History of rush

The Hill Billy

@ceadnus - Please keep this to the history of Rush. If you wish to discuss Portmarnock in the 60's you should start a new thread.

tHB

ceadnus

Does anybody remember Tom Fagan who was the caretaker for Kenure House. I got to know him when I was a teenager walking up to Kenure House and being fascinated by it. One day he let me inside for a look around. I have never forgotten it. He lived in the lodge at the entrance to the estate in the Skerries road. I didn't know his name at the time. I think he died in 1995. I heard he was a native of Loughshinny and that he had been left another lodge somewhere on the estate by Fenwick Palmer. Tom told me that he had been a gardener on the estate. Does anybody have any more info on him or a picture. I've added his name to the find a grave site.

LeoB

I remember Tom very well. A real gentle person, nicely spoken. He used to come out to the soccer games and would have been very well known and respected.

I think Tom had a sister Lor (Lorretto) who worked in Prices for years. Tom would be related to Gerry of Gerry's supermarket in Skerries. All nice people, well the ones I met anyway.

LeoB

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Seen this posted on another site. The fields look to be in two locations in Rush. How the pub fronts have changed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=injyGwuWvBk

That is great to look at at.

Do you know anyone in them? The farmer J McCann is that John McCann from Hayestown or Joe from the the Harbour? The fields I thinks are opposite Tayleurs Point and the other location I dont know.

I remember the Harbour bar well like that. If memory serves me rightly Halpins and Colemans done a lot of the work. I remember Bobby Manson from Skerries working on it. I lived in the house on the corner about 50yards closer to the harbour, where the bus used to turn. The Main St was in better condition back then and for people who have followed this thread Echlins is on the right in the shot looking down the street with the red roof. It is now the green at Eurospar. Are the 2 houses with the pump outside at Mariners Point in the Hand Park?

LeoB

It is Joe McCann from the harbour ok. Part o0f this film was as you go up the hill opposite the harbour, towards the monument to "Rover" McCann. I dont remember this field but do remember where Knockabawn is built being a field, (next field up) and the field further up the road where Jones Caravan park was. I have a very vague memory of the Tulip fields where Hand Park estate is now built. Think they would have been built around 1969/70.

I remember seeing another video clip from that era of a procession in Rush.

Cardinal Richelieu

LeoB wrote: »

Are the 2 houses with the pump outside at Mariners Point in the Hand Park?

Nope, way off LeoB, I am surprised the out of town Kenure Woods experts didn't point out the woods behind the two houses to you. Its actually the pump outside the Old Girls School.

LeoB

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Nope, way off LeoB, I am surprised the out of town Kenure Woods experts didn't point out the woods behind the two houses to you. Its actually the pump outside the Old Girls School.

Ah I am way tooo young to remember these houses. I thought it might have been in the Brook off the Skerries Rd and just where the boundary of Golden ridge is where my Uncle Willie lived and Doyles but they were shaped differently.

But I can confirm its Joe McCann from the harbour who is the farmer. I dont remember him farming just with Glasshouses, but the field he was working at the time is where he now lives. I remember him with a few glasshouses behind the house but his son now has a house behind there now. I remember Christy having an Orange tractor, think it was a Fiat and I remember sitting on it up in "The Park" and the drive back down the street. No safety concerns back then. Young lads would be let stear the tractor when it was being loaded and all you were shown was how to stop it.

GreenLady

The Hand Park estate was built in 1974/75 and for years the resident could walk across the road and pick up hazards after the potato crop was picked with the Jones and Harford families farming land there as well as the McCanns. That bit of the landscape didn't really change for many years after Hand Park houses were built and apart from the age of the participants and the truck getting bigger that the spuds were loaded onto the scene would have been pretty much the same for about thirty years. If no one has asked him the editor of the Community News can give plenty of information about that particular view since he was one of the early Hand Park residents and looked at it for about twenty years

GreenLady

Do remember an evening in the Cradle Rock one night when, some time around midnight a member of an Gardai Siochana walked in, took in the the faces of the members of the Community Council, a couple of local politicians including at least one TD and a journalist or so and turned round and quietly walked out again

martinn123

GreenLady wrote: »

Do remember an evening in the Cradle Rock one night when, some time around midnight a member of an Gardai Siochana walked in, took in the the faces of the members of the Community Council, a couple of local politicians including at least one TD and a journalist or so and turned round and quietly walked out again

Unless you were there, it's an urban legend, told about most pubs in Ireland, never mind NCD.

