FURTHERMORE
By Gerry Moran
To tell of my first kiss is to tell of miracles, devotion to our Blessed Lady and the advent of The Top 10 on Radio Eireann. It was the early Sixties and I was all of 12. A group of us boys were huddled together in an old, galvanised shed in my best friend’s back garden; this was our meeting place, our ‘headquarters’. This was where we plotted, planned and played cards.
We were busy making catapults one afternoon when word came through that the Cunninghams were here; the Cunninghams were an English family who visited the neighbourhood every summer. This year their arrival sparked off a wave of excitement hitherto unknown to us. Perhaps it was boredom or perhaps it was our hormones, marshalling themselves for more serious combat than ‘Cowboys & Indians’ and ‘Guards & Prisoners’.
There were four children in the Cunningham family, three girls and a boy. However, as far as we were concerned there was only one: Angela, the eldest, our contemporary, our dream. And dream she was. Angela spoke differently, dressed differently and was, by general agreement, ‘smashing looking’.
Around the time that the Cunninghams arrived, Radio Eireann began broadcasting The Top 10 featuring Ireland’s top hit records. ‘Things’ by Bobby Darin was a big hit of the day: ‘Things like a walk in the park/Things like a kiss in the dark’ went some of the lyrics. And things were happening in my head also. Daft, romantic things that had me peeping from my bedroom window for ages to catch a glimpse of Angela, this angel who was driving me to distraction.
In short – I was infatuated. I was in love. Man of action that I was I decided to do something about it. I did what I knew best at that tender age – I prayed. For three days and three nights I prayed fervently to Our Blessed Lady that I might kiss Angela Cunningham. On bended knees I passionately whispered three Hail Marys to the Mother of God. Three Hail Marys that I had previously offered up for purity but now my priorities had changed.
Now I prayed for a kiss. And my prayer was answered!
Some days later, while we boys and girls played on Daly’s Hill, that great expanse of green to the back of our houses, a note was passed from one of the girls: “Angela would like to kiss Gerry.” It was a miracle come true. I was flummoxed yet the message went back: “Gerry would like to kiss Angela.”
At the back of Daly’s Hill, a corridor of children formed, boys to the right, girls to the left as Angela Cunningham and myself walked towards each other and innocently, oh so innocently, pressed our lips together. It was magic. We did this four or five times in the next week or so. We never spoke. Never got to know each other. Then it ended. Soon, fellows who relied on the power of persuasion rather than the power of prayer pursued Angela Cunningham and I, who only knew how to pray and play hurling fairly well, looked helplessly on, the world of real kissing, of dating and mating, a lifetime away.
Some kisses for you to try
Kisslet: A kiss where the lips barely touch
Nip Kiss: Blending a kiss with small, cautious nibbles (usually given on the lips, earlobes, neck or cheeks)
The Switch Kiss: Kiss the upper lip then immediately the lower lip of your partner Clown Kiss: The woman applies heavy lipstick and then kisses the man all over his face, leaving him with smeared lipstick marks.
Chicken Kiss: The head darts forward and back dispensing a quick peck on the lips.
Good Morning Kiss: A kiss given in the morning, very often the eyes are closed, the aim is poor and the breath bad
Sandpaper Kiss: A kiss with an unshaven man
Emoryboard Kiss: A kiss with an unshaven woman!
