Old Greystones

Greystoned · 29-12-2008 4:43pm

Rubex cube race-offs in CBS - Redmond O'Hanlon and David Maher I think?

Great discussion. I'm enjoying this. Yes I remember that Rubix cube race - the winner got a homework-free day from Master Barry.
Another memory from CBS, was when a fight broke out in the "field", we'd all chant out "AG, AGR, AGRO-aggro" - or am I imagining that? It doesn't seem to work, because I (now) realize that there are two Gs in aggro!

Anybody remember the cubs and scouts trip to Germany. 1982 - I think.

Anybody remember a guy called Chris Wilson - I think that's the name. From England. He took his mother's silver serving tray to the golf club the time of the snow and it was the express route to the bottom. Couldn't stop. I heard a rumour that he rode his bike along the harbour wall (the top!) - but I did not see that myself.

Cabanas, Woodlands bar, Bitz and the Stables - what a loss! Excellent memories.

One or two people have mentioned that would like to see old photos. G'stones has to be one of the best documented towns in Ireland thanks to Derek Paine's books. There are seven of them - Mrs. Mooney (Trafalgar Rd.) might still have the most recent. The library certainly has some which can be consulted there (probably not for borrowing). If anybody is very interested in these books I can get back to you with the ISBNs and exact titles etc so you can try to purchase them via ebay etc.
Another must-read is Peter McNiff's 'Stories from a small town' - very nice collection of mini-biographies of older Greystonians.

pixbyjohn · 01-01-2009 2:15am

Sagat, you started a wonderful thread, good luck for 2009

irlirishkev · 03-01-2009 4:42pm

Greystoned wrote: »

Another memory from CBS, was when a fight broke out in the "field", we'd all chant out "AG, AGR, AGRO-aggro" - or am I imagining that? It doesn't seem to work, because I (now) realize that there are two Gs in aggro!

Haha.. I remember that. And that's the first time I've thought of it in years. You're right, it so doesn't work!

AJ1 · 04-01-2009 11:38am

mikechiswick wrote: »

Tinas wedding date 14/09/1970 according to your great aunt Pearl cheers

It was actually the 9th of September but you got the year right - I was only a few weeks old when she came down from belfast to be chief bridesmade at Phil's wedding:)

AJ1 · 05-01-2009 9:03pm

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.

pixbyjohn · 05-01-2009 11:07pm

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.

Yes Tommy worked in Mc Birneys as a tailor. He served on the committee of St. Killians hall for years. A gentleman.
Margaret used to sell Bray Silver Circle tickets, she was one of the Quinns of Crow Abbey. Patrick was her father, he used to sell fish from a horse drawn flat van in the 50s. They owned a field where part of Kindlestown Park is now built. It was always known as "Quinn's Field". Both were parents of Austin who was and still is a well known character in horsey circles, who supplied horses for many a film that was made in Ireland in the past.

Fiachra2 · 06-01-2009 6:14pm

niallpaskins; pixbyjohn, do I know you ??

The wonder is that you havent featured on this thread yet

EIGHTEENAGAIN · 10-01-2009 12:30am

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Do you remember Jerry Fallon on the wheel of fortune at St. Davids garden fete. " Roll up roll up everyone's a winner "

Is that the same Jerry Fallon from Fallon's newsagents/fish shop down the town who, God help him, had a hare-lip which resulted in him being nicknamed 'Nelp'
This Jerry Fallon fell in the harbour as a youngish teenager and while he was shouting "help, help, save me" , nobody could do anything for laughing because it came out as "nelp". It didn't take much to earn a nickname in those days.
A few more for oldies :- Sap, Blacktap, Square, Beezie, Munger, Crump, Wonder Man, Earwig, Scraggs, Baldie, Slut, the mole, the minister, the senator and the Pontiff - and that's just the men

pixbyjohn · 10-01-2009 12:37am

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Is that the same Jerry Fallon from Fallon's newsagents/fish shop down the town A few more for oldies :- Sap, Blacktap, Square, Beezie, Munger, Crump, Wonder Man, Earwig, Scraggs, Baldie, Slut, the mole, the minister, the senator and the Pontiff - and that's just the men

The very same Jerry, who is in great health and still living in Greystones.

