Publication in pdf format - St Andrews Resource Centre

ISSUE 69
CHRISTMAS
2005
Wishing all Readers a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
EDITOR: PATRICK McGAULEY PHOTOS: PADDY GIBSON, RICHIE KELLY
CARTOON: BETTY HAMILTON, KEVIN RYAN SECRETARY: ANN MAHER
THE NEW LINK, ST. ANDREWS RESOURCE CENTRE, 114-116 PEARSE STREET.
Telephone: 677 1930. Fax: 671 5734
The New Link is published by St. Andrews Resource Centre. Extract from the magazine may be quoted or published on
condition that acknowledgement is given to the New Link. Views expressed in this magazine are the contributors’ own
and do not reflect the views of St. Andrews Resource Centre.
ARTICLES: The New Link Magazine would like to hear your news and views. Send in any newsworthy stories or photos.
The New Link tries to publish all appropriate information submitted, but may be precluded by space constraints.
ADVERTISING: Appearance of an advertisement in The New Link does not imply endorsement of the product or service advertised,
either by the magazine or St. Andrew’s. The New Link will not knowingly carry false or misleading advertising.
Georgian
Cleaners
69 Pearse Street. T el: 671 0747
(We have moved 3 Doors Down)
Dry Cleaning • Alterations • Launderette
DRY CLEANING
Cost per Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Euro
Cost per Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Euro
Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€11.00
Trousers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€6.00
Sweater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€4.50
Jacket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€6.00
Jeans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€6.00
Suit 2 Piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€12.00
Tie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€3.50
Suit 3 Piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€15.50
Shirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€4.00
Skirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€6.00
Blouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€4.00
Overcoat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€11.00
Service Wash . . . . . . . . . .From €9.00
Open: Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday 8.30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
CLOSING 1 p.m.
CHRISTMAS EVE
CLOSED 24-12-05
RE-OPENING 3-01-06
Wishing the Community a
Very Happy Christmas
and a Peaceful New Year
from Albert,
Family and Staf f
New Link 2
CHRISTMASTIME
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is nearly
upon us again. Already the shopping is in
full swing, the Carol Singers grace the
streets and the Christmas Lights and
Decoration are everywhere to be seen.
Christmas is such a great time of excitement
and expectation especially for all the
children. The Children have sent off their
letters to Santa and soon he begins his
journey from the North Pole with his many
Helpers and Reindeers to visit every home
in the World. He has to carry Millions of
Presents and we wish him well on his
journey.
Christmas can be a time of worry for many
families as they try and keep their heads
above the water. It is also a time of sadness
and reflection for many. We remember all of
our family members and friends who are no
longer with us, especially those recently
bereaved. Here in the Centre we remember
those senior citizens who were regulars in
the Day Centre, who sadly passed away this
year. May God bless them all.
Christmas is an exciting time with lots of
Parties and get-togethers and people look
forward eagerly to the break from work. It
can also be a very lonely time for many
especially the elderly living alone, single
A & D
D E N TA L
L A B O R AT O R Y
4 LOMBARD STREET EAST,
WESTLAND ROW, DUBLIN 2.
Tel/Fax: 677 7688
(opposite Nichols)
people without relatives, exprisoners, the homeless and
the many other vulnerable
members of our society.
It is so easy to forget others when we get
caught up in the excitement of Christmas
but this year we should all make a special
effort to drop in on our elderly neighbours
and friends just to say hello and make sure
they are keeping well and in good spirits.
Just a kind word, a gentle smile, a friendly
face can mean so much to those less
fortunate than us at this special time of
year.
We would like to take this opportunity to
sincerely thank all the volunteers who
selflessly give so much of their time and
energy all year round to ensure the
continuous delivery of such valuable
services to the community. Well Done !
On behalf of everybody at the Centre, The
Board of Management, all the staff and
volunteers we wish the whole community a
Peaceful and Happy Christmas and a
Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
NOLLAIG SHONA DUIT
O P E N 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
M O N D AY to FRIDAY
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. - SAT U R D AY
CATERED FOR
ALL YOUR
DENTURE NEEDS
Dessie and family wish the
Community a very Happy and
Peaceful Christmas
“THE COMPLETE DENTURE SERVICE
Des Walsh, your local
dental technician
Your local Dental Technician – DES WALSH
New Link 3
CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM THE EDITOR
Christmas can be a very lonely time for older members of the Community. So its important that if you live near or
know of an older person. Its important that you offer to go for a message or just call in and say hello.
The Link has many excellent friends who receive The New Link as the name is a link to all parts of the Community
from City Quay, Westland Row, Mount Street, Baggot Street, Pearse Street, Ringsend, Barrow Street and surrounding
areas such as Irishtown, Sandymount, Europe, Australia, Canada, America, Wexford etc.
It’s important to note we are all part of the the one Community over 3,000 New Link’s are distributed. 99% of The
New Link is created by volunteer writers, which is much appreciated and loved. A special prayer should be said for
deceased members of the Community at this time of the year, also members who are sick or lonely just remember
we are all friends just waiting to be introduced. It does not cost anything to keep an eye on your neighbours home.
Recently Brother Micheal a Vic departed our shores towards the Philippines. Brother Micheal a Vic who hailed from
Manilla via Maynooth to City Quay Parish to join Fr. Paul. Fr. Norman, Bernie. It is so hard to explain the impact
Micheal had on the City Quay Parish but just to try would be impossible. Micheal taught religious studies i.e.
Confirmation, Communion courses with pupils of City Quay N.S. School, assisted in the running of the Church. He
worked with various groups, the Sacristians, Choir, many volunteers, he also worked on four videos for Creative
Minds Productions - A Community History Film Group, indeed Micheal blossomed as Visual Director. It would be an
understatement if I was to say Micheal is a genius – IT WO UL D BE TRUE. The days before Micheal departed, a
Weekend of Masses were dedicated to him at each Mass a Member of the Community would explain what impact
Micheal had on this Community, then Micheal would acknowledge and thank the Community for their Praise. It was
tear provoking as Micheal spoke from the heart as did the Community Speaker. Fr. Paul summed up the Community
feelings and said Brother Micheal “You are now a Missionary representing City Quay Parish. Historic or What. In this
issue Micheal designed a Calendar of all pictures he took of various films for Creative Minds, which are films towards
developing and empowering Communities.
Wishing all members of the Community a very Special Christmas and a Brighter New Year. God Bless.
Your Local Fianna Fáil Team
CLLR.
GARRY KEEGAN
ADVICE CLINICS
St. Andrews,
Pearse Street
7 - 8pm
Tuesdays
Ringsend
Community
Centre
7 - 8pm
Thursdays
Eoin Ryan T.D., M.E.P .
Dáil Eireann Dublin 2
Tel: 01 618 4375
[email protected]
Door to Door
Walkabouts
10am - 3pm
Saturdays
Councillor Gar ry Keegan,
Tel: 01 478 1325
[email protected]
Eoin and Garry wish the Community a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
New Link 4
ST. ANDREW CHILDCARE NEWS
Hi everyone,
it’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again.
Everyone is rushing around trying to get ready for
Christmas and for Santa coming.
We had a great Halloween party all the staff and
the children dressed up. We played games and
had a brilliant day. Hope you like the photos. We
are delighted to welcome our new staff member
Siobhan Hogan. We are pleased to have her as
part of our team.
Meningitis Toddle Waddle: Thank you to all the children
who took part in our sponsored walk on 13th October 2005.
Thanks to everyone
who sponsored us.
We raised over
€600.00 for the
Meningitis Trust.
All
our
new
children
have
settled in well. Our
C h r i s t m a s
preparations have
started. The staff and
children are busy
practising for our
Christmas concert.
The children are
making Christmas cards and decorations for Santa coming. The
Garda Band will be playing for us on Friday 16th December 2005 at
11.30, this is a great event. Our concert will take place at 12.00 on Tuesday 20th December 2005 everyone
is invited. It’s great fun.
The children in the Childcare Centre are really looking forward to Santa’s arrival and he is coming on
Wednesday 20 December 2005. We will have a party while we are waiting for Santa to come.
It’s going to be a great day,
Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year to
Everyone.
Best wishes from Martina McKenna and all the staff
in childcare.
Martina McKenna, Childcare Manager
New Link 5
OBITURARIES
Kay Whelan RIP – Class Act
Three communities had the honour and benefit of Kay Whelan’s loving personality,
Pearse Street, Ringsend and Trim. She certainly got around and left her mark on each of
these communities. Kay had the gift to motivate people that she came in contact with,
encouraging them to make the most of their lives. She will be remembered for her
organisational skills and commitment to bringing happiness to many. Who can ever
forget her “Burlington Bertie” or herself and Nancy’s “Couple of Swells” who brought
the house down with pride when they were winners in the Docklands over 60’s Talent
Competition in the Abbey. They were a class act.
Of course Nancy and the McCabe family were also neighbour’s of ours in Pearse Street
and Ringsend’s gain was our loss when so many of our local talented people were
exported. So my humble few words of tribute are also a tribute to Nancy and her lifelong friendship with Kay.
Nancy was the sister that Kay never had and as Nancy told me they would always have to be friends, as they
both knew where the bodies were buried. All of us who had the pleasure and benefit of Kay Whelan’s love,
good humour and loyalty share Nancy’s loss.
My special relationship with Kay was as a next-door neighbour and as a role model. Her involvement with
community work started here in the parish of St. Andrew’s and she was always open and available to us for
advice and direction over the years. The family moved to Ringsend when this community was depopulated but
she never forgot her roots. She loved to come back to us and was always proud and encouraging to us in our
work in Pearse Street.
She will be a loss to the Ringsend Variety Group. When the Group gave their annual performance at the South
Dock Festival in St. Andrew’s Resource Centre I would be brought up on stage and she would put me through
my paces with their final number “That’s Entertainment” Every year she asked me when was I going to join
them. My answer was always the same “Some day Kay”. Kay Whelan didn’t grow old gracefully, she didn’t
even grow old disgracefully, she just never grew old.
So that’s my memories of a Class Act and an old trouper so Kay on your next appearance wherever it may be
“BREAK A LEG”.
Betty Ashe – 28th September ’05
Jim Driver RIP
LAMENT FOR JIM
No longer will you walk
Thorncastle Street’s glistening
cobble stones.
A large gaping hole is where
you once stood.
The men of Ringsend will miss
you
For their shabby appearance
was kept in check.
When you stood at your
middle chair.
Waked where you worked
For over two score and ten
years
A young boy passes by “jaysus
isn’t that the bloke who used
to work here” he says
Friend to all, confidant to
many, not a bad word passed
your lips
So long sleep well Ringsend
runner-in
by JONATHAN SMITH
New Link 6
APOLOGY
Jimmy wishes to Apologise
to all his loyal Customers, if
his ad in the previous Link
suggested that he might lose
business to the new store
opening soon at
97/98 Pearse Street (oops)
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
that blood vessels in
eadache is a
the brains go into
c o m m o n
spasm and close
problem,
so
M.B., D.C.H., D.O., M.R.C.G.P., M.I.C.G.P
down for a brief
much so that you can
period. This is when
safely assume everyone
Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y D O C TOR
the aura occurs.
gets headaches from
Then the
time to time. A study of patients
arteries open up again and
attending doctors for treatment of
increased amounts of blood flows
headaches shows clearly that 90% of
into the area, causing the headache.
them are caused by stress or anxiety
We
don’t yet know what exactly
anyone old enough to remember
causes the spasm but research on
the ad on TV for Anadin will know
migraine
has shown that a chemical
exactly how this happens. When we
in
the
brain
known as Tryptamine is
are stressed our neck muscles tense
involved and this has given us the
up and get sore, just in the same way
first group of drugs who can work
as a cramp in your calf muscle can
on this chemical and ease migraine.
cause a lot of pain. This pain in the
Apart from the aura and the
neck travels up over your head and
headache,
people with migraine
caused a strain in the scalp muscles,
often
get
nausea
and vomiting and
especially the muscles of your
some get tingling in the arms. In a small number of
forehead. That is why most people point to the
cases
migraine can cause the same signs and
forehead when asked to show where their
symptoms
of someone getting a mini stroke.
headache is while many others will point to the
back of the head or the neck. It is surprising how
The next feature of migraine is that it has a number
many people worry about a brain tumour and of
of well known things that can cause the headache,
course this only makes the stress and the anxiety
known as trigger factors. Stress is a trigger factor,
worse.
along with cheese, chocolate and red wine. The
contraceptive pill can cause it and women are
After that the next most common cause of
known to be more likely to get migraine just
headache is migraine and it is estimated that up to
before their periods. The first treatment of
10% of the population will have migraine
migraine is a painkiller such as paracetamol, much
sometime in their life. There is no blood test or scan
the same way as you would treat any headache.
to show migraine but in a typical case the
However if the person is vomiting you need to add
description the patient gives is a very clear guide to
in
some things to stop that. The great breakthe diagnosis. The typical migraine headache
through of the last 10 years has been drugs to treat
affects one side to the head only and is often
the Tryptamine chemical that I mentioned already.
centred around the eye. The pain can be very
These can be very effective in stopping an attack. If
severe and in some cases is totally crippling a lot of
the person gets an aura, they can take one of these
migraine patients get some sort of a warning that
they are about to get a headache. This is known as straight away and repeat the dose after 2 hours if
necessary. These drugs have been a big advance in
an Aura and most typically can be a visual aura such
the treatment of severe migraine which used to
as flashes of light appearing in the eye or vision in
literally cripple people for a day or two years ago.
the eye showing things in a zigzag way. The aura
They are available as soluble tablets and as a nasal
could also be a smell, a taste, or tingling in the arm
spray to try and get them absorbed into the blood
or fingers. Anyone with epilepsy
stream as quickly as possible.
will know what this means because
a lot of epilepsy sufferers also get
Anyone who gets bad migraine knows that they
an aura before they get a fit. A
would do anything to avoid getting one. These are
small number of people get an
a
number of medications that can be used as a
aura but no headache and yet that
preventor.
