Tales From St. Pat’s Parish
by Ollie from the corner bar
Part 1
Hello all nostalgia trippers. Just to fill you in on Carrigeen Park and Patrick St. – although I wouldn’t be the best at recalling the time you are talking about – I may get my older sister on to this site – she is the memory one in the family.
Anyway this is Ollie here from the Corner bar. My parents Neil and Maggie had the bar from 1959 – 72. Afterwards it became the Kiwi – it is now a hairdresser (the last building before graveyard) – a lot of famous stories about after hours drinking and found-ons etc. Famous regulars – paddy Ryan, Bawky power, Ben Saunders, Bridie Burke and the younger crowd who drank in the front shop on Sundays. Ginger Long, Shammie Power, Pat Flynn. The shop sold potatoes / eggs / cabbage / a few tins of things / dilisk / sticky apples and many of ye will remember we bought the bottles from all the kids after the pictures.
Most of the clientele were from Carrigeen Lane / Stephen St / Alexander St / Rice Park, loads and loads of characters.
Also we lived over the bar and so our toilet was the “ladies”. They would be all queuing upstairs having a chat while we were running around in our pyjamas. This is not linked to pyjamas in anyway but the other strange thing was that priests and Brothers would drink upstairs with the family – we always thought they were friends of the family and didn’t cop that they had to drink there.
It was common to have the Guards searching under our beds. All the lads would be out through our living room window into the graveyard and down into Carrigeen or up onto the jail wall – or out onto Patrick St. if the gate was open.
One famous story was about two of our oldest drinkers Maurice Hogan, who was a tinsmith on Stephen St., and Jack Kelly who was a neighbour of his. They both drank their small bottle and a whiskey each day. They were an unlikely pair.
Maurice was a tiny man who apparently was an old IRA man and was famous for escaping from Ballybricken Jail – in one of the bread vans. Remember how shallow the drawers were for the bread – this gives you an idea how small he was – a wirey fella.
Jack on the other hand was a tall stiff well presented man in tweeds, waistcoat, pocket watch – the works – and spoke in a British accent. He had served in the British army and fought the Boers in Africa, so that gives you an idea of his age.
So here was two men who would be enemies in their youth now sharing a drink everyday in their twilight years.
But anyway one time the pub was supposed to be shut (there seemed to be an awful lot of restrictions on hours back then). The Garda were at the door and all upstairs out into the graveyard but the two old lads were not able for the big escape and they were found in the graveyard.
Jack being very well spoken and on the ball had Maurice clearing away weeds etc. from a very old grave and the Guard asked them what they were doing. Jack explained that they were archaeologists and went on to give them a history of the grave etc. But the Garda pointed out that the gate was locked and they both got done and so did the pub.
Part 2
Some of ye may have spotted the mistake in the last piece about the pub “Breslins – The Corner Bar” my parents had the pub from 1949 and not 59 which I said maybe it was because I was born in 59 so my memories only start from there.
The pub itself was very small with sawdust on the floor and with a big open fire in the wintertime. Out the back was an outside loo – it was like the black hole of Calcutta, definitely wouldn’t pass any inspection by a Health inspector. Before you got to there we had an open coal bunker which also became a urinal when the pub was busy.
As you can imagine it wasn’t a pub for ladies – apart from Saturday nights when the wives were “allowed” in. Most of the time it was a pub for men – they played cards, told jokes and slagged each other off.
The three fella’s I mentioned the last day Bawky; Paddy Ryan and Ben Saunders used to “give out” about each other all the time – if you were a stranger you would swear they hated each other but in fact they were the best of pals. Ben and Bawky were dockers and Paddy never worked a day in his life.
Paddy was famous, he was an authority on films and books, and he knew directors’ names – who wrote what book – he was a walking encyclopaedia. He was also the unofficial library for the Infirmary and Ardkeen he used to bring books around the wards swapping and accepting book donations from everyone – as this was his role. He was also a famous walker and every day he went off out the country or out to the back strand and always came back home with a “donation” of vegetables or cockles or something. He would have succeeded on Mastermind if the subject was the Mafia – he knew everything about crime and criminals in America.
