Old Greystones

sagat

Reading this board for a number of months from the shadows, interesting to see a lot of the activity is coming from new residents but surely there must be a number of us floating around who remember the Greystones of old. Lets reminisce about the days gone. Hands up if you remember:

Buying the paper at Murphy's
Groceries at O'Donohues
Watching Pieter Muller play rugby for Greystones
The Golf Club burning
The Woodlands for that matter
Waiting for somebody to return a flick you want to see to Video World
When you could buy a record on that same block
The knitting shop before the pet store
Queueing 3 maybe 4 hours to see Batman at the Ormonde cinema.
Quinnsworth selling make your own Pizza's and the entire town eating them
Remington Steele filming Taffin at Brady's hardware
The Cherry Blossom was the height of exotic cuisine
Buying Friday's dinner from the fish factory
When the shuttle to Bray was more regular and reliable than the Dart today
When Eugenes was Eugenes
Getting nothing but petrol from the Esso station besides the complimentary check of your water and oil
The backwards clock in Jokers
Lautrex succeeding Cabannas
Evans Hardware
When the summer festival included outdoor concerts at the harbour
When you couldn't as much as fart in the town without everyone knowing about it.
Sweeneys amusements getting a fancy makeover only to look like the same old kip merely a month later
Street Fighter 2 at same amusements
Walking home from Bary after missing the last bus along the cliff walk or train tracks if you were brave(stupid) enough
The diving board and raft on the south beach
When the rocks on same beach looked like mountains
The LaTouche hotel in its glory
The LaTouch shop in its glory, toys, sweets, C64 games
Butcher Shops
Practice wall at the old tennis club
The original Copper Kettle
Pitch and Put where there is now park and Ride
Some funny American game in the park by the Burnaby
...and so much more.

So lets hear about the times, places and characters that marked the Greystones of old. Pictures would be the icing if anyone has old ones. As for you blow-ins, keep reading as you may be amazed and amused with what your new home was once like.

FirstIn

Wasn't the knitting store Snuffles, some name like that. I was so proud of the Aran sweater she made me :-) even if it was bl**dy itchy.

How about the sweet shop that was in part of what is now the dart station. Remember that?

Or the 13th, as in the hole on the golf course that we all slid down when it snowed, I think the golf club renumbered the holes but I'll always remember it as the 13th.

The Real B-man

The Shopping Basket & Jokers Takeaway :pac:

damianmckeever

Scuffles was the name of that shop!!

I remember you went in and gave her measurements and then she knitted the top for you. Even in the 80's it was a dated shop, she would prob clean up now!!

FirstIn

Before it was the Shopping Basket it was Loves Supermarket. Remember that? Wasn't there a pet shop around the back of it!

When Hills sold petrol on the mainstreet, wasn't it maxol and free a nipper days. My old man always said his car ran really bad with it, said it was russian petrol! He always bought it so it couldn't have been all that bad!

Wasn't the Shell station called Pattersons, we always referred to it as that. A bloke called Billy O'Brien had a car repair place there and then the Shell station was run by Leonard's and there was a tyre place at the side.

chillyspoon

FirstIn wrote: »

Before it was the Shopping Basket it was Loves Supermarket. Remember that? Wasn't there a pet shop around the back of it!

When Hills sold petrol on the mainstreet, wasn't it maxol and free a nipper days. My old man always said his car ran really bad with it, said it was russian petrol! He always bought it so it couldn't have been all that bad!

Wasn't the Shell station called Pattersons, we always referred to it as that. A bloke called Billy O'Brien had a car repair place there and then the Shell station was run by Leonard's and there was a tyre place at the side.

The Shell was run by a fella called Pascal Keogh if my memory serves me correctly - and I went to primary school with one of the Love family whose parents owned Loves Supermarket!!!

Remember when Xtravision opened and was on that funny stepped edge bit behind a mad old decorative hedge next to the Shopping Basket?

Also, Jokers was named by my primary school class too (I think in about '85 or '86), one of the lads Dad's was one of the partners and the kids all put ideas for names in.. Joker's was chosen and the Laurel and Hardy branding followed - along with some very suspect burgers in later years!!

sagat

I remember some dodgy dates on many perishables at the Shopping Basket but had totally forgotten the old sweet shop in the station. The Wham bars, etc used to make the Kilfeather Christmases very happy I imagine.

damianmckeever

Also there was that strange shop that was opposite the coal merchants (mooneys?) think they are still there but don't do the coal anymore. They were set up for kids in the old tennis club think the shop was called "forget me nots"?

