Old Greystones

Antibarney

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Very good, I remember Paddy Doyle well and his good friend Willie Evans from Blacklion. Paddy sang "My Lagan love" beautifully. Eamon Brosnan also sang another great song, "O me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep".
You have educated me on Boot's Hollow, I know exactly where you are talking about. There is a shopping centre there now in fields that were belonging to Fox's farm with Lidl and various shops. And on the other side of the road is the entrance to Redford Park.
I remember Pat Darcy in his old black Austin car, and his brother Tom further up Windgates in the white house called Ashfield. He had a green truck which was driven by Corny Salmon. They used to go to all the pig fairs. Remember Tom Darcy's Ford Consul, BNI 98 was the reg number.

" Saddle-up" also drove that truck for the Darcys.
Did either of you ever try to catch the eels in the old Resevoir on the back road at Redford ? Or Play Apache Warriors by dipping the Brown-headed Bullrushes in Parrafin, setting them alight and firing them like flaming arrows from home-made bows ?

pixbyjohn

Antibarney wrote: »

" Saddle-up" also drove that truck for the Darcys.

Mr. Farrelly from the Grove, yes that was in the latter days.

EIGHTEENAGAIN

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Very good, I remember Paddy Doyle well and his good friend Willie Evans from Blacklion. Paddy sang "My Lagan love" beautifully. Eamon Brosnan also sang another great song, "O me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep".
You have educated me on Boot's Hollow, I know exactly where you are talking about. There is a shopping centre there now in fields that were belonging to Fox's farm with Lidl and various shops. And on the other side of the road is the entrance to Redford Park.
I remember Pat Darcy in his old black Austin car, and his brother Tom further up Windgates in the white house called Ashfield. He had a green truck which was driven by Corny Salmon. They used to go to all the pig fairs. Remember Tom Darcy's Ford Consul, BNI 98 was the reg number.

Pat used to drive the A40 around his fields all week, and then to Mass on Sunday, it covered in all the muck of the farm.
What was the scheme with Tom Darcy and the piglets ?
I know people used to take tiny little bonhams from him, feed and fatten them, and he got them back when they were ready for market. Did he sell them and then buy them back, or did he just pay people to feed them ?
In early Summer, Tom used to sell cabbage plants and onion sets - half-crown a hundred.
Every year he used to get the thrasher in for the wheat. A gas time for everybody who was interested - but I don't know if it was steam or oil driven. I know it was noisy and always enveloped in a mass of dust and chaff. Then it was superseded by the combine -harvester, which didn't have the same attraction for kids, except when it reached the last little square in the middle of the field and all the creatures were flushed out.
Do they still pray for the farmers at Mass ?
If it was wet, they needed the sun ; three of four weeks of sunshine and they were praying for rain. I suppose some things remain constant.
Do you recall Joe Murphy and his few cows. I suppose it was a sort of open-plan grazing that he was involved in. He rotated his pasture well though. A week on the road from Croweabbey to Windgates, then a week up Delgany way, then Greystones got a visit, then back to Windgates, and woe betide anyone who left their gate open. Those cows would eat anything ; they were especially partial to garden flowers

EIGHTEENAGAIN

Antibarney wrote: »

" Saddle-up" also drove that truck for the Darcys.
Did either of you ever try to catch the eels in the old Resevoir on the back road at Redford ? Or Play Apache Warriors by dipping the Brown-headed Bullrushes in Parrafin, setting them alight and firing them like flaming arrows from home-made bows ?