Paddy was unusual also in that his drink was cider. For most people this was a summer drink. The main drink in the pub was the large bottle. At that time there was lots of variations on bottled stout. If someone asked for a “bottle” – they were given a Bottle of Sullivans which were the most popular by far – I think we had three shelves for these but only a half shelf each for Kielys or Gallways. So if you wanted any of these two you had to ask for it by name.
Pulling pints as well was an art. I remember as a child my father teaching me, and all the others before me (I was the youngest), how to pull a pint. Then when he allowed you to pull one for a customer (or himself), it was like my “Barmitzva”, an initiation into the world of drink. Each one was assessed by the adults around and marks were given.
There was a lot of tradition around the pub – where people sat, what time of day they came, who played cards with who. The other funny one was what people sang when they had a few drinks on board. All the clientele had their own particular songs and Waterford always had a big singing tradition with many having notions about themselves and thinking they were Show Singers.
The Drake used to sing My Way and you’d swear he was going to drop down dead at the end of it – he would put his heart and soul into it. Maisie Burke would always sing “When the Swallows Come Back from Capistrano” in a sweet gentle almost operatic way with her doll like face and eyes closed and possibly even holding someone’s hand?
You would always know a stranger in the pub ‘cause our fire had a problem and regularly in Winter or around now, in Autumn, there would be a backdraft. The soot would blow out of the fireplace and land on their drink. The locals all had beer mats sitting on top of their glasses and would do this without even thinking about it and without stopping a conversation.
There was a fine old radio in the corner behind the counter. It was one of those valve ones that would take a few seconds to warm up and this was given more reverence than the TV when it arrived. The whole place went quiet for GAA matches but also for boxing. I remember my older brother Pat (Patsy) waking us all up at 4 or 5 in the morning to listen to a world heavyweight fight between Cassius Clay or some other hero.
Speaking of boxing, I’m thinking about the pub and trouble and the funny thing was that my mother Maggie was the bouncer – everyone was afraid of her. She was known to have thrown a fella out through a glass panel in a door one time. She took no prisoners. My mother also ran the shop at the front. You had to pass through the shop to get into the pub and certain people used to have a drink out there. There was one huge fella called “Murphy”, he must have been 20 stone. Also some people would get a drink there but not be allowed into the bar – I remember a travelling couple I think they were Wards.
All the locals in the bar had a slate (or it was known as a ‘book’ in some places). This was common in most shops, where they would give stuff out on credit all week and get paid on “pay day”.
My mother still talks about the time our pub burned down (this was before I was born) and how some people didn’t pay off their debts. They took advantage of the situation that the records were burned but she says the poorest people of the parish came up as soon as they heard the news to pay over the few shillings they owed.
Part 3
Its been a while since I wrote in to Up The Deise – I have been up to my eyes with an Arts Festival here in Waterford – which by the way we would love people to get involved-in and put forward ideas.
Contact us at waterfordartsfestival@waterfordcity.ie
I have also been thinking about the merits or otherwise of this whole nostalgia trip and I suppose it is harmless and it helps to catch people’s experiences of the past. However I am conscious that it is a very censored past and one that leaves out a lot of hardship and reality and instead dwells on anecdotes and characters. I suppose we will all keep the real stories until we know that people won’t be harmed by the re-telling?
The streets around St. Patrick’s Parish were very close. Everyone knew everyone. I am too young to remember some of the people living in the tenement buildings in little Patrick St. (at the back of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church). Also I don’t remember the people in the narrow lanes and old houses in Carrigeen Lane.
It was a time (early 60’s) when we as kids stayed in our area or if we went somewhere we went as a gang. The town was full of such gangs – the most notorious was the Johnnies – but closer to home we were surrounded by the Jail St. gang and the Rice Park Gang.
Our main hang-out places were Carrigeen Lane – where we played ball on the green (before it became a carpark). In over the wall by the castle or in the castle – where in summer time we sunbathed on the asphalt roof of the water tank, also in the old tenement buildings mentioned earlier and at that time unoccupied. One of our main haunts was the Hearne’s Sheds (now the Kingdom Hall), where they stored church furniture and pews. This was out of adult reach and eyes and we reviled in games of cards for money and smoked our first fags.
Outside of Carigeen we played in the old Jail – now the Garda Station but at that time it was just heaps and heaps of rubble mainly cut-limestone blocks from the old jail. Over at the back of this was the Labour Exchange. Behind the Labour was a green area where ball was played.
