H G: We, for entertainment, when I got older then we used to go down to the Ark long go. And that was our night’s entertainment and you, there was an Uptown Grill down in MacCurtain Street, that was very popular and you go in there and have something to eat first if you were lucky enough, you had a few bob.
L A: What age would that be then?
H G: Oh, Oh I was about seventeen that time, sixteen, seventeen and you went down then to the Ark and you danced the night away. You, we often went to Majorca but I was never on, you got the bus down in Parnell Place or down in Grand Parade, ‘twould take you down to the Majorca but you wouldn’t get home then ‘till all hours and my mother, she never knew I was down there ‘cause she would never approve that was rough like.
And always, [phrase unintelligible] there was a dancehall up by the Gaiety, up by the barracks, never go there ‘cause the soldiers were there. And you daren’t, we always thought soldiers were bad men, that’s in our, my time, now like and you weren’t allowed, I think I sneaked up there one time alright like [laugh] but that’s the way, do you know there was, we had no telly either, we had nothing. And then when we, father, I’d say we were the first in the road to get the, the telly and then were ‘twas, ‘twas up so high, you’d get a crick in your neck looking up at it [noise in background], [phrase unintelligible] and then ‘twas black and white.
And then, this thing came out a sheet of paper, turquoise and God help us, we were innocent too like, you could nearly see the colour, sure you couldn’t colour in it but you thought you did like. But they were definitely better times because people knew one another and people were all happy. Do you know like, ‘twas only across the road there now and they were, they were great times. The men always went to the pub on a Saturday night and me father had em, permanent tickets for the Savoy, that was a big thing now like, and I often went into him.
I often went in on a Saturday night with him, and I loved Doris Day. I can always remember her, Jesus I can’t remember the name of it now, Midnight Lace was it I think. And Freddy Bridgman would come up with the organ and I thought, I thought he lived down there, he’d come up and you’d say ‘God’ and all the, the songs would come up on the screen and you sang then, Freddy went away but I always, I was young at the time now , I just always thought that he lived underground, you know but they were, I have to say now they were, they were great people.
And I remember my mother had twins when she was forty-six and that was a big thing and then when they were christened, we’d a long stool in the house and everyone in Barrack View was brought in. You’d get no drink like ‘twas just a cup of tea but there must have been cakes at it or something, me mother would have made or something like but there were memories now, I would still hold very close to myself because there were, ah there’s people, most of them have passed on now but I would know their daughters now and nieces and nephews and have to say would often laugh off the good times where your one have it at today. I don’t think you would anyway.
0.00.03 - 0.07.53 |
Interviewer Tim McCarthy begins by giving a brief biographical rundown of Donal Rings career saying that Donal started playing the accordion at the age of thirteen and he was influenced by his father who was a melodeon player and he was playing professionally from the age of fifteen thus winning the acclaim of his peers. He speaks of how Donal garnered a large fanbase locally and internationally. Tim states that much of Donals story has been documented by local media and he states that Brian Lawlor of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, which is housed in Merrion Square Dublin, did two extensive interviews with Donal in 2009 so he states that today they will seek to focus on more local topics and general topics that Brian and other interviewees may not have covered. Tim makes a statement to the effect that Brian’s interviews are available online and the Cork Folklore Project will request his permission to refer to them in relation to whatever they discuss today so it will all be unified.
Donal says his musical influence started with his father who he says would play morning noon and night and liked playing. That was for the first couple of years and then Donal became friendly with the late Donal Coleman and they got together playing. Donal Coleman was from Grenagh Parish and they joined a little band in Mallow called the Celtic Ceili Band and they were there for two years with a man called Joe Boyle who was from Clonmel Co Tipperary and married in Mallow. After two years they (the two Donals) left and formed the Blarney Ceili Band and joined up with the Murphy’s of Blackstone Bridge who Donal says were very good fiddlers and bass players etc. Donal Ring was there for three years and then decided to go out on his own. He became friendly with a man called Noel Crowley from Dillon’s Cross in Cork City whom Donal says was a great accordion player and who has passed away in the last year. Himself and Donal started a band and the way it started was they tossed a penny, Donal says at the time he was saying the Rosary in Commons Road and each was saying to other to put their name on the band so in the end they tossed a penny and Donal’s name came up so that was how the band started (the Donal Ring Ceili Band). Noel was with him in the band for five or six years and then they organised a tour of London and Noel didn’t want to go as he didn’t like travelling. He says Frank Fitzpatrick went instead and Donal says they got on reasonably well adding you can’t expect miracles starting out. They went to London and had thirteen dates supposed to be booked and when they arrived it was seven. He says they were green and walked into it, he says you learn fast. They enjoyed it and it was a challenge he adds. He adds they went again the following year and it was a great success. It was a great tour he says.
He says after this they were trying to get on television, (on RTE) There were two programmes called Beirt Eile and Club Céilí and they were writing in to RTE to get on the programmes and RTE got back to say they were on the casting file and they would get in contact when they (the band) were required. He says it went on like this and Donal says he was very friendly with Tony Hegarty who was managing the band at the time. Tony asked Donal if he knew Jack Lynch to which Donal said he did. Tony advised Donal to go to Jack Lynch’s office on the Grand Parade on a Saturday morning so Donal went down to him. When he called there Jack Lynch asked him if they had ever done broadcasting to which Donal said they had done live broadcasting from Union Quay for RTE. Donal showed Jack Lynch the letters he had got from RTE and Jack said to leave it with him and he would have a word with Mr McCourt (Note: Kevin McCourt, Director General of RTE from 1962 to 1968). Tim asks Donal if he was a judge in Midleton to which Donal says he doesn’t know but that he was the “bossman” in RTE. Three weeks later RTE got in touch to say they were on. He says that was a lucky break and it was thanks to RTE that they got it. From there on the whole thing blossomed he says. Donal adds that Jack Lynch was quite cautious too as he wanted to know whether they had done Live broadcasts and it was the makings of them and they got a lot of work off it. Tim asks Donal if Tony Hegarty is the well known Cork comedian. Donal says he was and he was a great friend. When Donal had no money Tony often gave him 50 pounds and Donal will never forget that. He says he was a great friend and a good manager but he pulled out because they got too busy and there was no need of a manager. He says it was not like today, today he says you have to ring somebody to look for work and he says back then it was the opposite. They (venues) would ring you and book dates with you and confirm them in writing. He says they did the rest themselves. He says Tony Hegarty was their only ever manager and after that he did it himself. He says there isin’t that much to it. He says doing it himself you get to know people better. He says sometimes you could go to a place and you could be told that you weren’t booked at all. He say it happened a few times, he says going back fifty seven years ago they went to Kiskeam (in North Cork) one night to be told they weren’t booked at all and Donal says they were. Another night one New Years Eve they drove up to Kildare as they were booked into a venue only to be told that there must be some mistake and he told them they had been there twelve months previously and the venue had rebooked them but they repeated that there was a mistake. He said all they could do was to get something to eat for the band and drive them home and he jokes, take some abuse because they haven’t some sort of contract with them. He says you wouldn’t get a lot of abuse. He says the contract wasn’t in writing but he would always honour it whether it was or not. He says at that time contracts were mostly in writing but it was starting to go out. He says regarding dances everything would be conformed about the dance only the fee. (Note: from 7.51 to 7.53 Donal says a saying which sounds like “there was no quarrel with the price you bring them” though it is not 100% clear on the recording) |
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Tim asks Donal if all of the band travelled together to which he says they did. He says they always had a Volkswagen minibus and he says he had eleven of them in total down the years all of which he wore out. He says the Volkswagen are a great machine. Donal then mentions the name of the local motor supplier of the time, (Note: at 8.20 Donal mentions the name of his local car supplier of the time who would supply him with the minibuses, it may be Thomas Transport but it is unclear on the recording). Donal says the manager of the motor supplier whom he would buy the minibuses from was Michael McCarthy who was always very good to him and whenever an exceptional Volkswagen came in Michael would have Donal in line for it. When asked how the band members spent the time in the van on the road he says they would play chess. Jer (or Jerry) Casey and Gary Cronin would be playing chess, Jer was a genius he says. Gary had a miniature board and he would be half an hour making a move Donal says. Jerry would be in the front beside Donal and he straight away make his move and then hand the board back over the seat to Gary who would then take another half an hour to make the next move. He says you would have arguments over very small things when people would get tired and cranky, he says they would tend to pick on the weak points to get the next fellow going. He says they were all great lads even though he had at least fifty band members travelling in the van down the years. Tim asks Donal if he has done a “family tree” meaning a history of the band members. Donal replies to say that his niece in San Francisco is doing a family history of the Ring family which he says is fairly big. Tim says he has seen a fair few bands do a history on their members showing who was connected with whom. Donal says their connection in that respect would be the McCarthy’s and starting with the Cork songwriter Jimmy McCarthy. Donal says he might not have his facts exactly right but he says his own grandmother was a McCarthy and he thinks she was a grandaunt of Jimmy McCarthy. He also mentions a Margaret McCarthy who plays the fiddle in blarney and she played for President Barack Obama in the White House on St Patricks Day. He says she played the fiddle and danced the hornpipe at the same time. He says she is fantastic. Donal says he saw his grandmother dancing the hornpipe and playing the melodeon so it is in the blood. He says the grandchildren from his fathers side the music came from. He says his mother’s side of the family isn’t musical at all. |
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Tim asks Donal if they wore uniforms in the band to which he says they did. He says it was important to be dressed neatly. He says they got Irish plaid suits one time which were made by the late Tom Aherne who had a tailors shop on the North Main St in Cork. He says this was in the early 1960’s. He says they also had lovely coats from John Culhane (note: He probably means John Mannix of Mannix & Culhane on Washington St) and they got coats and jackets from a man called Nick Buttery. They had jackets of different colours. When asked did someone design them Donal says they were just made to measure and jokes that they weren’t that important.
