Historical: Paulstown Character?

knickerbocker

Hi Kilkenny Folk, would anyone out there be able to share some information about the individual in the picture below.
I took this picture in or about 1985, just outside Paulstown, by a roadside graveyard. He was regularally seen cleaning his bike at this location!.... this is of course from my perspective as an infrequent passer by.
Would love to even put a name to the face.

Many thanks in advance,
Ciaran.

hi5

I remember him well, he often had the bike upside down, its the small graveyard with the Grotto at the first turn off for Old Leighlin.

knickerbocker

Correct location........ great to hear he was as regular as a piece of furniture and not just a figment of the old imagination! Hopeing a local might be able to give a name and even better have a story to tell.
These 'characters' (so to speak) are somewhat are a thing of the past.

knickerbocker

The news so far is...... his name was Tom Ryan originally from Shankill, and he sat the graveyard every day. The rumour was that his mother was buried in the graveyard and that's why he sat there.

cargo

He used to also be at the next graveyard a bit further up the main road towards Carlow. he story I heard was that someone had died that owed him money and he used to sit waiting for the money back outside the graveyard but he wasnt sure which one they were buried in so he used to alternate outside both graveyards.

Purely a urban legend I'd say but I'm sure someone more local will have a more accurate version of the story. He was definitely outside the one closer to Paulstown more often that the other one but i do remember seeing him at both.

ike

cargo wrote: »

He used to also be at the next graveyard a bit further up the main road towards Carlow. the story I heard was that someone had died that owed him money and he used to sit waiting for the money back outside the graveyard but he wasn't sure which one they were buried in so he used to alternate outside both graveyards.

That's similar to the version I was told, that someone owed him money and told him to meet up at the graveyard so he could pay him but he never showed so kept turning up everyday waiting for him to turn up with the money!