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3 days ago

Jim Kiely – – A Great Entertainer. By Mike Hackett
We don’t seem to appreciate our characters until they have passed away and left us. Think of Brendan Behan and Patrick Kavanagh as two examples – – they had passed on before recognition and appreciation became their rightful due.
One such man was Jim Kiely of Paradise Alley (Fleming’s Court) near North Abbey in Youghal. Nobody knows when or how the seven houses under that archway became known as Paradise Alley – – perhaps it was sarcasm – – because there was nothing to suggest ‘Paradise’ about it. Jim was good fun – – and but for the fact that it was named before he was born – – it might be attributed to his wit.
It was in 1957 – – when I was working for a butcher while on summer holidays – – that Jim came into my life. He also worked for the same man. At the time he was about twenty years of age – – while I was thirteen. In those days – – boys on their holidays in summer tried to get work as messenger boys etc. to help support the family. Ned Coyne was the name of the butcher – – was newly married – – and lived over his shop on the North Main Street.
One morning we attended at 9 am as usual for work – – but the shop was still locked up. Jim stood well back on the footpath and started to shout up at the windows over the shop “Get up Ned – – it’s time for the shop to open. I know how you feel but there are people here looking for corned beef”. That was a fib – – there was nobody else waiting – – but Jim wanted to get his laugh.
When Ned did finally surface – – he sent the two of us five miles out the country to ‘hunt’ in twenty sheep that he had bought from a farmer. Away we went and walked out the five miles for a start – – but when we got to the farm – – the twenty sheep were in a mix of four fields with only broken ditches between them. Such a hard job it was to get the animals out onto the road. Eventually we succeeded and ran them towards town – – one of us getting to every gap and cross-roads before them. It went well enough on the country roads – – but the fun started when we reached the town. The regular C.I.E. bus was ready to go to Cork at the bus-stop – – with the door open on the footpath side. Driver Bertie Doyle was at the wheel and conductor Mick Keogh was standing at the open door. Half of our sheep went down outside the bus – – but the other half went inside on the footpath. The first sheep went up the steps into the bus – – to be followed by nine more. Mick Keogh couldn’t stop laughing as the sheep passed him to go into the bus. He kept saying “Fares please – – Fares please” midst his guffaws of laughter. That was great fun for him – – but the two fools had to catch the sheep – – one by one – – by the wool of their butts and haul them out. Off we went with them down the street to catch up with the other sheep. And the fun wasn’t over yet! Merrick’s big drapery shop had the big double-doors wide open as it was summer time – – and in went the first sheep to be followed by all the others. Consternation inside! Girls standing up on the counters with fright – – and animals running around unable to find a way out. The two ‘chasers’ (us) at last got them all out and made our way down to the slaughter house on the quayside. Jim got great satisfaction and value from telling that story in the pub for many months afterwards. “Have a pint Jim and tell us about the sheep in the bus and about when they went into Merrick’s”. After a few tellings – – Jim started to embellish and exaggerate the story. He told of seeing a sheep wearing a hat and another wearing a dress – – but what amused him most was the sheep with the sunglasses. “Have another pint Jim”.
And while we are on the topic of ‘hunting’ sheep – – let me tell about another day as we ran a dozen sheep along Tallow Street heading for the slaughter house. There was a row of old houses right on the roadside – – with just the footpath in front of them. One of the sheep saw his reflection in a window pane and decided to join the good-looking sheep inside (as he thought). He jumped through the glass and smashed the window to start running around the kitchen. Living in the house was a small woman – – and she was having her tea. She was sitting on a chair without her feet touching the ground. She got some fright! We heard a shout “Help! Help! what is it?” Going in the front door – – we opened the kitchen door and the sheep ran out. Happy Days!
It was 1963 before the R.T.E. television reception could be received in the South of Ireland – – and that predated the hire-purchase act that enabled poor people to purchase a T.V. set and pay in instalments. This led to the dealers renting out sets at a price per week – – and in some cases they gave a set with a coin-box attached – – to pay as you watched. It was usually a sixpenny slot that lasted for a few hours. The E.S.B. also had their coin-box for electricity supply and this took a two-shilling piece. Jim sat down at home one night to watch his favourite programme ‘The Fugitive’ – – a weekly serial about a man who was on the run from the police. It was very exciting – – every week he would almost be caught. The programme had only been on a short time that night when the sixpence was used up and the reception cut off. Jim ran across the road to Pad McCarthy’s shop for a coin and promptly inserted it in the coin-box. The Fugitive was still on the run – – until the electricity went off because the two-shillings was used up. Again Jim ran across to Pad McCarthy’s for a two-shilling coin – – and this time there were a few customers ahead of him. Then having got the coin – – he ran home and quickly placed it in the electricity meter – – but the episode had just finished. Jim saw the funny side “It cost me two shillings and sixpence and I still don’t know if the police caught him or not”.

