Vanessa Foran aka Frilly Keane

As stubborn as Saipan on a sultry Summer Sunday.

The original rebel with many causes.

An absolute demon in the kitchen.

Ladies and langers, we give you…

…Vanessa Foran, aka Frilly Keane, writes:

Of all the names attached to Broadsheet, the pair I’m responsible for, Frilly Keane and all the concoctions I made with it, and Vanessa off the Telly, are possibly the pair that will appear across any best of and worst of a Broadsheet reeling in-the-years.

Its hardly a brag to think aloud that the former quite possibly has the most replies of any other Contributor. Frilly Keane was the most regular and consistent cause of most of the rows, it was never trolling never, despite the hardliners’ insistence, it was never trolling.

I loved the voice Frilly Keane let me knit those columns with, I loved the gauntlet I was able to ride my own self-made views and opinions down.

Being an anon let me do that, and when that armour was removed there was nothing underneath only those same inherent reflexes, only without the accent.

I pondered on a few of those columns there in the last few days – they still stack up; OK, the comments tend to need the Irish excuse of ‘that’s what it was like here then’ to work, but what a collection of commenters assembled here under that Friday Frill-Bit [see link below]

Now, as we wake Broadsheet, lads calling around, with final columns and stuff, there is an air of a testimonial about the goodbyes and best wishes, like a lad retiring and all the former colleagues, or past pupils if you like, turning up.

But for me I won’t be saying goodbye to Broadsheet. I will always be on this ship. On its good days and on its worst days. I was here.

A constant theme within my archives here is that the internet eventually uncovers the truth. It may not be today or next year. But one day, the internet establishes the truth of everything. And for that I believe Broadsheet will be remembered only for all its good times and good works. Its discoveries, and creative instincts and initiatives. Such as Broadsheet on the Telly.

On that mention, please remember the role of Neil Curran, a man that had my back but made it look like I didn’t need it, and the brilliance of Marcel Krueger.

I would never have done any of that without  Broadsheet blagguarding me and codding me into it. I wouldn’t even pose for photos before I did that first one, now Streaming and Podcasting is part of what I’m up to now with Village Media.

I move on with friends and colleagues that came to me through this relationship.

Of all the names being remembered fondly, there is one I want to engrave with me now, Mick Flavin. I am one of the very fortunate few to have an original (above). And to be immortalised by the genius of the bould Mickie Fla’. It is very cherished, Mick. Of all the archives here, yours is the most important. Please save it.

A roll call of just some of the friends, collaborators, and confidents, that only for Broadsheet might never have collided:

Kevin Bog Lawyer Higgins and the Tuam Survivors Network, Jimmy Smyth, Johnny Green, Stephen Garland and especially my Mr Big.

And if I don’t mention Bertie [Blenkinsop] and that flaming tramp Fluff [Fluffybiscuits] I’ll be tortured until next hairdo day.

John Ryan, I owe so much to. We didn’t end well. But shur’ that was us anyway. You can safely put the price of your next artisan pizza and craft beer on us working together again. One day.

By tomorrow morning Broadsheet will be another ghostship setting out to meander for internet eternity, we will never know what search query pulls it back up to the surface. I have words here I want people to read and I have never feared a word I have ever written here.

What a wonderful thing for a writer.

So, please be uprising and lift your parting glass

The best is yet to come.

Previously: Frilly Keane on Broadsheet