John Connolly: Childhood Games; Corporal Punishment; Family Life
Life History;
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 father worked. He describes his school years at St Vincent’s and discusses corporal punishment and the authoritarianism common in his day.
Cork Folklore Project
Cork Folklore Project Audio Archive
Cork Folklore Project
07 September 1998
Interviewee: John Connolly
Interviewer: Stephen Hunter
Cork Folklore Project
<strong>Published Material:</strong><br /><br />Hunter, Stephen (1999), Life Journeys: Living Folklore in Ireland Today, Cork: The Northside Folklore Project.
.wav
English
Sound
CFP_SR00231_connolly_1998
Ireland; Cork; 20th Century
Brother Con Higgins: Christian brothers, Education, Sport
Life History;
Brother Higgins describes his childhood and praises his education at the North Mon school. He later became a teacher at the school, and he comments on education and on religious life.
Brother Higgins (born circa 1956) grew up in Madden’s Buildings, Blackpool.
He comments that hurling rather than Gaelic football was the game played on the Northside, and tells a story about being fined in court aged 7 for playing it in the street.
He gives some details about his Communion and Confirmation.
He talks about the North Mon, about the sport played there and about the teaching of subjects through Irish. Generally, there was a pride in Irish culture and the achievement of the Republic.
He talks about the Irish language as a language, its richness and difficulties associated with using it.
Returning to the subject of the North Mon, he praises the standard of education he got there. Afterwards he went to a teacher training college, where he was again taught through Irish. He comments on the role of educationalists such as Edmund Rice and Nano Nagle, and he dates the establishment of the North Mon to 1816. He lists some past pupils who have become well-known actors and he comments that the school put on pageants during the 1930s and 1940s.
He describes the process of his training as a teacher and a Christian Brother, and he finishes with some comments about religious vocations and the importance of religion in society.
Cork Folklore Project
Cork Folklore Project Audio Archive
Cork Folklore Project
09 June 1999
Interviewee: Brother Con Higgins
Interviewer: Stephen Hunter
Cork Folklore Project
<strong>Published Material:<br /><br /></strong>Hunter, Stephen (1999), Life Journeys: Living Folklore in Ireland Today, Cork: The Northside Folklore Project.
.wav
English
Sound
CFP_SR00268_higgins_1999
Ireland; Cork; 1990s
Jane Ward: Grattan Street, Healthcare, Working Life
<p><span>Jane grew up in Balbriggan and Skerries County Dublin. Describes her love of the Georgian house her family lived in and her love of old buildings and antiques before they moved to a smaller home.</span></p>
<p><span>Recalls her first holy communion where one girl arrived late and had to experience the ceremony on her own.</span></p>
<p><span>Speaks of some childhood games and playing and picnicking by the sea.</span></p>
<p><span>Enjoyed school at Loreto Convent Balbriggan even though the nuns were strict. English was her favourite subject.</span></p>
<p><span>Talks about her desire to become a nurse and her experiences in Dublin hospitals. Describes the strict discipline and hierarchy in hospitals including the way superiors exercised power over how nurses were required to dress and commented on their physical appearance with impunity. Jane outlines the negative impacts of this culture including fear of making a mistake and the incentive to cover up of mistakes. Outlines a rare challenge to authority when nurses boycotted a graduation ceremony. Mentions the role of religion in hospitals.</span></p>
<p><span>Outlines her time spend nursing in USA, a romantic relationship and her emigrant experience there before returning to Ireland to pursue Public Health Nursing (PHN), which she prefers as it feels she is making a difference.</span></p>
<p><span>Discusses moving to Cork and her early positive impressions of Grattan Street Medical Centre and its staff. Speaks about the Grattan Street building itself, including its sense of history, graffiti on its outside walls, and its convenient location in the city centre and proximity to other services. Describes the problems with car parking and the resulting tensions with neighbours. </span></p>
<p><span>Jane speaks of her PHN work in Blackpool and a court case involving a child and social worker. Outlines the characteristic of a good PHN, and how much of the role is learned through experience. Regrets the turn her career has taken towards management and away from dealing with patients.</span></p>
<p><span>Discusses the 1999 nursing strike which lead to a new role for an immunisation specialist which she was hired for. Describes how colleagues insisted on referring to her by her previous title, refusing to acknowledge her promotion and equal status. Describes her role including overseeing Swine Flu vaccinations.</span></p>
<p><span>Explains the vaccine cold storage system, the sense of responsibility for ordering them and overseeing them. Tells stories of when vaccines were relocated during a flood to protect them, and when the electricity was monitored during a storm in case the power was cut to the vaccine fridges. Mentions vaccine policies, myths and technological developments. </span></p>
<p><span>Outlines her preferred time to move services from Grattan Street to St Mary’s Primary Healthcare Centre Gurranabraher. </span></p>
Cork Folklore Project
Cork Folklore Project Audio Archive
4 June 2019
Cork Folklore Project
<strong>Other Interviews in this Collection </strong><br /><br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/240" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00696_O'Regan_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/242" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00704_Collins_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/243" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00706_Higgisson_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/244" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00712_O'Brien_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/245" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00713_Kearney_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/246" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00714_Cunning_2019</a>;<br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/248" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00727_OhUigin_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/249" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00728_Scanlan_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/250" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00729_Mulcahy_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/251" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00732_Cassidy_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/252" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFP_SR00760_Morrissy_2019</a>; <br /><a href="https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/items/show/253" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> CFP_SR00762_OConnell_2019</a>;
2 .wav files
English
Sound
CFP_SR00717_Ward_2019;