A few years later – – disaster struck when Jim was in a bad car crash near Castlemartyr and died at the scene. He had always joked with a neighbour – – Aidan O’Connor – – saying that if anything happened to him – – he would wish Aidan to dig his grave. Aidan had been a Sergeant in the Irish Army for twenty-five years and in retirement he used to dig an odd grave. He lived in a row of houses just over the graveyard wall and it was handy for the funeral people to call on him. So it came to pass – – but when Aidan was digging the grave for his pal Jim’s burial – – he died suddenly of a heart attack. We had a story a few weeks ago about a dead man coming out of a graveyard – – and the man it referred to was the part-time grave-digger Aidan O’Connor. His son – – also Aidan – – and a daughter Cassie now live in Dungarvan.
– Mike Hackett.

Pictures:
Jim Kiely at the quayside in Youghal
John McCarthy with Jim and Billy Kiely
Jim Kiely’s home in Paradise Alley … See MoreSee Less

YoughalOnline.com

3 days ago

100 YEARS AGO: THE PILTOWN AMBUSH (1 NOVEMBER 1920) By Ivan Lennon

By the summer of 1920 the I.R.A. policy of attacking British administrative and police structures was bearing fruit. In August the Waterford R.I.C County Inspector noted: “there is hostility to the police everywhere…I do not regard it as safe for a single police vehicle to travel. We are losing men everyday from retirement and resignations and getting practically no recruits…. I see no alternative to evacuating some of the stations that we still hold. At present we run the risk of being weak everywhere and strong nowhere.”

On 15 August 1920 a second attack was made, under Jim Mansfield, on the police barracks in Ardmore. Verey Light flares were launched into the sky to secure help for the beleagured garrison. Accordingly, British military were sent out from the Youghal Barracks.

Seeking to capitalize on this knowledge, Brigade O/C Pax Whelan, ASU O/C George Lennon, ASU Vice O/C Mick Mansfield and returned Great War veteran Sean Riordan then set out to plan what was to be the first large scale attack by the local Flying Column on British forces in the Deise. Historian/writer Terry O’Reilly noted Riordan as being of that generation of soldiers nearly wiped out in the Great War. He had fought at the killing fields of Mons and Ypres before being wounded at La Bassee.

Chosen as the ambush site was Piltown Cross , the old name for the village of Kinsalebeg. According to Riordan this “was the most likely spot … to engage the enemy as he came along the road from Youghal.” Chosen as the date was 1 November (“All Souls Night”) – coincidentally the scheduled date (as announced on 28 October) for the hanging of UCD medical student Kevin Barry in Dublin.

That evening Volunteers Jim Mansfield, Pat Keating and “Pakeen” Whelan undertook the feint attack on the Ardmore Main Street Barracks. As anticipated, Verey lights were launched skyward. Leaving the local men to keep the barracks under fire, the three men cycled back to Piltown arriving circa 11 P.M. Located in various positions with Lennon, Riordan, Pax Whelan and Mick Mansfield were Sean Wade, Paddy O’Donnell, Michael Morrissey, Paddy Lynch, Declan Slattery, Ned Kirby, Michael Curran, Willie Walsh, Tom Sheehan, Jim Prendergast, Jim Lonergan, “Skins” Whelan, “Nipper” McCarthy, George Kiely, Patsy Veale and Tom Veale.

Additionally, for the Third Battalion (Ardmore/Old Parish) this was a very large undertaking with at least eleven positions manned at various outposts up to a several mile radius of the Piltown intersection

The plan worked well although the military, (2nd Hampshire Regiment) with 2 R.I.C. “guides” (O’Neill and Prendiville) in a single lorry from Youghal, were not spotted until they were on the bridge crossing the Blackwater. Reaching an uncompleted trench, which failed to stop it, the vehicle was fired upon and the driver killed. Riordan observed that “the suddenness of the attack seemed to have taken the wind out of their sails. They surrendered without a murmur.” Captured were the two constables and a youthful British Lieutenant Griffin. The two R.I.C. were taken
up the road towards Clashmore and informed that they would be shot unless they gave their word that they would resign from the R.I.C. Prendergast stated that “as news of Kevin Barry’s execution had not reached us, we decided not to proceed with the hanging of the British officer.”

