In our grandparent's time...

My Grandad

by Ashling
Paddy Murphy was born on the 29th of June 1928. World War 1 was only after finishing 7 years. A couple of years after Paddy was born then came World War 2. Paddy and his family lived at Pallas, Blueball until he was 7 years old. He went to school in Coolanarney until 1st class. They walked to school in them days. Paddy and his family then moved to the Blacklion, not to far away, and then he went to school in Mountbolus N.S.

Paddy had 2 brothers and 3 sisters - Kathleen, Mary, Joan, Jim and Michael. Sam and Catherine were Paddy's parent's names. After primary school, Paddy went to Tullamore Technical school, run by the VEC. It was where the Tullamore Library is now. He didn't like school, but English, Geography and History were his favourite subjects. He left school when he was 16 years old. He went then and worked in Tullamore Motor Works as a mechanical fitter. His second job was in the Office of Public Works, and that was more engineering. Finally he worked in Bórd na Móna fixing machines and he spent 36 years there.

The best memories of his life were when he was young and himself and his family were playing around Pallas lake. Paddy went for a swim in the lake most days. It was the local swimming area. Most of the events went on around Pallas, like all sorts of sports, swimming and fun-fairs!!! The money raised in the fun-fairs was used to improve schools and help out around the parish.

He met his wife Sheila at a dance in Cloghan. They got married in Ballymore, Co. Westmeath, where she was from. Shiela worked as a nurse in Tullamore Hospital in the maternity ward. She trained in England. Paddy's best day of his life was when he got married.

Paddy and Sheila were members of the Offaly Bee Keeping Association, who linked up with Devon Bee Keeping Club. This lead Paddy and Sheila all over the world. They went to study the effects of Varara, which was a parasite (insect) that lived on a bee's pupil before it hatched from it's tiny egg. This involved trips to various research stations in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and very often Germany, where lots of research was done. Paddy and Sheila had five lovely children named Ray, Des, Declan, Trevor and Regina.

Unfortunately, there is always a sad bit to every story, so Paddy's worst day of his life was when he found out his wife Sheila had altzeimers.

Paddy still has a lot of the same hobbies he did a long time ago - like fishing, dancing, working in his lovely garden and bee-keeping. When he was young he loved hurling and swimming. Nowadays he likes to go fishing in his boat - and if I'm lucky I get to go with him!!!

 

My Granny


By Eoghan
My granny’s name is Mary Tierney, but most of her grandchildren call her Mamo. One of her oldest memories is when she was three, a very old man used to live beside her.
She used to be a nurse. She has 4 daughters and 2 sons. She had to walk to school every day, she said it was a very hard walk. Her hobbies are walking, fishing and baking. One of her happiest moments was when she was on the lake, she was fishing with her husband and she caught an 8 pound trout.
She lives on the shore of Lough Corrib. She has 16 grandchildren. In 2008, she celebrated her 50th anniversary with her husband Stephen. She has 2 dogs called Roy and Ben. Roy is a sheepdog and Ben is a jack Russell. I am lucky to have such a good granny.

 

The Emergency

By Catherine Devery , JP's Granny

When the war started in 1939, people in Ireland had known for some time it would happen, as it was broadcast on radio and in the newspapers. But at that time there was no television or phones, even the radio, or wireless as it was then called, was only in certain houses. So people relied on their neighbours for information on how the war was progressing. It cheered them up a little when it was announced that it would be a very short war, which certainly proved to be very untrue.

Around the beginning of the war our lives continued much as usual, except there were much more soldiers on our roads. They were always training. They would sometimes camp in the woods near us. I think it was called training manouvers. So on our way to school we would meet them regularly. Then there were more aeroplanes flying over. We would sometimes listen to the adults talking about the devastation these aeroplanes were causing, bombing other countries, so for the first time I began to feel afraid when I heard aeroplanes flying over. By now there was no talk of the war ending. Things began to get worse. Young men formed an emergency army called the L.D.F. On the roads were left massive rolls of thorny wire, in case of maybe having to suddenly barricade roads, which, thank God, was not necessary after. Then we would hear snippets of news about how awful things were in England and in other countries with food rationing - and the big cities like London, Liverpool and Manchester being bombed nightly. Then they evacuated lots of children from those cities to Wales and other parts of the country for safety. Actually, many children of Irish parents came backto my school, Carbally, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. They spoke with strange accents, and I'm sure they thought our accents strange too.

