My friend John Maguire (RIP) and myself were thumbing back from Limerick after unsuccessfully seeking a job in Shannon. We had gone there with my cousins, Oliver and Jackie Patterson. They were working there at the time and assured us that there was work for all.

But of course we went at the worst time of the year - Holy Week - when everything was closing down for Easter. It was also one of the coldest Easter time on record.

Anyway we had to thumb it home. When we arrived in Portlaoise it was around dinnertime and we went to a café for a burger and chip. It was all we could afford.

We sat at the table and the waitress came over and took our order. 

There was a look of horror on her face when we asked for a burger.

She said,

‘Don’t you know it’s Good Friday?  You can’t eat meat on this day.’

John looked at her, gave her a smile, and said,

‘We are black Protestants from the North so it does not matter to us.

We would like a burger and chip.’

The waitress gave John a glare and said,

‘I don’t care if you are black men from Africa!

You do not eat meat on Good Friday here.’
 

We had fish and chips.