Contrary to the British reported single death of the driver (Private Albert Leigh) the I.R.A listed two enemy killed and “about a half dozen wounded.” Much needed weaponry – reportedly some eighteen Lee-Enfield rifles, police carbine/ revolvers, the Lieutenant’s revolver plus grenades and ammunition – were seized and the wounded attended to.

However, the lorry could not be restarted and the Volunteers accordingly procured a horse and dray to enable the soldiers, under Lieutenant Griffin, to take their wounded back to Youghal. This most chivalrous action was taken in the expectation that the enemy, in the future, would extend the same courtesy to captured Volunteers – i.e., to be treated as military combatants not civil insurrectionists.

There were repercussions to follow this engagement. True to his word, Constable O’Neill “walked out” of the R.I.C. but Prendiville continued on in the force and, some weeks later (3 December) crossing the Youghal Bridge to bring a pension payment to the keeper on the Waterford side of the Blackwater, was fatally wounded along with two other members of the patrol. Reportedly responsible for the shootings were Clashmore’s Bill Foley along with his brother Bob, Bill Murray, Mick Healy and Bill Kiely.

Significantly, the Volunteers were seemingly, in the future, much less reluctant to confront and shoot members of the R.I.C. and Black and Tans. Late November witnessed the deaths, in separate Cappoquin incidents, of Constables Rea (21 November) and Quirk (27 November) by Piltown participants (Lennon, Riordan, Mick Mansfield, “Nipper” McCarthy, Ned Kirby and Pat Keating). Black and Tan deaths included Duddy at Scartacrooks on 3 March 1921 and Sydney Redman who was shot at the Burgery on 19 March along with executed local “police spy” Sergeant Michael Joseph Hickey. Constable Denis O’Leary was ambushed cycling to his lodgings in Carribeg on 9 June. Early July saw the death, near Tallow, of Constable Francis Creedon.

However, captured British military foes were generally viewed in a different light than the native informants of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Released at the Burgery Ambush (18-19 March 1921) was Captain Thomas, O/C of the Buffs Regiment. This was done at the instigation of G.H.Q’s Seorise Plunkett who was the ranking officer at the ambush and viewed by Pax Whelan as being “most humane.”

Sadly, the release of Thomas was to have fatal repercussions when, just days prior to the 11 July Truce, land mines, likely installed by Thomas’ men from Dungarvan Castle, resulted in the deaths of six men, including Volunteer Johnny Quinn, and the wounding of several others. These Kilgobinet deaths were the last to occur in the Deise during the War of Independence.

Pictures:
Sean Riordan
Ardmore Author Tommy Mooney at the Piltown Monument
Piltown Ambush Memorial
Sketch of Piltown site … See MoreSee Less