The real issue is to decide how frequent
is still migraine.
and how severe the attacks of migraine are before
deciding to go on a preventor. Another issue is the
The actual cause of migraine is
side effects that people get from these tablets
because one of them can cause weight gain and
Wishing the Community a very Healthy,
many people find that totally unacceptable.
H
D oc t o r O ’C l ei r ig h
Happy and Peaceful Christmas
New Link 7
Ruth’s Ladies Hair Salon
79 PEARSE STREET (opposite Library)
Phone: 087 678 7528
PRICE LIST
BLOW DRYING
Short
€17.00
Long
€20.00
Short
€35.00
Long
€40.00
CUT BLOW DRY
DRY CUT
€18.00
HAIR EXTENSIONS €10.00 for one full head
price given at Free Consultation
(Real Hair Extensions available - none glueing)
PERMING
FOR THE OLDER LADIES
Body Wave
€50.00
Acid Wave
€60.00
COLOURING
All Over Col. Roots Only
€60.00
€50.00
H/L Cap
Full Head & Meche
Half Head & Meche
Parting 15 Meche
Colour + Half
Head Meche
Semi Permanent
€60.00
€75.00
€55.00
€32.00
€75.00
Short
€45.00
BLOW DRY/SETTING
€14.00
PERMING
€55.00
COLOURING
€47.00
For Perming and Colour OAP – includes cutting
TEENAGERS (over 12 years) – DRY CUT
€14.00
WASH / CUT / BLOW DRY
€25.00
Long
€50.00
To include Cut
Just add €15.00 extra to price
KIDS (under 12 years) – DRY CUT
€10.00
WASH / CUT / BLOW DRY
€18.00
Ruth and Family wish their Customers and
Future Customers a Happy Christmas and a
Peaceful New Year
Christmas Opening Times:
Tuesday to Saturday: 9.30 am to 5.30 pm (Appointment only on Mondays)
SATURDAY CHRISTMAS EVE: 9 am to 2 pm – NEW YEARS EVE: 9 am to 2 pm
New Link 8
by NOEL WATSON
It's that time
again; all you
technophiles
get to hear
what we're up
to. The last time
around we were
just starting out
with Photoshop,
now we are all
well on our way
to being
somewhere like the Cyber
Club in Cavan to continue
improving his computer
skills. Any time you're in the
big smoke Jake pop in and
say hello but you'll have to
leave your donkey outside.
experts. As
you can see
from the
accompanying
pictures.
PhotoShop is
a programme
for
manipulating
images.
Swapping heads and making collages are just the
fun side. It can be used for all sorts of interesting
design and layout projects. Posters and flyers, CD
and DVD
covers and lots
more.
The Cyber
Club would
like to take
this
opportunity to
The Cyber Club have entered
the Living Dublin Award
competition. We have
reminded the judges what
we have done to date, HTML (web Design), ECDL
(Word, Access and PowerPoint), MOS (Word 2000)
and raising money for charity with a gaming
marathon. The
next issue of the
Link (fingers
crossed) may be
reporting on
our award.
The Cyber Club
are part of the
Digital
Community and
meet every
Thursday
evening, in St
Andrew's Cyber
Links Internet café. The Cyber Club is Chloe Ashe,
Darren Miley, Jessica Govan, Jonathan Fox, Sarah
Geraghty, Lee Harrison and Me. If you want to
know more about us you can contact me at:
[email protected].
say good-bye to Jake
Eager who moves off
to the wilds of Co
Cavan with his family.
We all wish Jake the
best in the future and
hope he can find
New Link 9
PEARSE STREET HARDWARE
Phone/Fax: 675 1980
109 PEARSE STREET
HARDWARE & DIY SHOP
(Beside Holiday Inn)
SUPPORT LOCAL TRADE
– Because We Support You
• PA I N T
• WOOD
• G LUES
• NAILS
• SCREWS
• LOCKS
• C LOCKS
• TOOLS
• SEAL ANTS
• PLUMBING
• BRUSHES
Opening Hours:
MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8.30am - 5.30 pm
SATURDAY 9.15am - 2pm
FULL RANGE OF CHRISTMAS
DECORATIONS – Indoor / Outdoor
for all your D.I.Y. and Household Christmas Requirements
Best Wishes for 2006 and Merry Christmas from James, Alex and John – YOUR LOCAL TEAM
New Link 10
C H R I S T M A S N OT I C E B OA R D
ST. ANDREW’S RESOURCE CENTRE
WELFARE RIGHTS INFORMATION
677 1930 Extension 186
MONDAY/TUESDAYS/WEDNESDAYS/THURSDAYS
10.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m. & 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m.
FRIDAYS
10.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m.
WEIGHT WATCHERS IN ST. ANDREWS
ALL WELCOME For further information
contact 01 677 1930
P.S. WRITERS GROUP
St. Andrew’s Resource Centre.
Ph: 6771930
For further enquiries call to St. Andrews Friday Mornings
10.30pm to 12pm (Well Recommended)
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
Alice, staff and members of the Day Centre wish all our
readers a very Healthy and Happy Christmas and a
Prosperous New Year.
A special word of thanks to all the Home Helps for their
support during the year. Well done.
ALICE
THANK YOU
A special thank you to Grainne, An Póst, Doctor Gilroy for
their help and courteous behaviour towards members of
the Older Persons of the Community.
ST. ANDREW’S BINGO
St. Andrew’s Resource Centre
The Committee wish all our Bingo
patrons a very Happy Christmas and a
Peaceful
New Year.
TAKE FIVE
Takeaway / Restaurant
109a PEARSE STREET (opp. St. Andrew’s) Phone:
677 3216
BREAKFAST ALL DAY
Panini – Wraps – Baguettes – Rolls – Lasagne –
Chicken Burgers – Veggie Burgers
Breast of Chicken – Curries – Soups
OPENING HOURS:
7am to 3pm (MONDAY to FRIDAY) 8am to 2pm
(SATURDAY)
Wishing the Community a very Happy and
Peaceful Christmas and Prosperous New Year
GREENORE/ROSTREVOR
COMMUNITY CENTRE
The Centre opens from 2.30p.m. to 5.30p.m. every
Monday and Wednesday.
New members are welcome to join, so come along
and join in the fun.
The Committee wish to thank our members and our
sponsors for their support over the year and wish all
a very Happy and Holy Christmas and a Prosperous
New Year.
BETTY WATSON, Chairperson.
GREENORE / ROSTREVOR CENTRE NEWS
Tai Chi Class: A ten week course was held in
Greenore Centre and the Committee would like to
thank our sponsors for donating the funds to make it
possible.
Art: Have you an hour to spare? Why not come
along and join our Art Class. The Art Class is held
every Thursday afternoon in Greenore / Rostrevor
Centre, Greenore Court from 2pm - 3pm New
members are welcome and the course continues
until May 2006. Dublin City Council supply the tutor
and he is very enthusiastic.
ADULT EDUCATION / YOUTH DEPARTMENT
DRUG AWARENESS WEEK 17TH -20TH
OCTOBER
As part of our contribution to Drug Awareness
Week, the Adult Education Department in
conjunction with the Youth Department of St
Andrews Resource Centre performed and staged a
play for Drug Awareness Week. The cast was
made up of members of St Andrews staff and
young people from the Youth Department.
The cast worked very hard to produce the play and
it was held in the main hall of St Andrews. The title
of the play was “Death Through
Drugs” and there were two
perforniances on the 18th October
& 20th October.
Everyone enjoyed the play and the
important thing is that the message
came across. We would like to take
this opportunity to thank everyone
who participated in the play well
done to all.
New Link 11
MY STORY by William Nelson (continued from Halloween Issue)
This could be be carried only by any group of men that had
enough money to build a strong sea worthy row boat, a boat
that would stand plenty of knocking about in rough weather.
The Principal piece of equipment carried on these boats, beside
the oars and a big sail, was a Iong handled gaff with about six or
seven fathoms of rope attached. Hobblers were in a class to
themselves but their very existence depended on their ability to
stand plenty of hardships and their skill at rowing. Their job was
to row down to the mouth of the river and sometimes out to
the Baily lighthouse, to lie in wait for a vessel to show up,
perhaps there would be three or four boats on the same errand
all scanning the horizon for the first sight of a mast. When the
vessel showed up the race would start, for perhaps two miles
and the first to hook her with the gaff got the prize. This meant
that they had the working of her while she was in port and were
sure of employment for a week or ten days. The most
dangerous part of the operation was the hooking and a lot
depended on the steersman, for it was no easy job to
manoeuvre a small boat close enough to a moving vessel to
enable a man to hook her with the long gaff and especially when
you got only one chance. If you missed then she was gone and
one of the other boats got her. After she was safely hooked the
line attached to the gaff was payed out until, you were clear of
the wake of the vessel then made fast, then you could sit back
and get a free ride right up to the berth in the river.
I was very interested also in steam trawling, as I spent all my
summer holidays for three years going on fishing trips on one of
those boats. I learned a lot on those trips, especially the
hardships those men had to endure in bad weather. In the first
place they were supposed to work six hour watches, that is six
on and six off but it was very seldom they got more than three
hours off out of the twelve for by the time the net was hauled
in, Fish dumped on the deck, sorted, stowed away and iced, the
best part of their watch below was gone. In rough weather man
handling the net over the gunnel with the ship pitching and
rolling was a risky job and that was the principal reason that a
Fisherman’s oilskins consisted of a long smock that was pulled
on over the head so that there were no buttons to catch in the
meshes of the net to pull them back over the side, and it has
been known for those men to eat their meals in those wet
smocks to save them the trouble of pulling them off and on. The
best holiday I ever had was one summer during my holidays
when I was a passenger on a small trawler called“Tiny Wave”
fishing in Bantry Bay for prime fish. This was only in the nature
of an experiment and we were only allowed to fish from sunrise
to sunset which gave us every night in Bantry to do what we
liked. Bantry at that time was a naval base and one night I
counted fifty two pubs in one street, all doing their best to
quench the thirst of the British Navy.
When I was ten years old, I was transferred from City Quay
National School to the Christian Brothers, Westland Row. I
must say I did very well as I was placed in third class right away.