Used to get the little eels on the North Beach at the Gap Bridge where the river came out of the tunnel. The bigger eels were at the deepest part just at the mouth.
There used to be one, maybe two communal water pumps in Redford Terrace, and the story goes that in dry weather, people filling their bucket used to finish up with a selection of eels and other beasties in their water, as it came from that reservoir. Maybe only a story, but isn't there always a bit of truth somewhere in a story ?
I know Blacklion & Greystones got their water from a different source, but I remember a communal pump near Kinsella's coalyard, and I think there was one at the entrance to the Bawn. There must have been at least one each for the two lots of houses in Windgates, and for Brigid's, but I can't remember where. Was there one outside the Church in Blacklion ?

pixbyjohn

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Pat used to drive the A40 around his fields all week, and then to Mass on Sunday, it covered in all the muck of the farm.
What was the scheme with Tom Darcy and the piglets ?
I know people used to take tiny little bonhams from him, feed and fatten them, and he got them back when they were ready for market. Did he sell them and then buy them back, or did he just pay people to feed them ? Darcys had a petrol or diesel pump in the yard also. Did Kit Fields work for them also?
In early Summer, Tom used to sell cabbage plants and onion sets - half-crown a hundred.
Do you recall Joe Murphy and his few cows. I suppose it was a sort of open-plan grazing that he was involved in. He rotated his pasture well though. A week on the road from Croweabbey to Windgates, then a week up Delgany way, then Greystones got a visit, then back to Windgates, and woe betide anyone who left their gate open. Those cows would eat anything ; they were especially partial to garden flowers

Darcys of Windgates were pig dealers really. They would go to the markets and buy then hold them for a short time and sell them on again . I think they actually were buying to order for regular customers. Yes they sold cabbage plants too and had the locals pulling plants during season.
O I remember Joe Murphy very well and his sister Mary and brother Frank. Joe was often summoned to Bray court because his cattle caused some people annoyance by going in on their beautiful manicured gardens, if he was fined half a crown or 5 shillings he would always comment that he had the cheapest grazing in Ireland, cos as you say his cattle grazed on the sides of the roads around the area. The downside to that was during the season the milk would taste of garlic.

pixbyjohn

I remember when the Dairies used to collect the churns of milk from the local farmers for the creamery. There were churn tables at Foxs farm in Windgates, At Digby Evans opposite where Donnybrook Fair is now and 1 at the farm gates where the entrance to Burnaby heights is now. These tables were at the side of the road and at the same height as the truck for easy handling of the heavy churns of milk.

drag0n79

pixbyjohn wrote: »

The downside to that was during the season the milk would taste of garlic.

Brilliant

Antibarney

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Do you recall Joe Murphy and his few cows. I suppose it was a sort of open-plan grazing that he was involved in. He rotated his pasture well though. A week on the road from Croweabbey to Windgates, then a week up Delgany way, then Greystones got a visit, then back to Windgates, and woe betide anyone who left their gate open. Those cows would eat anything ; they were especially partial to garden flowers

" The Long Acre " Joe used to call whichever stretch of road his cattle were grazing at the time. Hula Hula ( one for you, Jack) was the bane of his life.

pixbyjohn

Antibarney wrote: »

" Hula Hula ( one for you, Jack) was the bane of his life.

Garda Carroll of Blacklion

pixbyjohn

I remember the days when the local gardai used to come and inspect your garden for obnoxious weeds.

And the man from the post office would call to see your wireless licence.

And if you lived in a council house ( as I did ) The rent man would give you 2 x 1 gallon tins of paint every year to paint your gate, door and windows.

Antibarney

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Garda Carroll of Blacklion

Give 'im the money. Did you ever see Eddie Evans ride out the finish of the Leopardstown Chase on a barstool in the Burnaby bar ?

Antibarney

Or see Mr. Hayes take out his glass eye, put it in his pint saying " keep an eye on that for me " when he went to the toilet in the Burnaby lounge.

pixbyjohn

Antibarney wrote: »

Give 'im the money. Did you ever see Eddie Evans ride out the finish of the Leopardstown Chase on a barstool in the Burnaby bar ?

And his famous saying " would you like to be a jockey"

pixbyjohn

Antibarney wrote: »

Or see Mr. Hayes take out his glass eye, put it in his pint saying " keep an eye on that for me " when he went to the toilet in the Burnaby lounge.

He who lived on the Turnpike ? Of Hayes & Fitzgerald partnership?