Sap Kinsella Munger Doyle Baldie Redmond Slut Redmond
The Mole Brady

EIGHTEENAGAIN · 10-01-2009 2:57pm

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Another one.

You've heard of the Garden of Ireland,
For proudly of Greystones we boast,
Greystones Greystones you are the loveliest of all,
Greystones Greystones you lavish my heart and enthrall.

The Grand Hotel, The Grand Hotel,
Does all things well, does all things well.
In Greystones by the rolling sea
You'll find good cheer and company.
As happy as Larry you'll surely be
at the Grand Hotel ! .................. (to the tune of Three Blind Mice)

For Christmas dinner at the Grand there was always a table reserved for Fr. Fennelly and party (a freebie, I think). I worked during school holidays there as a sort of waiter (Stephen Pye was head-waiter), and one Christmas drew the short straw and waited on the priest's table (apart from the horror of being face-to-face with the PP, he never gave a tip). I managed to spill a bottle of red wine all over him and the table, and while PP's face began to take on the colour of the wine, it was only through a swift act of diplomacy by the manager David FitzGerald, a courteous and charming man, that the situation was calmed.

When Brendan Behan was found rotten drunk in the middle of Church Road, he had been drinking in the Grand. He had a difference of opinion with Charlie Reynolds in the bar, and I believe David Fitzgerald was forced to eject him. Charlie was a retired Guard, and Behan claimed to hate all Guards.

Charlie Reynolds managed the petrol station on the corner of Church Road opposite Brady's shop, and had as his assistant a lad named James Joyce (for some reason he was always James, never Jimmy) and those two never stopped bickering from opening to closing time. James used to be 'sacked' three or four times a week, but just turned up the next day again.

James Joyce and his best mate Joe Malone just upped and disappeared to England one night, and I wonder if anything has ever been heard of them since.

When did the Grand become the LaTouche ?
I know it was when the ditties were being pushed, because we learned the words as Grand Hotel, then had to change them to LaTouche

pixbyjohn · 10-01-2009 11:22pm

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

A few more for oldies :- Sap, Blacktap, Square, Beezie, Munger, Crump, Wonder Man, Earwig, Scraggs, Baldie, Slut, the mole, the minister, the senator and the Pontiff - and that's just the men

I got a few, can you fill in who the others were?

EIGHTEENAGAIN · 11-01-2009 2:22am

pixbyjohn wrote: »

I got a few, can you fill in who the others were?

Blacktap (Kinsella) was the father of Sap & Crump. How he got his name is a story in itself (later).

Crump was Jack Kinsella who was a greensman at the Golf Club, and in the Fifties, Jack Crump was a writer who had a golf column in the Evening Mail or Herald.

The Wonder Man was Jack Sweeney, and although he was able to to walk the length of Danns bar on his hands, when he was in his sixties, which was a wonder in itself, almost every time you met him he would say " I saw so-and-so doing so-and-so this morning, I wonder what they were up to" or " I wonder where he's going, or I wonder why they're painting that colour"

Earwig is Brendan Sweeney, and he got that name from Munger Doyle. He and Munger fished together for a while, and naturally it was an uneasy relationship - the smart-arsed teddy boy and the God-fearing traditional. Just one of Munger's put-downs (which never worked with Brendan).

The minister was Joe Ryan, the father of Larry (the senator). I don't know how he got the name - I always knew him as the minister. He was a lovely man ; he lived at Arch villas between Peter Byrne and the Sweeneys. He was in the British army in WW1 and was gassed and wounded at the Dardanelles. The lower half of his face was badly damaged, and despite his handicap, he could tell some yarns about the 'Danniels' as he called the Dardanelles. I only wish that I had listened more closely at the time.

Square was Square Byrne. He lived in Blacklion cottages, next door to Lure/Luhr ? Leggett ( Sean & Gerry Gorman's grandfather). Square had a club foot, so never really worked , and I suspect that 'Square' was originally 'squire' - a man of leisure.

More later, but some extra that I recall :-

The Bagman (or Lifter), Nipper, Scarce, the Bat, Spolliam, the Ringer.

pixbyjohn · 11-01-2009 10:07pm

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Blacktap (Kinsella) was the father of Sap & Crump. How he got his name is a story in itself (later).