Donal says band members helped with the driving and loading of gear. He says when he started first he had two brothers in the band. Jerh Ring was the bass player, Donal says he was killed outside Blarney. He was a good driver he adds. Another brother Michael was also in the band but he didn’t drive. He had another man in the band the late Liam Kelleher who was a good driver. He says it is grand to sit in and not worry about the driver but there are many that you would worry about them driving and you’d get no peace that way. Donal says it was mostly himself driving and he says he started driving trucks which he says he drove for years. He says you’d have to be handy at it or you’d kill half of Cork. He talks for a bit about the truck driving and he says he was glad to get away from it. He says he finished up driving trucks for John O Hoolihan for whom he was driving multi wheeled Atkinson trucks which had no power steering and he would be hauling twenty five tons into Cork and he describes trying to take a turning by the Capitol Cinema on Washington St. He says it was tough work but he enjoyed it. Tim says he used to do this himself and asks what sites he was working from. Donal says the big job he was involved in was the building of the oil refinery in Whitegate. He was working for a firm called Ellis and was hauling material to the site in Whitegate and he was doing this for two years. After that he went to work on the building of Cork Airport for a couple of years. He says this was the biggest project of the time. He says he was hauling blocks for building sites. He worked for a man called Willy Desmond drawing sugar beet to Mallow and picking up the grain in the fields. He says there would be one man on the ground handing in a twenty stone bag. He jokes that you wouldn’t be breaking wind on Patrick St that night. Tim says there wouldn’t have been health and safety to which Donal agrees, he says that has gone too far these days and you’d see fellows working on the roads and there’d be cones on the road for half a mile and then nothing happening at the end. |
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Tim asks if any of Donal’s band members achieved success in other areas. Donal says Ger Casey is a professor of archaeology in Dublin now and he was in Donal’s band for eleven years. The first ever violin player he had was Declan Townsend and he is a bachelor of music now. He says several great players never progressed to anything bigger like Tony O Sullivan and Frank Fitzpatrick who he says are still great players. He mentions his own brother Michael who became a panel beater, he says he plays accordion and he is still in the band. He left and he came back a few times he says. Tim asks how the set up of having two accordion players work. Donal says they spent years at it and when there are two playing they have to be bang on and they won’t get away with any discrepancies. They have to keep rehearsing and practising melodies and harmonies. He says when you are playing out in the country at ceilis you are playing jigs and reels and a second box is a great help. Things will go wrong one night and then other nights will go perfectly. Tim mentions that in the case of the Everly Brothers that it was said there was an affinity that produced a natural harmony and would Donal agree with that? Donal says there is no doubt about this. He adds that when Noel Crowley started out the band he was very meticulous as to getting the arrangements right, all the bass parts and piano parts had to be written out. That continued on with Gerry Casey who taught Donals daughter Mary and now she and Donal’s son write the arrangements for the band. Donal says they are not going to record anymore as the age of the cd is gone which he says is hard to believe. He says he has cds recorded and can’t sell them as everyone is downloading now from the internet. Tim asks Donal what he thinks of this, in reply he says his son was in Scotland this year and he played in a place called Dufftown. He was there playing on a Friday night and by example Donal says he was in Pa Johnsons pub on Devonshire St Cork on the following Monday night. He adds that there is an accordion night there on the last Wednesday of every month. On this occasion when Donal was there the proprietor Barry Johnson had the internet on (on a computer or device) and Donal says there was Donals son Donie and Terry McCarthy playing in Dufftown, he adds someone had uploaded two hours of it. Donal says you can’t sell cds under those circumstances. There follows a discussion with Tim and Donal as to whether this puts the focus back on live performances. Donal says that with live performances musicians have to be at the top of their game because anyone can film them with a mobile phone. Donal says that today the band consists of his brother Michael, Donal’s daughter Mary and he has a singer from Ballyroe called Con Hegarty and himself. He says they play in Blarney every Sunday night from 9 to 11. He says he himself will be 80 at the end of the week so playing two nights a week would be too much. He says his grandchildren are all playing, his grandson Aidan plays and another grandson Der plays with Robert Mizzell who is a big Country N Western act and plays the North a lot, Robert Mizzell is American he adds and his grandson is drumming with him. He compares musical ability to hurling and says it is in the blood. He says his grandchildren often play with him. |
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Donal says the five row accordion is quite complex to play and he calls it ultimate accordion. He says he didn’t play it as it wasn’t there in his time. He was he was the “push and draw man” and he says he went as far as he could on that. He bought a Shand Morino accordion which is what Jimmy Shand, the famous Scottish accordionist played which is a very advanced push and pull keyboard. He adds that the five row is the most advanced and he says it is a superb keyboard. He says there is the two and three row which are push and pull. He goes on to speak more about the five row. He talks about the Shand Marino and talks about Jimmy Shand who he says was a marvellous man and the king in his book of playing terms. He says he was 100 years ahead of his time. He speaks about the Gallowglass Ceili Band and their influence. He says there were some great bands from up the country played the City Hall in Cork. He lists these acts such as Jackie Hearst from Newry, Sean Donoghue and his five sisters from Galway and Astor Row (?) from Donegal. He said they had some great nights there especially with Na Piarsaigh hurling club who he says held great Ceilis. He says Ceilis in the City would draw crowds of a couple of thousand. He says the golden era was from when Jimmy Shand came and as Donal says got the whole thing going. Donal thinks he came first to Cork around 1956 and came again in the early 60’s. Then the Gallowglass Ceili Band came and he says it took off. He says there was nearly thirty years where it was at its peak. He goes on to say that Tony Hegarty was running a ceili in the City Hall and Donal’s band were booked for it and also the Gallowglass were booked and also Jim Cameron from Scotland. Donal was up in the Hall with Tony on Saturday and Tony said he would have to have two thousand for the audience and it ended up having two and a half thousand. Donal recalls on the night that there was a queue on the footpath all the way up Angelsea Street and he adds there was no drink served, just a mineral bar. He says there was never a bar at the ceilis. He says in time the regular bars started building lounge extensions and running “bits of dances” then the normal dance halls, not all of them he adds, had to add a bar to compete. Donal adds any big dance they run now has a bar, they are doing one in Glenville on the week of the interview he says. He says those people drinking would just be having a couple of drinks and maybe a short. |
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Tim asks Donal if there were two scenes going on then, the Showband scene in tandem with the music scene Donal was involved with. Donal says the Showband scene was very big. He mentions Brendan Bowyer. He speaks about the “wagons” the Showbands had, ie their tour buses. He says the wagons would be specially designed and very large. He goes on to say that nearly every parish ran a festival and Donal and the band would have one Irish night during the week. Donal and the band would get the date and they would be going non stop. The Irish night was always a great success because you would get an older crowd coming in for it. He says they often subsidised the Showbands with the crowd they would bring. He says they did the Rose Of Tralee for twenty one years, Upton Steam Rally for fourteen years, Cobh Festival for eighteen years and all these festivals would keep them busy. He says they had a slot on St Francis Hall as well for fourteen years every Tuesday night. Tim says he recalls St Francis Hall as being a popular spot and he asks what else went on there to which Donal says they used to have karate classes and card drives. He says it was owned by St Francis Church (on Liberty St, Cork). He says he thinks now it is a nightclub, they had some great nights there he adds. Tim asks Donal if they came across a lot of Cork Showbands and Donal mentions the Dixies. Tim asks about the connection between Donal’s band and the Dixies and Donal says the connection was with Terry McCarthy sings with Donals son Donie and they play a wide variety of material. (Note: Terry McCarthy has been part of the Dixies lineup). Donal says he knows Joe Mac of the Dixies well. He says they’re the same age. Donal says he never played with Joe Mac. He says Terry McCarthy played with Donal and his band in Scotland twice and he says his main ambition is to make the night a success. Tim asks about the Cork band the Arrivals and Donal says he knew them all, he mentions Declan Ryan. Donal says there were some bands in Cork from that time who didn’t receive due recognition, he says one was a group called the Modernaires who used to play in the Palm Court Ballroom on Oliver Plunkett St, he says it used to be the ESB office. Alderman John W Reidy bought it and converted it into the Palm Court Ballroom and it was a lovely place but it has since been sold and it is now known as the Oliver Plunkett. Tim mentions that it used to be the Black Bush and Scotts at various points. Donal goes on to mention the Regal from Bantry who he says were a great band. Tommy Power from Douglas also had a band. He also mentions Chris Mahon, he mentions them as being both passed away. He remembers when he was young seeing a band led by a man called Pat Navin or Navan. He doesn’t know where he was from. He says there would be fourteen band members of Pat Navin’s loaded onto a mini bus. He says it must have been a great wagon to take that load. Tim asks Donal if they ever had members from pipe bands or brass bands from the City. Donal mentions one man from the Blarney Brass & Reed Band. He says he was a good saxophone player but didn’t stay with them. He was the only one he thinks. He mentions another man called Jerry Casey who didn’t play with them but all of his sons did he says, he played with a brass and reed band in town. Tim asks if the saxophone was common with ceili bands at this time to which Donal says the Gallowglass Ceili Band was the first to use it. He says they picked it up from listening to Jim Cameron who had a cornet which he says was like a trumpet. The Gallowglass went to the sax, he says if you have a good man playing it can be lovely. Donal had the late Paddy Carey on the sax for thirty one years. He could play every note of it he says which is unusual for a sax player, he could play the C melody which would be part of old saxophones. The Sax player for the Gallowglass Mick Dempsey was a great player and a nice man he says. Donal says they would have recorded with the sax, he says they did about eight LP’s with the sax. Mick Dempsey tutored Paddy Carey on the sax, he says the weakest sax reed you can get is a number three and Mick used to shave it down to one and a half and he would be doing things like burning the top between two pennies. Donal speaks about the trumpet and how Jim Cameron would always play to the side and not directly out to the audience to dampen the sound. |
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Tim asks what were the best years for the music and for the best for the money. Donal says the best years money and work wise were the mid 70’s to late 80’s. Donal says there was a belief that with ceili bands they didn’t need to be paid at all whereas with Showbands they would get a “thousand smackers” and they might have to be fighting for 350 pounds which was their fee in their heydays. He says they came from nothing and had nothing to start with and when they got the work you took it. He says the music didn’t suffer because of the money, they would play their best at all times. He speaks about the problems of having to make sure everyone in the band were paid. He says he had a seven piece band and then it would go down to six and then down to four because of the issues involved with paying everyone. He says nowadays you are down to about fifty or sixty people per gig because he says just the old people are dancing now. On asked did the recession affect things he says it did and he also speaks about drink driving regulations effecting gigs. On asked how did he get the contacts for gigs Donal says the promoters got to know them rather than vice versa and he adds that TV made them. He mentions a singer they had called Pat Daly. He says they never had any breakdowns going to the gigs except for one occasion where they ran out of petrol going from Dublin and they ran out of petrol by Glanmire. He mentions again the reliability of the Volkswagen. He says you would have to fight your corner with some promoters to get your money. He gives an example of a time they played one time they were playing for the GAA in Kilcormac County Offaly and they were booked to play from 10 to 1. He says at quarter to 12 there was no one there and they were practising and then two people came in, by the next half hour it was full, they had all been in the bars he said. Next thing they were told they had to play till half past 1. He says afterwards five members of the committee came up to him to pay him and they said to Donal that they must give him a cut. They said to him that they hadn’t started playing till quarter to 12 to which Donal said they had no one to play to and they had them booked from ten to one. One of the men then said to Donal, “do you know who I am?” “I’m JJ Spain and I’m the referee in the All-Ireland Semi Final tomorrow”. Donal told him he didn’t give a damn who he was and to this JJ Spain “fired” the money at him. Donal says you get an odd one like that here and there but the majority were great. He mentions Sonny Maybury of Dunmanway and Pat McCarthy of Cappamore in Co Limerick as grand people to play for. He says that with Pat McCarthy he booked him for ten nights and they never discussed money because they had an understanding and he says it would be the same with Sonny Maybury. |
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Tim asks Donal if they did a lot of work for charity to which Donal says they did a pile of it. He says one thing the band would do every Christmas Morning would they would play the hospitals. They would play St Finbars and the Mercy Hospital which were the two they play the more often. They would also play St Patricks Hospital (Marymount). They did for about twenty five years. He says he did about twelve albums, when asked were any of them recorded in Cork he says one was done in Ballyvourney, another in Fermoy and the last one they did was in was in Youghal. The rest were done in Dublin and he adds it was expensive, he says it cost 100 pounds an hour and it was no place to be rehearsing as you’d want that done. He says they held a record for the fastest LP recorded and mixed at nineteen hours. He says you’d be talking about a couple of thousand pounds. He talks about one place that rigged the breakdown of the cost of recording. He says the studio suffered a power cut and that Donal walked outside and up the street, he says every house along the street had power so this proved that the studio had rigged the power cut to drag out the recording time and get paid more. They hid it rigged in the studio to cut the power off. Donal says there were two more numbers to record and they had to go back again. He speaks more about the recording process and getting the takes right, the pressures of getting it right etc. He advises always do an extra track. The entire band would play together in the studio. He mentions Bill Somerville- Large of Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin as a great engineer; he adds that he was a jazz pianist. He also worked for RTE he says. He speaks of his work with them on recording and how he helped them out with a piano piece. He says they recorded in Tadhg Kelleher’s studio in Ballyvourney which he says was top class. He speaks about recording in Brian O Reilly’s (of the band Loudest Whisper) studio in Fermoy. He says one thing he found there was you would want to be playing very tight and there would be no looseness at all. He mentions the Youghal recording as having been done in Clay Castle Studio. The differences in styles and age gaps are discussed. Bill Somerville-Large was the main producer in Dublin he says. He mentions Trend Studio and the engineers Paul Waldron and John Dallat. He mentions Fred Meyer as a good engineer; if you were in the studio mixing you’d come out nearly stone deaf as he’s have big speakers on. A discussion on mixing in the studio follows.