We also played ball in the De La Salle yard in Stephens St. when the school was closed. All of those locations were very much our space. We did venture around town and down to the Park or out the country, up past Skibereen but we were wary about going into other areas on our own and mostly we travelled in groups in case we got beaten-up.
Speaking of playing areas – I remember the opening of the famous little park over near New Street – up the back of the Beefy King. It seemed like thousands descended there every night and someone broke their arm or wrist and the famous time when the Garda cleared it and we all stood opposite and sang “We Shall Overcome”. It was a time for revolution – in our own little way. It also was a time when there were loads of children in that area – this was before sprawling house estates – apart from John’s Park and Cork Road.
Our pub, The Corner Bar, (now a hairdressers) was next to Walsh’s Printers (one of whom Sean still is involved in the printing business in Roanmore park). These premises are now the Cycle Shop but in my day it was for a short time a Chip Shop. I can’t remember the name of the guy who ran it – I think it was Joeys but I remember a Juke Box and some Teddy Boys hanging around at nigh time. (I’m sure some old Teddy Boy will enlighten us). It was later to become McGuire’s Bookie Shop – run by Paddy McGuire. This was very handy for our regulars as they used to send us in next door to back a horse for them.
Beyond the entrance to Carrigeen – where we used to play handball, using both walls – was the Stanford Cheque, an English credit system for buying stuff. My mother remembers it as Mrs. Dalton’s Drapers – and funny enough it has gone full circle back to clothes as it now is the Dress Hire shop.
Next door was Teddy Guilfoyle’s Shop – Pascal his son is still in business, I think, in plastic signs etc. The shop was full of toys and knickknacks. Nextdoor was Tom O’Donoghue’s Barbers and I remember we had a huge dilemma as to who to go to for our haircut, Tom’s or across the road to Packie McCabes. They were both neighbours and there wasn’t much difference in the style (short back and sides) but Tom I think used to give us something extra back to us kids after the oil and Brylcream – probably a lollypop. This premises was previously Rodey McKeoghan’s chip shop.
Next to this was Mrs. Coffee a Milk Shop – this was owned by the Manahans, Anna the actresses family. Henry Molloy Butchers was on the corner, now the Shoe Centre – Molloys later moved across the street and are still in business.
Beyond O’Brien’s Terrace, which leads into the Kingdom hall now, you had Mrs. Murphy’s newspaper shop. Sho was an old lady who always looked the same age. Then there was Gerard Nugent who had a general shop and vegetables. Gerard was a nice man but the funny thing was that he was ‘going’ with a woman up in Barker St. and I don’t think they ever got married but they were going out with each other forever. Very sweet and I’m sure there was a good story there?
Then, for me, there was the Regina Cinema but my mother tells me that there was Grants tobacconist shop (the father of Dr. Grant). Then, next door, was O’Briens Bakery. After that was Veale’s drapery shop. I remember a chair inside the door for old people to sit on and the drawers going up the walls for all the linen and material. I think this became the L and N Supermarket later on.
Across the road at the end of Patrick St. was Burton’s Shop A lot of the upstairs exterior still remains in the A Wear shop. Coming up Patrick St. and next to Burton’s was The Casket Fabrics with Evelyn O’Keeffe (her husband Tommy had the Stonecutters in Stephens St. / Barrack’s St. now run by their son Jackie). My Ma says it was previously Nolans Religious Goods shop.
After that was Dunnes Confectionery shop and pub – funny enough I have no memories of it – I just remember their Fish and Chip shop. They had The Emerald which Mrs. Dunne ran with Pat O’Neill – Sean their son is still in the food trade with Gino’s Pizza Restaurant in Applemarket.
Next to that coming up was McCabe’s barbers. I loved sitting on their high chair for a haircut. I always remember the huge picture he had of the last Waterford team to win the All Ireland walking behind the Artane Boys Band (1959) and I also remember the mirrors. There was a huge mirror in front of you and another on the wall behind and when you looked into them they went off into infinity getting smaller and smaller. Next door was the Hills Salt Stores – this site is now a photocopying shop and Molloys Butchers.