'' Do you want a pint, or a transfer, Guard,''

GreenLady

martinn123 wrote: »

Unless you were there, it's an urban legend, told about most pubs in Ireland, never mind NCD.

'' Do you want a pint, or a transfer, Guard,''

I did say "I remember" not "I heard about". Could give names of most of those present including the Guard, TD, journalist etc but I won't. The Guard wasn't offered a pint, nor would he have accepted one - he was good at his job - but he did say he'd be back in a quarter of an hour as he left. And everyone said their goodnights and left too.

Cardinal Richelieu

GreenLady wrote: »

The Hand Park estate was built in 1974/75 and for years the resident could walk across the road and pick up hazards after the potato crop was picked with the Jones and Harford families farming land there as well as the McCanns. That bit of the landscape didn't really change for many years after Hand Park houses were built and apart from the age of the participants and the truck getting bigger that the spuds were loaded onto the scene would have been pretty much the same for about thirty years. If no one has asked him the editor of the Community News can give plenty of information about that particular view since he was one of the early Hand Park residents and looked at it for about twenty years

Hazards for anyone that doesn't know are the really small new potatoes, in the early new potato crops they would be chipped up and sold in the Dublin Market. Another term used in Rush in relation to potato crops is "Stags" which was the seed potato that was planted to grow the crop.

GreenLady

And the shoots really do look like antlers in that film - hence stags I guess. And the big threat to that early crop the "Hash wind" blowing cold from the sea to the east of the potato fields in late April/early May. We certainly got it this year

LeoB

GreenLady wrote: »

Do remember an evening in the Cradle Rock one night when, some time around midnight a member of an Gardai Siochana walked in, took in the the faces of the members of the Community Council, a couple of local politicians including at least one TD and a journalist or so and turned round and quietly walked out again

I remember playing in a GAA final, McArdle cup I think a midweek game and going for a few pints (good few) after the game. The guard in question noted what we were drinking and told the few drivers he would expect to see the cars parked there in the morning when he was on duty. Fair enough. It was quite common for a local guard living in the community with any kop on to give lads a bit of a warning

martinn123 wrote: »

Unless you were there, it's an urban legend, told about most pubs in Ireland, never mind NCD.

'' Do you want a pint, or a transfer, Guard,''

No urban legend at all. I think you refer to a famous case involving a goverment minister?

GreenLady wrote: »

I did say "I remember" not "I heard about". Could give names of most of those present including the Guard, TD, journalist etc but I won't. The Guard wasn't offered a pint, nor would he have accepted one - he was good at his job - but he did say he'd be back in a quarter of an hour as he left. And everyone said their goodnights and left too.

Common practice

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Hazards for anyone that doesn't know are the really small new potatoes, in the early new potato crops they would be chipped up and sold in the Dublin Market. Another term used in Rush in relation to potato crops is "Stags" which was the seed potato that was planted to grow the crop.

Well kids back then used a few hazards to hit targets around at the crows nest or a few cans set up on the bull wall. Then some smart fckr would let rip from behind the Quay wall and near take your head off.

I thought Hand Park was built a little earlier than 74/75??
Do you remember the few crash's at the slip? just down from harbour bar. Remember waking up one morning and the hall covered with blood. Thankfully no fatalities.

GreenLady

LeoB wrote: »

I remember playing in a GAA final, McArdle cup I think a midweek game and going for a few pints (good few) after the game. The guard in question noted what we were drinking and told the few drivers he would expect to see the cars parked there in the morning when he was on duty. Fair enough. It was quite common for a local guard living in the community with any kop on to give lads a bit of a warning


No urban legend at all. I think you refer to a famous case involving a goverment minister?