EIGHTEENAGAIN

pixbyjohn wrote: »

I remember the days when the local gardai used to come and inspect your garden for obnoxious weeds.

And the man from the post office would call to see your wireless licence.

And if you lived in a council house ( as I did ) The rent man would give you 2 x 1 gallon tins of paint every year to paint your gate, door and windows.

Was your rent-man a Mr Ledwidge ?

pixbyjohn

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Was your rent-man a Mr Ledwidge ?

The man I remember was Mr. Newman, hope I am remembering correctly

EIGHTEENAGAIN

AJ1 wrote: »

Does anyone remember my grandfather Tommy Gaskin and my grandmother Margaret? Tommy was the only tailor in Greystones. He was also on the door in St. Killian's hall in the 50's & 60's. He took the money which was sixpence at the time and my Grandmother gave the bottles of orange out.

Hands up who used to go to the 'social' in Kilian's on a Thursday and Sunday !

Tommy Hayden and the Artones ; Tom with his trademark solo "Sail Along Silv'ry Moon" ; Blue rattling the skins ; Donald Nolan guesting occasionally on piano, and Alfie Taylor, guitar/vocals did his best. I can't remember the other one who made up the Artones. Even now to hear "Silv'ry" , "Fraulein" , "Blackboard of My Heart" and "Oh Boy" can take me back there.

And at the end " Take your partners for the Last Waltz" with the caveat "and no lurchin' now", if Fr Fennelly had dropped in, because he was apt to separate couples whom he considered to be dancing too close together.

pixbyjohn

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Hands up who used to go to the 'social' in Kilian's on a Thursday and Sunday !

Tommy Hayden and the Artones ; Tom with his trademark solo "Sail Along Silv'ry Moon" ; Blue rattling the skins ; Donald Nolan guesting occasionally on piano, and Alfie Taylor, guitar/vocals did his best. I can't remember the other one who made up the Artones. Even now to hear "Silv'ry" , "Fraulein" , "Blackboard of My Heart" and "Oh Boy" can take me back there.

Was there a Vickers chap also, maybe James ??? Don't think Bunty Hayden had joined at that stage.
It was a little before my time

EIGHTEENAGAIN

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Was there a Vickers chap also, maybe James ??? Don't think Bunty Hayden had joined at that stage.
It was a little before my time

Ouch !!

Do you recall when a Boys' Club existed briefly in Kilian's. It was organised by an old chap named Dunne. He was nicknamed Bowzee Dunne - a loose connection to Mao Tse Tung (Chairman Mao) who was in the news a lot at the time.

I can't remember any of the activities except boxing. Someone supplied gloves, punchballs and the like, and the fights were held on the stage.

I think Br Donovan may also have been associated with it, but it didn't last much more than one winter.

Antibarney

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Ouch !! Tee hee



I think Br Donovan may also have been associated with it, but it didn't last much more than one winter.

Remember Br. Donovan used to make us collect scrap, old newspapers and milkbottle tops. Sometimes he would get his favourites to sort them out.
Those milkbottle tops were stinking.

pixbyjohn

Antibarney wrote: »

Remember Br. Donovan used to make us collect scrap, old newspapers and milkbottle tops. Sometimes he would get his favourites to sort them out.
Those milkbottle tops were stinking.

I remember that well. There was a storage place at the end of the Playground shelter where the milk bottle tops were stored. Albert Doyle of Blacklion was one of the pupils who got the job of sorting them.

When Br. Donovan lost his temper, all hell could break loose.

pixbyjohn

Does anyone remember Switzer, who was always mitching from school. I remember one day when a guard brought him in to school and the brother then went out to the corridor to talk to the guard. Switzer got out the window and up the back lane as quick as lightning. He was never again brought back to school.
He became a professional golfer later in life.

Antibarney

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Ouch !!

Do you recall when a Boys' Club existed briefly in Kilian's. It was organised by an old chap named Dunne. He was nicknamed Bowzee Dunne - a loose connection to Mao Tse Tung (Chairman Mao) who was in the news a lot at the time.