The instruments of the band are discussed. Donal says he bought his accordion from Jimmy Shand. His brother Michael also bought his instrument from him. He says Jimmy Shand was over in Cork and Donal showed him his own accordion to which Jimmy said the keyboard was buckled, Donal adds that at this time he was driving the lorry and had “fingers like crowbars”. He tells a story about another accordion he was having tuned and how Jimmy Shand advised him to never sell it. He tells how Jimmy sold him a fiddle on the same occasion. Tim asks Donal if Jimmy Shand would have seen him as a protégé to which Donal says he thought a lot of the band and he would give credit where it was due. He tells how Jimmy wrote the Bridie Ring Polka for Donals wife to play and he wrote one for Donal and ones for the band, he was a gifted man he says. Further discussion of Jimmy Shand’s life and career follow. |
0.49.09 - 1.00.23 |
Tim asks Donal if he ever featured on a radio show called the Galtee Programme to which Donal says he doesn’t but he would listen to it a lot. It used to go out on a Monday at quarter past one. (Note: possibly a reference to Galtee Radio, an independent radio station that ceased transmitting in 2001) Crowleys music shop in Cork is discussed. Donal says he often dealt with Michael and his father Mick Crowley. Donal mentions a man known as Sham or Shan who worked in Crowleys shop when it was on Merchants Quay. He mentions another man whose surname was Welsh who worked for Crowleys. He says it is sad to see Crowley’s gone today. Tim says that Sheena Crowley, the daughter of Michael Crowley is running Crowley’s music shop from above the Palm Court (now the Oliver Plunkett). Tim asks Donal if he ever pass on his skills or teach anyone outside the family to which he says he has a bad patience that way, he says he might give them a hint but he never took up teaching. A discussion on the conditions in the venues follows, Donal says there was no such thing as dressing rooms, there was no heating or fan onstage. He says it improved in time and they got lighting and dressing rooms etc. He says how the cold would effect the instruments such as frost. He says you would have to be hardy. He says sometimes they had problems with band members drinking and disappearing off. He recalls one night when they were playing in Upton and three of the band were drinking. There were spot prizes such as bottles of whiskey. Donal says what he didn’t know was that the three band members had stolen the bottle of whiskey and they didn’t want him to see it so he says they went outside and he describes where the back wheel of the Volkswagen had a panel hiding half the wheel and they put the bottle into this and on top of the tyre where it couldn’t be seen. He says when he was unloading the wagon the bottle fell down with a bang and broke. He jokes that the lads were nearly in tears. He says drink is an awful scourge in a band. Donal says he doesn’t drink other than the off half pint. He says fellas would be falling off the stage or falling off a chair. He describes one time how Paddy Carey who didn’t drink was “fool acting” on stage when they were playing in Cahir Co Tipperary. Next thing before he knew where he was he had fallen into the pit. He describes another occasion when they were playing in Portarlington Co Laois and there big lampshades made from aluminium and hanging over the stage. Next thing he heard a crack and the rope holding up the lampshades broke and it fell down missing drummer Pat Riordan’s head by six inches, he says it would have killed him stone dead if it had hit him. Tim suggests that the Stardust fire in Dublin 1981 changed all that to which Donal agrees. He says fire chiefs came into St Francis Hall in Cork at this time when Donal’s band were playing there and pointed out that all the timber in the venue would have to be removed or else treated with fire proof paint. The fire proof paint option was chosen and Donal says they put no dryers in the paint and it took several months to dry by which time their audience from that venue was scattered and they never got them back. Tim asks about punters to the gigs going out all dressed up to which Donal says all the women would be for an hour before the men would come and they’d be on one side of the hall and then the men would arrive in from the bar. He says the style would be fierce. He talks about the dancing. He talks about how bars bringing in lounges affected dancehalls. He speaks about how dancehalls closed around the country and what a shame it is as he says it was a great outlet and people were happy dancing. He says the dancing was great exercise, they would start out the night with waltzes then two steps. He says in his time the foxtrot was considered a sin as it was too modern. He goes into detail about different dances such as the Siege Of Ennis, two hand reel, the Kipe, the stack o barley, the sweets of may, the Slosh which he says is very popular as its non streneous. He speaks about a man from the Northside of Cork City who was called “The MP” Foley. Donal says he did a lot for dancing and the dancers we have today we can give credit to the MP for. Donal says he was a very strict dance teacher. He says he wouldn’t allow close dancing and you wouldn’t be allowed in the door if you didn’t have a tie. Donal says he used to operate in Inniscarra, in Mourneabbey and then would run dances in Macroom, Glanworth. He was all over the place and taught the whole County Donal says. He made money from it but he earned it Donal adds.
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1.00.24 - 1.04.55 |
Tim asks Donal about Ladies Choices and if it was popular Donal says it was popular, and they don’t have that anymore. He says there would be “murder” if a girl refused a dance with a fellow. He says their MC would come up to him and complain that such a lady had refused such a fellow a dance. Donal says he took no notice but that it considered an offense. He says he often saw a fellow getting two or three refusals. He says he never saw any trouble over a refusal. Though he says there would be bitterness. He mentions his memory of the smell of paraffin oil and candle grease which was the treatment of the floor for dancing. When you went into the dancehall run by the MP in Inniscarra there would be a smell of paraffin oil and candle grease and the floor would be like glass. He says then crystals but they can’t be used today because of health and safety. Tim asks him about the competition from set dancing and the contrast with ceilis where the emphasis was more on fun and craic. Donal replies by saying that he thinks set dancing killed the whole thing, (the dancehalls). He says when the set dancing started to come in you had the ceili crowd sitting down watching polka set after polka and unable to contribute and then leaving. He says the set dancing crowd would have towels wiping the sweat off themselves. He says its very competitive and not every couple would dance with the next couple, they would have their own sets. Tim mentions that Donals son Donal Jnr that said before the interview that he had played for Irish dancers, Donal says that is competitive Irish dancing. He says the children are under too much pressure and the parents would be pushing them into it. He speaks about one night when there was a waltzing competition in Timoleague, there was a couple from Blackpool who were good dancers but didn’t win. He says they” lost it completely” and Donal said to the man whose name was Joe that tomorrow night there’ll be another competition and that he would win it but there was no getting through to him, he lost all sense of direction. He say competitions are fine if people are prepared to take their beating if it comes. |
1.04.56 - 1.09.45 |
Tim asks if there were any sayings or colloquialisms or phrases that were used to describe events in the venues that you wouldn’t hear anywhere else. To this Donal mentions the late Fr Roberts a Franciscan who used to be in St Francis Hall where there used to be a social for the Total Abstinence Association (the Pioneers). He would come in and he would always say to the Carrignavar boys “Where ever you go don’t go far, and keep away from Carrignavar”. He says he heard him saying that numerous times. He was a character Donal says. Donal tells a story about one night when they were starting off and they were playing in Fermoy. It was a two band session and they were on first. Donal and Paddy Carey went to the toilet and he says and while they were in there the MC announced over the speaker “for the last hour and a half you were listening to the Donal Ring Ceili Band” and a fellow in the toilet said “we were then”, Donal jokes that he wasn’t too impressed. He was the smoking in the halls was fierce, he adds that he was a smoker himself for forty three years. He says he had an operation, a quadruple bypass. He says he wasn’t long stopping after that, he says it is all psychological and he had been smoking forty a day. He goes on to talk about the efforts to give up smoking. He says Paddy used to smoke a pipe and there was a lot of smoke from it. He talks about a place in Middlesbrough, England where they played and the smoke was so thick your eyes would be sore. He says it was like thick fog. He speaks about another place in Crosshaven called Johnny’s Return where the smoke was unbelievable. They were playing there when the smoking ban was coming in and Donal said to himself it wouldn’t stop this crowd smoking and he came back three weeks later and there was a case of someone in Donegal who had been fined a thousand Euro for smoking and he says he couldn’t believe, there were no smokers in the venue. He says at the end of the day it was no harm to get rid of the smoking. He speaks about the smell of cigarette smoke on the instruments. |
1.09.46 - 1.17.46 |
Tim asks were there any accidents as a result of dancing. Donal says he saw a lot of bad falls but they always got up, except in one case where a man didn’t get up. He says he died dancing the Siege Of Ennis. He learned after that the man had heart problems and was warned to take it easy but he ignored the advice and he was dead before he hit the floor. He can’t think of anyone breaking a leg or arm. When asked would you see fights break out he says you would the time of the drink but not anymore. When people drinking you might se a skirmish. He recalls one time when they were playing and Ger Daly was the bossman. He says in the mineral bar a bit of an argument started and Ger Daly said “lads, lads, lads, and straight away that stopped it. When asked did they have bouncers in the halls he says they did, you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of them he adds. He mentions the Galtymore dancehall in Cricklewood North London as a great place to play. He says the bouncers would have anyone misbehaving by the scruff of the neck. He says you would conduct yourself there. He says the Irish people who would go to the Galtymore as great. He says it was a great place for the grub. He talks about when they had finished playing there and were about to head for the ferry they got beef sandwiches given to them by the venue. He says they were very honourable and mentions the Byrne family who ran it. He speaks about another venue in Cricklewood they played in called the Spotted Terrier which is not far from the Galtymore. They played for a family called the Caseys who also had the Elephant And Castle. Donal says that they played all over London till they went and played Scotland in 1988. He says once they started playing Scotland they never really went back to England. He says it’s a different country and different scene. He says with them you’d have to play right and play so many bars for each dance and he jokes they’d be standing on the floor looking at you if you did it wrong. Tim asks Donal if they ever came across a tough element in London such as gangsters. Donal says they never encountered that. He says the only trouble they encountered was that most times they played London a bomb might go off. He says they were playing in Dublin the night Nelsons Pillar was blown up. In answer to Tim’ question of did they play the North Of Ireland he says he never played there. There follows a discussion about the Miami Showband Massacre of 1975. Tim says he saw them play the Seaview in Salthill Galway the night before it happened. Donal says they weren’t asked to play in the North during the troubles, after the Troubles when they played Scotland they got a slot in a place north of Belfast (he remembers later it was Ballymena). Donal says he was worried and said it to his friend in Scotland Brooke Lindsey in Scotland who said it to two friends in Belfast who were two brothers, Rea who play accordian. They in turn said that Donal needn’t be worried coming to the North. He says there was no problem but there was a split in the camp, (with the band) which he says is very common. He says they didn’t have a bad night or a great night. He says it was unsettling and you’d prefer to be somewhere else.
Tim asks Donal if he ever composed any tunes himself. Donal says just one which is named Donal Rings Jig. He talks about the process of how he composed and recorded it. He says it has been recorded in Scotland since as a man rang and asked could he record it to which Donal agreed. When asked did he get any royalties from it he says not at all and he says people think that if they hear you on the radio you are making money. He says he is registered with IMRO or The Irish Music Rights Organisation.[Restricted Access section here 1.15.43 to 1.16.46 ] |
1.17.47 - 1.25.55 |
He speaks about playing in the Opera House with a tenor called John MacNally for a fortnight one time. Tim says that’s a name he hasn’t heard in a while and that he was very prolific at one stage, Donal says he was a lovely singer and thinks he went to Australia after.
Tim asks Donal if he ever played the old Opera House, Donal says he didn’t but he did see it burning down. He goes on to speak about this, he says he was over the other side of the river watching it. He watched the tail end of the fire early in the morning as the Opera House smouldered. There were a lot of people looking on. He was young at the time and it was a shame to see it burning. He says his parents never went into the old Opera House, they were tough times he says. He says maybe a small bit of snobbery attached to the Opera House and a certain clique if you wanted to get work there you couldn’t get work if you attached to them. He doesn’t know if that still applies to the modern Opera House but he has heard they are tough.
Tim asks does he play music by local composers. Donal mentions Jerry Casey as one, also Noel Crowley who wrote a few melodies for them. There were a few tunes written for their band here and there by various people. Tim asks were there a lot of people writing at the time, Donal says a man did several of what on the recording sounds like “poetry” on the band (Note: cannot quite make out this word) written by a man from Whitegate whose name he can’t recall. He says he has some at home and must root them out.
He says they did a lot of rehearsing before they did recordings, as he said before the recording was expensive so they couldn’t rehearse during it. He says they would rehearse without amplification out in the hall. He says in relation to the amps and equipment that they started out with rubbish. He says they would be buying stuff that they thought was great and then it would turn out to be not that good. It would be a long time before you buy the right stuff. He says he bought a Thule speakers and amplifier in America in 1974 that he still uses. The amp is only 100 watt and he says today everyone is using 2000 watt amps. He says he can put it up against any of them. He never had to open them bar one speaker when the wire fell off of it. He speaks about using the PB501 microphone for the accordians and how he came about using it. He says you can’t get them anymore. He has two of them and several members of the band of them. He says a “bomb came down” on a factory that manufactures components for it and you can’t get it anymore. Tim mentions Peavey to which Donal says they wouldn’t be as good as Thule. He always used mikes he says. It didn’t restrict them onstage he says. He says Paddy O Connor of RTE gave him advice on microphones and sound and said don’t forget to play nice and easy. He never used sound engineers in the band. He did the sound himself he says. He says in certain halls you would have feedback problems. He remembers one hall in Portarlington Co Laois and a man said if you can get sound in here I life my hat. Donal says when he put the speakers up on stage the sound was desperate. Eventually he put them on the floor off stage and the sound was perfect. The man who was talking about the sound couldn’t get over it. He says how when he went into a hall for the first time he would whistle and if you heard it echoing back you knew you were in trouble. |
1.25.56 - 1.35.23 |
Tim asks Donal if he ever played up the Glen, the Glen Hall in Blackpool. Donal says that’s where they started, they didn’t play the new one. He says the place was “black” with people, packed out completely. He say Jimmy O Rourke was running it and Donal says he was the man with the scoreboard afterwards at GAA matches at Pairc Ui Caoimh.
Tim mentions that Donal had a song “the Bold Christy Ring” and asks did he know him. Donal says he did and that he was a great man. He says he didn’t talk a lot but he was very sincere. He says he met him after a County Final on a very wet day when the Glen were playing Youghal, Donal and Christy walked out together and they were talking about hurling. Christy said to him “look, if you’re a good player you’re a marked man, and you’ll know after a second ball whether they’re out to get you or not, and if you can’t take care of yourself you’ll be in big trouble”. He doesn’t know who wrote it. (Note: online sources indicate it is set to the tune of the Bold Thady Quill and the author of the lyrics remains unknbown) He never spoke about the song to Donal, it was very popular especially in Tipperary he says. He speaks about Paddy Carey singing it at shows and putting in mentions the Barrs, Jack Lynch and Glen Rovers, The Redmonds, Sean Og O Halpin and Julie Coughlan. He speaks of banter between Paddy and people from other counties at shows when he would sing it.
