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Patrick Varian: Stonemasons, America, Trades
Patrick, originally from Greenmount, Cork city, at the age of 15 in 1957 started his apprenticeship. After a few years of working on sites in Cork city, Patrick emigrated to Boston Massachusetts, U.S.A. Where he continued working in the trade. In…
Patrick Walsh: Cork Waterworks, Cork Prison and Cinemas
Patrick talks about the history of some of the buildings of Cork and about the personal memories associated with them.
He talks about Cork waterworks and being awed as a child by its workings, and about Cork Prison, which he and his parents visited…
He talks about Cork waterworks and being awed as a child by its workings, and about Cork Prison, which he and his parents visited…
Paul McCallister: Homosexuality, Catholic Church, Decriminalisation
Paul talks about the challenges of being gay in Ireland, coming out, family reactions and the evolution of social attitudes toward homosexuality in Catholic Ireland. He talks about the club scene in late 1990s Cork and the legalisation of…
Paul O'Brien
Paul was born in 1935. His father worked for Great Southern Railway which meant the family moved a lot during Paul’s youth. Paul would call Military Hill in Cork City his ‘home. Paul attended Christians Collage on Wellington Road. Here he was class…
Pauline Matthews
Pauline Matthews was born in 1950 in the Ballintemple area of Cork city. When she was an infant her mother contracted tuberculosis and was confined to the chest hospital in Mallow. Shortly afterwards, Pauline contracted the disease, leading her to be…
Peggy Kelleher: The Lough, Marriage, World War 2
Peggy (born 1930s) grew up in Hartland's Road, near The Lough. She was an only child. Her father, William Power, from County Waterford; he worked at the Munster Arcade and lived through the Burning of Cork by the Black and Tans in 1920; he was…
Pete Newman: Shandon Street, Unemployment, Machoness,
Pete Newman (also known as Pete Duffy) was born in 1945. He grew up in Orrery Road off Cathedral Road. His relatives came from Broad Lane and moved up to Gurranabraher.
Cyclists going up Shandon Street used to hold on to the back of buses, which…
Cyclists going up Shandon Street used to hold on to the back of buses, which…
Peter Sargent: Orthopaedic Hospital, Working Life, Healthcare
Peter moved to Cork in his early twenties when he had got a job as a typewriter mechanic. The job involved a lot of travel which did not suit him once he got married.
Peter left this job for a position at St Mary's Hospital as a theatre attendant. …
Peter left this job for a position at St Mary's Hospital as a theatre attendant. …
Philomena Cassidy: Grattan Street, Healthcare, The Marsh
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…
Rev John Farris: Civil Rights, Christianity, Northern Ireland
Reverend Faris is a Presbyterian minister. His family had connections with Cork. He discusses his childhood impressions of differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic, as well as commenting on aspects of the Christian ritual year.
Reverend…
Reverend…
Ria O’Sullivan: Blackrock Castle, Pirates, Observatory,
Ria talks about the history and purpose of Blackrock Castle. She explains that the building was bought by Cork County Council and saved from dereliction. It went on to house a science centre and an observatory.
Note: this interview was conducted…
Note: this interview was conducted…
Rob Stafford: Aboriginals, Australia, Fiddle, Racial Prejudice, Traditional music, Willy Clancy
Rob grew up in Carrigullen, Perth, in Western Australia in a Eucalyptus forested area. He is the second eldest of five children. He has one brother and three sisters.
Describes his neighbourhood as forested where the main source of income was…
Describes his neighbourhood as forested where the main source of income was…
Robert Fourie: Hiberno-English, Holy Communion, Language, South Africa,
Robert talks in detail about growing up in South Africa, and makes some observations about Cork places and people.
Robert (b. 1969) is from a gold-mining town in South Africa. He talks about mining conditions there. He comments that South Africa has…
Robert (b. 1969) is from a gold-mining town in South Africa. He talks about mining conditions there. He comments that South Africa has…
Roger Herlihy: Barrack Street, Saint Fin Barre’s cathedral, William Burgess, Elizabeth Fort, Jimmy Page, Pavilion cinema, Second World War
Ronnie talks about some of the buildings of the South Parish, such as Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral and Elizabeth Fort, and comments on some related photographs.
Ronnie (b. circa 1963)talks about the laying of the foundation stone for Saint Fin…
Ronnie (b. circa 1963)talks about the laying of the foundation stone for Saint Fin…
Roger Herlihy: Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Commercial Buildings
Roger talks about the Imperial Hotel, South Mall, formerly the Commercial Buildings and the famous people who attended the hotel.
He explains that South Mall used to be a channel of the River Lee and that is why some buildings on the street have…
He explains that South Mall used to be a channel of the River Lee and that is why some buildings on the street have…
Ronnie Herlihy
The local historian Ronnie Herlihy was interviewed on video for the film If The Stones Could Speak. This is one of three video interviews carried out for the collection. This interview generated two video files of a combined length of (put in length…
Rosarii Comber: North Gate Chemist
Rosarii Comber is a pharmacist at North Gate Pharmacy, a business that has been in her family since 1964. She begins the interview discussing some of the history of the building – that families would have lived above the business and that at one…
Sandra Byrne: Commons Road, Tucker's Field, Family Life.
Sandra grew up in Commons Road, Blackpool. She has little memory of her mother; describes her father as a cranky man. He damaged his hand in an industrial accident and didn’t work again. She describes her home as a tense place. Sandra talks about…
Sean Higgisson: Grattan Street, Healthcare, Working Life
Sean grew up by the Lough in Cork city and spent holidays in Ardmore. Describes his family home and memories of his grandparents. Talks about playing football and the game Red Rover as a child.
His mother was not allowed to keep her job in the public…
Seán Lane: Blarney Street, Butchers, Bowling,
Seán Lane was born in 1942. His parents were both from Blarney Street, where he was raised. His father was a bacon butcher.
He talks about his childhood. Children were always on the lookout for any opportunity to make a penny, such as cow-herding…
He talks about his childhood. Children were always on the lookout for any opportunity to make a penny, such as cow-herding…