The next year I was in fourth and when I was twelve years old,
I got the Preparatory grade Certificate. The next year I got my
Junior Pass and the next year, after comparing answers with
other boys I was full sure I had failed in my bid for Junior
New Link 12
Honours and as I was then fourteen years of age I decided not
to go back after the holidays but to look for work, so when I
found out afterwards that I did get honours it was too late as I
had already burned my boats. I was only twelve years old when
I saved my first life out of the river. One day on a bleak
November afternoon, I was in my mother’s shop when I heard
the cry go out “there’s a boy in the river”. It was on ebb tide
and there was a strong fresh wind coming down after the heavy
rains the previous day. I dashed across the road and I saw at a
glance that the boy was being carried out very fast towards the
middle of the river and by this time he was about ten or fifteen
yards from the quay wall. Without hesitation I dived in fully
clothed even to my cap and boots. Swimming out I was saying to
myself - don’t let him grip you, get behind him and tow him in “I
kept my head and swam around him until I could put my two
hands under his oxters. We had a hard struggle back but 1 kept
telling him to kick for all he was worth. Eventually, we made the
wall where there was a life buoy hanging down attached to a
rope.
By this time I was practically exhausted and I don’t think I could
hang on much longer when another man jumped in and relieved
me of my burden, who was unconscious by this time so they
had to pull him on to the wall on the end of a rope. At first they
thought he was dead, but after pumping the out of him he
revived and was as good as new a few hours later. AItogether I
saved eight lives out of the river. The first one was definitely the
hardest. I did actually lift a boy from the bottom of the river one
time, but there was very little trouble in doing so and the only
thanks I got from his mother was that he lost his cap.
When I really knew my father I noticed that he was a nondrinker. I wondered at this as most sailors were heavy drinkers
when they got ashore, so I asked my mother and this is the
story she told me. When the first child of the marriage was
born, my father was no better or worse than any other sailor,
but he idolised the child and he even asked that the child be
called Clara after one of his sisters. When Clara was three
years old she was knocked down and killed by a run away horse.
My father was at sea at the time and he did not get home until
two weeks after the funeral. When he heard the news he went
completely wild, selling or pledging anything he could lay his
hands on to get drink, with the result he was in the horrors.
One day after pledging the gansey off his back he was in the pub
drinking the last of his money, when a strange thing happened.
Every time he put the drink to his lips something seemed to
flutter around the top of his glass. This happened three or four
times, so in desperation he made a grab at the thing and ran all
the way home, shouting “I got her. I got Clara” but when he
opened his hand nothing happened. He never touched a drop of
strong drink from that day till the day he died, thirty years later.
When I was ten years old my father was a crew member on a
steam trawler called the Hypacia. I remember him one Sunday
morning when he was supposed to be at sea, walking into the
shop with nothing on only a shirt and pants. He told us that the
Hypacia had sunk and that they had to take to the boats.
(To be continued in Easter Issue)
PS NEWS by Paddy McGauley
LOCALS v GARDA
D
LOCAL GARDA GENTS
LOCAL GENTS
uring the summer months a very
special football match took place
in P.A.R.C., (Pearse House),
between Locals and the Garda. 4 Teams
of Local Ladies and Gents togged out
to raise much needed funds for the
Local Youth of the Community. Special
indeed the first match was the ladies,
both teams played their heart out but
there was no result. So it went to
penalties to which the Local Ladies won
3-0. The other match was equally tough
again, both teams played mightily, but
there had to be a winner and it was the
local gents winning 5-0. After both
matches all teams went back to Padraig
Pearse Pub where Jim Dunne treated
both teams to liquid refreshment also
sandwiches, as did manager of Garda
teams Declan O’Rourke provide liquid
refreshments for all teams. They were
as happy as Larry, it was also noted
€600 was raised for the Summer
Activities and very much appreciated.
WELL DONE ALL – Roll on next year.
LOCAL LADIES
LOCAL GARDA LADIES
New Link 13
ST. ANDREW’S DIGITAL COMMUNITY
Over the past few months a whole new project has been
developing in St. Andrew’s, The Digital Community
Project. In short the Centre has been developing its IT
training and IT services into one service that local
residents can join free of charge.
There are currently 14 projects running under the Digital
Community heading, everything from the Young
Children’s Groups from the Crèche to the Silver Surfers
who meet in the Centre once each week and we are
adding new groups all the time.
We have also been busily tying our online presence into
the Digital Community so that groups will have the
opportunity to publish their own group’s pages under
the St. Andrew’s domain on the World Wide Web.
If all of the forgoing sounds like a different language
then why not get involved? The whole point of the
Digital Community is to demystify IT and use computers
as a tool for your own benefit. Often you will be shown
how to use a computer by a non expert, someone like
you, and if any of the following terms sound like
complete gibberish, contact us because the Digital
Community Team are experts in translation.
•
•
•
MP3 Player, Digitalisation, ECDL, WWW, Email, Digital
Camera, Internet, Surfing, Gaming, MOS, FTP, domain,
downloading, uploading, server, network
Now if you think you’re too young we have 2 year olds as
members.
Too old for all that rubbish? Our oldest member is 84!
Don’t understand computers…we will show you how and
we’ll make it simple.
The Digital Community can be serious, is often fun but is
always an eye opener, why let the kids have all the fun?
Interested or even curious then contact any one of the
following people who will give you more information or
even organise you into a new or existing group.
Lisa, Elaine, Sharon, Shay, Jim or Paul
all on 01 677 1930
Wishing the Community a very
Happy Christmas and a
Peaceful New Year.
Training@St. Andrew’s is the City’s most modern IT Training venue.
Available for hire by day or evening or for courses
Courses available include:
* Microsoft Office Specialist (Word Core) - Microsoft Certified
Course, starts twice weekly
* E.C.D.L. Evenings
* Introduction to Computers for complete beginners.
•
Fully Networked system including 13 Top of the Range Dell PC’s,
Multimedia Projector and Broadband Connection.
For more information Contact Training@St. Andrew’s
Administrator Elaine Kenny on 01 677 1930
Training at St. Andrew’s
the best choice for
IT Training in the City
New Link 14
Amanda
Betty, Billy and Amanda from the Adult Education Department would like to wish all our Students a
Very Happy and Peaceful Christmas.
New Link 15
St. Andrews
Resource Centre
JOB CENTRE
Call us on 677 1930
Can provide
• Access to employment
• Schemes
• Training
• Skills Card
• Mediation
• Employment Support
St. Andrews Employment Services Team wish the Community a
very HappyChristmas and a Peaceful New Year.
New Link 16
My Story
By Jim Ross (continued from Halloween issue)
made the tea and we sat around
in silence as we scoffed both tea
and doughnuts. I for one enjoyed
the respite and still in silence I
gathered up the crockery and
having washed and dried them put
them away for another day. We
were now like school kids in the
playground having a squabble, and
following it up with the silence
routine. Luckily our stupid mood
Jim Ross
was broken by the entrance of
Frank from his paint shop. “Who owns that truck parked outside?
I can’t get past it. Is it yours Jimmy.” “No it’s mine. I’ll shift it right
away, I’d forgotten all about it.” My teacher answered Franks
query. I too had forgotten all about the truck that had arrived with
both my Boss and my Teacher in it earlier this morning. I wonder
why they both came in the truck, what was in it, had they taken it
- whatever it is - out, if so where was it.?
I
“We better take the stuff we brought with us, out of the truck first,
don’t you think?” Such was my boss’s query to nobody in
particular as he moved rather hurriedly to the garage door, My
teacher and I also moved towards the door, I out of sheer
curiosity, he because he was the only one with the truck’s keys.
After Paul moved the truck and Frank had driven by we began to
unload the goods they had brought. I was amazed by what he
had managed to get at such short notice. He had five brand new
wheels-, at least they looked like brand new to me. Horror of
horror, they were spoked wheels, just like those on the
Terraplane. God forgive me I hoped they wouldn’t fit. I’d had
enough trouble with that type of wheel in the past. Once endured
never forgotten! The other items I saw as Paul lifted them off the
truck. Two pieces of thin metal of peculiar shapes, two other
pieces of similar metal that appeared to have narrow flanges
welded on. My Boss gathered up the three other items that were
on the floor of the truck. I offered to carry them in, but he wouldn’t
have any of it. “I’m ok lad, you carry in the two pieces of metal
with the welded flanges, they’re for the bonnet.” My curiosity
overcame me. I couldn’t help myself. “Where did you get all these
things from Boss?” I queried rather timidly. “What you see here is
the result of all the work Paul, your Teacher and I your Boss have
been engaged in for the past few days. I designed the new footpedals and the new gearshift handle and Paul manufactured
them in his Engineering Business. The wheels came from Paul’s
pal, they’re off an American Ford Mustang, I think.” “Did you have
to get wheels with spokes, could you not have got plain wheels?”
I was emboldened to ask. “You know how I hated washing the
wheels on George’s other car, there were many days when I cried
salt tears, for all the good it d one me.” “Will you listen to him
Paul, moaning as usual, not a word of gratitude for all the work
you and I have put into the project over the past few days. Get on
with you lad, here take these new foot-pedals and fit them and
when you’re finished you can fit the new gearshift as well. That’ll
put a stopper in your Gob.” I had overdone the questions and I
was now paying the price, so be it. I took the two foot-pedals
from my boss and headed for the car, at least I could immerse
myself in some worthwhile work. As I passed by Paul he winked
at me but said nothing, there wasn’t much he could have said
with Jimmy so close. The wink said more than enough to me.
I became engrossed in the task of fitting the new foot-pedals,
they appeared to be very awkwardly shaped but when I had one
engaged on it’s shaft, the reason for the peculiar shape became
more than apparent. No other shape would have been
appropriate. Fitting the second pedal was a doddle and I
ventured up to where my boss was busily welding the extra
pieces to the bonnet. “Excuse me boss but where did you put the
gearshift, I’m ready to fit it now if that’s alright.” “Of course it’s all
right, you’ll find it beside those two pieces of shaped metal near
the door where Paul left them. He had to go back to his
business.” “Thanks boss” I said as I moved towards the door
where I could just see a bit of the gearshift sticking out from
under the two pieces of metal. I had thought the foot-pedals were
of a peculiar shape but this gearshift was something else. The
boss had said he had designed it, well all I can say to that is, he
must have been drunk, or suffering from a severe lack of sleep. I
know he doesn’t drink at least I’ve never seen him drunk.
However it had to be fitted and that is what I must do. I carried it
over to the car, still not able to fathom out the shape of it.
However when I had opened the lid of the gearbox and removed
the old gearshift shaft, I had to marvel at the accuracy of the new
replacement. It fitted into place as if it was made for it, as it had
been by the two professionals, one on the drawing board the
other in the machine shop. Now that I knew that it would fit
perfectly into the gearbox I brought it into the cab of the car and
fitted it through the bulkhead. This I had to do because of its
peculiar shape. Returning to the gearbox I threaded the gearshift
through the lid of the gearbox, which I had previously removed
and proceeded to reassemble the lot. That done I returned to the
cab, depressed the clutch pedal and tested the movement of the
gearshift. It handled eff o rt l e s s l y, a triumph of design and
execution. Feeling happy in myself I went back to where the boss
was working. He had almost finished adding the extra pieces to
the original bonnet and they looked perfect even though only in
the raw state.
As I approached, he switched off the blowtorch and removing his
goggles, turned as he heard me approaching, smiled at me and
said. “Thank God that’s finished, I hate welding, I never did like it
from the time I was an apprentice like you are now.” “Did they
have welding equipment in those days? Boss.” I queried with
laughter in my voice. “Enough of your remarks, its not that long
ago that I was an apprentice and the work wasn’t as easy as it is
now.” The boss’s voice had laughter in it too, he was as happy as
I was. “What’s next on the list boss” I queried as I leaned against
the workbench he was working at. “Well, I have to fit the extra
piece of hinge to this bonnet. I’ll have to pin it on to match what
is already there. You can fit the new wheels that Paul got from his
pal if you don’t mind.” His good humour was working overtime;
“would I mind” I didn’t have any choice. “Ok boss.” I replied. “if
the first one doesn’t fit I’ll give you a call, you may be able to help
me, seeing as how you’re out of your apprenticeship for such a
long time.” I could play the word game too. He made no answer,
so I commenced the job of changing the wheels on the Ford
chassis. It was not an easy job in the cramped space, but I
managed to fit three of them and I was just starting to remove the
fourth wheel, when I heard the boss calling me. “Aye! Lad, can
you come over here for a minute, I’ll need your help to carry this
bonnet over to the car. We can then try it on for size, who knows,
it may even fit at the first try,” “I’m sure it will.” I replied as I came
up near him. “It looks great anyway, you’ve done a good job as
usual.” “I can do without the remarks, just put your hands to this
work of art and we’ll see if the job has been done right or not.” I
had no answer to give, so I did as I was told and we carried the
bonnet over between us. It was a perfect fit, how could it be
otherwise. It added the final touch of class to the car’s
appearance and I could see by my boss’s face that he was well
pleased with the result.