Donal says he never met Sean O Riada, he says he did a lot for music. He says he was playing in Cashel County Tipperary recently and a lady came up speaking to him. She said she went to Coolea Irish College and she knew Sean O Riada and her father was a Clareman. She said she had read it the previous week that Sean O Riada was born in Cork and she couldn’t conceive that. Donal says he was a great man and his influence was enormous. He heard that he also played in Ceili bands.
Donal speaks about the Cork singer Sean O Se. He sang with Donal often and they backed him. He is a fine artist he says.
Donal says he knew Rory Gallagher, he says Rory used to go into Crowley’s. He says Rory played the Shand Marino accordion for a while with a band in West Cork and Donal says he has a photo somewhere of it. He thinks the name of the band was the Hawthorn or something like that. Tim mentions that Rory played with a band called the Fontana. Donal mentions a now deceased man called Joe Hayes who said to Donal did he remember when Donal said to Rory Gallagher that he should cut his hair. Donal said that he didn’t remember this. Joe said that it was as Rory was going into Crowley’s Music Shop and Donal who was walking outside on the footpath said to him “hello Rory, you should cut the hair, its getting very long”. Donal says he was a great man.
Donal mentions a Cork tenor called Paul O Leary whom he says was the best tenor in the city.
Tim returns to the subject of Rory Gallagher and asks Donal what he thought of his success. Donal says it was unbelieveable. He says he never played with him. Tim speaks about how Rory was experimenting with trad before his death and had worked with Ronny Drew. Donal speaks again about Rory starting on off the accordion.
Tim asks did they work to a set list. Donal says they did within reason. It would happen in Scotland all right, they would get a setlist sheet he says. He remembers once they were playing in Dufftown in Scotland and at quarter to two there were three dancers left and he was convinced they would finish up but they kept going to get value for money.
He doesn’t think anyone wrote a song about him, he jokes that a fellow has to die before they will talk about him. Tim says when he was young he would hear of a man who was nicknamed “Take the floor” Dinjo. (Note: Denis Fitzgibbon who hosted a popular Irish music dancing radio show called Take The Floor) Donal says he had a great influence on the scene. His father was mad for listening to him on the radio. Donal says he worked with him once when they did a tour with the Blarney Ceili band. They did a tour of Kerry and parts of Cork with Dinjo. He agrees that the Irish dancing came across well on the radio because you could hear the tapping. Donal thought it was a great idea.
He says he knew the folklorist and broadcaster Ciarán Mac Mathúna as well, he did great work for Irish music he says. He says Paddy O Connor was talking about doing the recordings with him on the radio recently. He lived for Irish music he says.
Tim mentions a number of names of traditional Irish musicians, Jackie Daly, Matt Cranitch and Seamus Creagh. Donal says he went to school with Matt Cranitch’s father and knows Matt well. Donal says he has a saying which he has often told. If you got a line long enough and start in Kinsale and divide Ireland in two up to the North every musician on the East Coast is superior to those on the West which he admits is a controversial opinion. He says all the best musicians were on the Eastern side of the line, he lists some. The Gallowglass Ceili Band, Jackie Ahern, Dermot O Brien, Blarney Ceili Band, Jackie Hearst.. He admits that the Kilfenora Céilí Band were very good and his own father was a great Kilfenora man but he says he never liked the pure trad style, he likes a cleaner style but he says they were a dance band. He says he has a cousin in Ballingeary who is a great player and he jokes he will kill him for saying it but he says when musicians from the West and East coasts play together they’re not together. There’s different interpretations of the tune by different players. |
1.35.25 - 1.42.05 |
Tim mentions the renowned Clare fiddle player Martin Hayes and asks if he was a member of the Kilfenora Céilí Band to which Donal says he thinks he was. He say the Kilfenora have come along in a big way and he’s delighted for them. Tim mentions Dermot O'Brien the musician from Co Louth who was also a GAA footballer. Donal says the best the three best accordion players in the country were from Louth, he lists them as Dermot O Brien, Fintan Stanley and Paddy Neary. When Tim asks Donal where he would put himself Donal says he was alright to which Tim says he heard he was one of the best.
Tim asks him if he knew other well known Cork characters such as Bernie Murphy and Bishop Con Lucey. Donal says he knew Bernie Murphy well and he mentions another Cork character from Fairhill who would do a trick where he would flip a penny up in the air then kick it up again with the heel of his shoe and then catch it in his coat pocket. He can’t think of his name but thinks his first name was Donie. Donal says he would do this trick for fun. He was famous for this trick and would do it on the street. (Note: this mans name was Donie Murphy and his nickname was Mad Donie. This information was found on the Facebook group Old Photographs Of Cork City And County).
Donal mentions another Cork character who was known as the Bowler. He would bowl the bowls down Patrick Street. Donal says he came from Shandon. He would wear a white raincoat and a cap and Donal was selling confectionary at the time and he would meet him and the Bowler would say to him “I bate Mick Barry boy!” (Mick Barry the famous bowler). Donal would be ribbing him and said he didn’t to which the Bowler would say “watch this” and he threw the bowl down Patrick Street. Donal says there wasn’t as much traffic on the street then but it was still dangerous as it was an iron ball.
Donal says he met Mick Barry the Cork bowler once when he was sick out in Ballincollig, Donal says his wife Bridies uncle beat him at bowling once, Jamsey Sullivan (James O Sullivan) from Killeens and he had the cup to show for it. He says that Jamsey threw a bowl up on top of the viaduct (on the Cork to Bandon road) but Mick Barry threw the bowl over it which was a sixteen ounce ball. He says the O Sullivan’s were all great bowlers and he mentions another Paul O Sullivan another from Blackpool Benny. He mentions they were also great tug o war men. There was a tug o war team in Killeens one time and in connection with this he mentions a Dan Twohig, he says the Twohigs were great men. He says you could hurt yourself easily at tug o war.
Tim asks what did Donal think of Riverdance and he said it was unreal. He says it didn’t do themselves in the band any harm audience wise. He says Michael Flatley is a great dancer and Donal went to see the live show, he says everything about it is spot on. He can see it continuing on, he agrees that it fed the competitive side of dancing. Tim asks Donal if he thinks RTE were good to Cork music in general to which Donal says he doesn’t think so. He says they had to fight to get on it. He says that they were lucky that Donncha O Dulaing liked the band and put them on a lot of shows. He says Gina Dale Haze And The Champions who he says were a great band never got a shot on RTE, he says it was the same with the Gallowglass Ceili Band. He can’t understand it, he says they got on radio all right and the Blarney band but he says “if you’re not in Dublin you’re only in Ireland”. Tim asks about the BBC if they ever contacted them to which Donal says they did a few shows with BBC Scotland.
Tim asks if the clergy ever got involved in the dancing (in an authoritarian way) to which Donal says they never interfered with them. He mentions a Fr Jim Donovan in Blackpool who was then moved to Dunmanway and he would book them for Dunmanway, he got them a lot of work there. He is now in Ballinlough he says.
Tim ask if he has seen any young up and coming Cork acts that appeal to him and how he sees the ceili business going. He mentions that his son Donie started an accordion night in Pa Johnsons, the pub and people come from all round for it. |
1.42.07 - 0.00.00 |
Donal speaks about his hopes for the future of ceili. He would like to see it continue but the thinks when his generation are gone we will have to wait a good few years for it to come Back and he believes it will come back in a cycle, he says everything gets a cycle but he can’t see it coming back for a long time. Tim asks him does he go see live acts these days to which Donal says now and again. He says a lot of them are one or two man bands, he says they are earning their money as it is tough with just one or two in terms of setting up equipment etc.
Tim asks Donal if he used to read Spotlight Magazine and if he ever made the cover. (Note: Spotlight was an Irish music magazine mainly focusing on Showbands, it was later re- named New Spotlight). Donal says he heard of it. He mentions that Top Of The Pops was in that and a song he recorded called “Beautiful City” in Top Of Pops for six weeks. (Note: The reference to Top Of The Pops appears to be a reference to a music charts related section of Spotlight rather than the BBC music programme). Donal says he got a call from John Woods of Polydor Records, Donal mentions that he was a brother of Michael Woods the Fianna Fáil TD. John said to Donal that there was big demand for a song called Beautiful City and he asked would Donal and his band record it. Donal says the tenor Paul O Leary whom he mentioned earlier was singing it. They left and Donal was in his car and Paul was after buying a Renault. Donal says he passed Paul, then Paul passed him and vice versa. They arrived in Portlaoise and they were booked in there for lunch. Donal says a Mrs Grey came out and said they were in big trouble and one of the band were after going into the bog in Urlingford. Paul O Leary, and Donal’s brother Michael and Paul O Leary were in the car. She said no one was hurt but they were shaken. Paul had lost control coming into Urlingford and the car swung around and went into the bog. He mentions that Beautiful City was six weeks at number two in the Irish charts; they were just behind the Dixie’s. He says they didn’t come close with anything after. A discussion of Donal’s collection of photographs follows, talk of looking through them on another day is discussed. Tim mentions that Donal was winner of Cork Person Of The Month. A reception in City Hall for him is discussed and Donal says the president of the time Mary Macalise was there. Donal says that the man who set up the Cork to Swansea ferry won it (Cork Person Of The Year), Conor Buckley. He mentions that the service is now gone again. He says of his own night in the City Hall it was a bit nerve wracking. The City Council were very good to him he says and it was a great night. He got Cork Person Of The Month for March he says. He says that Sean McCarthy, the Cork sculptor did a bust of Donal which is out in the hall of his home for the bands 50’th anniversary. He mentions that he’ll be 80 soon and will be having a big night in Glenville at the end of the week. He says he might do simple stuff like Waltzes as jigs and reels are too strenuous at 80.
Tim thanks Donal for speaking to him and wraps up the interview.
Interview ends 1.49.05 |
CFP_SR00565_osullivan_2015; CFP_SR00566_fahy_2015; CFP_SR00569_fahy_2016; CFP_SR00570_steele_2016; CFP_SR00574_jones_2016; CFP_SR00577_fahy_2016; CFP_SR00581_osullivan_2016; CFP_SR00583_johnson_2016; CFP_SR00589_lysaght_2016; CFP_SR00590_varian_2016; CFP_SR00609_Cooney_2017; CFP_SR00610_McCarthy_2017; CFP_SR00611_Buckley_2017:
Published material related to the collection:
Moore, Michael (2016) ‘A Tale of Two Masons’, The Archive Journal, Vol 20: 8-10.