Yip Jokers was set up by Keith Dungan and John Brady (from Bradys hardware) think they sold it then to the italians pretty soon after setting it up. Used to love going there.

MyPerfectCousin

I'm a blow in here only 9 years and a bit, so I only remember these...

When Eugenes was Eugenes [vaguely]
Evans Hardware [definitely]
When the summer festival included outdoor concerts at the harbour (I think)
The LaTouche hotel in its glory (faded glory)
Butcher Shops
Some funny American game in the park by the Burnaby [now in Charlesland]

AJ1

I remember before the pet shop was there on the corner beside the railway station it used to be a little electrical shop run by a little old woman or the shop to the left of the Ormonde, used to sell funky little torches in there, best of all was walking to St. David's through the fields which is now hillside and heatherview - ah, memories...:)

Joliegood

When Hillside was the cornfield.
The Nissan Classic going through the town (1987 I think).
Bitz bar in the Woodlands.
Dodgy spice burgers in Cabanas.
St Killians Hall
CSSM
Bernie Burkes shop in Blacklion now Hassetts
The old disco bar, now Danns.
When Watson and Johnson was a Leyland garage.
The toilets and shop that opened in the summer near the Mens.
The shelter opposite the Beach House.
Buying fishing bait from a shed behind the La Touche shop. Think the owners name was Mr Ryan ?
Getting a 1/4 lb of sweets on a Saturday from the La Touche shop.
Being able to get in to use the pitch in the Bog for a random kick-about.
The abbatoir at the bottom of Applewood Heights.
The Post Office before it moved.
The Stables for an under-age pint :eek::eek:
Keatings and Darcy's bookies.

drag0n79

FirstIn wrote: »

Or the 13th, as in the hole on the golf course that we all slid down when it snowed, I think the golf club renumbered the holes but I'll always remember it as the 13th.

Lots of memories in this thread.
That one made me laugh. jeeze did we destroy that hill! Out with the coal sacks and over to the 13th. Lads would still be on it when the snow had melted to slush, and then just muck. Obviously not funny for the golf club but what does a 5/6/7/8 year-old want to know about that!

The back lane down to the CBS and the orchard beside the pitch...
The little stream on the way up to Delgany(culverted now)...
The circle where they used to turn the trains around(near the old toilets at south beach)
The band at the festival always doing the same Buddy Holly and Elvis songs (every year!)

xshayx

The toilets in the harbour that were actual toilets
The inner harbour would properly fill with water
A whole lot more penny sweets than the 50p you were paying from the Shopping Basket
Lucky Dips from Flynns
Soundz
Bannons Jewellers
No thru road on Hillside road
St.Kevins rain shelter
The only thing in the whole Charlesland area being the Woodlands
The electrical shop next to where Murphys was that would sell you a betamax player as "state of the art"
Only a couple of places to eat!

sagat wrote:

Queueing 3 maybe 4 hours to see Batman at the Ormonde cinema.

yup, and Dicky Tracey film reel going on fire!

Crescent

Def remember the golf course in the snow the two little bumps at the end of the hill that generally sent you flying off the sled (or black plastic bag that most of us had!)

The grass that you could play on out the back of the La Touche Hotel.

And my favourite, the two goats that used to be in the field that you would take the short cut through after the cinema. There are now houses there so I am not too sure what it is called.

sylviam

Can anyone remember the name of the disco bar that was in the beach house where Dann's is now?

Fecker

Beaker selling you petrol at the Shell
The hole in the shutter at the Cinema..reaching in to borrow a Cornetto or 6

Getting a Ham Shandy round the back of the rugby club during the P'N'R Disco

Blue turtle promotions...mystery Raves.

Pernod & black off Chalie down the Burnaby before it became a pub for Twats (actually that never changed)

mikedragon32

Getting a Ham Shandy

What the... ???? :eek:

gcgirl

sylviam wrote: »

Can anyone remember the name of the disco bar that was in the beach house where Dann's is now?

The Den
i remember having to get 4 drinks and the 5th one would be free !

Joliegood

gcgirl wrote: »

The Den
i remember having to get 4 drinks and the 5th one would be free !

Wasn't that the name of the pub beside the La Touche, was also called Heroes and had a couple of unsuccesful attempts at being a restaurant.

