William Street in June 2025
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When is Number 21 Not at Number 21?
This is Upper William Street. The Premises at the far left of the picture is Number 21, an off licence. If Tankers is number 8, then Number 21 is not at 21.
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Craft Group
This lovely collage was made by one of the NEWKD Craft Circle. It shows examples of the craftwork people do in the Wednesday evening get togethers.
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An Essay from Mick O’Callaghan
The times they are a changing
I was born post-World War 2 in 1947. The treaties of Paris had been signed, and a shaky peace existed in the world. The Marshall plan had been signed to help rebuild Europe after the war. The United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two separate states, one Jewish and one Arab.
India and Pakistan also won their independence from Britain in that year.
At home my parents, who lived and were married in London during the war spoke a lot about air raid shelters, food rationing and survival during their time in London. They taught me a lot about the futility of war and the difficult task of negotiating peace.
My grandparents, on. both sides, who had spent their pre marriage years in America often spoke about the Marshall plan and how it would rescue Europe. They also remembered the first world war and our own war of independence. There was intense bitterness in their home areas post war of independence. They taught us to respect each other and our close family and friends
I started my primary education in Moyderwell Mercy National School, Tralee in 1951.
The building of The Empire State Building was also finished in 1951. Nat King Cole was the dominant music man and Audrey Hepburn was our favourite film star.
When I made my First Communion in 1954, I remember visiting my relatives who lived in the area and collecting a few pounds.
1954 was also the Marian Year, a year of special devotion to our Lady. My family was involved in building the Marian Shrine Grotto in the village. We all recited the rosary and sang the hymn ‘Queen of the May’ there in our earlier years during the month of May. It is still maintained and visited by the present generation of people living there.
I also recall the launch of Tayto crisps which are still there today and eagerly requested by generations of ex pats around the world.
Roger Bannister, that great British Athlete, broke the 4-minute mile barrier in Oxford.
Another precious moment in my life was the confirmation Ceremony in 1958. I remember all the preparations and learning the catechism by heart and the visit of the bishop. Like the first communion we had the family, friends and neighbours to visit and all donations, great and small were gratefully accepted.
In the week after we were made soldiers of the Lord, we visited Cabell’s toy shop in Tralee to spend some of the Confirmation money. There we saw this new-fangled thing called Lego, which is now so prevalent world-wide. I stuck with my Meccano set. This was invented in Britain in 1898 by Frank Hornby, who marketed it to boys as Mechanics Made Easy in 1901 and Meccano in 1907. Last year the last Meccano producing factory closed its doors.
I can also remember other events around these special events in our lives. I can vividly recall the 1958 Munich Air disaster in which eight of Matt Busby’s Man United football babes were killed.
As I grew up, I went on to further education and experience a whole new world outside the narrow confines of our local village town and county. I was amazed when I first realised there was another world outside the Kingdom of Kerry and that not everyone was so obsessed about football as we were. When our cousins came home from England they spoke about soccer and their teams of Man United and Arsenal. The American cousins told us about American football, baseball and basketball.
They all added to my geographical and cultural awareness of the world.
The biggest cultural change for all of us was when Television arrived in The Kingdom of Kerry in 1965.
We had the Beatles who expanded our music and dress code choice. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez led the world with their peace in Vietnam songs. Martin Luther King was involved in The Civil Rights movement and won The Nobel Peace Prize for his work.
I remember my first summer work holiday in London and my whole world view was changed. I was mesmerised by the huge variety of people and cultures I experienced. It was the start of my real-life awareness journey, and I think it gave me a broader world view of life and living. My wander lust was also whetted on that first trip across the Irish Sea.
During my life I have visited many places around the globe but as I advance in years, I just love visiting places around our own native Ireland north, south, east and west that I missed out on during my summers working and travelling.
Nowadays I just love walking in woodland trails, and I enjoy all the people I meet during my rambles. It amazes me on a regular basis to meet people from our local area who have never visited our local beaches and trails. They were too busy working and rearing families they tell me.
When I was speaking to our painter this morning, he spoke about how he gets up early every morning to go to the gym. On average, he told me, there are about 20 people, at the gym he attends. They do intensive training before going to work.
During my working life I got up early to make sure I had a good breakfast, with the odd fry up, to keep me going for the day. We went for the odd walk and the odd pint but we never heard of gyms. Times have certainly changed. A lot of the younger generation and some of the more mature are more conscious of fitness and well-being. They are members of health clubs and gyms which is fantastic to see.
One thing that has not changed during my life is the prevalence of disagreement, trouble and war all over the world. There is still, after 78 years, major trouble in Israel and Palestine. India and Pakistan are still living on a knife edge with occasional border incursions and warfare. Russia and Ukraine are still at war while The Chinese like to keep a watching brief on surrounding countries.
Europe plus countries worldwide, and America are arguing, fighting and negotiating Trump instigated tariff wars.
I continue to walk and write about my peaceful strolls around the parks and forests of our green isle, meeting, chatting and acting as tour guide to so many people from all over the world. These physical and social endeavours help my longevity and wellness in life.
You can follow Mick O Callaghan on www.aramblersblog.com
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Wow!
This magnificent stone sculpture is called The Lookout and it’s in Cornwall.
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A Fact
The word salary comes from salarium, the Latin for salt ration. Salt was so valuable in ancient times that it was a kind of currency.
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