More later, but some extra that I recall :-

The Bagman (or Lifter), Nipper, Scarce, the Bat, Spolliam, the Ringer.

Scarce Mitchell , Nipper Glynn. Is there a Whiston in there too ?

Do you remember Jarvey Evans outside the railway station with his horse drawn phaeton.

EIGHTEENAGAIN · 12-01-2009 12:29am

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Scarce Mitchell , Nipper Glynn. Is there a Whiston in there too ?

Do you remember Jarvey Evans outside the railway station with his horse drawn phaeton.

The Bagman (or Lifter) Whiston lived in Blacklion cottages. His older son John was generally known as Young Bagger.

Michael (Mick) Whiston lived in the Grove, and was better known as Beezie. He was the finest cox (cox'n, coxwain) ever to sit in the stern of the Colleen Bawn and Shamrock. He only ever coxed the senior crew, the members of which included his brother Christy and Slut Redmond. Beezie was a stalwart of the previously mentioned Sunday poker school at Kilian's. There used to be a Solo table there as well, but few played Solo.

The Bat Doyle was (is ?) Ned Doyle who used to work with John Brady in the Forge ...... from Brigid's Park.

The Ringer Reilly trained greyhounds around the East coast tracks, and as the name suggests, he gained an 'unfortunate' reputation, and moved from his origins to a house on Jinks' Hill.

Between Ballygannon Point and Kilcoole station there used to be a mishmash of houses, prefabs and smallholdings set away from the line, and one of them belonged to a family named Scraggs - house & family many year gone, but the position of the house was still known by that name. Tommy Redmond, oldest of that generation of Redmonds, (and reputedly a better boatbuilder than his brother, Willie), always walked the line from Greystones southwards in the Summer to look for signs of fish (trout, mackerel, pollack), and would always tell that he went no further than Scraggs.
Incidentally, it was in another of the houses there by the railway, that JP Donlevy wrote his famous 'Ginger Man'

I knew the Jarvey Evans by reputation, but I can't picture him. Well I remember Cruise Doyle and his horse and carriage. He lived at Redford.

You will remember The Bare-Arsed Bandit, and can you tell me how Boots' Hollow got that name ?

pixbyjohn · 12-01-2009 1:20am

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

The Bagman (or Lifter) Whiston lived in Blacklion cottages. His older son John was generally known as Young Bagger.

[/I][/B]and can you tell me how Boots' Hollow got that name ?

Don't know Boot's Hollow.
Was it not the Pig's Hollow, which was a shortcut from the Whitshed road to the Castle field.

Was Cruise Doyle the father of Jack, Paddy,Richard,Peter, Gerry,Lar, Mary and Ann of Windgates ?

Who have I left out ?

pixbyjohn · 12-01-2009 1:44am

Well known Harbour residents of the past

Antibarney · 12-01-2009 8:51pm

drag0n79 wrote: »

Is this true? I can't find anyone who can back it up. Possibly an old rumour?

I will try to find some evidence for you, If there is any lie in it , it wasn't me who put it there.

Antibarney · 12-01-2009 9:06pm

chillyspoon wrote: »

I totally agree with your last comment - Edgar has done so much for the whole community, a good guy.

I couldn't agree more. Edgar Swann, sadly now retired and the very best of wishes to him, was one of the best things that ever happened to Greystones.

EIGHTEENAGAIN · 13-01-2009 12:08am

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Don't know Boot's Hollow.
Was it not the Pig's Hollow, which was a shortcut from the Whitshed road to the Castle field.

Was Cruise Doyle the father of Jack, Paddy,Richard,Peter, Gerry,Lar, Mary and Ann of Windgates ?

Who have I left out ?

I'd have to crank-up the old mental cogs a notch for that one, but I'd say you are right about that particular Doyle dynasty.

Paddy Doyle had an excellent tenor singing voice. I was at a talent contest in the Woodlands one night, and Paddy won with 'Rose of Tralee'. By the way, Broz (Eamon Brosnan) was there singing his rock'n'roll version of Down by by the Glenside, I Met an Old Woman. No sooner had Paddy collected the couple of quid for winning, when Josef Locke, who had been in the bar, got up to sing. From all his vast repertoire, Locke chose to sing 'Rose of Tralee' just to upstage poor Paddy, which I thought was a lousy trick.