Work was very scarce. We dreaded the winters, as ther's no turf in Waterford - we depended on coal always, but there was very little coal coming in to the country. Every piece of timber or tree was used. We were sold turf, but it was usually very bad, wet turf. Then food here was rationed. We were given ration books. You were allowed so little ration coupons for clothes that clothes were shortened, lengthened, taken in and let out until they were almost rags. I think 2 ounces of tea per family per week was the allowance. Then, towards the end of the war, flour and bread were rationed. Most people at that time grew their own potatoes and vegetables, andmost kept hens and the odd pig or two. People had a wonderful sense of sharing and good nature, no matter how little they had. One English woman told me years later how she came on a visit to Ireland during the war, and in Dublin she saw sausages hanging in a butcher's window. She stood up and shouted "look at the sausages". She hadn't seen them in years.

When the war ended it was unbelievable, as people had loads of work re-building the cities of England. They sent money back to this country, which helped the economy. The hardships we endured during the war made us better people. After having so little, we truly appreciateds anything we gained or achieved.

P.S. Ireland had 2 bombing experiences, one in Dublin and one in Campile, Co. Wexford, which I believe the Germans apologised for, saying they thought they were in Wales!!!

 

My Grandad

By Gerard

My Grandad's name was James, but everybody called him Seamus. He was born in 1934 and he died six weeks after I was born, in December 1999. He came from a large family of 18. He married my Nana Maire and they had eleven kids, nine boys and two girls. He worked all his life in Bord na Mona. He loved to play gaelic football and often refereed matches in his younger days. He would often go to all Ireland matches in Dublin. He also liked playing cards, gardening and singing. His early childhood memories would be of when the barges used to come down the canal from Dublin to Pollagh for turf because of the war. As the oldest of the family, he would help his father and other family members load up the barges. Money would have been scarce, so everybody had to do their bit, that's why when there was no school work he took any bit of work to help the family out. My Grandad was a hard working man. He always went to Mass and never missed it. My Nana did not drive, so he drove her everywhere. The week he ordered a new car for himself he died at 65 years old. It was going to be the first new car he ever got. A couple of weeks after, my Nana got driving lessons. She passed her test and drove the new car. Now we can't keep her off the road at all.

My Granny

By Karl

My Gran was born 14th May 1925. Her name is Theresa (Tess). Gran's maiden name is Coughlan. She went to the convent for primary school. The nuns were very strict. They used to hit them with wooden sticks. Theresa's earliest memory was her grandfather dying when she was three years old in 1928. She said she remembered it as if it were yesterday. The currency was pounds, shillings and pence. Gran used to walk or go in the pony and trap to mass. She went to secondary school in Tullamore. Gran would cycle ten miles each way to school every day. Then she got awfully sick one year and her mother wouldn't let her go back. There was no secondary school in Kilcormac that time, so in the end Gran returned to continuation school. After school young Theresa went to Portumna College and did Domestic Science, learning household jobs (i.e. cooking, cleaning etc.) Gran also played camogie. Then she worked as a shopkeeper. She met Denis Guinan at a dance in Kilcormac. Granny and Grandad got married in 1945. They went to Hayes's Hotel in Tullamore after. Grandad was sent to boarding school in Belfast when he was 14. He hated being away from his home and family. They used to have goose and christmas cake for Christmas because they preferred goose over turkey. Granny and Grandad had their first child in Tullamore hospital 1n 1949. Twelve more children followed that. In 1960 they got electricity in their house. They had tilly lamps before that. They also owned a wireless. Gran's favourite subject was Irish. She loved to read books. Her family used to play music or play cards. Gran knitted five jumpers in one winter. Her happiest memory is their 50th anniversary when Grandad was alive and everyone was together.

