Last year I did a post about the Ballinakill Merman. In the comments we had many theories about this event; mostly related to the level of inebriation that Thomas O’Toole and Michael Warde were at when they saw the red-lipped, bushy eyebrowed, and partially blue-skinned denizen of the deep breast-stroking towards them in Ballinakill Bay back in 1937.
In my wanders through Trove today I stumbled across this funny comic strip from the time.
Do yez see phwat oi see Mike? Bedad Pat, ’tis a gentleman mermaid!
Sufferin’ mackerel! If he isn’t after followin us, he is!
Baste him on the head, the spalpeen*!
No Mike! Let him follow us back to Ballinakill.
Phwat!! An’ let him make liars of us yez fat-head! WHAM.
It just shows we weren’t the only ones who thought that Michael and Thomas should have kept their mouths shut after giving the Merman that smack on the head with the oar. 😀
The Argus 1 Sept 1937 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11109401
*Salpeen- Good-for-nothing fellow.
Buried words and Bushwa. 
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