Tina’s father was from Blackpoool, and her mother was from Cove St. She has 8 siblings. She went to Blackpool School, which was since demolished; there they used to be given milk and buns.
Tina recalls some of a skipping rhyme she used to sing as…
Tom is a poet from County Waterford, who describes what University College Cork (UCC) was like in the 1970s. He is an admirer of Fianna Fáil and he discusses the party’s politics. He talks about his work and about other poets.
Tom was born in…
Sheila was born and raised on Gurranabraher Avenue. Her father was from the Fail hill area and her mother came from Whitechurch.
Sheila was second youngest in a family of 7 girls and 4 boys. Her father worked in a government building as the lift…
Reverend Faris is a Presbyterian minister. His family had connections with Cork. He discusses his childhood impressions of differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic, as well as commenting on aspects of the Christian ritual year.
Reverend…
Nick was born circa 1959. He spent his earliest days in an orphanage. His father was from Egypt and his mother was Irish, and their relationship was frowned upon by his mother’s family.
He was adopted and lived in Dublin and then in County Kerry. As…
Mick has spent his life in the hairdressing trade. He talks about changes in the trade and recounts some stories from his working life.
Mick is known as ‘The Baldy Barber’. He was born in Ballincollig in 1948. His father was a hairdresser and had…
Michael was born in 1941. He was born in Francis Street. He had 6 brothers and 5 sisters. His earliest memory is of his grandfather’s funeral, with a hearse pulled by two horses, in 1945. His mother’s pregnancies and the arrival of newborn children…
Mary was born circa 1958, to parents who were both involved in the theatre. Her mother was a professional costume designer. Her father was a stage manager and an actor. She appeared on stage for the first time at the Opera House when she was 7 years…
She talks about differences between Galicia and Madrid. Maria talks briefly about ghosts and superstitions of Galicia and about the Galician language. She sees similarities in Ireland and the Irish…
Margaret remembers that her father used to shout “Up the Mollies” when he had drink taken. [Note: These particular Mollies were agitators controlled by Joseph Devlin MP in opposition to William O’Brien]. She recalls the days of the Black and Tans; on…
Margaret Farmer was born in 1914 and talks very briefly about Christmas. and Nosey Keefe’s shop.
Eileen O’Sullivan also talks Christmas and about Woollams’ toy shop, and about Hadji Bey, an Armenian who sold Turkish Delight on McCurtain St.
Liam is a musician and he discusses his introduction to playing, as well as talking about his family and his schooldays.
Liam was born in 1940 in Water Lane. His father, John, was a cabinet maker, who also liked to play music, and could play…
Kay was born in 1942, in Friars Road, Turners Cross. Her mother died when she was a toddler and she went to live with her grandmother and was afterwards raised by her aunt, before moving back to the family home when she was about 12 years old. She…
John Connolly describes John F. Kennedy's visit to Cork.
He talks about Christy Ring and Cork GAA and the atmosphere of match day.
John also talks a bout some childhood games. He mentions a holy well in Failhill called Fahy's Well.
John Connolly describes growing up in Fairhill. He gives details of various childhood games, including Kick the Can and Cat and Dog. His mother died when he was about two years old and he and his two sisters were raised by their relatives while their…
John talks about some of his experiences working on the railway, and about his interest in greyhound breeding and racing.
He relates incidents from his working life on the trains, such as episodes of vandalism, and describes how a thief was caught.…
John was born in 1928. His family was from Bandon. His father worked on the Cork and Bandon Railway and was transferred to the city in 1929, the family living at Killbarry Cottages, Blackpool. The family moved to a house in Lower Road which was also…
Jack talks briefly about life history and remembers local sporting heroes such as Christy Ring.
Jack (born circa 1926) grew up in O’Connell Street. His parents were both Northsiders. His father worked for the Post Office. His mother was born in 1888…
Helen recalls her life as an amateur film-maker, as a teacher of film-making in Cork, and her involvement in the film festival scene.
Helen grew up in Millstreet, where her father’s cousin ran a cinema, through which she developed a love of film.…