 

My Grandparents

By Ciara

Granny was born in 1938 and lived in Kilcormac. Grandad was born in 1925 and lived in Bunakeeran. They walked to school. They ate brown bread and butter for lunch and sometimes they got jam too. They had to bring turf or sticks to school for the fire to heat up the room. In summer they walked to school bare-footed. At break they played tag and the boys played football. Granny's teachers were called Miss Gate and Miss Bracken. Grandad's teachers were called Miss Carroll and Mr. Garvey. When they came home from school they got fried potatoes and eggs. Grandad picked potatoes and pulled mangles (beet). Granny milked cows by hand and helped her mother to churn the milk to make butter. Their hair was cut by a neighbour, as there was only one hair trimmers in the neighbourhood. The girls had a piece of cloth to tie up their hair. The older girls used a piece of red paper for rouge on their face. They held dances at the crossroads and barndances in the winter. Granny and Grandad met at a barndance in Ballyboy. In 1959 Granny and Grandad married in Kilcormac Church. They had their reception in Hayes Hotel in Tullamore. Grandad drove his Morris Minor car that day. Granny wore white shoes, a white skirt, purple top and a pearl nacklace. Grandad wore a pinstripe suit. They spent four days in Dublin for their honeymoon. It cost six pound. Grandad got a dowry from Granny's parents when he married her, this was the custom at the time. Grandad's favourite day of his life was when he got his first car. This was a Morris Minor. Granny's favourite day of her life was her wedding day. Granny then moved in with Grandad's mother, because his father had passed away. Grandad had some land from his father. Grandad got five cows, fourteen ewes, twelve hens, three horses, one dog, one cat, and six pigs that were all reared and killed for their meat. A while later, Grandad built a house. They moved in and Granny gave birth to Seán, Kathleen, Mary, DJ, Eilish, Thomas, Aidan, Sinéad, Noel and Sharon.

 

My Granny

By Seán

My Granny's name is Peggy Guinan. She was born in Swinford, County Mayo. She went to national school there. When she was twelve her family moved to Mullingar, County Westmeath. She went to Rochfordbridge secondary school and had to cycle there every day, as there were no school buses then. When she was seventeen she went to England to train to be a nurse at Saint Helens in Liverpool. She qualified in 1972. She returned to Ireland and began working in the Coombe hospital in Dublin. In 1972 she began nursing in the county hospital in Tullamore. She then met Denis Guinan and they got married in 1974. They built their house near the Blueball. She continued nursing in Tullamore. She had four children, two boys and two girls. She retired from nursing for five years when the kids were small and then started working in a medical factory in Tullamore. She still works there on the evening shift from four till twelve as a supervisor. Hobbies: Her only hobby is reading. Happiest Day of her life: The happiest days of her life were when her four children were born. Saddest Day of her life: The saddest days of her life were when her parents died.

 

My Granny

By Ella

Teresa Guinan was born on 23rd October 1925. She had 5 sisters and 2 brothers and she lived in Rathcabbin. Her mother died when she was only 5 years old and she was sent to live with her Auntie in Clyduff, Tipperary because her father could not manage 8 children on his own. She lived in a thatched house with 3 bedrooms and a sitting room. There was no bathroom or toilet in the house, which made going to the bathroom very hard. Though her Auntie was nice and kind, Granny missed her family back in Rathcabbin. Granny spent all her summer holidays with her family, which she thoroughly enjoyed and always felt sad leaving her family to return to her Aunt. Granny was married to Brendan McAuliffe, my Grandad, on 29th October 1952 by Fr. O'Meara in Dunkerrin church at 11 o'clock. It was normal in those days to have a wedding in the morning and hardly anyone had their wedding in the afternoon. Granny wore a blue two-piece suit, high heels, and navy gloves. She had a navy handbag and wore a veil on her head. After the ceremony they went to Parkmore House Hotel, where they had a sing-song and dance. Afterwards she got on the train with my Grandad and went for their honeymoon in Dublin. Gran's happiest day was her wedding day, and she celebrated it with all her family and friends. One of my Gran's worst days was when my uncle died at the age of 3. My Gran is now 84 years old and is the lovliest Gran ever.

