"FLIPSIDE OF IRELAND"

My most dramatic exploit was in a foreign land, where my best friend and I were surrounded by armed men. We weren’t soldiers, prisoners or spies. Just tourists on an Irish vacation.

“FLIPSIDE OF IRELAND”

My most dramatic exploit was in a foreign land, where my best friend and I were surrounded by armed men. We weren’t soldiers, prisoners or spies. Just tourists on an Irish vacation.  

            John Egan and I are probably the only Americans ever held at gunpoint by troops outside Waterford, Ireland. On a beautiful fall day in 1984, we were in a red Ford Fiesta bound for Dublin. John was driving, and I had my trusty Olympus OM-1 camera. Suddenly a jeep of soldiers cruised by on the winding country road.

            I clicked a couple photos of the uniformed lads. When they saw me, they motioned toward our car. “Don’t think you should have done that,” John said. Next thing we saw was a roadblock up ahead. “Maybe there’s an accident,” I said. “We’re the accident,” John snapped. “You and that damn camera. Knew you would get us in trouble.”

            We stopped the car and were quickly surrounded by angry armed men, pointing their rifles at us. We froze, talking between clenched teeth, eyes riveted. “You and that f_ _king camera,” John said. Normally a calm fellow, he was understandably concerned with dying young and far from home. I too was anxious. But my wee storyteller whispered: “If you live through this, what a great tale to tell.”

            Our crisis ended when a ruddy-faced policeman approached the car. He grinned when he saw our tweed caps and fearful looks. “You boys American?” In unison: “Yes, sir.” … “On holiday?” … “Yes, sir.” … “D’ya have yer passports?”

            We oh so carefully handed him our passports without averting our eyes from the rifles aimed at our foreheads. The officer then explained that in this part of Ireland, private security firms don’t transport money like in the U.S.A. Soldiers move large amounts of cash and capital. There had been some recent armed robberies in the area. And when the troops saw my upraised camera, they assumed we were criminals planning another heist.

            No, we were just Americans on vacation, taking photos we shouldn’t have and wearing silly tweed caps. Because in Ireland, everyone knows only old men wear those caps, and no one ever, ever points a camera at soldiers in jeeps.

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