Boots' Hollow

The road from Redford Cemetery to Blacklion is straight now, but before that it used to bear slightly left at the small gate, down into a dip, across a small, walled bridge over the stream and up past Pat D'arcy's gate to rejoin what is the present road. That old road was where they called 'Boots' Hollow'
Legend had it that it was the haunt of a Banshee, and as a kid I knew a few people (elderly women mostly) who claimed to have seen and heard the Banshee on the night before they received the news of a death in the family. It was the main road then, and people from Redford and Windgates couldn't avoid using it - no lights, no footpath, ghostly reputation - no wonder imagination ran riot.
I think (and I'm open to correction) that this same bit of road was the first in Greystones to have the then new-fangled 'cats -eyes' in the middle.

I don't know what's there now - I haven't seen it this many a year - and looks like I'll never find out the origin of the name.

pixbyjohn · 13-01-2009 10:16am

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

I'd have to crank-up the old mental cogs a notch for that one, but I'd say you are right about that particular Doyle dynasty.

Paddy Doyle had an excellent tenor singing voice. I was at a talent contest in the Woodlands one night, and Paddy won with 'Rose of Tralee'. By the way, Broz (Eamon Brosnan) was there singing his rock'n'roll version of Down by by the Glenside, I Met an Old Woman. No sooner had Paddy collected the couple of quid for winning, when Josef Locke, who had been in the bar, got up to sing. From all his vast repertoire, Locke chose to sing 'Rose of Tralee' just to upstage poor Paddy, which I thought was a lousy trick.

Boots' Hollow

The road from Redford Cemetery to Blacklion is straight now, but before that it used to bear slightly left at the small gate, down into a dip, across a small, walled bridge over the stream and up past Pat D'arcy's gate to rejoin what is the present road. That old road was where they called 'Boots' Hollow'
Legend had it that it was the haunt of a Banshee, and as a kid I knew a few people (elderly women mostly) who claimed to have seen and heard the Banshee on the night before they received the news of a death in the family. It was the main road then, and people from Redford and Windgates couldn't avoid using it - no lights, no footpath, ghostly reputation - no wonder imagination ran riot.
I think (and I'm open to correction) that this same bit of road was the first in Greystones to have the then new-fangled 'cats -eyes' in the middle.

I don't know what's there now - I haven't seen it this many a year - and looks like I'll never find out the origin of the name.

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.

Antibarney · 13-01-2009 11:05am

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 · 13-01-2009 12:28pm

Antibarney wrote: »

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

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

EIGHTEENAGAIN · 14-01-2009 12:10am

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 · 14-01-2009 12:30am

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 · 14-01-2009 1:12am

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 · 14-01-2009 1:16am

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 · 14-01-2009 10:45am

pixbyjohn wrote: »

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

Brilliant

Antibarney · 14-01-2009 10:15pm

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 · 14-01-2009 10:31pm

Antibarney wrote: »

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

Garda Carroll of Blacklion

pixbyjohn · 14-01-2009 10:36pm

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 · 14-01-2009 10:40pm

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 · 14-01-2009 10:53pm

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 · 14-01-2009 11:01pm

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 · 14-01-2009 11:03pm

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 · 15-01-2009 10:41am

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 · 15-01-2009 1:25pm

EIGHTEENAGAIN wrote: »

Was your rent-man a Mr Ledwidge ?

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

EIGHTEENAGAIN · 15-01-2009 3:21pm

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 · 15-01-2009 4:53pm

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 · 15-01-2009 10:34pm

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 · 16-01-2009 12:16pm

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 · 17-01-2009 12:17am

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 · 17-01-2009 12:24am

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 · 17-01-2009 8:21pm

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 · 17-01-2009 8:38pm

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 · 17-01-2009 10:37pm

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 · 18-01-2009 12:44am

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 · 18-01-2009 11:16am

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 · 18-01-2009 1:40pm

Hammiepeters wrote: »

It was called ''wild wisdom''.

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

Antibarney · 18-01-2009 2:22pm

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 · 20-01-2009 10:26am

Bock,Spider,Squib & Cocker

Old Greystones

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