As for Blue Turtle Promotions, the man behind it (Steve Carroll) would be serving you a pint in the Stables and then serving you your chips from Jokers on the way home !! Seemed to be working everywhere !

juanyjuans

Ravers flavored vodka in Flynns.
Max Cider in Flynns.
Peach champagne cider in Flynns.
Getting served all the above while in school uniform in Flynns.
Drinking all the above in Darcys Field.
Being refused from Lautrex but told to walk off all the drink u just skulled and come back in 20 mins.
Smuggling chewing gum into junior Lautex.
Curry being served at the end of the night in Lautrex.
Somehow not falling over the wall at the cove when hammered after Lautrex.

Joliegood

juanyjuans wrote: »

Being refused from Lautrex but told to walk off all the drink u just skulled and come back in 20 mins.
Smuggling chewing gum into junior Lautex.
Curry being served at the end of the night in Lautrex.
Somehow not falling over the wall at the cove when hammered after Lautrex.

Leo who used to do the door in Lautrex. All dressed up in his trench coat and giving it the whole 'you're a bit casual tonight'. What a twat !!

sylviam

The Byrnes giving 1 free drink for each 4 bought, I doubt that...

Joliegood

The waves crashing over the harbour wall in bad weather. Some great photos in the Beach House bar of these.

Then the whooshing sound of the hole that was put in the harbour to stop the waves crashing over.

sagat

Joliegood wrote: »

CSSM
The shelter opposite the Beach House.
The abbatoir at the bottom of Applewood Heights.

I'm assuming the CSSM is still going, plenty of Catholic kids were sent into it by their mothers before the summer project started up as a way of keeping them busy during the mischief months.

The shelter in the harbour was brilliant, font memories of climbing on top of it.

I always found it very amusing the the abbatoir and vetinary hospital were side by side, no wonder poor pets were terrified of a trip to the vet the stench of dead animals must have been overwhelming for the little buggers.

drag0n79 wrote: »

The back lane down to the CBS and the orchard beside the pitch...

I dished out and received a kicking or two down that lane after school.

xshayx wrote: »

Soundz
No thru road on Hillside road
The electrical shop next to where Murphys was that would sell you a betamax player as "state of the art"
yup, and Dicky Tracey film reel going on fire!

Soundz, I was racking my head trying to remember the name.

Never understood the purpose of that hillside road blockade.

That electrical shop that took 2 weeks to do a little soldering job, I always assumed it was a front for some nefarious activity.

Never heard of the Dick tracey incident but it conjured up a very amusing mental image of a panicked Graham Spurling in a silk dressing gown running with a fire extinguisher.

Fecker wrote: »

Getting a Ham Shandy round the back of the rugby club during the P'N'R Disco

The Bishop Basher

Great thread ...ah the memories..

The Baskervilles posters and great gigs down the stables
The Swinging Chickens playing down in the stables (singer was a goose)
The Camel Humps (BMX track when they were building Heathervue)
The corn fields (where Tesco's is now)
The lads in Pascal Keoghs using Beaker for dodge ball against the side wall
Royal Gold at £2 a bottle in John Flynn's
Summers spent hanging out in the basketball courts in David's
The smell of pipe smoke in Murphy's when you went in to get a pack of 10
The look on Joe's face when you had a big win on the pokies down in sweeney's
Quinn's old house on church road which was derelict and was great for scaring the beejazuz out of you walking through it at night
Mr. Freezes from Bridie Mooney's and the La Touche
Hanging out at the UT (Urine Temple)
Drinking up by the three trout bridge
Joe's king burger


Great days

Pablo Sanchez

Joliegood wrote: »

Wasn't that the name of the pub beside the La Touche, was also called Heroes and had a couple of unsuccesful attempts at being a restaurant.

Think that was Benningans?

thecommander

Pablo Sanchez wrote: »

Joliegood wrote: »

Wasn't that the name of the pub beside the La Touche, was also called Heroes and had a couple of unsuccesful attempts at being a restaurant.

Think that was Benningans?

It was Heroes, then Pebble Cove, then Papa Macs

sagat

The lads in Pascal Keoghs using Beaker for dodge ball against the side wall

That is so wrong!

The look on Joe's face when you had a big win on the pokies down in sweeney's

I didn't think Joe's machines allowed such things to happen.


Remember the Circus used to come to town and would plant itself behind the Beach House, perfect spot parents would dump there kids by the tent with a roll of pound notes and head straight in for a pint. One year some circus was down by the south beach where the playground is now and it had everything including tigers in cages.

drag0n79

Pablo Sanchez wrote: »

Joliegood wrote: »

Wasn't that the name of the pub beside the La Touche, was also called Heroes and had a couple of unsuccesful attempts at being a restaurant.

