he started to pray. Begging for his life. Then just before the car hit the curve a hand appeared out of nowhere and turned the wheel. John paralyzed with terror watched as the hand came through the window but never touched or harmed him. Shortly thereafter John saw the lights of a pub. Gathering strength he jumped out of the car and ran to the pub. Wet and out of breath he rushed inside and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he just had. A silence enveloped the pub when they realized he wasn't drunk. Suddenly the door opened and two other guys walked in. They like John were soaked and out of breath. Looking around and seeing John at the bar one said to the other LOOK PADDY THERES THAT IDIOT THAT GOT IN OUR MODEL A WHILE WE WAS PUSHING IT.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

In the version they tell around Roscommon, His name was Michael, not Paddy!
Good one!
Terry

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

I knew this was a joke, because you said he was Irish BUT was NOT drunk.

The reason Whiskey was invented was to keep the Irish from ruling the World

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

I like this!

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Good humour is self deprecating and dos not ridicule another person.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Well, it so happens that I was there that night, having a wee dram meself while visitin' the ol' sod searching for family. Me great grandfather hisself came over in one of the bodato (potato in American) boats of 1848 durin' the famine you know.
Being interested in Model As, I went out to inspect the vehicle while Paddy and his pal Liam warmed up with a bit of Jamison, (this being a Republican pub in the South and not serving Bushmills) while young Johnny retired to a far corner of the pub to recite his rosary and making promises for his salvation after such an experience.
Turns out it was a 1930 Tudor. A quick inspection revealed that while the gas tank showed 1/2 full, the fuel shut off petcock was closed. After some gabbing with Paddy and Liam, seems they had borrowed the A from a friend to get to Cork for a wake, but neither had any Model A experience. The car simply stopped running after a couple of miles and they began pushing, when this idiot jumped in without even a how-d-do.
However, all ended well. While Paddy and Liam were surprised that the Americans would put such a device on a car to trap the unwary, after explaining the function they proceeded on their way after a couple more warm-up Jamisons for the road. Rumor has it that young Johnny joined a monastery on one of the Western Islands where he continues to pray for all Model A owners and drivers who encounter problems on the road.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Being full blood Irish I care not if the wee folk think us all drinkers and fighters, hell...me Mother taught me how to do both.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Hilarious!

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Having lived in Ireland, Rep of, for four years and eight days, travelled from Donegal to Cork, from Mayo to Co Wicklow....the Irish have a great sense of humour about themselves and I FWD'd that joke to about four friends in Ireland and it's still being FWD'd to their friends, I'm sure.
The only thing I was disappointed about when I lived there was their St Pat's Day parades, except in Dublin, for the tourist, ya know!!!, hardly a raised eyebrow anywhere else but it was a great day for a pint or two. ;)

BTW, travelled in and around Northern Ireland also, almost but not entirely the same atmosphere.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Ahh praise be to the Saints that it should be such a happy ending!

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I wonder if this event led to the coining of the term, "PADDY WAGON"?
Bill W.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

I'm sure it is Bill........'Paddy' is synominous with being an Irishman/woman. Sorta like "Joe' for yanks in Europe during and after the war. Irish dominated pretty much the bars/saloons just about everywhere back during the turn of the century. I was told once when I was in Ireland, some relatives went over to New York City and they wanted to visit a certain street corner where their GG uncle got in a brawl and was hauled off to jail in his very own wagon. Then they went to the old precinct where he was thrown in jail by his very own brother who was a cop on that very same precinct.
Paddy is also slang for Patrick/Padraig (in Irish).

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Found this on the net Bill, derogatory to those with Irish decent but from my own relationship with the Irish in Ireland....it is not, it's part of their American heritage of their relatives that left because of hard times in Ireland. so many call the Scots stingy and having worked and lived in Scotland, I never knew of a stingy Scot but most all scots are 'thrifty', they have to be to make things meet. Even the old would stop and drop a penny or two into a charity cup.

Police van

A police van (also known as a paddy wagon (regarded as derogatory by people of Irish heritage), patrol wagon, Black Maria or police carrier) is a type of vehicle operated by police forces. Police vans are usually employed for the transportation of prisoners inside a specially adapted cell in the vehicle, or for the rapid transportation of a number of officers to an incident.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Try to say “Irish wristwatch”.

One night, Mrs McMillen answers the door to see her husbands best friend, Paddy, standing on the doorstep.
"Hello Paddy, but where is my husband? He went with you to the beer factory"
Paddy shook his head. "Ah Mrs McMillen, there was a terrible accident at the beer factory, your husband fell into a vat of Guinness stout and drowned"
Mrs McMillen starts crying. "Oh don't tell me that, did he at least go quickly?"
Paddy shakes his head. "Not really - he got out 3 times to pee!"

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Hey! I'm Irish, and I resemble that remark..
Irish people are proud of their reputation for imbibing in the strong spirits.
Good story, I enjoyed it.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Wife and I were in France on 9/11. The french asked us to leave, Took a boat to Ireland and the Irish welcomed us. Great country, Great people.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

This was a funny one. I had to look at my watch to make sure it was not Halloween! Thanks for sharing.

Henry's 31

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

I wouldn't be too hard on the french at that time.

We were living in London at the time on Oxford street right in the center, in university digs (we had a Mayfair address!) my wife was working for a well known aid agency and I was a kept man. I think they turned off the tube that day as they believed London would be hit next. There was a lot of panic. I remember being confronted by a wide eyed girl in the hallway where we lived and being dragged into her room to see it happening on tv.

It took about three days for the authorities to get the planes out of the sky above London. Dublin might have been a bit more relaxed about it ...

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Speaking of STRONG drink, I'm ENGLISH, IRISH, DUTCH, GERMAN, & 1/8 PAWNEE INDIAN. What should my proper DRINK of CHOICE be???
Bill W.

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

66% Irish, Scott, English, French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Native American Choctaw here. With a bit of African and Asian to boot. I'm a mutt. :-)

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

Here's to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking.
If you cheat, cheat death.
If you steal, steal a woman's heart.
If you fight, fight for a brother.
If you drink, drink with me!!

Here's to women's kisses, and to whiskey, amber clear. Not as sweet as a woman's kiss, but a darn sight more sincere!

An Irishman is never drunk as long as
He can hold onto one blade of grass and not
Fall off the face of the earth.
--Old Irish toast

“The Irish don't know what they want and are prepared to fight to the death to get it.”

Re: An Irish ghost story
 

75% southern Irish (County Roscommon) The rest is Dutch, and whatever is North Western Europe, (Ger, Scand, Eng,) Here. And I have a Jewish sounding last name.
Terry