My Granny's first day at school was on the 7th January 1931, at the age of five years, having walked the five miles on a bitterly cold, frosty morning. She only arrived at Clyduff on the previous day to live with her aunt. Mr. Whyte, the principal, eyed her with great surprise, not knowing where she had come from. However, she settled in fairly quickly under the tuition of Mrs. Cleare, the assistant in the junior room. There were about fifty pupils attending at that time. The school building itself was very old and in bad repair, cold and draughty. The only heating was a miserable little turf fire in each room, with about 3 sods of turf at a time, supplied by the parents. Mr. Whyte at this time was advanced in years and was in poor health and had got very cross and had little patience for the pupils. Mrs. Cleare was also in bad health and had to retire in the early thirties. She was replaced by a Miss Keary from Banagher. Mr. Whyte and Miss Keary kept the school going until 1936, when, to everyone's amazement, they both died during the holidays of 1936. The school was re-opened in September 1936 with two new teachers, Mr. Howe and Miss Duggan. Mr. Howe was a very good teacher, a native of County Clare and a native Irish speaker. Granny is greatly indebted to him, as he gave her a good foundation in all subjects, which stood to her her whole life. She left Clonlisk in 1939 with many memories. Granny's favourite hobbies were dancing and card-playing which she played at a neighbour's house.

 

My Grandad

By Ciara

What was the happiest day of your life? Finishing a marathon and coming first in a good time.

What was the worst day at work? When a floor collapsed at work and I got sent to hospital.

What is your earliest memory? Patting the dog called Bruno in number 4 Cable Street at the age of 2.

What was school like? I enjoyed school and had great friends there. We got three slaps on each hand when we did bad homework.

What was your favourite hobby? Sketching.

What was the worst thing about the war? There was no butter and the bread was black.

What was your family like? It was great. There was my Dad, Mam, 2 brothers and 1 sister.

When did you leave school? I left at 3rd year. Then I went to college for 2 years.

What was your favourite toy you got for Christmas? A big red fire brigade.

What were your favourite games? Pingpong nad relieveio.

 

 

My Granny

By Tara

My Granny's name is Lucy Cunningham. She was born in 1935. She lives in Durrow, Co. Offaly. She went to Durrow National School. There were three teachers there. She grew up on a farm. Driving the tractor. Piking the hay. Milking the cows. She didn't have a job, as she stayed at home to look after the house and her parents. She went dancing in the Foresters in Tullamore. She met Grandad there. His name is Edward. They got married in Durrow church on the 12th of January 1961. They had their reception in Bolgers Hotel and they went to Galway for their honeymoon. They had ten children, six boys and four girls. The boys names were: Pat, Martin, Gerard, Eamonn, Paul and Declan. The girls names were Mary, Carmel, Patricia and Annette. Her favourite games when she was little were Marbles, Tag and Merry-Go-Round-The-Bush. When she got married she had a better and bigger farm. On the farm they owned about twenty cows, about fifteen calves, ten pigs and goats, thirty chickens, ten hens and a horse.

 

 

My Interview With Granny Ann Molloy

By Aoife

What is your earliest memory? Walking two-and-a-half miles for my first day of school.

Have you a happiest day / days of your life? What are they? Getting married to Grandad and the birth of your Aunties and Uncle.

Have you a worst day / days of your life? What are they? Just when I broke my elbow - it was very sore.

What were your hobbies? Reading, knitting and sewing.

Tell me about your school. It was a basic school with two teachers. One teacher taught juniors, seniors, first, second and third class, and the other teacher taught fourth, fifth and sixth. I really liked school. I was fourteen-and-a-half leaving school and went straight into working for a hotel. I was the oldest in my family of 4 girls and 1 boy, and had to work to get some extra money. I remember in the summerwhen we put our lunch boxes and milk cartons in a river near the school to keep them fresh for lunch.

Have you a favourite present from birthdays or Christmas? I only remember getting money boxes, little books, socks and things like that - things that we needed.

What were your favourite games to play? I liked "Hide and Seek", but most of all I loved "Tipcat". In "Tipcat", we put a stick on a rock and flicked it as far as we could. Whoever flicked it the furthest won. I also remember rolling up old socks into a ball and playing football with it.

Where did you live and what was your house like? We had a two-storey house and a big farm. My Dad was a farmer. I have 3 sisters and 1 brother. We had lots of different animals on our farm. We had cows, sheep, horses, donkeys, chickens and sheep-dogs. I loved helping on the farm.
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