Think that was Benningans?

No, out the front of the La Touche.

The Real B-man

Anybody got and Retro photos of Greystones?

wicklowdub

There is a good one in Declans Barber shop, circa 1900's I think.

AJ1

Or Frank Clarke who kept you talking so much you didn't notice how much of a balls he made of your haircut 'till you got out:rolleyes:

Who remembers 'Oasis' it was a youth club organised by the born again Christians - we used to endure the lectures half-way during the evening so we could get back on the computer.

Or the P&R down the Rugby Club:D

pixbyjohn

FirstIn wrote: »

Before it was the Shopping Basket it was Loves Supermarket. Remember that? Wasn't there a pet shop around the back of it!

When Hills sold petrol on the mainstreet, wasn't it maxol and free a nipper days. My old man always said his car ran really bad with it, said it was russian petrol! He always bought it so it couldn't have been all that bad!

Wasn't the Shell station called Pattersons, we always referred to it as that. A bloke called Billy O'Brien had a car repair place there and then the Shell station was run by Leonard's and there was a tyre place at the side.

Pattersons was and still is in Delgany. The Shell in Greystones was originally owned by Watson & Johnson's. The reason they had that second petrol station was because they were the Main dealers for Morris and Austin. In those days Lincoln and Nolan assembled Austin and Brittains assembled Morris, and they would not let you show both makes in the same premises. So supposedly Austins were sold from the Shell and Morris was sold from the main garage opposite the park.
Paschal Keogh then bought it and that was when Billy O Brien rented the workshop. After Paschal went Ru Leonard ran it but he passed away suddenly.

pixbyjohn

sagat wrote: »

That is so wrong!


I didn't think Joe's machines allowed such things to happen.


Remember the Circus used to come to town and would plant itself behind the Beach House, perfect spot parents would dump there kids by the tent with a roll of pound notes and head straight in for a pint. One year some circus was down by the south beach where the playground is now and it had everything including tigers in cages.

And before that the circus was always in the Arch field (the soccer pitch ).
I remember also going to the Mc Fadden's road show in the Arch Field and then going to Pennycooks for chips. Do you remember when Joes was owned by Stan Carlisle and he had Penny slots on the wall outside.
Then Stan Acheson bought the Anchor as it was called and he had a Juke box and football tables inside. Mrs Somers worked in the shop part.

pixbyjohn

Josie Martin had the Barbers shop and Mick Keating had the bookies but in between there was a little shop that sold jewellery and odd bits run by a lady. John Ledwidge ran a bookies in behind where Joker's (Comino's ) chipper is now, the entrance was through the passageway beside the Chipper.
Does anyone remember the cake shop opposite St. Killian's hall where Tina worked ,Sharavogue it was called. It later became a chipper. On the other side up the road from Killian's hall there was a clothes shop too.
Remember Gethings sweet shop where the upholstry shop is now opposite where Moran's fish shop was. Also where Declans Barbers shop is there was a chemist there.

pixbyjohn

Does anyone remember when the Woodlands was the Clyda hotel owned by the Carmodys ?
Killincarrig had 3 shops, Bridgie O Brien's and Clarks which was in Irish O Cleric and down the hill where the 2 large new houses are now there was a clothes shop owned by an O Brien family.

pixbyjohn

Tom Kilbride built and ran the shop at Grattan Park where Donnybrook Fair now has a shop, then "Cactus" Dunne ran it. then it was owned by a family whose son was drowned off the harbour at Greystones, after they moved on Pat Flynn bought it.
In Blacklion there were 2 shops, Condells where the chemist is now and McKenzies was in a galvanised roofed shop under the road in what would now be Hassets yard, Then Peter Breen bought it and eventually built the shop where Hassets is now. Bernie Burke owned it after Breens and Bernie ran a great business there.
The 2 butchers shops in Greystones were Fenelon's and Fox's. Fox's was where the new Morans fish shop is now and next door was Fenelon's where the Credit Union is now.

pixbyjohn

I remember Fallon's shop, it was a sweet and newsagency and they had a fish and vegetable shop beside it also. And a Mr. Farrelly ran the paper shop in the train station for years.
The Copper Kettle owned by the Finnegans was a very upmarket cafe where the gentry went, they also made lovely chocolate eclairs. Remember when Nikki Cox took it over and had it as a regular cafe with fish and chips.

