Prodrome of the Present Condition of Ireland

 

My word of the moment is ‘prodrome’:

“In medicine, a prodrome is an early sign or symptom (or set of signs and symptoms) that often indicates the onset of a disease before more diagnostically specific signs and symptoms develop. It is derived from the Greek wordprodromos, meaning "running before".[Prodromes may be non-specific symptoms or, in a few instances, may clearly indicate a particular disease, such as the prodromal migraine aura.” (from prodrome

Where I came across it was in what I would have called the prologue part of ‘The Death of Grass aka ‘Not a Blade of Grass’.  A odd word I thought perhaps ill chosen but having read the book I now think that it is appropriate.  We are given a picture of the comfortable life of the middle class in England in 1933 and 1958. After the war the country is on the mend,  everything is going swimmingly but is there a malaise or a lack of moral preparedness that will manifest itself by a speedy return to barbarism under the pressure of self preservation.  That is the implicit judgement in the choice of the word ‘prodrome’.

What was Ireland’s prodrome or the little signs that prefigure the descent into our present state of malaise, societal dissociation, and a government gone rogue heedless of the people.  What were the dizzy spells, irritability, spontaneous groans, manic laughter of a poisonous village.  There was always those places which seemed madder than a bad tempered dog but now its general.  Plantation 2.0 is the name we have given it.

I offer for the present condition of Ireland the prodrome of The Millenium Candle and your very own native tree planted in a forest near you. More anon.