Mary O'Sullivan: Orthopaedic Hospital, Working Life, Kitchen Staff
Title
Mary O'Sullivan: Orthopaedic Hospital, Working Life, Kitchen Staff
Subject
Ireland; Cork; Gurranabraher; Healthcare; Occupational Lore:
Description
Mary worked in the hospital kitchen for 35 years from 1973.
She describes the type of work that the kitchen staff had to preform, from cooking in the kitchen to scrubbing the walls in the corridors.
Mary says there there would be 7 staff on per shift. The kitchen had separate menus for the staff and the patients.
The kitchen staff worked from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, this meant that every three weeks the staff would get a day off for withe extra hours worked.
Mary explains that she would not have got the job in 1973 had she not accepted to live on the campus. Then she would go home to her parents on her days off.
She describes her training in the College of Commerce as a cook.
Mary has fond memories of her time in the hospital, even though tensions could boil over in the kitchen there was good comradery between the staff.
She describes how some patients might request a special meal which the kitchen would oblige.
Mary describe the social aspect of work. They would go for drinks in the Cottonball or 'the Josh'( The Joshua Tree). The social club was very important. She also, mentions the lotto syndicate where they got five numbers and got fifty euro each.
Mary describes Christmas time in the hospital, that in later years all the patients where brought to one building. And making sure the residence of Grove House got a nice homely cooking.
Mary explains the communal element of the Orthopaedic Hospital compared to the other hospitals in the city.
As a local Mary liked the hospital being in her community and used to take leisurely walks. And she is also excited about the new development of the campus.
She then talks about Bill Twomey who was the gate keeper and lived in the gate lodge of the hospital.
Mary then describes how students would work the summers.
She describes the type of work that the kitchen staff had to preform, from cooking in the kitchen to scrubbing the walls in the corridors.
Mary says there there would be 7 staff on per shift. The kitchen had separate menus for the staff and the patients.
The kitchen staff worked from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, this meant that every three weeks the staff would get a day off for withe extra hours worked.
Mary explains that she would not have got the job in 1973 had she not accepted to live on the campus. Then she would go home to her parents on her days off.
She describes her training in the College of Commerce as a cook.
Mary has fond memories of her time in the hospital, even though tensions could boil over in the kitchen there was good comradery between the staff.
She describes how some patients might request a special meal which the kitchen would oblige.
Mary describe the social aspect of work. They would go for drinks in the Cottonball or 'the Josh'( The Joshua Tree). The social club was very important. She also, mentions the lotto syndicate where they got five numbers and got fifty euro each.
Mary describes Christmas time in the hospital, that in later years all the patients where brought to one building. And making sure the residence of Grove House got a nice homely cooking.
Mary explains the communal element of the Orthopaedic Hospital compared to the other hospitals in the city.
As a local Mary liked the hospital being in her community and used to take leisurely walks. And she is also excited about the new development of the campus.
She then talks about Bill Twomey who was the gate keeper and lived in the gate lodge of the hospital.
Mary then describes how students would work the summers.
Date
9 June 2017
Identifier
CFP_SR00628_osullivan_2017
Coverage
Cork, Ireland, 1970s-2000s
Relation
CFP_SR00618_Dempsey_2017; CFP_SR00622_McNamara_2017; CFP_SR00625_McShane_2017;
CFP_SR00628_Osullivan_2017; CFP_SR00632_Curtin_2017; CFP_SR00633_Sargent_2018; CFP_SR00648_Fitzgerald_2018; CFP_SR000673_Twomey_2018;
CFP_SR00628_Osullivan_2017; CFP_SR00632_Curtin_2017; CFP_SR00633_Sargent_2018; CFP_SR00648_Fitzgerald_2018; CFP_SR000673_Twomey_2018;
Published Material:
MacConmara, Tomás for the Cork Folklore Project (2018) The Ministry of Healing, St Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital Cork: An Oral and Historical Record. Cork: Health Service Executive.
Source
Cork Folklore Project Audio Archive
Rights
Cork Folklore Project
Language
English
Type
Sound
Format
1 .wav File
Citation
Cork Folklore Project , “Mary O'Sullivan: Orthopaedic Hospital, Working Life, Kitchen Staff,” accessed April 24, 2024, https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/document/160.