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YoughalOnline.com

3 days ago

Gerald Pomphrett – – An Enjoyable Life – – Without Sight. By Mike Hackett

Allow me today — with your permission and patience – – to explain firstly my involvement with my blind walking partner Gerald Pomphrett. It was 1964 – -when I got back from working up the country with P & T – – I discovered (despite playing inter-county minor hurling for Roscommon) that my hurling artistry was not good enough to make it onto the Youghal team. So with the encouragement of the famous Billy Swayne – – I made it onto the ‘B’ grade (second string) lot. Then in a game at Copperalley against the Knockanore Shamrocks (with everybody clashing hurleys wildly on a wet muddy pitch) I accepted that it was not for me. There was no under 21 competition that time and if one didn’t make the first team – – then it was ‘skin-and-hair’ flying in the ‘B’ grade. Joe Fitzgerald of Shamrocks (who was a nice guy) and I had a pulling contest with the hurleys for the sliotar stuck in the mud. Yes! Definitely it was not for me. Young and fit made me look around for some other sport or exercise – – and walking became my pastime. An unsighted man lived near me and he loved to walk but he needed a guide. That was how the walking partnership started. Anyway that’s enough of an intro..
Gerald Pomphrett was dealt a tough hand in life – – going blind slowly from nine years of age because of an accident. Yet he was very outgoing and pleasant – – and enjoyed life to an amazing degree. He lived with his mother and four single brothers. Not the least of his fun were the long walks with his pals – – miles and more miles meant nothing to him. Some years as much as 1500 long-distance miles would be covered and well over 40,000 in total was walked with his friends on long journeys to neighbouring villages. He was completely unsighted and would just hold onto your sleeve – – moving in or out as you did.
To feel and smell the beautiful flowers,
To listen and tell for many hours.
Can an unsighted person enjoy life? Is there fun and laughter in a blind man’s day? The answer is a definite ‘Yes’. Gerald Pomphrett – – although blinded from a young age – – took a great interest in everything under the sun.
Hundreds of people in Ireland lose their sight every year – – according to the National Council for the Blind – – and seemingly this is a shocking statistic for a small population. Yet for those afflicted – – there are the other four faculties. As Gerald proved for over the seventy-nine years of his blindness – – the four can be enhanced to such an extent that – – while they will never replace sight – – they will go a long way further in gathering information for the brain than they ordinarily would. Talking, chuckling and laughing can be well done by blind people – – especially if encouraged. Too often the other person’s initial approach is so serious – – even pitying – – and because the disadvantaged one is still sensing the air – – the climate can drop. Gerald was the one to get it right from the start. No messing! No soft talk! He set the pace!
Listening to the radio – – talking to friends – – keeping an interest in the affairs of the town – – gave him the edge. He was an authority on most topics and was shrewd enough to say “I don’t know” when he didn’t. There is a funny side to life for everybody and being blind doesn’t shut it off. Stupid people would often speak to Gerald through me like “Does Gerald like a drink?” “Ask himself” is the best answer to that. Then Gerald pipes up “I can hear better than most people and I would love a pint”. It it wasn’t serious – – it could be amusing to hear a mature adult address Gerald in a raised voice and loud tone. He felt like answering “I may be blind but I’m not deaf as well”. You don’t have to see somebody to share experiences and laugh. The telephone is a good example of this and the radio is a one-way version.
Picture a group of old sailors down on the quayside telling yarns – – sharing stories – – how seldom do they look at each other? Rarely! They stare straight ahead out to sea – – as they talk away. Sight has nothing to do with the fun they are having – – half of what they are saying is lies and the other half is exaggerated. Everyone is poking fun! Nobody notices that a listener in the middle cannot see. He is laughing the loudest! Not a syllable has he missed! He is just being himself.
After a few walks on any road – – Gerald began to know his whereabouts by using his highly developed senses plus some clever deduction. Area scents like furze bushes, woodland, chimney fires, flower gardens and the birds on the mudflats all played their part. Likewise sounds like children playing, dogs barking, hens cackling, the wind in the trees, telephone poles humming or noisy milking machines – – all indicated specific locations.
Walking up the Tallow road one day – – Gerald said “We’re passing Nell Daly’s house”. How did he know that? He knew that Nell lived around but he was exactly right. Afterwards it became clear; he could smell the flowers plus the smell of a timber fire from the chimney and the little dog in the house was barking. On another occasion – – he said that somebody was ahead of us on the road – -but there was nobody to be seen. However having gone a few hundred yards more – – I looked back into a field below road level and saw a man hiding and ducking behind some cows. He did not want us to see him for some reason. We never solved that mystery but he had been spotted early by a man who couldn’t even see him.