File 1 0.00.00 - 0.03.35 |
Early years in Bandon and Cork Dan speaks about his early years. He states that he was born in the Cottage Hospital in Bandon (1931). He says that he was taken to live in Cork at the age of four, where he attended Ss. Peter and Paul School for a year or two, before returning to live in Bandon until the age of sixteen. Dan explains that he feels that the separation of his parents, when he was young, contributed to making him more self-sufficient in life. |
0.03.35 - 0.10.20 |
Early jobs from the age of twelve to sixteen: delivering milk - paper boy - wheelwright’s assistant Dan recalls that while still at school he started his first job, at the age of twelve, delivering milk in a churn each morning and evening for three shillings a week. On leaving school at fourteen, he says that he worked as a paper delivery boy for eight or nine months. He remembers collecting Examiners and Echos’ off the morning and evening trains from Cork city, for twelve shillings a week. Dan is proud that his pay was increased to fifteen shillings after three weeks. He recalls that after this in 1945/46, he went to work for a wheelwright - Louis Fulham - operating the bellows. |
0.10.20 - 0.11.30 |
Move to Cork Dan speaks about how he moved to Cork city with his father - a stonemason - around 1947/48; and explains that he lived ‘in digs’ from about the age of sixteen to twenty-four, while he served his time as an apprentice stonemason. |
0.11.30 - 0.15.00 |
The first return visit to Bandon after nearly thirty years Dan explains that he did not return to Bandon for nearly thirty years as it held too many painful memories for him. He relates how he finally returned by going to sing at an old folks’ concert, on the urging of an old Bandon friend, Delia, and recalls how he met his first girlfriend there again. |
0.15.00 - 0.19.15 |
Parents separation; rift with brother Dan discloses that the reason he stayed away from Bandon so long was due to his parents’ separation. He speaks about his mother with whom he did not get on and he also relates how the separation caused a rift between him and his only sibling, a brother, who went with his mother. He says that the separation meant that they ‘were never really brothers’. |
0.19.15 - 0.20.10 |
Early married life Dan says that he ‘never had a home before he got married’ as he had spent so many years ‘in digs’. He reflects on early married life when he and his wife, Kay lived in a flat in Brown Street - a street which no longer exists. CFP Note: Brown Street was located in the Paul Street area around what is now Rory Gallagher Place; it ran down to the quay at the back of the current Paul Street Shopping Centre Car Park. See photo at: https://www.photosales.eecho.ie/v/photos/74373pks/1351997210?pcp=21 consulted on 04/04/2017. Dan recalls that he went to work in England for a while and he says that when he returned, it was to a home that his wife Kay had set up for them in Mary Aikenhead Place, off Cathedral Road. He says that he still lives in the same house, sixty years on. |
0.20.10 - 0.21.30 |
Dan’s present partner Dan speaks warmly about the very good relationship that he has with his present partner, Sheila. He says that though they lived near each other for many years, they did not meet until about twelve years ago. |
0.21.30 - 0.22.30 |
Dan’s mother-in-law Dan relates that his late wife, Kay came from the Coal Quay. He speaks about her mother, Laurie Collins, known as Laurie Connors, who ran a fruit and vegetable stall there. He recalls that she had a kidney removed at seventy but went on to live to be ninety. It is at this point that he talks about his wife’s early death at forty-four. |
0.22.30 - 0.23.20 |
Dancing days Dan reminisces about when he used to go dancing six to eight times a week - sometimes twice on Sundays - and says that he was one of the top twenty ballroom dancers in Cork. |
0.23.20 - 0.25.30 |
Appreciation of life Dan reveals that the highlight of his life was getting married and having six children. He says that his youngest son, Alan - forty-four, at the time of this interview - lives with him. Dan advices that it is important to make the most of life and says that he and his partner Sheila take a few holidays each year. |
0.25.30 - 0.32.00 |
Bowl-playing; Bol Cumann na hÉireann Dan recalls how he used to go bowl-playing in Blarney and was classed as Junior B grade. He mentions strong bowl-playing areas like Fairhill, Dublin Hill, Ballyvolane, Togher and Waterfall. He then goes on to speak about the establishment of Bol Cumann na hÉireann in 1954, which he says resulted in the sport becoming more formalized. CFP Note: Bol Cumann na hÉireann replaced the All-Ireland Bowl-playing Association. Reflects on the great social aspect of bowl-playing, which Dan feels has been lost due to the greater emphasis on placing high bets nowadays. He also says that pubs no longer sponsor the sport like they did in the past. |
0.32.00 - 0.34.20 |
Rural Electrification Dan says the house in Kilbrogan Street, Bandon where he was born (1931) had electricity. He says that they moved to another house, two hundred yards away, in an area known simply as Kilbrogan, which was without electricity and so he says that they used paraffin oil lamps. Though he reveals that he did not have a happy childhood, Dan expresses the belief that life would have been happier for many people, as he considers that people were generally more helpful and neighbourly to each other in the past. |
0.34.20 - 0.36.00 |
Relationship with mother Dan speaks about the distant relationship that he had with his mother, who he describes as very ‘aloof’. He states that she was nineteen years old when he was born. He says that he did not hear of her death until weeks after and thinks that she was cremated in Wales. Dan says that his relationship with his father was much different and reveals that he ‘idolised’ him. |
0.36.00 - 0.39.30 |
Life after wife’s death Dan reflects on being a widower with six young children, after the death of his wife, Kay. He says that Alan was seven, Frank was eleven, Martin was thirteen, Majella was fifteen, Mary was seventeen and Tim - who later died - was the eldest. He explains that it was about three years after Kay died before life started to improve. He says that when they had got married, he vowed that the family would never be broken up. Dan suggests that it was his own difficult upbringing that made him a very resilient person. He remembers that his grandmother said to him: ‘you get out what you put in’ and he lives his life with this in mind. He expresses his belief that if parents do right by their children, then the children will always respect and like them. |
0.39.30 - 0.42.00 |
Relationship with present partner Dan speaks about his relationship with his present partner, Sheila, saying that they are great friends. He says that they enjoy travelling and going out three nights a week and generally making the most of life. |
0.42.00 - 0.47.42 |
Dan’s grand-uncle - Patrick Jones, poet mason Dan speaks about his grand-uncle, the poet mason, Patrick Jones, who was born in Bandon. Dan refers to Patrick as ‘an enigma, drunk, hero, one of the best bricklayers there ever was . . .’ and ‘a genius with words and stone’. He says that Finbar Wright put one of his poems about Kilbrogan Graveyard to music. He also mentions the two medals that Patrick was awarded for bravery during the Boer War. He remembers visiting him as a child in Gillabbey Rock and describes him wearing a soft hat with ‘a scowl on his face’. He says that Patrick was not a very sociable being and would prefer to go off on his own to write poetry. He also says that it was only later on that he realised that Patrick had a drink problem when he read his own story. CFP Note: Bandon born Patrick Jones (1870-1956) served his apprenticeship as a stonemason before joining the British Army. He was soon seconded to a sapper regiment. Sapper regiments carried out a range of military engineering duties, so Patrick’s masonry skills would have made him an ideal candidate for such a regiment. On returning to Ireland after the Boer War, he combined his work as a stonemason with the writing of poetry. See: CFP researcher Michael Moore’s Stonemasons Project. Note: Interview is suspended temporarily as Dan receives a text message. |
File 2 0.00.00 - 0.03.30 0.03.30 - 0.06.58 |
Family Background Dan resumes talking about his granduncle, Patrick Jones. He says that Patrick must have been in his eighties when he died. He goes on to speak about his father’s four brothers. He says that one was beaten by ‘the Free Staters’ and ended up in an asylum. Three other brothers migrated to the United States. He also mentions his father’s two sisters who he did not know. Dan explains that his grandfather married again after his first wife’s death. He speaks warmly about his grandfather’s second wife, Annie Dalton, describing her as ‘a pure lady’. Family background contd. Dan continues speaking about his grandfather’s family. He says that his grandfather was a bricklayer. As well as his brother Patrick, he states that his grandfather also had a brother, Tommy, who was a headmaster in Passage and another brother, Tim, who was manager of the West Cork Bottling Co. He says that Tim was a father of the Jones Group, who were involved in the oil business. He remembers ships on the quays, which they owned, such as the Mary J and the Eily J - the J being for Jones. |
0.06.58 - 0.07.45 |
Patrick Jones’ children Dan says that Patrick Jones’ two daughters are still alive - one being Mary Jones O’Connor. He speaks about Patrick’s two sons, both now dead. |
0.07.45 - 0.12.45 |
Keeping family together Dan stresses the importance of maintaining a loving, united family life. |
0.12.45 - 0.14.00 |
Patrick Jones Dan’s final thoughts on Patrick. |
0.14.00 - 0.15.00 |
Jones family history; family trade Dan speaks about building being the family trade. He says that his great-great-great grandfather was a Welsh protestant stonemason who came to live in Ireland. Though he continued to adhere to his protestant faith, he married a Roman Catholic and they reared their children in the Roman Catholic faith. Dan notes that he has no Jones’ relations left in Bandon now. |
0.15.00 - 0.20.11 |
Dan’s family links: Jones Group; Gerry Jones and the 1970s arms trial Dan refers to that part of the family known as the Jones Group. He says that two of them were very senior civil servants in the 1930s. Dan’s father’s first cousin Gerry Jones, who Dan describes as a Provo (Provisional IRA member), became famous for his black patch and support of Charlie Haughey, during the gun running scandal of the 1970s. He reveals that the family suspected that Gerry Jones provided financial support for the Provos. CFP Note: The gun running scandal and consequent arms trial saw government ministers accused of supplying arms to the Provisional IRA. See: www.irishtimes.com/news/death-of-gerry-jones-1.243735 Interviews Ends |
She discusses a variety of childhood games, a strong sense of community and friendly relationships with neighbours that have lasted a lifetime.
Phil recalls the dispensary, subsequently the Grattan Street Health Centre. Inside patients waited on benches for the doctor who tended to their area of the city. She also remembers the dispensary caretaker and pharmacist who lived in the dispensary building.
Her family’s daily routine is described including going to school, family meals and shopping. Her father was very strict about timekeeping, especially when Phil and her siblings were attending dances. This timekeeping came in useful at work where lateness resulted in docked pay, and where there was no sick pay.
Rationing in the 1940s is described, including the amounts of various foodstuffs allowed per person, and how it was circumvented by a neighbour who travelled to England.
Phil speaks of the diseases which we common when she grew up including tuberculosis. She also mentions her relatives who contracted diphtheria and measles and how they were treated. Refers to the vaccines for these diseases too.
Phil would have liked to stay working in Dunlop’s after her marriage as she enjoyed working with the people there but it was not an option. Nonetheless she enjoyed being with her own children at home and watching them grow, something she thinks happens less today.
Specific pawn shops and their locations are also recalled, how they functioned and their role in helping people make ends meet.
]]>Phil grew up in a tenement on Grattan Street and worked in O’Gorman’s Hat Factory and Dunlop’s before getting married and starting a family. She gives a very detailed description of the lanes, houses, shops and families on Grattan Street and the surrounding area of the Middle Parish.
She discusses a variety of childhood games, a strong sense of community and friendly relationships with neighbours that have lasted a lifetime.
Phil recalls the dispensary, subsequently the Grattan Street Health Centre. Inside patients waited on benches for the doctor who tended to their area of the city. She also remembers the dispensary caretaker and pharmacist who lived in the dispensary building.
Her family’s daily routine is described including going to school, family meals and shopping. Her father was very strict about timekeeping, especially when Phil and her siblings were attending dances. This timekeeping came in useful at work where lateness resulted in docked pay, and where there was no sick pay.
Rationing in the 1940s is described, including the amounts of various foodstuffs allowed per person, and how it was circumvented by a neighbour who travelled to England.
Phil speaks of the diseases which we common when she grew up including tuberculosis. She also mentions her relatives who contracted diphtheria and measles and how they were treated. Refers to the vaccines for these diseases too.
Phil would have liked to stay working in Dunlop’s after her marriage as she enjoyed working with the people there but it was not an option. Nonetheless she enjoyed being with her own children at home and watching them grow, something she thinks happens less today.
Specific pawn shops and their locations are also recalled, how they functioned and their role in helping people make ends meet.