To be continued in Easter issue
New Link 17
News from Pearse Street Public Library by Ronan MacNeice
DID YOU KNOW?
If you need to find information about the local council,
employment, legal information, health, immigration, births,
deaths, marriages, finding forms, education, social welfare or
taxation, then use one of our 8 computers with free access to
the Internet to get the information that you are looking for. Ask
library staff for more details.
CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL
Many thanks to the teachers and pupils from the local schools
who made the children’s book festival in the library a big
success. Writer/illustrator Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
entertained pupils from City Quay and St Brigid’s. Writer
Herbie Brennan spoke to pupils from City Quay and St Mary’s
and artist Sarah Kernaghan helped children from Scoil
Chaitriona, Baggot Street to make their own books!
WHO IS PEARSE STREET’S FAVOURITE CHILDREN’S WRITER?
As part of a nationwide poll to discover the favourite children’s
writer, the most popular writers with children who visit Pearse
Street Library are –
FUTURE EVENTS
December 2005
Exhibition: Gone
but not forgotten
(exhibition
recalling
the
stories of some of
the women from
South Dublin who
contributed to the
Irish fight for independence) January 16th to February 24th
2006 Anne Frank exhibition (on loan from the Anne Frank
Centre).
March 8th 2006 Seminar to mark the 40th anniversary of the
destruction of
Nelson’s Pillar
(ring 6744996
or 6744997 for
more details)
March
11th
2006
Family
History
Day
(Ring 6744999
for more details)
April 21st 2006
Seminar to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising (ring
6744996 or 6744997 for more details)
JOIN THE LIBRARY
It’s free to join the library and free to borrow books. DVDs,
videos, CD-ROMs, language sets, magazines and much more.
Free computer access, including a computer with assistive
technology for people with visual impairment, is also available.
Pearse Street Public Library
OPENING HOURS
PEARSE STREET PUBLIC LIBRARY
Opening Hours Monday - Thursday 10am - 8pm Friday Saturday 10am - 5pm Phone 6744888
1. JK Rowling 2. Marita Conlon-McKenna 3. Roald Dahl.
POLISH/ENGLISH CONVERSATION EXCHANGE
Are you Polish and wish to improve your English or Irish and
wish to improve your Polish? Then come along to the
Polish/English conversation exchange every Thursday at 6pm
in the library.
New Link 18
Dublin Memories (8) by Christopher Sands
WEDDING PHOTOS: (Continued from last
issue) In the 1940’s most Dublin homes would
not have had a camera. My family eventually
got one, a ‘Box Brownie’, a small square
simple camera, but only because the family
had saved-up enough cigarette coupons to get one from Carrolls of
Dundalk (At that time, they were all smokers, except Nora and myself,
the two youngest, and our mother). All wedding photos would have
been taken at the church (except maybe one or two later, at the
cutting of the cake). At a time when photographs were considered to
be very expensive, and the film very precious, only a few photos
might be taken at each wedding. These were often referred to as the
‘two, four, and group’, and possibly the ‘car’, if one was being used
(in the 1940’s, not alone were cars very scarce, but if one was
available, it might be very expensive, so some couples might have
simply walked to the church, although horsecars or cabs were sometimes used). The fifth
one would be the cake.
That meant photos of two, the happy ‘couple’
only, then four, the ‘quartet’ of the couple with
their bestman and bridesmaid. After that came
the ‘group’, a gathering of as many as possible
of the family and friends attending the
ceremony. They were crowded into a large
group (as many people, especially older
The Couple; Bill Sands
people, were shy of having their photograph
taken, these groups often took a long time to and Betty Gorman,
1949.
assemble properly, with the bride or groom
insisting they wait until their favourite aunt or
uncle is persuaded to overcome their shyness and stand in with the
group). Then there was the ‘car’, usually a picture of the bride and
groom ready to enter the car, with the bride placing her foot onto the
running-board of the motor vehicle, preparing to drive off to the
‘wedding breakfast’ (called breakfast because the wedding ceremony
and the celebratory meal usually occurred very early in the day.
Indeed there are stories of many
couples going on into work
following these events). Then there
was the ‘cake’, taken after the
wedding breakfast, or even later.
If a commercial photographer was
involved, he would have rushed off
to
his dark room and developed a
The Quartet; John Sands and
set of ‘proofs’, these were one or
Bridie O’Toole, plus bestman and
two copies of each shot taken. He
bridesmaid, 1948.
would want to get back to the
wedding party while they were still seated so he could pass the
FIFTY YEARS AGO: In November, 1955, I spent ten days, including my
eighteenth birthday, in hospital, in Sir Patrick Dun’s, having my tonsils out. For
many years I had suffered severe sore throat, earache and related illness. In
earlier years, most children had had their tonsils taken out when they were
aged six or seven year old. Older members of my family had many stories to tell
about themselves or their friends when they were hospitalised for this purpose.
To them it seems to have been a mainly enjoyable experience, being young
enough so the operation did not have a great adverse effect, whereas, it you
were older, the surgery was much more difficult. The younger children seemed
to have been almost pampered so the others in the family would not have been
put off this procedure, when it was required.
Somewhere along the way the medical people had decided that tonsils should
not be removed, if at all possible. As a result, as my ENT (ear, nose and throat)
problems arose, a problem which affected almost all in our family, the medical
people kept putting-off the removal of my tonsils, believing instead that I
would ‘grow out of it’. This did not happen, so eventually I was booked-in for
the removal of my tonsils. As I was then working, I had to tell my employer I
would be absent for at least a week. Also I was then playing football with St
Andrews FC of the Youth Club then located in a club house beside St Andrews
National School in Pearse Street, so I told the club leaders, Ted Maguire, Noel
Hobbs and Richie Cummins, that I would have to miss a match or two.
On the day arranged, my sister Nora went with me to be admitted to the ENT
ward for my operation. On arrival at the hospital (with my pyjamas, toothbrush
etc.), we were brought to the Almoners office (at that time hospitals had
Housekeepers, Matrons, and Almoners, as well as medical and portering staff).
After some preliminary discussion, I was told my appointment was being put
photos around, taking
orders for as many sets
of copies as possible. If
he did not get back
until after the ‘hooley’
had started he was not
likely to sell as many
copies as he had hoped.
When ready, the
ordered photos were
delivered in individual
The Group; Bill Sands and Betty Gorman, with
covers (The all-inclusive
their families and friends, at their wedding in
decorative ‘wedding
Cabra West, 1949. The Gorman family had just
album’,
of ten or twelve
recently moved to Cabra from Macken Street.
well-posed pictures in a
very impressive
expensive-looking book-like bindings, did not
begin to appear until the late 1950’s).
Occasionally a professional photographer from a
newspaper would be engaged for the job, and
there was then a chance that his newspaper
would publish a picture of the happy couple in
their next edition, or at least feature them in the
paper’s office window display in town. An
advantage for weddings in City Quay church was
that they could have one of Dublin’s great
features, Gandon’s Custom House building, across The Car; Nora Sands
and John Murphy
the river, in the background.
In the 1940’s and 1950’s so many weddings took
The Cake; John Sands and Bridie O’Toole, 1948.
prepare to leave the
Church at City Quay.
place on St.
Stephen’s Day (the
day after Christmas
day, the 26th of
December), that for
many families,
preparing for the
wedding was almost
more important than
the Christmas
celebrations. So
Christmas was almost
put aside in the
interest of making
the wedding a
success.
back a week. The reason was that an emergency ENT case had arrived from
outside Dublin, and as I lived so close (the Almoner pointed out that our front
window could almost be seen from her office window), they felt that was the
best way out of this problem. So, I had to tell my employer the arrangements
were changed, and the same with the football team.
I had never been in hospital before (I had not even been born in a hospital, as I
was a home-birth), so it was a strange experience, with visitors very strictly
limited and carefully watched. In my case I got a few more visitors than usual as
some of my friends, particularly Danny and Paddy Costello from Creighton
Street and Michael Hanlon, were able to produce their seamen’s book, stating
they would be sailing soon, and they were allowed visit outside regular hours.
Then you had the daily routine for the patients. Except for the day of your
operation and a day or two after, each morning all patients were wakened at
six o’clock or possibly earlier, to be prepared for the visit of the
surgeon/specialist, who often did not come until twelve o’clock. For all this time
you had to sit upright in your bed and not disturb it so it always looked freshly
made, even after all those hours.
But for me, by far the worst thing was waking after having had my tonsils
removed. It felt as if they had cut large slices out of my throat. To try to swallow
was hell. For a few days I was allowed to drink only Lucozade. I have never liked
it since, brings back unhappy memories, even after 50 years. Birthdays then
were not celebrated as much as they are today, but even so, having to spend it
in hospital, feeling very very sore and sorry for myself, was not a great
experience. Neither was it a good way to prepare for Christmas 1955!
New Link 19
DOCKERS & CHECKERS SOCIAL CLUB PICTURE SPECIAL
Retired Dockers Christmas Party 1980 in Working Mens Club, Wellington Quay.
New Link 20
PICTURE MEMORIES
Sufferin’
Ducks 1952
Jem, Nanny Kelly, May, Brian O’Rourke, John,
Carmel Grey.
Mick
Cleary,
wife Lily,
Andy,
Martina
and
Michael,
drummer
boy.
1971
P.A.R.C. PICTURE SPECIAL
The staff and volunteers and Dublin City
Council wish the Community a very Happy
Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
New Link 21
YOSEIKAN NEWS by Paddy McGauley
The new Adult Members Bernie,
Margaret, Pat, Patricia (the newest) are
well advanced in their Self Defence
Training, Robert Conroy the Grand
Master keeps a watchful eye over
them. Indeed the 6 years to 9 years are
presently being processed for Red,
Yellow, Orange Belts. Recently the
members had a display in St. Andrew’s
for Drug Awareness Week. A bed of
nails was used, a young Susan Menton
lay on it, to which an Apple was put on her stomach to
which Robert Conroy, the Grand Master, sliced it with a
Bonzi Sword (a Japanese Memorial Sword), which says
a lot for Susan. The new Adult Members also were
bonzied.
A special Christmas Greeting to all the membership and
their families and also to the Community.
NOW ENROLLING FOR 2006
ALL WELCOME
OVER 16 YEARS OF AGE
FOR FURTHER INFORMA TION
CONT ACT :
JACK on 086 172 2142
New Link 22
Wishing all our Members and Future Members a
very Happy Christmas and a Safe New Year - Jack
HOUSING IN DOCKLANDS UPDATE
BULLET POINT REPORT
The following Housing Units have been completed or
are near completion in the Docklands Area
Teeling Way, East Wall, Dublin 3
72 Units completed and occupied (58 Social and 14
Affordable)
Clarion Quay, North Wall, Dublin 1
37 Units completed and occupied (all Social units)
Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4
10 Units completed and occupied (all Affordable units)
Poolbeg Quay, Ringsend, Dublin 4
62 Units completed and occupied (all Affordable units)
Hanover Quay Development, Hanover Quay, Dublin 2
59 units due to be complete in March 2006 (56 Social
and 3 Affordable)
Interviews for the first 11 Social units have been
completed recently
Gallery Quay Development, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2
60 units due to be complete in March 2006 (all Social
units)
SOCIAL HOUSING
Any one wishing to get further information or to make
an application for any of the social units in Docklands
Area should contact:The Housing Department,
Allocations Section
Dublin City Council,
Ground Floor, Block 2,
The Civic Offices,
Wood Quay,
Dublin 8.
Phone: 01 – 222 5020 Fax: 01 – 222 2486
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Any one wishing to get further information or to make
an application for any of the affordable units in
Docklands Area should contact:Dublin City Council,
Housing Department,
Affordable Housing Section,
Ground Floor, Block 2,
The Civic Offices,
Wood Quay,
Dublin 8.