Indeed that case was cited by Noel Whelan in his book about Fianna Fail earlier this year.

Yes, I remember at least one quite nasty crash at the slip - though like you I don't remember any fatalities. Don't remember the blood.

And a quick check of documentation suggests that building may have begun on the Hand Park in '73 but most of the sales were made and the houses occupied in '74. The last few we think may not have been completed until '75

It may have been me roaring at you from over the Quay wall if a spud whistled past my ear when I was out picking winkles

LeoB

Picking whinkles.

Hard earned money. I remember quite a few used to pick whinkles back then. Lor Dennis, Fargie, most kids at some stage and quite a few women. Into buckets and then accross to the harbour where they were weighed into bags and a ford transit van used to arrive around 6 to pick them up.

There was a good few also worked in the prawn factory on South shore Rd also.
Do you remember much else from the Harbour area?

GreenLady

Corsendonk wrote: »

Lady Palmer paid for her bursary to study at Covent Garden.

Just noticed this from way back when - it was the Royal Academy of Music Lady Palmer paid for her to study at, not Covent Garden. The recordings of her show she was a superb artist. Her stage costumes were all bought after her death by Garech de Brun and were exhibited in the Concert Hall at a commemorative event in the 80s. You can hear her on YouTube

GreenLady

LeoB wrote: »

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Well I think they are both sitting outside Rush houses. I know where one is and If I remember I will check where the other one but think its in a Rush garden.


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Don't know who has them now but I saw them being "liberated" at the time. A lot of the interior plasterwork was used to repair Malahide Castle. Michael Lynch argued for the Council to keep the house but lost that one - at least he managed to save Ardgillan and Malahide

GreenLady

On the Good Old Days front it had no planning permission and was a fire trap. The cost of making it safe would have been prohibitive. But yes, there was some interesting stuff in there and it was great fun

GreenLady

Mind you the food was just plain awful and I did hear that the health inspectors took a close interest after a food poisoning outbreak - but most mass catering involved food poisoning outbreaks in those days

GreenLady

Picking winkles wasn't as hard as shelling prawns at Butterly's which really destroyed your hands. It was better paid too back in the mid70s than it was by the times you are talking about. Less people doing it, especially in winter. For the serious pickers the truck came round to the door. It wasn't hard to make twice what a teacher was paid if you were prepared to go out whatever the weather. In fact it wasn't difficult for a good worker to make a very substantial income on the different kinds of piece work that were available then.

Many of my memories would involve named individuals who might not want to be discussed on a public forum - and their children might like it even less. Rush is still a great community but as you know back then it was a much smaller one revolving around just a few institutions - Church, GAA, political parties being the most significant. Can anyone remember a Rush funeral way back then that didn't have a politician at the grave side?

Cardinal Richelieu

One of these washed up on the rocks down at the head years ago. Fortunately someone spotted it before it blew up but some houses in Tower Road ended up with rocks through the roofs.

GreenLady

When was that - I remember one controlled explosion but I can't put a date to it, but I can't remember rocks through roofs

Cardinal Richelieu

GreenLady wrote: »

When was that - I remember one controlled explosion but I can't put a date to it, but I can't remember rocks through roofs

Would be 40s to very early 50s. A relative ended up with a large chunk of rock on their bed.

LeoB

GreenLady wrote: »

Picking winkles wasn't as hard as shelling prawns at Butterly's which really destroyed your hands. It was better paid too back in the mid70s than it was by the times you are talking about. Less people doing it, especially in winter. For the serious pickers the truck came round to the door. It wasn't hard to make twice what a teacher was paid if you were prepared to go out whatever the weather. In fact it wasn't difficult for a good worker to make a very substantial income on the different kinds of piece work that were available then. ?

I only ever tailed prawns on the Trawler St. Peter when I was about 10 or 11. The trawlers were a big thing back then. I never worked in Butterlys but quite a few were glad of the few extra £. Twisting and shooting tomatoes or picking spuds on task was a great earner if you were a good worker. Quite a few put themselves through collage thanks to task work where the more you picked the more earned. I picked tomatoes in Farrens back in 1977 to pay for scount jamboree to Mount Mellary in Waterford.