0.00.00 - 0.00.22 |
Intro |
0.00.22 - 0.02.23 |
Tenement House Growing Up- Conditions and facilities Grew up in 44 Grattan Street, a tenement house. 4 or 5 families in the house. 6 children in her family, and 6 in another family. Another family with 2. 14 children in the one house. Very happy, great neighbours. Shop underneath their house: “shop on the lap” they called it. It sold sugar, milk, tea. The people who ran the shop lived in the shop as well. A 4-storey house including the attic. The people who lived in the attic had their kitchen on the ground floor. They had no sink, there was one toilet shared by the house and one tap in the yard. There was no electricity, or gas. They used oil lamps, primus store and a coal fire. Everyone lived like that so they “didn’t know any better”. |
0.02.23 - 0.06.27 |
Neighbours, Shops and Streets on & near Grattan Street Next door in 45 Grattan Street was Gamble the tinsmith. Similar type house arrangement. 46 Grattan Street was O’Callaghan’s Pub, even though the owners got married they had their whole family living above the pub. Phil doesn’t think that arrangement could be called a tenement because the house contained all one family. Then there was Peter’s Street, and the Mechanics’ Hall where the Community Centre is now. Fr Lynch from St Peter and Paul’s was good to the poor and he gave the children of the parish a party in the Mechanics’ Hall where children were given a suitable present, eg. a doll. The children looked forward to that each Christmas. Beyond that there was the quarry all the houses previously there were gone. After the quarry there were 3 or 4 tenement houses before you came to Henry Street. Same type of houses. There was also Bobby Lloyd’s shop on the corner sold pots, pans and kitchen utensils. Then Henry Street, and across the road from it was Henrietta’s Shop run by Johno (Johnno) where they got milk or bread. There was a lane behind that with a terrace of houses. There were two pubs beyond that one called Crosses and the other was Kellehers. Beyond that was Francis Street with Randy Hourigan’s shop on the corner. Beyond that was the corner of Bachelor’s Quay where the Doll’s House was with steps up to it which was also a tenement. Around the corner was formerly Dolly Perry’s Nursing Home but was turned into tenements when Phil knew it. Then there was Grenville Place where George Boole had lived, and that area had tenements. Then you returned to Henry Street. The old part of the Mercy Hospital was also there. Then there was Moore Street, Coach Street, and back to Grattan Street. All that area was the circle in which the children were allowed to play. |
0.06.27 - 0.07.52 |
Playing Children’s Games Played tops and whips. Cat and Dog. Piggy. Skylockers. Skylockers: Long strip of crepe paper with some sand in the centre and tied with string. And put string onto the end of it and threw it up in the air and hope that it would come down again and not get caught in the electric wires. Had to make their own enjoyment not like today where people can just press buttons. Chaineys & Playing Shop Used broken coloured glass (calls it mixed spice) to play shop on the footpath. Everyone was the same and everyone joined in. People pretended to be buying some of their shop items which were the pieces of broken glass. |
0.07.52 - 0.10.49 |
More Neighbours, Shops and Streets on & near Grattan Street Phil runs through the buildings and streets on Grattan Street from her house but going in the other direction to which she did before. No 43 Grattan Street’ The People’s Dairy which had eggs, milk, buttermilk, bread. Beyond that was a wholesale place called O’Connors and he had shoes for the shops he was wholesaler for. Above his place was a tenement. No 41 Grattan Street: The M Laundries (M Laundry) with a tenement above it with 3 families. No 40 Grattan Street was the fire station and everyone knew it, and the firemen because they were local. No 39: Barber shop with tenement above it. Next was another barber: Gerry Kane, with tenements above it. Next Roddis which sold pots, pans and tin things. Next was another shop. Then Broad Street and on the other side of it was another tinsmith, another Gamble. There were 3 Gamble brothers from Grattan Street, all of them tinsmiths. After that was a quarry and the houses were gone. Across the road was the old St Francis Church. Coming back down Grattan Street from there was the Third Order Hall. Then a laundry with more tenements. Then another tinsmith. Then Moll Hog’s Mrs Hourigan, a sweet shop at the corner of Broad Lane. Then the Rambler’s Inn, a pub. When that was vacated the Franciscans took it over for their accommodation and they took over the fire station when the new church was being built. Then there was a shoemaker called Rice with tenements above it. |
0.10.49 - 0.11.35 |
The Dispensary/ Grattan Street description of the building and who lived there And then “the Quakers” or the dispensary now Grattan Street Health Centre. The Morrissy family [see CFP_SR00760_Morrissy_2019;] of the chemist on one side of the arch on the dispensary facing onto Grattan Street, and the caretaker lived on the other side, her name was Nellie Long but she was known as Mrs Healy. Morrissy family had two girls and a boy and Phil “mixed with them”. Phil’s family had no garden so they played in the courtyard in the dispensary, which she describes as “a big airy place” there was lots of space compared with where Phil lived. |
0.11.35 - 0.14.28 |
More tenements after the dispensary, continuing tour of Grattan Street. Then “Moll Murph’s” (Moll Murphy) the potato lady. Bridgie on the corner selling sweets. Then Peter Church Lane, down which there were tenements, even though they were only small houses. The McCarthy’s were the only ones to have a house. The grandmother of Terry McCarthy lived down the lane. Terry had recently died at the time of the interview. He sang with the Dixies and sang with Michael Ring junior. Then there was the graveyard [St Peter’s Cemetery] which they knew as “The Proddy Woddys”, down the lane from that was a school and St Peter’s Church which is a centre now on the North Main Street. Phil says they “never mixed with them” ie Protestants. After that was Buckley’s builder’s yard over head was the Manning’s family with some families members married. After that another tenement with Murphy’s on the ground floor and Buckley’s on the first floor. Then more people above them. After that another tenement with the Healey’s lived. Then the quarry and then Coleman’s Lane which had houses and the Kenny’s lived in the first house. Tiny houses. Back on Grattan Street there was Looney’s Shop which sold everything: butter, eggs, bread etc. Then there were two more houses Frankie Scannell lived next to Looney’s Shop and worked in the Fire Station. After that another tenement with 3 or 4 families and then it came to Adelaide Street. |
0.14.28 - 0.17.41 |
Memories of the Dispensary “But the Quakers was nice, it was an airy place” big, huge high ceilings. The garden was inside a bit. [Phil refers to the Grattan Street Health Centre/ Dispensary building as ‘the Quakers’] The big door was never open, the side door was open, but there was a bell on the door and you could ring the bell. Inside were the doctors. The dispensary had about 8 doctors, 4 on either side, in a big hall with rooms off of it. Benches outside each doctor. No appointment. Every area had its own doctor. Phil had Dr Cagney. There was a Dr Moran for another area. You got medicine on the way out from the chemist, in a little hole in the wall. If you wanted cough bottle you brought your own bottle. It wouldn’t surprise Phil if you received tablets in a matchbox. You had to queue up to get that. You’d bring your bottle with you from home. Two or three benches outside each doctor’s door. It was like one big dance hall. There was no appointment but you knew what time he would be there at. And if you had to call the doctor he would come to you at home. Dr Cagney was abrupt but a very good doctor. Mark Cagney who was a presenter on TV3 [now Virgin Media One] was related to Dr Cagney. Phil says Dr Cagney was fabulous, but abrupt: “you’d be afraid like”, “you wouldn’t ask him questions” “the glasses would be down there” [Phil puts her glasses at to the end of her nose and looks over them doing an impression of Dr Cagney.] |
0.17.41 - 0.19.00 |
LDF (Local Defence Forces) Training & Uniform The LDF (Local Defence Forces) used to train in the dispensary building [during WW2]. They had a “browny” uniform and a hat with a slit in it. Something like the Slua Muirí. They may have trained in the courtyard because there was space in “the Quakers”. They had to dress up in their uniforms. Mr Burns (or Byrne’s) who lived in Phil’s tenement was in the LDF. |
0.19.00 - 0.19.26 |
Sense of Community, Safety and Togetherness Everyone went to school together and brought each other. There was great harmony, great neighbours and a very happy childhood. It was safe to walk the streets then in a way it is less so today Phil thinks. |
0.19.26 - 0.20.47 |
Daily Routine, School, Shopping, Streetscape Had breakfast and their mother would bring them to school St Maries of the Isle. She would walk with them as far as across the street from the courthouse [on Washington Street] and after that there were no roads to cross so they could walk on their own from that point. Their mother would meet them again at that point for lunchtime to take them home. There was much less traffic than today, mostly horses and carts. The horses and carts with milk churns came to the Nolan’s next door. You brought your jug to the dairy, Nolan’s Dairy and filled it up with milk. During school they went home at 12:30 for their dinner. And her mother would meet them and bring them back at the start and end of lunch. |
0.20.47 - 0.22.07 |
Father, Work, Parenting and Strict Timekeeping Phil’s dad was working in the Munster Arcade as a draper’s porter. Everything was within walking distance. He had to wake up at 6:45 to be in work for 8:30, he was a great timekeeper. When Phil and her siblings started to go to work her father said “one call now and one call only for the morning.” (meaning that he would call/wake them once only in the morning.) They had to go to Dunlop’s for 8am. Mother would bring the younger children to school. He would do the “first shift” for the working children. He was very strict, “you wouldn’t get around him. If he said no that was it.” A good father. She thinks it was possible to say no to one’s children back then but that is no longer the case today. Her mother was a bit softer. You dare not miss your call because you didn’t get paid when you were out of work. You didn’t get paid even if you were out sick. |
0.22.07 - 0.23.22 |
No Sick Pay, Simple Remedies for Sickness Recalls a young man feeling sick at work. Someone suggested he go home but he said he couldn’t because his mother would kill him! So if you were out of work you were out of pay, so there was very little sickness as a result! “If you were sick you got your Tanora and your aspro” [Aspirin/ Disprin/ Panadol] that was the medicine they had from the chemist. |
0.23.22 - 0.27.43 |
After School, Food, Dinner, Rationing After school they would eat or go out to play. They had dinner in the middle of the day, when they came home at lunchtime from school. Might have bread and jam later- if you got jam you would be delighted. They were never hungry. Dinner would be stew. Something in a pot big enough for the whole family 6 children and the two adults 8 altogether. They didn’t have chops or steak. They had tripe and drisheen. You ate it whether you liked it or not because there was nothing else. Ration books from 1939-1945 butter was made up in 12 ounces. 16 ounces in the pound. The rations allowed 12 ounces for 2 people, 6 ounces each for a week. Tea was rationed. Mr Burns went to England (where Phil thinks the rationing may not have been as severe?!) and he was able to bring back the Van Houten’s Cocoa and his wife Mrs Burns would always share it with Phil’s family whatever they had- it was like Christmas. Doesn’t think that eggs were rationed- if you had the money you could buy them. Cannot say whether bread or milk was rationed. Sugar, tea, butter were rationed. There were vouchers for shoes issued by the Health Board. And you would get the vouchers from the Dispensary, (“The Quakers”). Phil’s mother would know about the vouchers, Phil was only a child at the time so wouldn’t know much about it. She says that if they did get vouchers they wouldn’t tell anyone because they were “very grand” she says in a joking posh accent. She says that her mother was a proud woman and “it was bred into us I’d say.” She didn’t want people to know that she was getting the vouchers, even though everyone else was in the same situation. |
0.27.43 - 0.30.53 |
Visiting the Doctor. Siblings with Diphtheria. Relatives with Measles Phil says “you’d have to be nearly dying” you’d have to have the measles or diphtheria to go to the doctor. You wouldn’t go for a cough or a cold. You’d go if there was something wrong with your ear or your eyes. Otherwise you’d get “Tanora and an aspro” and then you got better. Went into the Dispensary for her ear- doesn’t remember going to the hospital. 3 of her siblings got diphtheria. Her brother Paddy had to be hospitalised. Dr Cagney was their doctor for that. Diphtheria and whooping cough were prevalent at the time. Then injections were made available. Remembers other people in her family getting the measles, light was kept away from their eyes to prevent them going blind although Phil says she doesn’t believe that that is what would cause the blindness. But they kept sufferers in a dark room. It was a 9 day disease- 3 days coming, you had it for 3 days and then 3 days recovering from it. Measles and diphtheria were contagious but she doesn’t know about whooping cough. There was a three-in-one vaccine for those three diseases. Phil’s mother made sure that they got it from the dispensary. |
0.30.53 - 0.32.44 |
Worklife: O’Gorman’s Hat Making and Dunlop’s Worked in Dunlop’s “in the packing” and worked in O’Gorman’s making the berets the hat factory in Shandon maybe in the old butter market. Phil thinks it was a shopping centre or souvenir shop after it was O’Gorman’s Hat Factory. They started up the “berett” (beret) part of the business. Phil describes the hat as a being similar to a “Tammy-Shanto” (Tam O’Shanter) a hat worn by Scottish men, except that it did not have the tassel on it. She worked there for three years and then went to Dunlop’s because there was more money there. In the hat factory they made/knitted berets and shrunk them to the different sizes: 8 and a half, 9 and a half and 10 and half. They were knitted on a machine and put into something to shrink the wool which tightened up. Phil was involved in the setting up of that process and ended up being a supervisor. She then went to Dunlops to do the packing. |
0.32.44 - 0.38.06 |