Phone: 01 – 222 5020
Fax: 01 – 222 2486
OR
For inclusion on the Docklands Authority’s Affordable
Housing database contact:Dublin Docklands Development Authority
Housing Unit
Custom House Quay
Dublin 1
Phone: 01 – 818 3300
Fax: 01 – 818 3399
AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOANS INFORMATION
A number of agencies are now providing Loans for
Affordable Housing. The following is the information on
the agencies
EBS (Educational Building Society)
Home Access Loans
Contact Your local branch
Bank of Ireland
Breakthrough Loans
Contact Your local branch
Dublin City Council
Shared Ownership Loans
Contact
Loan and Grants Section
Upper Ground Floor, Block 2,
The Civic Offices
Wood Quay
Dublin 8
Phone: 01 – 222 5126
Fax:
01 – 222 2778
The Dublin Dockland Development Authority and the
Dublin City Council plan to conduct an advertising
campaign early in 2006 to provide the communities in
Docklands with information on
• Affordable Housing in Docklands and Dublin City
• How to qualify for Affordable Housing
• How to apply for Affordable Housing
• Information on loans for Affordable Housing
Please note
The Dublin City Council are also providing Affordable
Housing Units under Part V Planning
For details of these units contact:
The Housing Department,
Affordable Housing Section,
Dublin City Council,
Ground Floor, Block 2,
The Civic Offices,
Wood Quay,
Dublin 8.
Phone: 01 – 222 5020
Fax:
01 – 222 2486
Email: [email protected]
New Link 23
Exciting New Adventure Trail
for Pearse House
Dublin City Council is
currently installing an
adventure trail playground to
compliment the existing
playground. The concept of
Wishing the Community an adventure trail is a
a Very Happy Christmas relatively new one and it will
and a Peaceful
consist of ten items that will
New Year
test the children’s flexibility
and balance. Much credit must go to: Brigid Walsh,
Ann Larkin, Helen Ryan, Bernie
Robinson who took time over the
summer to meet with the numerous
interested playground contractors and
all the staff at PARC Joan, Debbie,
Pamela, Trevor and Niall for all their
help and advice.
The improvement works are continuing
ahead of schedule. I would like to
thank the residents for their continued
patience, persistence and co-operation
to date. Special credit is deserved by
Tolmac Ltd, the workers on site, the
Dublin City Council team led by Eileen
Martin and aided by Tony Gallagher,
Jason Redmond and his team in Barrett Mahoney Consultant Engineers.
RAPID Graduates
Well done to Ann Larkin and Brigid Walsh who recently graduated from the National College of
Ireland with a Certificate in Active Citizenship. Both Ann and Brigid thought the course was very
relevant and useful and would like to thank their mentor Susan Menton for all her help throughout
the year.
Macken Villas Improvements
We are delighted to announce that the
next round of improvements to Macken
Villas is to take place shortly. This will
involve installing new equipment to
make the playground more child
friendly especially for the young
toddlers. Many thanks must go to the
Macken Villas’ Residents Committee for
successfully transforming the complex
with their new playground and
shrubbery.
New Link 24
Magennis Square Courtyard
Magennis Square has undergone
a facelift. The old concrete
surface and jaded railings have
been transformed into an
attractive area consisting of a
new black multi-surface, painted
railings and kerb. Much credit
must go to the Magennis Square residents: Tommy Corrigan,
Berna Byrne, Rena McDonagh, Marie O’Connor, Margaret
Ward, Lilly Mooney, Monica Finn, Lorraine Cruise, Betty
Bailey, Rita Duffy, DG Fisher, Dympna Montgomery, and
Jacincta. I would like to pay a special tribute to Robert
Montgomery who sadly passed away last month.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h’anam.
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
“On behalf of all the statutory, government
agencies, community groups and local development
sector, the RAPID team would like to wish
the readers of the Link a Merry Christmas
and a very Happy New Year. ”
– DARACH O’CONNOR
List of RAPID Area Implementation Team
Sean Moran, Dublin City Council
Michèle Ryan, National College of Ireland
Eifion Williams, Health Service Executive
Brenda Long, FAS
Patrick Gates, Dublin Inner City Partnership
John Fitzsimons, Community Representative
Ann Larkin, Community Representative
Brigid Walsh, Community Representative
Pat Kearney, Chair, National College of
Ireland
Councillor Kevin Humphreys
Councillor Garry Keegan
Ken Duggan, Principal CBS Westland Row
Charles McManus, Principal Ringsend
CDVEC
Edward McNally, Department of Social and
Family Affairs
Joe Tunney, Dublin Docklands Development
Authority
John Souvlin & Garda Kearney, Pearse Street
Garda Station
New Link 25
INFORMATION/SERVICES/CONTACTS
If you need assistance regarding any of the numbers below please contact:
Welfare Rights & Information Officer at 01 6771930
Health Service Executive
Customer Service
Freephone: 1800 520 520
Health Board Executive
Dublin South City
Phone: 01 - 6486500
Medical/Chiropody/Dental/Optical
Social Work Services
Speech & Language Therapy
District Care Unit For The Elderly
European Health Insurance Card/E.H.I.C.
Other services available contact above:
Health Services Executive:
Out of hours Emergency Accommodation
For Adults
Freephone: 1800 724 724
Irishtown Health Centre
Pearse Street Medical Centre
Phone: 01 - 6608629
Phone: 01 - 6777781
Community Welfare Officer
Main Reception
Phone: 01 - 6770963
Phone: 01 - 6770288
Social Welfare Local Office:
Apollo House
Phone: 01 - 6369300
PAYE Enquiries Dublin:
Pearse Street Garda Station:
Community Garda
Juvenile Liaison Officer
Irishtown Garda Station:
Community Garda
Juvenile Liaison Officer
Crimestoppers:
Garda Confidential Line:
Emergency:
Parentline:
Organisation for parents
Under Stress
Victim Support:
One Family:
Training Programmes/Counselling
Childcare Service etc.
Ask One Family
Lo-Call: 1890 333 425
Phone: 01 - 2222222
Freephone: 1800 679 555
Phone: 01 - 2227579
Phone: 01 - 2222098
Phone: 01 - 2221000
Phone: 01 - 2222231
Phone: 01 - 2222233
Dublin City Council
Phone: 01 - 2227512
Housing Welfare Officers Clinic:
121-123 Townsend Street
Dublin 2
Clinic Times: Thursday 10am to 11.45am.
Threshold:
Housing Advice, information on
Housing and Homelessness
A.A. Alcoholics Anonymous:
Al-anon/Ala teen
Phone: 01 - 6786096
Phone: 01 - 4538998
Phone: 01 - 8732699
St. Vincent de Paul:
Phone: 01 - 8550022
Phone: 01 - 6669000
Phone: 01 - 6669600
Freephone: 1800 250 025
Freephone: 1800 666 111
Phone: 999 or 112
Phone: 01 - 8733500
Lo-Call: 1890 927 277
Lo-Call: 1850 661 771
Phone: 01 - 8780870
Phone: 01 - 6629212
F.L.A.C.:
Phone: 01 - 8745690
Free Legal Advice Centre/Contact for Referral
Office of the Ombudsman:
Phone: 01 - 6395600
Lo-Call: 1890 223 030
The Pathways Project:
Helping prisoners and ex-prisoners
Re-educate and re-integrate
Phone: 01 - 8726499
Bereavement Counselling Service:
Phone: 01 - 6767727
St. Ann’s Church
(Mon+Wed evening 6pm to 9pm, ring for appointment)
CYC Catholic Youth Support Service:
Phone: 01 - 8725055
City of Dublin Youth Service Board:
Phone: 01 - 6683198
Lo-Call: 1890 662 212
AMEN:
Phone: 046 - 9023718
(Confidential advice line for male victims of domestic abuse)
Family Mediation Services:
(Free Service) to couple separating
Phone: 01 - 6344320
AIM Family Service:
Phone: 01 - 6708363
The Equality Authority:
Public Information Centre:
Dublin City Council:
Rent Assessment & Accounts:
Housing Maintenance
Estate Management:
Bin Charges (Domestic)
Community Development:
Housing Welfare:
Lo-Call: 1890 245 545
Phone: 01 - 4173333
Crosscare:
Phone: 01 - 8360011
The Crosscare programme operated in this area is based in
St. Brigid’s Food Centre in Holles Row for Homeless
people/meals on wheels.
Citizens Information Call Centre:
Lo-Call: 1890 777 121
M.A.B.S.
Money Advice & Budgeting Service
Phone: 01 - 6706555
Women’s Aid
Freephone: 1800 341 900
CHILDLINE c/o ISPCC:
Freephone: 1800 666 666
St. Andrew’s Parish, Westland Row:
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE
Freephone: 1800 778 888
Phone: 01 - 6614911
City Quay Parish:
HOSPITALS:
St. Vincent’s Hospital
Dental School & Hopital
National Maternity Hospital, Holles St.
St. James’s Hospital
Children’s Hospital, Temple St.
Samaritans:
Area Helpline:
Focus Ireland:
Phone: 01 - 6712555
Emergency accommodation advice to homeless
people and anybody who needs advice regarding accommodation
Barnados:
National Children’s Resource Centre
New Link 26
Phone: 01 - 4549699
Phone: 01 - 6761270
Fax: 01 - 6763544
Phone: 01 - 6773073
Phone: 01 - 2214000
Phone: 01 - 6127391
Phone: 01 - 6373100
Phone: 01 - 4103000
Phone: 01 - 8784200
Phone: 01 - 8727700
Lo-Call: 1850 609 090
A Journey Through Our Community
1950. Compiled by Patrick McGauley
Opposite the Hogan Market, Lr. Grand Canal Street,
stood a row of houses the Butler Family, Tommy
Butler and his sister. Tommy worked in the
McConnell Advertising Agency in Pearse Street. He
was a telephonist/receptionist. Next door lived the
Kelly Family. they had one son Thomas and two
daughters. Thomas’s nick name was Nopper Kelly, a
gas man indeed also the Browne Family lived there.
Mr. Browne had a trade as a electrician which was
an excellent job. A laneway at the end of these
houses was called Grant Row. A walk through this
lane led to Lower Mount Street, an arch you had to
pass through. Numerous families lived there,
names we are not sure of (sorry), off Grant Row
was Holles Row, where St. Brigid’s Penny Dinners
were run by the Sisters of Charity. At this time
things were hard for families in our Community.
When kids got off school at 12.30 p.m. they would
go to the Penny Dinners on various days. You
would get Mince and Potatoes and Veg, other days
you would get stew etc. the best part of the meal
were as you left you would receive a big slice of
jam roll which was why the kids would go to the
Penny Dinners in the first place? When all the kids
vanished the older members of the Community
appeared to be fed and watered this maybe was
there first and only meal of the day (times were
hard). Further down Holles Row was Goffs
Bloodstock, horse auctioneers, at least 30 horses
were stabled in their yard as an example Bolands
Bakery used to stable some of the horses. Ned
Smith took 4 to eight horses at a time the sight of
Ned with the horses were priceless. Goffs Stables
run from Holles Row to Lower Mount Street, it was
a hive of activity. Back on Grant Row stood a small
sweet shop owned by Mrs. Lyman, many a day kids
used to stand outside glaring into the window at
the loose sweets in the see through containers.
There was penny toffee bars, such as Cough No
More, which was black toffee with absolutely
beautiful taste, Sailors Chew, Honey Bee Bars. It
was also sold as paper wrapped 20 sweets for a
penny, also a large bottle 6d, a small bottle 3d,
when empty bottle were returned you would
receive 1d back. Mrs. Lyman is the mother of
Georgie Lyman, the famous Shelbourne FC also
Middlesborough FC, England, a marvellous
footballer indeed.
PETERSON LANE by Bart Nolan
in the late 30s, had a big family. One of them Paddy who
went to City Quay, became a Irish Champion Boxer.
Boxed for Ireland, then went Down Under for about 50
years. Then there was the Bloods, Liver Spit Paddy and
Richard, they moved to Luke St.,, there was the Greens,
Jack was a bricky, there was Mary, Miky Gollier and
another girl who married Codler Smith, there is still one
living in Pearse House. Then we had the Walsh, father
Mick had five girls, son Shamo. They moved to
Markievicz, we then had the McDonalds, Terry, Andy,
Christy and a sister, and last but not least Mrs. Treacy and
her son Hector. There was also Dinny Meehan, his wife,
family of Minmie Johnny Franko and George. The
Riverside Club, a haven against sitting in one room with
gas light during the candlelight, thanks to a stroke by
the late Ned Byrne, there was electricity so there was a
radio, a snooker table and a big fire. Thanks to Mickey
Muck and the Iron Man, John Kavanagh. There are many
names spring to mind in the club, the Boylans, Sonny
and Johner, Glimmey Byrne, Bunny Caskell, Larry and
Willo Byrne, Charlie Hopkins, Fatener Davis, Richard
McCann, Clocker and Sikie Keogh, Paddy and Willser
Gayner, Count the Heads Chisty Callahan, Anchor Treacy,
Gunner McGlure, Ham Cunnyham, there were many
others in the Club and the Palace and the scenes saved
many from going around the bend.
