Down Memory Lane

Mural in the grounds of St. John’s church Tralee

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Remember This?

This busmen’s hut used to be in the middle of Patrick Street

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Down Memory Lane with Carmel

The next instalment of Carmel Hanrahan’s reminiscences and photos…

The 1970’s seemed to bring a number of returning American families.  Mary Scanlon and her many brothers moved in further up Cahirdown and was “double first cousins” with a family on Church Street.  I had never heard of that before.  The Reagans moved in across the road in one of the new estates and there was a returning family which ran one of the bars on Market Street.

We had a few people join us in Secondary School from England too.  One was a girl called Mary Salmon and another was a Brigette (I think that’s how she spelled it)??  I want to say she came from London but could be wrong.  She was a breath of fresh air for us, telling amusing stories about school in England, teaching us to do the Charleston and in third or fifth year wanting to sing “Hey Big Spender” for the Christmas Concert.  We all thought this was a brilliant choice but Sr. Eithne had apoplexy and when she calmed down had a fit.  Needless to say, the show went ahead but without that particular song.  I think she might have closed the school down in preference to allowing that performance.  

The 1970’s brought with them a modernisation of many facets of life.  Listowel had a lot of wonderful shops which are now lost to memory.  The Fancy Warehouse where we bought all our knitting and haberdashery (what a lovely word) supplies. Carroll’s Drapery Store on William Street, with its magnificent wooden floor, counter with brass ruler attached, glass display cases and those wonderful fabrics. I can still bring to mind the magical atmosphere of Micheál Flavin’s book shop, I could have spent hours in there.  I still have the dictionary I chose in there in third class – because I liked the word etymological on the cover. We got our school supplies there “on account” as was done in most shops.  We also got Bunty and Tammy comics/magazines there.  Do you remember the Christmas Annual of the various comics?  Seamus next door used to get a copy of the Beano.  I think he lost out there, as, while we read the Beano too, I don’t think Bunty held much interest for him.

(More tomorrow)

Left to Right: Helena Doyle, Marie Keane, Marie Dowling (Kneeling) and Káitlín O’Connor

Left to Right: Catherine Lynch, Isabel Carmody and Catherine Corridan in the Primary playground

Left to Right: Eileen Keane, Katsi Kenelly, Marie Keane and Denise Mulvihill

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Expand your Vocabulary

I was surprised to see that I know a few of these.

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A Fact

Up untikl 1959 it was illegal in Britain not to celebrate Bonfire Night.

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