Working in Dunlop’s, Wellington Boots, Timekeeping Discipline, Stopping Work once Married, Reflections on Staying Home to raise Children. Phil was an “inspectress” (inspector) in the packing section in Dunlop’s. She inspected the wellington boots to see if there was any flaw in them which needed to be repaired. Then they were packed into the boxes and sent out. The men made all the wellingtons and they arrived as a finished product when Phil got to inspect them. There were no women making the wellingtons. The men made them “down the dips”. Phil was inspecting the boots at the top of the heel where there might be a gap which needed to be filled in with some soft rubber. And if it wasn’t done properly she would send the boot back again for repair. She was strict because if there was something wrong with the boot the shop would send it back in any case. And you would be in trouble if it was sent back from the shop as it indicated that you had not been doing your job. “You’d be just called over the rope!”, “and if you were out sick you didn’t get paid while you were out either”. You had to clock in 8am, clock out at lunchtime, clock in after lunch, clock out going home 5pm. If you were five minutes late you were docked pay for quarter of an hour. Phil says that this discipline is good, though it is less common today: “it’s bred into you. You just accept it. You wouldn’t do it today!” That’s where the time keeping her dad had instilled came in useful. Cycled to work down the Centre park Road four times a day because they would go home for lunch- lunch was one hour. She worked for 3 years in Dunlop’s and 3 years in O’Gorman’s. She was in Dunlop’s when she got married, and she had to leave they would not allow her to work now that she was married. She would have liked to have kept working because she was “with a very happy crowd- very nice people.” Phil reflects that it would not happen today, and that men who got married were able to continue working. At the time Phil says they didn’t know any better because it was the same for everyone. Phil thinks they were better off at home with their children. Many people today would want to be at home with their children but they can’t afford it with the cost of the mortgage and other expenses. Phil feels sorry for people today who can’t be with their children- “there’s no money would pay you for that. You fit ‘em out for the world. And hope for the best after that. I know the best of them like might go astray. But at the same time you do your best.” “I thought it was lovely being at home with your children- you saw ‘em grow up” Phil says nowadays people have children before they get married. |
0.38.06 - 0.39.08 |
Diseases: TB, Tuberculosis and Recuperation There was TB at the time though none of her family got it. When you were recovering you had to go to the country to Sarsfield’s Court which was the heart of the country that time. There was Heatherside in Doneraile in North Cork which was a place for recuperating from TB you were there for 6 or 9 months until the TB was gone. Phil says thank god none of her family got TB she jokes that they “must have been well looked after with our bread and butter and our eggs.” |
0.39.08 - 0.42.55 |
Houses, landlords, house ownership, shared water pumps, class distinctions, comparative wealth, protestants, graveyard, relations between Catholics and Protestants All McCarthy family lived in the one house in Peter Church Lane though they may not have owned it. Phil says she thought they were very well off but the people who got married were still living in the family home. There was a pump at the top of the lane as they had no taps in their houses, they had to fill their buckets at the top of the lane. Doesn’t think the McCarthys who lived in the first house in the lane had a tap either. Mr Cronin owned Phil’s family’s house. He was a railway man living in Glasheen. He came every week for his rent. You made sure you had your rent. He was a very nice man. You didn’t feel they were above you. People had their rent there was no ifs and buts. He worked in the railway he had a black uniform and the railway badge. He was only an ordinary worker but he owned 44 Grattan Street. Phil has met some of his family since and says they were all ordinary people- you didn’t feel that they were above you or below you even though they might have a little bit more than you- you never felt that. The have and the have nots. Even mixed with the Nolans of the People’s Dairy. Mixed with everyone except the Protestants (‘the Proddy Woddys’). Phil thinks that there was a caretaker for St Peter’s church living down the lane. One of the bars in the railings of St Peter’s (Protestant) graveyard was bent so they were able to get in there as children “you’d be hauled over the ropes” if they were caught. They weren’t allowed in there by the Protestants but also their parents did not wasn’t them in there. “Times were different. Sure we think nothing of Protestants now.” “The Catholics and the Protestants were miles apart long go.” |
0.42.55 - 0.44.38 |
Family of the Pharmacist that lived in the Dispensary Mr Morrissy was the pharmacist that lived in the dispensary he made up the prescriptions. There was a hatch in the wall where people queued to hand in their prescription and wait for the medicine to be handed out. Never called anyone by their Christian name only as Mr, Mrs or Miss. The owners of Leaders shop on the North Main Street were known as Mr & Mrs and their daughters as Miss. Phil has been to visit one of the daughters recently and she still calls her Miss Leader. Went there for communion and confirmation clothes. Everyone got to know each other and grow up together. Miss Leader knows Phil’s family as “the Walls” she doesn’t know them by their married name. |
0.44.38- 0.48.57 |
Pawns and Pawn Shops Jones Pawn Shop, Kiely’s on Liberty Street where St Anthony’s Stores is now which is opposite St Francis. There was also a St Francis’ Stores on the corner of Sheares Street near the corner of the Courthouse which is a barber shop now. Jones Pawn shop on the North Gate Bridge, and Kiely’s may have had another shop on the North Main Street. Put in your clothes on a Monday and took them out on the Saturday. That gave you money for the week but you had to pay then on Saturday when you got the clothes out of the pawn. “They were hard times but ‘tis what everyone did.” Imagines her family used the pawn but she wasn’t told about it. You had to be back for a certain time to collect the items pawned and if you weren’t they kept the item. And that is how they had the old gold to sell. You could put something in for a month but you had to return on time to redeem it. The pawn shops “had lovely stuff” they were like antique shops they had such beautiful things in them. Lovely gold watches, rings. “You could admire them in the window but you couldn’t go in and buy them because we didn’t have the money.” They wouldn’t take shoddy stuff from you, they wouldn’t give you money for them. You could put an item in for 6 months. Everyone did it, it was nothing to be ashamed of it. As times got better the pawn shops faded out. The pawns definitely made money, Phil believes they were always very wealthy. Phil jokes that the pawn owners may have lived in Montenotte but she doesn’t know where they lived. People that had money were buying things from the pawns. Thick rings. |
0.48.57- 0.50.38 |
A Treat Sweets. On a Sunday her dad would give them a shilling between 6 children so 2 pence each after their dinner. But they didn’t dare ask for it. Once their dinner was finished on a Sunday the children were wondering “would he ever pay us?!”. He chose when it was time to pay them. There was 12 pennies in the shilling. They got a lot for their penny- ten sweets for a penny in a shop. They looked forward to it. Types of sweets: Bulls eyes, clove rock, peggy’s leg, black jacks. You could get a half a penny’s worth of sweets if you liked. There were also farthings- a quarter of a penny. |
0.50.38 - 0.53.24 |
What Happened to the Dispensary? The dispensary faded out, as people set up their own medical practices. The Health Board took it over, the doctors faded out and set up own places. Phil’s husband had to go to a doctor and the first visit was €200, though the price was less for subsequent visits. Phil often heard of €100 or €150 for a visit but thought that €200 was too much. Phil said that you didn’t have to pay going to the doctor or to the dispensary, but evens till they didn’t go unless it was necessary. The dispensary was a busy place. Doesn’t know where people who had money went to the doctor because they didn’t know anyone who had money. Lovely looking place inside, it was well done-up. It was “a big hall and you’d have rooms off of it four on that side and four on that side and you had two benches outside each door. You just sat on the bench then and took your turn, and hoped for the best.” LDF trained there certain nights a week and they had to wear uniform. |
0.53.24 - 0.54.11 |
Meets old neighbours from Grattan Street to this day, eg Byrnes, Mr Byrne was in the LDF, there were 6 in that family who live in the same house as hers. Only 2 of the Byrne’s left, 3 in Phil’s family. Still meet and socialise to talk about old times and the fun they had. They made their own fun. |
0.54.11 - 0.56.52 |
Protestant Graveyard at the back of St Peter’s They went in through the bars. “There were all tombs, like tables: you could have a meal on one of them. They were fabulous!” “There were no small headstones.” “There were headstones, but nothing poor about them” Fr Walsh from St Peter and Paul’s had the Don Bosco troupe/troop there to do plays for the stage like Father Matthew Hall. There was a place where the school was, “the Protestants were kinda fading out” and Fr Walsh set up the Don Bosco troupe and they had instruments. The Lynches were there: Pat Lynch, and Stevie. They had a hall beside the graveyard. They played instruments, sang songs and practiced there. They performed in small places in Cork, and they did Christmas shows down the lane. Fr Lynch used to do the parties for the poor children at Christmas. The parties were in the Mechanic’s Hall (now The Middle Parish Community Centre) upstairs where there was a stage. |
0.56.52 - 0.58.54 |
Mass, Religion, Dances, Strict Timekeeping They went to mass in St Francis but they were baptised in St Peter and Paul’s as it was their parish church. All her brothers were altar boys in St Peter and Pauls, and the girls were in the choir in St Francis. Her mother had the children involved in everything they were never left “go wild”. They were also in the Girl Guides or the Boy Scouts. She kept tabs on them. When they went to dances in St Francis Hall they were given five minutes to come home from the céilí on Saturday night from 8-11pm. If you went to the Arc (the Arcadia), facing the railway station it’s now apartments where the dance was 8-11 they were allowed half an hour to walk home. It was safe to walk home at that time, there would be no cars or buses after 11pm. If you weren’t there on time her mother would start walking towards them “I often met her!” says Phil. “What kept you?” her mother asked in case she had “been with the fellas”. That was the discipline that they had which they took with them and tried to instil in their own children “and do the best you can” doesn’t think it is easy to do that today. |
0.58.54 - 0.59.14 |
Christmas Party Phil doesn’t think that there was a Christmas party in the dispensary, only one in the Mechanic’s Hall [her sister Mary Mulcahy had mentioned a party in the dispensary, see CFP_SR00729_Mulcahy_2019]. |
0.59.14 - 1.02.08 |
Swimming: Outdoor Baths- Storage, Separate Days for Men and Women. Kingsley Hotel Flood They went swimming in the outdoor baths, they were not allowed in the Eglinton Baths because it was stagnant water. But they were allowed to cycle or walk up to the outdoor baths. They brought the togs and towel under their arm, and often had a picnic up there were a flask and sandwiches. Phil says she remembers the summers being lovely but that they are probably the same as they are now! Monday, Wednesday and Friday the baths were open for women, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday was for the men. There were boxes all around the pool where you togged off. Your clothes could be stolen and you’d have to walk home in your togs. That never happened to Phil as they always had someone minding the box, or they swam in front of the box. They built a hotel [the Kinglsey] over those baths, and her husband is mad about that because they could have made a 50 metre pool there. At the time it was 50 metres one way and 50 yards in the other direction. Thinks the only 50 metre pools are in Limerick and the Aquatic Centre in Dublin. There was a flood in the Kingsley Hotel, which didn’t surprise Phil because that was where the swimming pool was with water from the Lee. |
1.02.08 - 1.05.02 |
Meeting her Husband. Anniversary. She met her husband in O’Gorman’s hat factory- but she “wasn’t going with him” then. Two or three years later she met him in the dances and “he used to dance me” and then they “became a couple and that was it. The rest is history.” They celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary on the previous Sunday. They didn’t do anything for the anniversary as Phil didn’t feel ready for it due to a number of family bereavements. But she had a small celebration at home. Later on she will have a bigger celebration, there will be plenty of time for that she thinks. “60 years with the one man” Phil says “I’m doing a line for 66 years!” [‘doing a line’ is Cork slang for dating someone.] Phil says that she doesn’t remember when there were Quakers there but it was always known as “the Quakers”. “but what kind the Quakers were now I have no idea.” [Interview Ends] |
Recounts early years in the Grattan Street Dispensary building where his father was the pharmacist.
Describes growing up on the Mardyke close to St Joseph’s School and Presentation Brothers School which he attended. Talks about the violence of corporal punishment.
His mother ran a guesthouse in the family home, including preparing all the meals for the customers who were mostly university students and commercial travellers with their own cars which was rare.
Remembers summer holidays on a cousin’s farm.
Describes his time in University College Cork as the most important in his life. Discusses student societies, debating and the university grounds.
Outlines his working life in pensions, career direction, marriage as well as living accommodation.
Expresses his hopes for building developments in Cork and the emerging opportunities of remote working there.
Reflects on how his background has formed his outlook on life.
Describes cycling to collect cream from Bradleys Dairy on Sheare’s Street in an Andrews Kruschen Salts jar. Also mentions his distaste for tripe and drisheen.
Talks about a hierarchy of respectability in Cork based on types of clothing, with shawlies being the lowest rank.
Discusses Cork dancehalls in the 1960s including UCC, the Arcadia and the people who organised them.
]]>Don recalls his entrepreneurial great-aunt who owned the Grand Hotel in Fermoy.
Recounts early years in the Grattan Street Dispensary building where his father was the pharmacist.
Describes growing up on the Mardyke close to St Joseph’s School and Presentation Brothers School which he attended. Talks about the violence of corporal punishment.
His mother ran a guesthouse in the family home, including preparing all the meals for the customers who were mostly university students and commercial travellers with their own cars which was rare.
Remembers summer holidays on a cousin’s farm.
Describes his time in University College Cork as the most important in his life. Discusses student societies, debating and the university grounds.
Outlines his working life in pensions, career direction, marriage as well as living accommodation.
Expresses his hopes for building developments in Cork and the emerging opportunities of remote working there.
Reflects on how his background has formed his outlook on life.
Describes cycling to collect cream from Bradleys Dairy on Sheare’s Street in an Andrews Kruschen Salts jar. Also mentions his distaste for tripe and drisheen.
Talks about a hierarchy of respectability in Cork based on types of clothing, with shawlies being the lowest rank.
Discusses Cork dancehalls in the 1960s including UCC, the Arcadia and the people who organised them.