I can't remember any of the activities except boxing. Someone supplied gloves, punchballs and the like, and the fights were held on the stage.

I think Br Donovan may also have been associated with it, but it didn't last much more than one winter.

I heard there was a boxing club of some sort many years ago and somebody told me of a bout between George Glynn and Harry Gorman which was the talk of the town at the time.

Does anyone remember that great legend in his own mind---Oul' Ashton Freeman. He had a boat in Greystones and faffed about with a bit of Angling and then scuttered about it in a column he had in the Evening Press called something like " To the waters and the Wild ". I seem to recall a picture of him and a dog with his articles. His very high opinion of himself was not shared by many locals.

pixbyjohn

Antibarney wrote: »

I heard there was a boxing club of some sort many years ago and somebody told me of a bout between George Glynn and Harry Gorman which was the talk of the town at the time.

Does anyone remember that great legend in his own mind---Oul' Ashton Freeman. He had a boat in Greystones and faffed about with a bit of Angling and then scuttered about it in a column he had in the Evening Press called something like " To the waters and the Wild ". I seem to recall a picture of him and a dog with his articles. His very high opinion of himself was not shared by many locals.

J. Ashton Freeman, yes I remember him well and he wouldn't throw you a fish from his catch. He lived overlooking the harbour.He wrote a column but I think it had a different name than the one you mention. I think it was Gerrit Van Geldern who did a TV show called To the Waters and the wild.

EIGHTEENAGAIN

Antibarney wrote: »

I heard there was a boxing club of some sort many years ago and somebody told me of a bout between George Glynn and Harry Gorman which was the talk of the town at the time.

Does anyone remember that great legend in his own mind---Oul' Ashton Freeman. He had a boat in Greystones and faffed about with a bit of Angling and then scuttered about it in a column he had in the Evening Press called something like " To the waters and the Wild ". I seem to recall a picture of him and a dog with his articles. His very high opinion of himself was not shared by many locals.

Bollocky Bill was the far from affectionate name he gained for himself.

He used to trundle around catching one single mackeral on a spinner, while all around him the likes of oul' Thompson (who used to sell them for 6d each) were catching them eight or a dozen at a time on the 'new' feathers.

This Thompson lived in one of those big houses opposite the North Wall just past the Anchor. I think his son, Bob, moved down to the SW of Ireland where he had a trawler.

When he wasn't in the boat, Bollocky Bill used to sit in a top window watching all the harbour activities.

pixbyjohn

Who remembers Tono, he used to come over on holiday from Germany every year. He had the first Honda 750 four cylinder motorcycle to be seen around Greystones. His family had a house in Kilquade and later moved to the Burnaby.

Hammiepeters

pixbyjohn wrote: »

J. Ashton Freeman,He wrote a column but I think it had a different name than the one you mention. I think it was Gerrit Van Geldern who did a TV show called To the Waters and the wild.

It was called ''wild wisdom''.

drag0n79

Hammiepeters wrote: »

It was called ''wild wisdom''.

That's his book alright, not sure if it was the name of his column too?

Antibarney

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Bollocky Bill was the far from affectionate name he gained for himself.

He used to trundle around catching one single mackeral on a spinner, while all around him the likes of oul' Thompson (who used to sell them for 6d each) were catching them eight or a dozen at a time on the 'new' feathers.

This Thompson lived in one of those big houses opposite the North Wall just past the Anchor. I think his son, Bob, moved down to the SW of Ireland where he had a trawler.

When he wasn't in the boat, Bollocky Bill used to sit in a top window watching all the harbour activities.

There was one occasion when, much to the relief of the local fishing community, a well-known and respected local fisherman safely made his way home from hauling his nets on the Ridge after a very heavy fog had descended, having used his knowledge of the tides and local currents to do so. People who knew this were gobsmacked when oul' Freeman wrote about the incident in the first person.

pixbyjohn

Bock,Spider,Squib & Cocker