Next door was Mrs. Moylan’s sweetshop run by the two Mrs. Moylans and their brother Billy, a very important shop for tins of boiled sweets and biscuit tins and ice cream wafers – heaven for us young fellas.
After that you had a shoe repair shop – Kearney’s and around the corner into Stephens St. was Mrs Hartery’s, groceries and sweets, and then a gap filled by houses to O’Briens Shop (Still there!!!!) run then by Maggie and Joe. Joe is still alive and has the shop but I can’t for the life of me figure what he is selling (See Note at end). After that all you had was the De La Salle Centre on that side.
On the other side of Stephen St. was Dick Power’s Pawn Shop and I think he had stopped being a pawnshop during my childhood but I know he continued to sell secondhand stuff for many years which maybe were originally pawned. I recently read Jack O’Neills new book on Waterford called ‘A Waterford Miscellany’, published by Rectory Press, and he speaks about Waterford having nearly 20 pawn shops in 1836. Eight of them were in Stephen Street. By the way this book is highly recommended and would make a nice Christmas present
After this, coming over Stephen Street, was Morris Hogans Tinsmith – I mentioned him earlier but this was an extraordinary shop. He repaired everything made of metal and farmers were regularly into him. He was a very quiet but I have a lovely memory of him, when I was sick as a child, and being in bed and not in school.
Our bedrooms were up on top of our house on the second floor and my mother would be down in the shop/bar during daytime. We were very much left on your own when sick to play or read but very much on your own. I heard a little knock and in walked Morris Hogan. He gave me a present of a replica six shooter gun made from tin – he had made it for me because he heard I was sick. I think I was so shocked at this old man coming into our bedrooms in the middle of the day, that I didn’t even thank him properly. The gun was amazing and it even had a trigger that worked and a mechanism for turning the bullets.
People probably think that this was donkey’s years ago but it wasn’t and the funny thing about all of this is that we have changed so fast. At this time C.I.E. used to deliver goods on a horse drawn vehicle – believe it or not!
On the corner was Lodges Grocery Shop – I still remember the ham and luncheon slicing machines. Around the corner on Patrick St heading up towards Ballybricken was Mrs. Harneys Secondhand Clothes Shop. There is the famous story about Mrs Harney. Having lost her daughter, she was hanging out of the upstairs window screaming “I’ve lost my Fanny – someone help I’ve lost my Fanny” (Fanny was the daughter’s name).
The 2nd hand clothes shops were different to now. There was another one over in O’Briens Terrace and they had sloping counters going right up into the air where the owner would sit on high looking down. The women would be down below quickly shuffling through all the clothes looking for something that would fit their needs. They were also the hub of gossip and chat.
After that you had Hanrahan’s (Sweets) and Larkin’s (Books and comics). After this you had the “Dummy” O’Rourkes the shoe repair shop He was a deaf mute who carried on a business and again could repair anything that was needed. He apparently originally came from Dunmore East. After this you had the entrance to Stephen Street school.
I think Stephen Street School will deserve a section dedicated to itself and I would recommend some highlights like the time Michael Burns hung Brother Baptist out the window by his feet. Or the notorious McGrath brothers and their bullying of the yard and – I remember the younger fella picking out a poor young fella each day to give him a piggyback home. Everyone was so scared of them that they consented but luckily the distance wasn’t too bad.
Or Brother Finbarr who is still hail and hearty and how scared we were of him. Or the time Kenny McEvoy’s dad came in and punched Mr. Colfer. I think we will leave it that until the page is opened.
While we are at it, how about memories of Mount Sion?? We all remember the famous soccer strike and how, for once, the De La Salle students came out in solidarity with Mount Sion. Or the famous poem praising Brother Duggan by Liam Murphy – can this be re-printed ?
NOTE:
To end this little bit of memory about shops of old – I recently spoke to the Arts Officer for Waterford City his name is Conor Nolan about video recording some of the old shops and people who frequent them before they are all gone. Many of them will be gone soon.
Conor agrees with me that they should be captured on tape and what we are talking about are shops that have remained the same for a long time – the obvious ones are : O’Briens mentioned earlier in Stephen St., Walls in Arundel Square, Johnny Hearne’s The Quay, Walsh’s Shop and Bar in Georges St. There are quite a few pubs – anyway what places in the City would other Up The Deisers recommend? Please send your suggestions in to this site.