0.00.00 - 0.00.19 |
intro |
0.00.19 - 0.00.00 |
Earliest Memory Playing Fermoy In Fermoy about 3 years old playing under a table in a big room. His grand-aunt Julie O’Connor known as Auntie Jess owned the Grand Hotel in Fermoy. She bought the hotel. She was an entrepreneur. She was on good terms with the clergy. She didn’t like his name Donal and called him Don which stuck. She only had one eye, she wore a false eye. |
0.02.41 - 0.03.24 |
Where he lived growing up Initially grew up in Grattan Street Moved to Mardyke when mother bought house in 1949 and he stayed there until 22 when he went to Dublin. |
0.03.24 - 0.07.13 |
Living in Grattan Street Dispensary & Children’s Games Was told that he played with a girl and a pram. Played gobs with local children. Gobs: throwing stones up and caught them on the back of your hand. Remembers playing with bricks on the stairs in Grattan Street. |
0.04.40 - 0.06.27 |
Pharmacist Father House had three bedrooms. Maybe had a kitchen and at least another room downstairs. Assumes there was an indoor bathroom was unusual. Father was a pharmacist, met Don’s mother in Fermoy where he trained and they got married in Mallow. He was from Quilty in County Clare and they moved there after living for a while in Fermoy. He opened his own business in Clare- wasn’t a good businessman- he wasn’t good at getting patients to pay for their medicines and medications. He got a job as the pharmacist in Grattan Street in Cork city. |
0.06.27 - 0.07.46 |
Description of Father & Spanish Flu Vague memory of father. Not very tall. Kind man. Good singer and piano player. Father went to Rockwell College where he caught Spanish flu which stunted his growth at around 5 foot 6. His name was John or J.J and also known as Sean. |
0.07.46 - 0.10.14 |
Family & School His father stopped working in Grattan Street and there were issues between him and Don’s mother so they split up. Moved to Mardyke when mother bought house in 1949 and he stayed there until 22 when he went to Dublin Went to St Joseph’s school on the Mardyke. He is said to have run home twice from school on first day. Only knew of one person with a car, a teacher called Bob Tanner. “bob” was slang for shilling and “tanner” was slang for sixpence so he was known as “One and Sixpence”. He had an old ‘bockety’ Ford which holes in the floor through which you could see the road. Lots of children from the Marsh area- Sheare Street, Grattan Street etc. would have gone there. Don will be collecting his grandson after the interview and there will be lots of cars and no brothers teaching in the school. |
0.10.14 - 0.12.20 |
Violence & kindness of different Presentation Brothers in School Didn’t like the brothers, “they were brutes” except for a few kindly ones. He doesn’t like authority. Went to Presentation Brothers Secondary school where the lay teachers were more humane. The brothers were physically violent. Don expresses surprise that although one hears court cases about brothers sexually assaulting pupils that he hasn’t heard ones relating to physical assault. One very nice, good man was Brother Pascal who was very musical. He ran an accordion ban, a flageolet band (woodwind instrument) and a choir. Pascal ended up teaching deaf pupils in Greenmount. He didn’t like anything about school. |
0.12.20 - 0.14.40 |
Childhood Games & Local Area Got up to mischief outside school. Lots of children in the Mardyke at the time who he played with. House he grew up in was beside Fitzgerald’s Park where he could play. They played football, cowboys and Indians, Robin Hood and climbing trees. He grew up surrounded by famous sports people including Noel Cantwell who has an avenue named after him who captained Manchester United. Tommy Kiernan and Barry McGann played rugby for Ireland. He grew up near Sundays Well Tennis Club, Cork Cricket Club, university playing fields, and the public baths. And he can’t play any of those sports. |
0.14.40 - 0.19.07 |
Description of Mother & her Guesthouse Mother came from outside Youghal from a farm. Later worked with his grand aunt in Fermoy. Small lady. Ran her house as a guesthouse. She bought the house intending to keep students. Lots of commercial travellers stayed there and tourists in the summer. His 2 sisters sent to boarding school Loreto Convent Fermoy where his mother had gone. She didn’t have a great sense of humour. Her main concern was providing for them. She lived to be 97. Commercial travellers were salesmen who called on retail shops to get goods into the shop. Recalls a commercial traveller called Mackintosh for Dell Comics, and he had stacks of comics in the van and he gave one of each to Don. There was one for keys, fire alarms. Often colourful characters who had their own cars. Guests also included chauffeurs who drove rich Americans around Ireland. The Americans may have stayed in the Metropole Hotel. The cars were big Austin Princesses like a Rolls Royce and they were parked on the Mardyke and were never damaged. He got a spin in them. |
0.19.07 - 0.24.09 |
Home Life: Guests, Food & Cooking, Description of the House, Card-playing Felt like the house wasn’t theirs because there were always strangers in the house. Always 4 or 5 students staying with them. When older he got to know the students. Grew up on his own and still describes himself as a recluse. Mother cooked breakfast and tea but not a midday meal. She was a very good cook. Did all her own baking. Basic meals: eggs for breakfast. A fry in the evening. Chips were made on a Friday which were cooked in lard and put in brown paper. Whiting fish which he hated on a Friday as meat wasn’t allowed for practicing Catholics. They ate in kitchen while the guests ate in the dining room. When the guests weren’t eating it became the sitting room. Fire lighting always in the sitting room. It was like a game of whist always moving tables. His mother was a very good card player they played at Christmastime when her friends Elsie and Liam who were teacher came to visit. They used to play the card game 110. Elsie used to pick up cards from the discard pile of cards which was a form of cheating but she was never prevented from doing it. For a small house it was very busy. Don still owns the house. |
0.24.09 - 0.25.41 |
Don’s Holidays and his Mother’s Holidays Mother took a few days off around September where she stayed with an unmarried cousin Maureen Hennessey in Sandycove Dun Laoghaire. She also visited Elsie and Liam in Malahide. Describes travelling from north Dublin to South Dublin as a great distance. He was sent to an uncle and aunt during the summer for a holiday. Had cousins around his age living on the farm his mother grew up in where he stayed on holidays. His uncle had a buckrake which had spikes and was attached to the back of the tractor. His uncle put straw on it and put the children on the straw and he drove the tractor so they were swung from side to side. Don doesn’t think this was very safe. Remembers the summers as hot and sunny. |
0.25.41 - 0.29.21 |
University and Debating Went to UCC in 1963 for a 3 year Commerce degree. Worked in Cork briefly and then in a Canadian merchant bank for 3 years in Dublin. And then he came back to Cork. UCC was the most important time in his life. Gained confidence and met lots of people. Total freedom compared to school. Met his wife there. Was not a great student he says. Was involved in debating which allowed him contact with other universities. Recalls debating against Michael D. Higgins. Thinks he began university later having started working first possibly in the ESB. |
0.29.21 - 0.35.55 |
UCC: The debating Society, Study, Lecturer’s Gowns, Rules and grounds and gardens There was a Commerce Society. The Philosophical Society of “philosoph” was the big one. It had people from every faculty where they “talked rubbish”. Once won the speaker of the year award. The debates were held on Saturday night. The auditor of the philosoph was Oliver Lyons who was a teacher in Carrigtouhil later once said “I am the philosophical Society” in response to a challenge to the rules. Don had about 50 in his class. A son of his did Commerce with 300 in his class. Doesn’t think they had to study as hard back then. First lecture the dean came in late wearing a white linen jacket and panama hat, a famous economist John Busteed. He expected them to do some work but “not as hard as the little girls in Woolworths”. When you registered in UCC you met the registrar and the president. Don was called mister for the first time. The president told him to work hard. All lecturers and professors wore gowns. Recalls the nicely cut grey suit of the president. RAG week was a very tame event compared at the time. In his 2nd year a classmate said that the new first years were too pushy and they should have been more humble. There was a rule that you couldn’t walk on the grass on the Quad and that girls were not allowed to lie on the grass anywhere. The lower grounds were wild and had subtropical plants, where the Glucksman is now and it’s more tamed. He preferred it wild. |
0.35.55 - 0.38.25 |
Work, Marriage, Honeymoon Worked in Cork for 9 months then moved to Dublin. Had a flat in Clyde Rd. graduated 1966 and married his wife Deirdre on Monday 14th August 1967, went to Achill for their honeymoon. Stayed a few nights in Butler Arms Hotel in Waterville and stopped in Limerick in the Royal or the George Hotel. They didn’t realise there were any buses in Limerick! When she arrived back in the flat in Dublin there were 4 quasi-empty milk bottles in the sink! They are still married after 53 years.
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0.38.25 - 0.41.22 |
Pensions Work in Dublin Worked with Royal Trust Company subsequently Royal Trust Bank. They were money managers. Pioneered the area of privately invested pension funds, until that time insurance companies dominated the market. Spent his life working in pensions because of that experience. They expanded to merchant banker and money market transactions. He learned a lot although only peripherally involved- much more than he learned in UCC. He didn’t like his new boss and left they job because of him- is not sure it was the best decision. Flat in Clyde Rd and also bought a house in Dublin with the aid of a company loan. Mortgage interest rates were at 8% or 9% and his was 4% or so. Paid £5,500 for the house and sold it a year later for £6,500. Ballinclea Heights in Killiney. |
0.41.22 - 0.43.15 |
Living Accommodation in Cork & Buying Houses Rented a place behind Oriel Court Hotel in Ballincollig. The big house and outhouses had been converted into flats. They rented what had been the stables. Then bought a house in the city centre of Cork on Western Road which they sold and bought another house further up Western Road which was also sold and they now live in Shanakiel where they are for 34 years. They nearly forgot the baby when they were moving house!
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0.43.15 - 0.45.51 |
Hopes for Cork development Change in development in Cork over the years. He says he doesn’t meet people in Cork city in the way he used to. Is looking forward to the new changes in the city on the quays and docks which over the next decade will be huge he thinks. He would look to see the equivalent of Dublin’s financial centre in Cork. McCarthy from Fexco said he wouldn’t move from Killorglin to Dublin because it doesn’t have scenery. Believes it’s possible for people to work from anywhere now. Would also like to see Cork have an IT hub. |
0.45.51 - 0.49.10 |
Grattan Street Dispensary for Weddings Dispensary on Grattan Street he doesn’t know what happened to it. Although he was back in the building for a wedding. Never got to go back and look inside. He was married in Honan chapel which had more appeal to him than a room in the old dispensary. Recalls a cut-stone building facing onto Grattan Street. Never remembers being inside the dispensary. Left the dispensary when he was 3 years old. In St Josephs School he met boys from Sheares Street and Paul Street but doesn’t think they had the opportunity to go to university. |
0.49.10 - 0.50.36 |
Outlook and reflection on life Raised as an only child and glad that his own children have been raised differently. Adamant after his own childhood that he would look after his own children as best he could. Believes that his own background gave him a sense of insecurity and hunger which drove him to find security. Retired early and was involved in a number of business deals of varying success.
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0.50.36 - 0.52.34 |
Grattan Street: Dairy, medicine and cream Recalls Grattan Street being busy and having tenement houses. There was a dairy on each end of Grattan St. Bradleys dairy at Sheares Street end and another one at the Kyle St end. It was all horse drawn carriages- few cars and lorries. The dairy sold butter. Was sent on his bicycle with an Andrews Kruschen Salts jar. His mother took the Kruschen salts every day as medicine. It was a small brown bottle half size of beer bottle with screw on top, with grease proof paper to prevent leakage. The jar was for cream which cost sixpence. They also sold butter pats but they didn’t buy butter there.
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0.52.34 - 00.54.44 |
Tripe and Drisheen His mother never cooked tripe and drisheen. Tried them since and didn’t like. Drisheen “the most gelatinous horrible stuff”. Thinks tripe should be nice with onions and milk.
His mother told a story that after giving birth she was confined to bed for weeks in a nursing home in Fermoy and as a special treat the nun in charge gave her tripe and his mother broke down in tears because she couldn’t eat it. Don knows men who were reared on tripe and drisheen. Likes black pudding. Has eaten haggis which he liked the taste of. He asked what Haggis was and was told that he didn’t want to know! |
0.54.44 - 0.55.06 |
Pawn Shops and Lack of Money Didn’t have any dealings with pawn shops that he knew of even though there wasn’t much money around. |
0.55.06 - 0.57.36 |
Coal Quay, Shawlies Status and Respectability Recalls the Coal Quay and the shawlies, which he suggests was not a complimentary name. Discusses how he read that there were degrees of respectability or status. At the bottom were shawlies, then women who wore coats and scarves, then women with coats and hat, and above that were women who wore costumes and hats. Says he wasn’t aware of that at the time. He subsequently saw a clip of the Coal Quay on television where a women wearing a hat and coat turned her back to avoid being recorded as being in the Coal Quay Mentions Katty Barry’s pub where crubeens were sold at closing time. Though he was “wild enough” in college he didn’t drink until he left college and began to work.
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0.57.36 -1.01.02 |
Cork Dancehalls 1960s Recalls the Main Rest in UCC which transformed into a dancehall one night a week, and everyone went to “The Rest”. Robin Power (who trained as a dentist but became an entrepreneur) started a dance in the Arcadia known as The Dinosaurs, which he thinks was on Thursday or Friday night which everyone wanted to attend if they had enough money. A typical student might have a bicycle but at the time Robin Flower had an Alfa Romeo! Brought big Irish bands there like Sandy Shaw. Arcadia was a designed ballroom with a mirrored disco ball which made it more romantic and exotic. The rest closed at 11pm and the Arcadia at 12 midnight. He met a women from Ballinlough who said she walked home from the Arcadia late at night because it was so safe back then, but she was afraid of seeing a ghost! That’s how innocent things were. The Arcadia still stands it is student accommodation now across from Kent train station. |
1.01.02 - 1.01.10 |
Outro |