Looking down Petersen Lane from Townsend Street end
the first thing you would see was the green house, with
20-30 people living in the house, with one toilet and one
pipe in the yard. You can imagine the need for it.
Walking down the lane on the right hand side you had
Hilton Mattress it ran from Townsend St. around Bramfi
Lane. On the left side you had Mansell Mitchell, which
was down Dowling Court. In the first house Grannie
Mooney with her sons John, Miley and Jem and Rosie.
John lived in the flats in Boyne Street. Miley in Pearse
House and Jem in Hogan Place, Jem fought in the
Spanish Civil War, Rosie married Flip Ward, went to live
in Markevicz, there was Willie, Loly, Joeboy, Christy,
Lance, Betty. In the next house we had the Berrys,
Charlie, Mickie, Jackser who went to live in Townsend
St., same house as Barry Conway, Charlie went to East
Wall, his family was Jem, Mary, Charlie Jnr., Eugene
whose daughter married won a couple of medals in the
Para Olympics in swimming, in the next house we had
the Traceys. The father was known as Blob, the sons
were Eckey, Osler, Bulser, Mutt. Eckey could sing us
verses of we won every nation battle, but our own sister
married Buller Kavanagh, when to live in Penrose St.,
next we had the Kelty, the father was called Nexer, there
was Tommy, Andy and a sister. Tommy went to Crumlin
(To be continued)
New Link 27
PEARSE RANGERS NEWS
Pearse Rangers season is well and truly under way
now heading into the Christmas break and
thankfully all of our teams are doing extremely
well in their respective leagues.
At this stage the committee would like to wish all
managers, players, parents, supporters & our
monthly ticket sellers a very happy Christmas and
a prosperous New Year.
Our long standing Chairman Mr John Paisley has
been unwell over the past few months and all of
us at the club would like to wish him a successful
and speedy recovery. In recognition of his work for
Pearse Rangers we recently held a benefit raffle
for John and his family. John, Pauline & family
would like to thank Mr Derek Andrews & Mr John
Uzell for donating the main prizes for the raffle.
They would also like to thank everyone that
supported this raffle.
The committee of Pearse Rangers would like to
send their deepest sympathy to the family of the
late Paddy (Shovels) Gaynor who recently passed
away. Paddy was a player of Pearse back in the
1950’s & good supporter up to his passing. He also
played for Shamrock Rovers in the League of
Ireland.
Both Lee & Aidan Roche finished their schoolboy
football with the club. We wish them all the
success in the future in their career. We hope as a
club that this is a sign of things to come from
Pearse Rangers with many prospects rising
through the ranks.
If you have or know of a child
interested in playing for our
club from the age of 7 to 17,
you can contact us at
our club website :
www.pearserangers.ie.
Mobile: 086 8534666
Email: [email protected]
ADVICE CLINIC:
Every Wednesday 8-9pm
St. Andrew’s Resource Centre
Wishing everyone a very
Happy Christmas and a
Peaceful New Year
Sinn Féin – Building an
Ireland of Equals
Councillor Daithí Doolan
Mary Lou McDonald, M.E.P.
Cllr. Daithí Doolan
Sinn Féin Representative
South East Inner City
New Link 28
Mary Lou McDonald
M.E.P.
Sinn Féin
NEWS FROM RINGSEND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
Hospice Coffee Morning
The Hospice Coffee Morning took place on 16th September. It was
organised by 3rd Years as part of their CSPE project. Cakes were
made in the Home Economics room and a number of parents gave
great assistance on the day. The event was well supported by the rest
of the school and the local community, including the residents of
Cambridge Court. €511 was raised for the Hospice.
DDDA Sound School
17 students from Ringsend are participating in the “Sound
School” project sponsored by DDDA. This will involve the
students making an hour long programme in each school term
which will be broadcast on Anna Livia Radio.
This is a tremendous experience for our students with many
benefits for them, such as confidence building, improved
interpersonal skills, personal productivity, enhanced C.V.,
experience in the media area. It also gives them a voice.
The programme during the first term will deal with the topic of
Christmas. Anna Livia FM broadcasts on 103.2 FM and has a target
audience of 25-65 year olds.
Ross Cummins, Warren Behan,
Sarah
Geraghty,
Jonathan
O’Dwyer
Rachael Byrne, Francesca O’Reilly, Ruth
Bermingham
CDVEC Cross Country
The annual CDVEC inter schools cross
country took place on 16th
November in the Phoenix Park. There
were several excellent individual
Clara Creagh and Clara Cassidy p e rf o rmances by a number of
with Pavee Lackeen star, Winnie students including Rachael Byrne (3d
place Junior Girls), Anthony Flood
Maughan
(2nd place Inter Boys), Karl
Montgomery (3d place Inter Boys).
The students also did exceptionally well in the team competitions
where we achieved 2nd place in Minor Girls, Minor Boys and Junior
Girls and 3rd place in Junior Boys.
As a result of their excellent performances the following students
have qualified to join the Dublin Cross Country Team which will
compete against the Galway Team in Mid December: Rachael Byrne,
Corey Hughes, Anthony Flood, Karl Montgomery, Kim Flood, Sarah
Geraghty, Gary O’Connor.
Congratulations to all involved and good luck in December against
Galway!
Rebecca
McLoughlin,
Ashlee-Anne
Dunne,
Laura
Crombie
Anthony Flood
and Karl
Montgomery
Visit to Aras an Uachtarárin
Recently the Dodder Youth Service visited Aras an Uachtaráin to
meet the President, Mary McAleese. Two of our students - Karen
White and Ciara Cassidy - played a leading role in the visit. Both
were involved in a presentation to the President on the activities
of the Local Youth Forum in Ringsend.
Smashing Times
Ringsend Technical Institute was the venue for a dramatic
presentation by the Smashing Times Theatre Company on the
theme of suicide. The performance was attended by the senior
students of Westland Row CBS and Ringsend Technical Institute.
All present got an insight into the serious problem of youth
suicide and how it affects the relatives and friends who are left
behind. The cast and two experts took part in a discussion with
students on the topic at the conclusion of the drama.
The Green Flag
Since the award of the Green Flag to the college over two years
ago students and staff have maintained their commitment to
recycling. The slogan “Reduce, Recycle, Reuse “ is constantly
emphasised.
However after two years the Green Flag must be re-applied for. As
part of the new application the students are preparing a project
on Energy and Renewable Resources. Recently a representative
from An Taisce visited the school for a seminar with students on
the topic. The Green School Committee is now busily preparing a
submission which must be with An Taisce by 1st February 2006.
The students and teachers of Ringsend Technical
Institute wish the Community a very Happy Christmas
and a Peaceful New Year.
New Link 29
SIR PATRICK DUNN’S PICTURE SPECIAL
Superstar Michael McDermott made a guest appearance in past months in Sir Patrick Dunn’s, as the
pictures show a great time was had by all.
Wishing the staff of Sir Patrick Dunn’s
patients and outpatients, a very Happy and
Healthy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
New Link 30
HOLLY AND CHAMPAGNE
The December afternoon being damp and cold, found
Molly Doran sitting quite contented by her cheery
fireside.
Her once dark hair – now a silvery gray – was pulled
back from her face, revealing dark eyebrows under
which were the most exquisite chocolate brown eyes.
Living alone all her adult life, Molly had always found
most household chores a burden. However earlier that
day – when the rays of a surprisingly warm sun had
settled on her porch – she decided to clean the hall
door brasses. Perhaps a neighbour would pass by,
making an excuse for a chat. Molly loved to hear all the
local news and chit chat. She really missed the
communications with the locals, since the corner shop
closed its doors. Unfortunately no one passed by today.
Christmas Day was approaching. Preparations had
begun. The crib of delicate child figures stood on a bed
of natural straw, on its designated shelf. The small
tastefully decorated Christmas Tree – though artificial –
turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Always ready to
hand, Molly placed it where she could derive most
benefit and pleasure from it. Christmas carols placed on
the sideboard, sadly were getting less every year.
Overall her most prized decoration was holly.
Throughout the years – in good and bad times – the
brass container specially kept to hold it – was polished
till it shone. She would search in its depths for the best
sprig, to top the round homemade Christmas Pudding,
before it was placed on top of the kitchen dresser.
These days that ritual was no longer necessary.
Sighing, she folded the newspaper, but not before she
had taken note which pantomimes were playing this
year. This was another annual treat – for Molly was
young at heart.
Would Bob call today! She mused, no sigh as yet. He
was her only hope to get some holly, now that the
greengrocer had closed down also. Bob, her friend of
many years. They had started their tailoring
apprenticeships on the same day, and had remained
friends throughout their working lives. Neither had
ever married.
The warmth from the fire and its flickering flames
dancing on the wall caused her eyes to grow heavy. She
dozed off for a while; only to wake with a start. Was
that the sound of the knocker she heard? Stiffly she
rose from the chair and made her way down the
narrow hall. Opening the hall door, she peered into the
now darkened porch. A small branch of holly with a
note attached, was held in place by the knocker. It was
from Bob, he had received no answer, but would return
the next evening. She closed the door gently, putting
the safety chain in position. She returned to the living
room and placed the holly in the crib. silently giving
thanks for another Christmas and her friend Bob.
She had more preparations to see too. Reaching inside
the kitchen dresser she felt around for the brass
container. As she pulled it forward it felt unusually
heavy. A bottle lay inside, covered in fancy paper,
puzzled, she undid the wrapping, discovering a bottle
of champagne, in its folds, there was no gift tag
attached.
Shaking her head in disbelief and annoyed by her lack
of memory, she lay the bottle on the table and sat for
by Monica Moffat
quite a while, testing her memory. It was no use. Accept
it now and be grateful, she decided. Won’t it be a nice
vintage to celebrate with Bob tomorrow, and won’t he
be surprised!
The following day dawned cold but sunny. As evening
approached Bob arrived, with a large bunch of holly in
tow. Looking very elegant – as usual – he had always
been a good advertisement for his trade. He helped
Molly to arrange the holly in the container and behind
some pictures and a mirror adorning the walls.
“What do you think of that” Molly asked pointing to
the bottle. “Well, well that is grandeur and no
mistake” he replied, adjusting his spectacles to read the
label. “And the best quality too”, he added. “I suppose
so. I wouldn’t know. I’m annoyed because I don’t
remember getting it, or from whom”, she retorted.
“Never mind, we’ll enjoy it now. That is if we have any
drinking glasses, to do it justice”, Bob smilingly said.
“Of course. I forgot them. I have the very ones here,
and two of them would you believe”, Molly called over
her shoulder as she bustled out to the kitchen.
“Just the job” Bob nodded, “they fit the bill perfectly”,
noting the two delicate stemmed glasses with approval.
He lifted the bottle and after the cork popped, and the
bubbles started to rise, he filled the two glasses equally.
they toasted each other, the same as in other years –
but this was a first in champagne.
There in her homely sitting room, they reminisced
about old times. The two friends had lots of think back
on. Molly went to collect the supper tray, she had ready
on the kitchen table.
On coming back, her eyes were caught by the bowl of
holly, glowing in the radiance from the fire. The half
empty champagne bottle shone also, they seemed to
her to compliment each other. She joined Bob at the
table just as he struck a match to light the candle.
As the flame steadied in its glass holder, they sat down
together to enjoy their Christmas repast.
Bob was grinning. It was he who had put the
champagne there earlier in the year on one of his visits.
He didn’t mention it at all to Molly.
“Why are you smiling” she queried. “It must be the
champagne. I’m not used to it,” his grin broadened.
“I feel a bit giddy myself” Molly said as laughing out
aloud, she spluttered “ .......Happy Christmas”.