pixbyjohn

The Hotels of Greystones long ago.
Clyda Hotel (Woodlands), Railway Hotel (Burnaby), Seapatrick Hotel ( Greystones Nursing Home), Grand Hotel ( La Touche) Whites Hotel on site where St. Bridgets Primary School is now. Trenarren Hotel (opposite the Centra at the Ormonde, now apartments) Cliff House Hotel on the Greystones side of Bray Head.

pixbyjohn

Can anyone remember Mc Farlands where the AIB bank is now ? also what was the name of the grocery shop where O Briens off licence is now.
Stanley Stores where Fenton Fires is now

xshayx

sagat wrote:

That electrical shop that took 2 weeks to do a little soldering job, I always assumed it was a front for some nefarious activity.

exactly!!

sagat wrote:

Graham Spurling in a silk dressing gown running with a fire extinguisher.

:D:D

The dodgey self service laundry place down the lane O'Briens off-license blocked off
The height of fashion in Bells

Jabba90

shopping basket????.

sagat

xshayx wrote: »

The dodgey self service laundry place down the lane O'Briens off-license blocked off

I had forgotten about that and the field behind for a handy shortcut.

Pixbyjohn you have memories of Greystones going back long before my existance. Can you tell me what occupied the site of St Davids prior to the construction of those ghastly building? and was there always so few pubs in the village? even before the Byrnes if there ever was such a time?

Fiachra2

Pony rides in the field behind Sweeneys where the apartments are now?
When St Kevins was, like, huge even though it was less than half the size it is now?
My memory of the lane out the back of St Kevins was spending as long as possible walking down it on the way back from confession on the last friday of every month. (although I do accept that there were some kickings engaged in there as well)
Does anyone remember the notorious Brother Floyd?

Fiachra2

The Real B-man wrote: »

Anybody got and Retro photos of Greystones?

Derek Paines books. At least one is still in print and can be got in Mooneys

pixbyjohn

Fiachra2 wrote: »

Pony rides in the field behind Sweeneys where the apartments are now?
When St Kevins was, like, huge even though it was less than half the size it is now?
My memory of the lane out the back of St Kevins was spending as long as possible walking down it on the way back from confession on the last friday of every month. (although I do accept that there were some kickings engaged in there as well)
Does anyone remember the notorious Brother Floyd?

Do you remember being asked on the Monday if you went to Mass on the Saturday after the Friday confession ?
2nd Class, Br. Walsh. 3rd Class Br. ? 4th class, Br Donovan. 5th class Br. Brierton " Charlie". 6th class, Br. King or Chewy. There was also Master Ryle.

Does anyone remember the First Holy Communion breakfast in Killians hall after the mass.

pixbyjohn

sagat wrote: »

I had forgotten about that and the field behind for a handy shortcut.

Pixbyjohn you have memories of Greystones going back long before my existance. Can you tell me what occupied the site of St Davids prior to the construction of those ghastly building? and was there always so few pubs in the village? even before the Byrnes if there ever was such a time?

I can remember going to the St. David's garden fete in the field where St. Davids is now. The old St. Davids was where St. Bridgets is now and there was a boarding part of St. Davids which was originally Whites hotel. St. Davids junior school was in a house on the seafront on the harbour side of the new St. Davids building. The Nuns owned a lot of land between the convent and the sea front.

pixbyjohn

sagat wrote: »

I had forgotten about that and the field behind for a handy shortcut.

Pixbyjohn you have memories of Greystones going back long before my existance. Can you tell me what occupied the site of St Davids prior to the construction of those ghastly building? and was there always so few pubs in the village? even before the Byrnes if there ever was such a time?

The Burnaby bar was owned by Mr. Larkin from the Whitshed road and the Beach house was owned by Danns, it was also a grocery shop. Hence the name that is used over the music bar now. The Woodlands had a nice bar and lounge with piano music . The La Touche which had a small bar and a nice open fire.

pixbyjohn

Does anyone remember the bathing boxes along the south beach and the Quarter Deck shop which sold teas, coffee, hot water and ice cream owned by Mrs Kieran, whose son runs Natures Gold.
Does anyone remember when the beach was full every weekend and when donkey and pony rides were only 6 pence a go.

Does anyone have any photos of that time ?

pixbyjohn

The Tennis club used to be in a small area beside the old rugby club playing field before it moved to the spot opposite the La Touche Hotel. Now it is in a lovely spot almost back to where it started.

The Real B-man

Jabba90 wrote: »

shopping basket????.

Used to be where xtra vision and pianto classico is now