06-06 Bulloch Castle

Off to Dublin two years after WWII was a big deal, and it brought out a family discussion of how German pilots could find Belfast by the pattern of lights that were on in the cities and towns in Southern Ireland. The target, of course, was the Belfast shipyards that played such a crucial role during the war. The shipyards were a source of pride for all the people who lived in Belfast during the war.
The trip down was uneventful, but on the way back, customs officials that boarded the train upon crossing the border took the shoes off a gentleman's feet who was sitting just across from us. And there were lots of young people from the south coming north to buy contraceptives that were unavailable in the south. Apparently not all Catholics are strict about such things.
Dublin is a beautiful and charming place to visit and a centre of art and culture in Europe. Ian and I in the photo are at the top of the old Nelson Pillar, which the IRA bombed out of existence in later years.
They say if you have seen one castle in Ireland you have seen them all. But not all castles bear your name. Bulloch Castle outside Dublin is a fun visit, and in the photo, Ian is seen with Grandpa Bulloch.
He was 80 years of age at the time, and strong as a horse. He was game for anything, and went wherever we went, no matter how tough the task. And climbing around old castles was a lot of climbing. They were built to protect the wealthy from the Viking invaders, who had rape, murder and pillage down to a fine art.
It is fun to pretend that there is a family link to Bulloch Castle or a family link to Bulloch Lade Scotch whiskey, but we could never find it. There is a link, however, to Martha Bulloch who was Theodore Roosevelt’s mother. Then there are also many Bulloch “nutmegs” we never discuss.
I have been to Bulloch Castle and Bulloch Harbour three times over my lifetime, and treasure these photos from our childhood. I love the picture of Ian with the life preserver that Grandpa put over his shoulders. No jeans for us, and shirts and ties when we went out to visit. One of the facts of life when your Dad is a custom tailor.