A Happy and Peaceful Christmas to all - Monica M
Serving the Community for 7 Generations
New Link 31
THE STORK
18 HOLLES STREET, DUBLIN 2 PHONE 676 6514
• DELI COUNTER •
• FRESH CUT FLOWERS •
• RANGE OF WINES & CHAMPAGNE •
• BABY GIFTS AVAILABLE •
OPEN 7 DAYS:
UNTIL 10 p.m. EACH NIGHT
LOTTO • LOTTERY TICKETS •
PAYPOINT AVAILABLE
Tommy, Family and Staff wish the Community a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas
HELENS CORNER SHOP
112 PEARSE STREET PHONE 677 0355
ESB • EIRCOM • BORD GAIS • NTL
PAY P O I N T S E RV I C E AVA I L A B L E
ALL MAKES OF PHONE CREDITS
LOTTO AVAILABLE
Freshly made sandwiches made to order
Great Selection of Hot Food
OPENING:
Monday - Friday – 7am - 10pm
Saturday – 8am - 8pm – Sunday – 9am - 6pm
Jack, Family and Staff wish the Community a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
New Link 32
BARNEY CONWAY by Sonny Kinsella
arney Conway resided in one of the old tenement houses
in Townsend Street, which many people regarded as the
capital of Dublin. He was a very stout man, was always
well dressed. And had a mustache which many men wore at
that time. He was a well known and well liked man in the
Community and did many favours for neighbours when
necessary. For some reason he was also known as “Dunleary”.
He was a very staunch Labour man and was one of Jim Larkin’s
right hand men in the Workers Union of Ireland. He was so
popular that he was elected a Dublin City Councillor, and also
became an Alderman. Alfie Byrne was Lord Mayor of Dublin at
that time and during his absence Barney became the interim
Lord Mayor and his wife became the Lady Mayoress. This was
a great boost to the residents of Townsend Street, Barney
campaigned many times, always for the Labour Party. During
the elections he gave many speeches while standing on the
back of a lorry or a four wheel cart, these were used as his
platform. In those days the Social Welfare was non-existent,
not like it is today. He was very aware of the poverty that
existed and how a lot of children went around the street in their
bare feet or with badly worn boots usually handed down from
another member of the family, in winter or summer it was all
the same. He spoke about this many times during his
campaign and its probably through him that the Evening
Herald Boot Fund was founded. The poorer people were given
a voucher to collect the free boots for the children from any of
the boot stores. Barney was more popular in Townsend Street
than Alfie Byrne was as Lord Mayor of Dublin. There was no
clinics in those days where you could talk to a Councillor or a
T.D. All the talking was done on the street most of the time, or
you were welcome to call up to Barney’s room, which was in a
tenement house beside Mary Anne Montgomery’s Vegetable
Shop in Townsend Street opposite Mark Street. Barney would
have known the “Sufferin’ Ducks” Brass Band which played
many times during his campaign, and by the way I’ve since
found out recently that the official name of the band was the
Lorcan O’Toole Brass Band, but was better known to the
Community as “the Sufferin’ Ducks”. Barney would stop to talk
to anybody who wished to talk to him, even to the children
playing on the street. In his younger days Barney was a very
good goalkeeper and in the 1920’s. He played in goal for Liffery
Wanderers which was one of the best teams in Townsend
Street at that time and he won many trophies with them, the
people in the steet were his people and he never forgot them.
Progress throughout the City of Dublin today be be good in
some ways but in Barney’s time even through they were hard
times, families friends and neighbours were exceptional, even
Barney. To end this story on Barney’s life and going back to the
nineteenth century a man named Joe Poole was wrongfully
accused of the murder of Joseph Kenny and was sentenced to
death, just because he was a member of the Fenian
Brotherhood. Joe Kenny was found dead in Seville Place on the
night of July 23rd, 1892, the evidence given against Joe Poole
was by William Lamie who had been given £250 (pounds) by
the British Government for the false evidence he had given for
the prosecution of Joe Poole. Joe was sentenced to death and
was hanged in Richmond Prison on the 18th December 1893.
His last words before he was taken away was “Farewell to all,
f a re well Erin, three cheers for the Irish Republic and to hell
with tyranny”. Joe died an agonising death. When the hangman
did not employ the length of rope necessary to ensure instant
B
death, Joe’s feet touched the ground after the rope had been
stretched by his weight and he died by strangulation. Joe’s
ancestors had a cafe at No. 25 Townsend Street in the 1920’s.
Up to the 1940’s it was called “The Cosy Tea Rooms” and was
run by the Poole family for many years. Also in the same house
in a room over the cafe the very first trade union was founded.
So, No. 25 Townsend Street had its own historical moments.
Was this a mere coincidence or was it fate that Barney who was
a staunch Trade Union delegate and Dublin City Councillor
lived only 100 yards just up the street from “The Cosy Tea
Rooms”.
Pearse Street’s one delightful Street
A Street it seems Oft neglected
Whisht Hear I sing uncorrected
To the marching Drum of a Trinity beat
Left Right Left up old Brunswick Street
Home to the Valiant Brothers Pearse
Who died in 16 fighting fierce
Arrows that would not bend
Straight to the heart of Ringsend
Half of Trinity’s home with it’s scholars
Those from the flats; Those who’re Mullagh’s
Indians, Chinese and Paddies you’ll meet
All on a short stroll down Pearse Street
Strolling home one early Sunday dusk
Spying Seagulls tailing a windy gust
And Starlings Spying Something to eat
I swore life began here on Pearse Street
Through the Bluey Haze of a late Spring morning
After night-time Cleansing gives way to dawning
I wandered on through the Golden Triangle
Wherein this Delta I’d often ramble
From The Pearse Tavern over to the Lido chipper
Across to the bookies for a flutter there
No finer place for a man to retreat
Than the Golden Triangle here on Pearse Street
Had an old scope at the Sandstone library
Reminds we of a place in Tipperary
Here Historians will gather to peruse
Ancient Manuscripts and Archaic news
And Paddy’ll be Pulling Pints in Mahaffy’s
Later today he’ll make us all very happy
Where here the Banter and good cheer
Flows from all those who drink here
And on and on I walked along
Listening to the birds whistling this song
Slowly the whistle turns to lament
On the street’s ruination Trinity is bent
A new faculty, there’s apartments and a car park
Straddling Westland Row by the Dart
Skuttling along the train tracks of time
The future’s present and the past is mine.
Our Horizon teeming with Steeling arms
Urban monuments to Concrete farms
What can a man do but whistle his tune
Turning his back on last night’s moon
Kicking a Stone up the road it goes
Skittling in rhythm to whistling that flows
From the Beaks of the Birds who all agree
Pearse Street’s still a Delightful Street.
By Gordon Syms - 22/05/05
New Link 33
WE HAVE
MOVED TO
45
SANDWITH
STREET
UPPER
CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES:
Wishing
Christmas Eve 9am-3pm
Closed Christmas Week
and New Year’s Eve
Re-open:
TUES. JANUARY 3rd
the
Community
a very
Happy
Christmas
Special Offer
and a
OAPs now Monday - Thursday
Peaceful
€5
New Link 34
New
Year
CARLA by Helen Taylor
N
umb. Shocked. Disbelieving. Oh and guilty of course, that
was a big one. Strange how there were so many
emotions rolling across my soul when all I really felt was
numb.
It was September 20th. I remember that it was a Monday
morning, a depressing day at the best of times. And it was
raining, I remember that too. The kind of rain that you know is
down for the day and therefore will soak you on your way out
and your way home! A great start to the week. I was quite
cheered up to see Jeanette’s’ caller ID come up on my phone.
Great! A quick laugh about the exploits and antics of the
weekend was just what I needed to set me up for the day and
put a smile on my face. So I eagerly answered the call. Of all
the weird and wonderful things I may have been expecting to
hear, what I actually heard was not one of them.
Carla was dead.
It’s strange how, when we hear bad news, our brain’s
instantly try to block it out. You suddenly make assumptions
that you’ve misheard, or somebody is playing a prank – as if
your inner sanctum of friends would ever play a joke like this!
Once I’d realised that this wasn’t a dream or a joke I had to
know every tiny piece of information that Jeanette had. Just in
case there was some vital piece missing that would offer me
some hope that somebody somewhere had made a mistake
and this news wasn’t true.
But it was true. Carla was dead.
She hadn’t been ill so what had happened? It must have
been a car crash or some other tragic accident that ends young
lives too soon. But no, Jeanette managed to deliver one final
kick to the guts – Carla had taken her own life, in her own
home. Carla herself had chosen to remove herself from our
lives forever, not a third party or an accident, her own hand. It
may seem like a strange thing to say but it would have been
easier to deal with if it had been an accident, or even a murder.
But suicide? No, that was unthinkable. Now, apart from the
overwhelming sadness there was crushing guilt to deal with.
How did none of us notice how depressed she must have
been? I was no stranger to the black, downward spiral of
depression so .... why did I not spot the symptoms in Carla?
How did she manage to hide them for so well and for so long?
Most people who commit suicide don’t wake up on a Monday
morning with the thought suddenly in their heads and take
action on it, it’s something that has stewed around their heads
for a long, long time, sometimes years. And none of us had
noticed. Not a single one. She seemed to be so happy with her
life when obviously she was hiding a very deep seated misery.
And felt she couldn’t talk to any of us about it - that really
hurt. We must have been truly terrible friends! Carla was
feeling so down that suicide seemed like her only choice but
she also felt unable to share this with any of us. Unable to
confide in any of us, her so called friends. Instead, she felt
alone and isolated, like she had nobody to turn toll. That made
no sense to any of us.
There were ten of us in the group. We had worked
together for the past few years in a dingy little 1970s style
“typing” pool for Social Services. But what a family we were!
Despite the peeling mint green paint, the shiny veneered
windowsills and the perfectly box shaped glass and chipboard
offices we had some of the times of our lives in that team. We
had gone through births, deaths, marriages, divorces, new
relationships and house moves together. And the laughter!
Regularly the admin manager on the floor used to stick his
head around our door and roar at us to keep it down! Some of
us had moved on to other jobs since then but the bonds forged
in Olicana House had proved unshakable and we all regularly
met for dinner, birthday nights out or whatever other excuse
we could find! Carla had been working with us whilst she
studied for her social work degree. She was now a caseworker
for Children’s Services, their gain was our massive loss. But we
were so proud of Carla when she graduated, we were all there
whooping at the back of the hall when her name was called
and she went up to receive her degree.
Carla was a live one from the day she joined the team. On
her first morning in the word processing team she arrived
wearing an orange jacket that looked like a headache and
huge black biker boots. Twenty minutes later she fell
backwards off her chair and spilled orange juice all over her
keyboard consequently gluing the keys together. It carried on
that way for the next five years. Normally Carla was the heart
of the laughter – telling us stories of her latest relationship
breakup, how she’d removed all the fuses from her now ex
boyfriends house so he had no electricity. Incidentally she had
also poured treacle into his guitar amp, taken his phone leads
and put a large dead fish under the lagging jacket of his
boiler! We were all glad she was a friend and not an enemy!
She used to have us in stitches laughingly calling us “Donuts”
when we made mistakes. Many mugs of tea had been spilled
because of Carla’s sneezes, sneezes that could be heard two
floors up exploded and reverberated around the flimsy office
with no warning. During her time with the team, Carla had
managed to make some legendary typos that would still be
talked about long after she was gone.
She was gone. Carla was gone. And none of us understood
why. The morning of the funeral dawned dull and dreary. A
shell-shocked group of us had gathered to make our way to
the Crematorium. We didn’t really speak to each other, there
were no words could describe what we were feeling anyway.
Instead we all hugged and kept saying, “I can’t believe this”. It
was all wrong, meeting up again for the purposes of burying
Carla, she had more life and passion than the rest of us
together. Had. Past tense. It was all gone. Now we were all
staring at a beautiful walnut coffin covered with white lilies
listening to Amy Winehouse sing “October Song”. It was ironic
that, for somebody who felt so alone in the world, the service
was delayed by almost thirty minutes because the building was
too small to accommodate all the mourners who had arrived.
A “standing room only” funeral, with more people in the
porch and standing outside than were inside! The one person
who needed to know how much she was loved wasn’t there to
see just how many people had loved her and were completely
devastated by her death. It was also sad to see that the vast
majority of the congregation were under 35. Several of the
children Carla had helped turned up and they were as upset as
the rest of us. Who would help them now? What were they
going to do without her? What would any of us do without
her?