Lombard’s Pub was a good target on the marches – – a haven of rest at a four cross roads – – only three miles from town by the shortest way. Numerous routes could be taken and still end up at Lombard’s. The owner Francis Casey was always welcoming and we would have a couple of pints of Murphy’s porter. John Lyons (the famous Cork full-back) was a rep for Guinness at the time and he arrived in one day as we were drinking the Murphy porter. Francis has poured it into glasses marked Murphy – – so there was no doubt about what kind we were drinking. John spoke with Francis for awhile before he went on his way. Then she told us who he was and Gerald – – being a great Cork hurling fan – – was very disappointed that he hadn’t ‘stood’ to us. But the next week she had told him about Gerald being a fan of his and how he felt let down. Then John left two pints for us and asked that we drink Guinness in future.
Lombard’s was the place where the urban and the rural met in harmony to chat and have plenty of laughs. The ceramic tiled floor, the timber counter, timber seating and the big log fire formed a bit of Old Ireland. Then the ‘townie’ would poke fun at the farm worker about how easy and relaxed his life was – – that he had little supervision – – no clocking in – – and no productivity targets to be met. Then the country man in the big leather boots and with four days beard on his chin – – blows a big cloud of pipe smoke from his mouth as if to screen away those urban types. “When did you last work a fourteen-hour day?” he asks. “Is that why you have no time to shave?” replies the townie. There is loud laughter in that little pub. A discussion could range from the condition of the Clock Gate to the price of calves – – or from clocking in at Youghal Carpets to the threshing at Moss Foley’s. And did you know that the crows start to build their nests every year on the 11th of March – – such things as one can learn from the country folk.
Memories of being fed in homes around the countryside comeback after all the years. Like the day we walked to Barnividane near Inch to visit Mary Godsil. Mary had spent many years in America and came home in retirement. It was an arranged visit and she had ham and tomatoes and tea all ready for us. Having marched eight miles – – we tucked into that meal with gusto. Another day – – also by arrangement – – we visited Bridie Carey at Ballydaniel – – and again we were treated royally. Her husband Jack had passed away shortly before that and she was feeling lonely. She produced the whiskey and soon we had her laughing – – she was a nice woman. Then there was the day we were passing along Coolbeggan near Knockanore. Paddy Hourigan’s mother called us in for tea and we spent an enjoyable hour with her while having a big feed. I hope that she didn’t let herself short – – she was not expecting us. Country people in Ireland long ago were like that – – so hospitable and so generous. Catherine Fleming (Kitty) was kind to us on several occasions – – calling us into her house at Glebe Templemichael as we struggled up Minister’s Hill. She would produce the small bottle of whiskey – – she did didn’t drink herself but would sit with us and share the news from town.
The home of Jack and Maisie Motherway at Park was another house where we were always welcome. Gerald and Maisie knew each other from their visits to Lourdes and they had loads to talk about. The tea, biscuits and whiskey were guaranteed and then Jack would start his (Clonpriest) jokes by wondering how we had so much free time to wander the roads. He told us that no farmer’s son could have time off like that and how he had worked fourteen hours a day as a boy. “Well Jack” said Gerald “You’re making up now for your hard start”.
Clare McCarthy of Ardmore often raided her mother’s kitchen to feed us quietly in Rooney’s pub across the road from her home in the Main Street of the village. She would make sandwiches for us to devour after our ten mile walk from Youghal. Afterwards she often came away with us for a few miles as we set off for the road. Roads were so much quieter then. Thanks Clare for helping to keep us alive. Helen Crowe of Villierstown invited us one time to walk the journey to her house – – and we did walk the fourteen miles on a Sunday. On arrival – – Helen presented me with a sliced pan and a pack of ham. She said she had to attend to the switchboard (they had the Post-Office) and the sandwiches had to be made by me. Giving the first one to Gerald – – he devoured it before the second one was made – – calling for another. He got the second one and quickly demolished it too. But when he called again for his third one – – he had to wait – – of course he could not see how slow the process was. After that – – it was every second one for each of us. Helen drove us back to Clashmore and after a visit to Tommy Beresford’s ‘Rising Sun’ pub – – we marched away home over the old metal bridge (it was still available for awhile to pedestrians – -even though the new concrete bridge had been opened in January 1963).
There was a day when coming back by Whiting Bay – – we were so hungry that we picked up two lumps of beet from a pile – – washed them and ate them as we ambled home.
Part 2 – – next week – – Mike Hackett.

Picture:
Gerald Pomphrett and Mike Hackett enjoying a pint in Lombard’s Pub.

At Cherrymount – Liam Cashman Gerald, Liky Landers and Mike Hackett

Chloe with Mike Hackett

Gerald alone at the Watson’r Corner, Youghal

Gerald went to Lourdes every year … See MoreSee Less

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YoughalOnline.com

6 days ago

The new sea wall protects part of the town from floodwaters: The new sea wall barrier helped protect against flooding on the Market Sq., area of town during the extreme October high tides and stormy weather conditions on the 20th October 2020. Other areas were no so fortunate as severe flooding occurred on streets leading from the quayside further up the town.

Emergency services comprising of the Youghal Fire Brigade, Youghal Coast Guard unit, Youghal Gardaí and council workers were busy dealing with the flooding and diverting traffic all morning. … See MoreSee Less