GreenLady wrote: »

Many of my memories would involve named individuals who might not want to be discussed on a public forum - and their children might like it even less. Rush is still a great community but as you know back then it was a much smaller one revolving around just a few institutions - Church, GAA, political parties being the most significant. Can anyone remember a Rush funeral way back then that didn't have a politician at the grave side?

Think most of us would be the same. However one good charachter I was talking about last night was Tomas McGee. I remember as a child listening to him playing his accordian in the harbour bar. His dog barked one evening and he threw it at the dog and said "Well you play it" There were some great charachter back then around Rush.

Captain Zeebrugger one man was christened after going on to the rocks.

Despite the huge change in society still quite a bit is happening around the institutions you mention, F.G may be reforming, F.F are doing a lot of work on the ground Labour have a good few members but the Greens seem to eh have done a vanishing act. You are right though every funeral had a few politicans at them. Seems to be coming back a little aswell. G.A.A is not only the biggest club in Rush but is now one of the top clubs in Dublin. Unfortunatley the church locally has a bit of a crisis on its hands at moment.

The Hill Billy

@GreenLady - I've deleted your last post. Do not post unsubstantiated defamatory or potentially libellous comments in this forum (or anywhere on boards.ie).

tHB

Cardinal Richelieu

Did anyone get a chance to go to the recent "History of the Convent" talk? Sadly I missed it.

LeoB

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Did anyone get a chance to go to the recent "History of the Convent" talk? Sadly I missed it.

Are we talking St Josephs school Or St. Josephs on Old Rd?

Think they produced a book last year for the 50th Anniversary. I am sure there are copies in the school or Rush library.

As someone said to me during the week,.................. Ah no I aint getting banned....

The school has served Rush and its hinterland well and is performing very well. Heres to the next 50 years

Cardinal Richelieu

GreenLady wrote: »

Rush is still a great community but as you know back then it was a much smaller one revolving around just a few institutions - Church, GAA, political parties being the most significant.

DeValera Ireland, every village and town was the same and the institutions were interconnected. Just look at the GAA stars over the years elected to the Dail or priests that served on GAA Boards. Even many GAA Club catchment areas are based on CC parish boundaries. Actually I don't think much has changed except the weakening of the Church influence. Brogans already touted as FG TDs of the future.

LeoB wrote: »

Are we talking St Josephs school Or St. Josephs on Old Rd?

Think they produced a book last year for the 50th Anniversary. I am sure there are copies in the school or Rush library.

As someone said to me during the week,.................. Ah no I aint getting banned....

The school has served Rush and its hinterland well and is performing very well. Heres to the next 50 years

The Convent on Convent Lane which use to be Post Office Lane before then. There was a well know case of the Church clashing with the Church in Rush when a very popular PP was reported by the local Sisters of Mercy to the bishop. Part of this man's popularity was due to having claim to one of the fastest mass times ever know. He was much too busy minding his cattle to be distracted by long masses and sermons and his bad leg may have added to that. For some strange reason his mass was always the most packed in the days everyone had to attend mass. The Nuns reported the poor man to his Bishop on the charge that he was not saying Mass correctly. They seem to be of the opinion that mass should be a physical challenge and involve some suffering for the mass goers. Fortunately for the priest the nuns seemed to have put the Bishops nose out of joint because his reaction was to ask them had the PP left any of the important parts of the service out which he had not. So charges were dropped and the PP would be know to hop in the opposite direction in the Main St from the Nuns who he couldn't stand.

The same priest main passion in life was to attend to his cattle which he kept were the new Church is, he would "borrow" fodder from the local farmers with no intention of returning it of course. Perhaps this constant interaction with the local community also made him more approachable and endeared him to the greater community who would have little contact with priests outside births, deaths and marriage. Every year some cattle would go to auction and the proceeds would go to charity.

GreenLady

Which PP was that? - before my time anyway. When we moved to Rush the PP was an amazing rose grower and the parochial house had the most lovely roses in the garden. He was very old. The garden was destroyed to make way for the new church of course