We began to realise how long Carla had been planning this
event. She had picked the flowers and music she wanted and
had written an eleven page letter to everybody. The only bit
that was read to us said, “To all my friends, please don’t be
angry with me and I don’t want any of you to feel guilty about
this. Just know that I love you all and I am finally happy and at
peace”. But how could we NOT feel guilty? We had let her
down, every single one of us. We hadn’t noticed that there was
a well of emptiness behind her shining brown eyes. None of us.
We saw the huge bright smile and believed it to be sincere. We
never noticed the cracks it was barely covering up. A beautiful,
funny, intelligent, compassionate young woman had decided
her life was worthless and not one of us saw it coming. We
were all feeling guilty.
Carla’s partner, Ian was hunched up in the front row,
looking lost and sobbing uncontrollably. The anguish and
complete incomprehension of what was happening were
etched all over his face. Carla’s family were utterly heartbroken
and her younger sisters were also confused and angry. I saw
the chaos that had descended on their lives and saw that they
were struggling to understand why Carla was gone.
As I took in all this loss and turmoil a door slammed shut in
my head. At one point I had been so miserable that this would
have been an option for me - end it all, take myself out of
everybody’s life by taking mine. But no more. I saw the grief,
guilt and devastation Carla had put into her family’s lives and
realised that I couldn’t do that to my family. This chaos was the
actual result of a suicide not the “relief for everybody if I’m
gone” fantasy that had been running around my head and no
doubt Carla’s. Despite the sombre occasion, I was overjoyed
that I had never put my own family through this. And now that
I knew what it felt like for those left behind, I knew I never
would. Unknowingly Carla had done me a great favour. By
taking her own life she had actually saved mine. Now that’s a
friend for you.
After the service, we all queued to get near the coffin. I
stroked the smooth oak casket as I passed it and silently said
my own goodbye to Carla and a thank you for the final favour.
When we got outside I turned my face upwards and let the
incessant rain run down my face. For the first time in a long
while I was actually happy to be here. Alive. I guess even the
biggest, darkest cloud has a tiny silver lining.
New Link 35
79 Pearse Street, Dublin 2
Tel: 01 - 674 6636
Mobile: 086 - 840 7641
CHRISTMAS SPECIALS
Seaweed Facial, Evening Make Up & A Blow Dry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€85.00
Luxury French Manicure & Pedicure, Eyelash & Eyebrow Tint . . . .€75.00
Tuí Na Massage & Reflexology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€90.00
Full Body Massage & Acupuncture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€90.00
Lime & Ginger Body Scrub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€20.00
Softening Parafin Hand Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€20.00
20 min. Back Neck & Shoulder Massage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€15.00
Half Body Aloe Vera Tan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .€20.00
• Yoga Classes • Pilates Classes • Acupuncture • Tuí Na Massage
• Meditation • Energy Healing • Spray Tan
• Corporate on-Site Work available • Home Calls available
• Gift Vouchers Available
From all of us here at Amethyst
We’re wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
New Link 36
DEAR EDITOR
Dear Editor
As an occasional reader of your “New Link” magazine
which features from time to time wonderful stories and
pictures of the thirties, forties and fifties Dublin I would
like to tell you that I have just finished reading a real
100% page turner of a book, no! Dear Editor I am not
referring to the “Di Vinci Code but to “The Prinner” by
one of your writers George P Kearns. This is a 206 page
large format book about the “Princess Cinema” in
Rathmines where George actually worked as a young
man and he tells the story the way it was. I myself spent
many hours in the Princess and George describes it
exactly as I remember it.
This book is not just about the “Prinner” the author
paints on a broader canvas and he tells gems of stories
about the Stella, Sundrive, Carlton, Bohemian, Tivoli and
many more. I had forgotten how large some of these
cinemas were, the Carlton held 2,000, the Savoy 3,000
and the Royal a staggering 3,850 people. This book is a
genuine “Tour de Force”; he covers Dublin cinemas from
the early 1900’s right up to last years closing of the
“Stella” which was also in Rathmines. It is a time capsule
of Dublin’s post war years and is simply un-putdownable. I am constantly dipping into this book and
every time I do I seem to find something new.
George must have spent years researching this book, it is
full of information and there are dozens of pictures and
hundreds of newspaper cuttings and advertisement,
telling us what was on and where. I would like to thank
George for bringing it all back to me, the Camden, Stella
and of course the “Prinner”
This book is I believe on the shelves of most Dublin
libraries; check it out for yourself and you will surely
want your own copy. I warmly recommend this book and
believe that everybody young and old will be captivated
by it.
Enjoy Noel Twamley,
Editor,
The New Link
in Rathmines” which was known and loved by all as the
“The Prinner” was successfully launched in the lecture
room of the Rathmines library on June 29th last and
most all of the copies printed have been sold. 52 of them
were bought by the Four Dublin Councils for distribution
and availability in their branch libraries, and quite a few
were sold directly to private individuals who sought a
copy. These copies were all first edition.
My book was self-published and although a very
expensive exercise it was well worth the effort of having
it adorn the shelves of all Dublin libraries and ditto in the
reference areas of Ireland’s main University’s such as
Trinity Dublin, D.C.U. U.C.D Maynooth, Galway, Cork and
Limerick. It also found its way into Britain’s four main
Universities’. Fame indeed has touched yours truly.
The book which was a labour of love and told the history
of a number of cinemas was never made available to any
book shops; sales were privately executed and conducted
only through myself. However I believe that there are
some people still anxious to obtain a copy of my book
without knowing how to go about purchasing it, and so
for the purpose of making a copy available for them I
decided I would have a further limited batch of 1st
Edition copies printed and made available for sale in the
next month or two through one outlet only.
The printers of my book, “The Rathmines Business
Depot” has very kindly
agreed on a once off basis
to host the sale of the book
for a short period leading
up to Christmas 2005 and it
will be available on a first
come first served basis or it
can be ordered by cash in
advance. Only a limited
number will be printed and
this will be the last 1st
Edition print of my book,
which may well become a
“collectors item”.
G e o rge P Kearn s
Dear Editor,
Dear Sir,
Thank you for informing me of the fact that one of your
readers has written a very flattering review of my book
“The Prinner” for the next publication of The New Link
magazine. Needless to say I am quite chuffed and
thrilled to have this happen to me, fancy that, poor auld
George Kearns from Irishtown having a book reviewed
in a magazine, heavens knows, just what he will get up
to next. I can just imagine my old neighbours saying –
yea that was Millie Bashfords son or Nellie Murphy’s
grandson, remember him, he was always a very delicate
lad who was always muffled up in an overcoat and scarf.
She was greatly dismayed to subsequently receive a bill which
excluded her usual ESB allowance, and adding insult to injury
another bill for a €150 for her T.V. licence On querying the
matter she was informed that this was because she had
transferred her accounts. The matter is being challenged as
these allowances are from the Department of Social Welfare
and not from the companies concerned. The moral is that
before transferring to these “cheaper” providers, get cast iron
assurances that your allowances will not be lost!
My book which tells the history of the “Princess Cinema
Retired Members Section – SIPTU
We have recently received a report about a retired member
who was encouraged to avail of the cheaper telephone and
electricity services being offered by certain operators.
New Link 37
TALK ABOUT YOUTH PROJECT
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year from the “Talk About Youth” Project
Before you read on we would like to wish our
members and volunteers past and present and
our readers a very Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year.
Something New
As always we are looking for ways to improve,
so we are starting here with our section of the
Link, we are looking for new ideas and
contribution from the young people. If you
have a short story, poem, joke or a picture you
would like to publish drop them into the
office
COLOURING COMPETITION
Name:
Address:
Phone No:
Age:
Drug Awareness Week
The Youth Project would like to thank those
who performed in the play “Death by Drugs”,
which was written and directed by Betty
Watson. The play depicted the outcomes of a
young girl who became caught up with the
drug scene.
CHRISTMAS RECIPE:
Yummy Snowflakes
You know those paper snowflakes you fold
and cut? Well, how about making some you
can eat!
What you need:
Flour tortillas,
Scissors
Powdered Sugar
An adult to help with the cooking
What to do:
Gently fold the tortilla into quarters (don't
crease it, or it will tear). Cut pieces out to
make cool snowflake designs when you open
it up! (You might wanna practice that part
with paper first.)
Here's where the adult comes in. Get them to
help you fry the tortilla until it's crispy. Then,
sprinkle it with powdered sugar. That's it!
Easy!!!
Snow never tasted so good!
New Link 38
Send all entries to the Youth
Office
Closing Date for Competition:
The winner will be notified by
post
Closing date 13th Jan 2006
TALK ABOUT YOUTH PROJECT
UPDATE:
Spirals are now called ‘Dance Mania’ and run on Tuesdays from
7 – 8, 8 till 9p.m.
A new programme is currently been run with LCA 1 & 2in the
CBS – Westland Row, we may discover some interior designers!!
A new computer group – Whiz Kidz is starting Tues 22nd Nov, if
you are interested contact the youth office
Junior Leadership Course is starting soon, if you are interested
contact Nina
What Christmas Carol do parents prefer?
SILENT NIGHT
What do elves learn in School?
THE ELF – ABET!!!
What do snowmen wear on their heads?
ICE - CAPS
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year from the “Talk About Youth” Project
New Link 39
Padraig Pearse
BAR / LOUNGE
81/82 PEARSE STREET
Phone: 707 1683
ENTERTAINMENT
Thurs, Friday, Sat. and Sunday
EASILY BEST PINT AROUND
• Food Available • Parties Catered For •
OPEN 7.30 a.m.
Beannachtaí na Nollag sraibh agus ath-bhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go leír
Jim, Mick and Staff wish the Community a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
New Link 40
SOUTH DOCK FESTIVAL CABARET
starring SONNY KNOWLES
New Link 41
CHRISTMAS PICTURE SPECIAL
The happy
couple
Christopher
and Tracey
Bradshaw
1st July ‘05
Conor Hurley, cool dude!!
Twins Alexander and Andre Otto.
Phil Murphy, Grandad, City Quay.
Oisin Carey, parents Donna Byrne and
Ronan Carey
Jimmy Delaney
Sir James!!
Congratulations Marion on your
exam results.
Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Peter
Kenny, Dowlings Court who are
celebrating their 40th wedding
anniversary. Top picture was on their
wedding day – 40 years ago!!!!
New Link 42
Courtney with Gran
Ciara with her beloved
CHRISTMAS PICTURE SPECIAL
Mark Benson and Catherine Bradshaw, 9th September 05.
Maeve and Fiona Murphy, San
Francisco - 5 years and 2 years.
Stephen Bradshaw celebrating his
40th birthday, October 15th.
Mr. & Mrs. Neil Grass, with beautiful children Georgia and
Sydney Belle
En route to Joanne’s wedding
Proud gran Margaret with son and grandchild
Neighbours Betty and Eileen.
Charles O’Callaghan,
Happy Christmas.
New Link 43
CITY QUAY PARISH NEWS
Brother Micheal, Fr. Paul and Fr. Norman.
GOOD BYE MICK GOOD BYE NORMAN
AND HELLO RUDY OR WILL IT BE?
One thing is for sure the Lord never abandons us. In
time of change the Lord sent Bro. Mick who set up the
Philippino discussion in the Parish and gave us all a tour
and boys version of Church. We saw many faces with
One heart, then along came Fr. Norman who I believe
has brought many blessings to the Parish a man of
prayer and good humour, not bad for a lad of 84. On
your behalf I’d like to thank them for their time with us.
Now they have both gone on to their new mission to
represent City Quay where ever they go.
FR. NORMAN
There’s a saying in the area which says something’s “off
the wall”, if it’s a bit crazy. And as I sit up in my room on
the top floor of the parish house, looking out on the
Liffey reflecting the lights of the new buildings along its
banks, I’m thinking that my being here is definitely off
the wall.
I’m 84 years old. After my ordination in 1947 I was
teaching languages: English, Latin and Greek, in the
minor seminary, which was a school for boys from 12 to
18 who wanted to become missionaries. I had started
there when I was 12 yrs. old. In 1955 I went to India
where I worked in various parishes deep in the jungle
for 10 years. In 1968 when I wanted to go back to India
after a break of some years, the Indian government
refused me permission to go there as a missionary, so I
was sent to Papua New Guinea. There I stayed very
happily on the coast or high in the mountains for thirty
years, returning home when I was seventy-six.
the main house of the Divine Word
Missionaries in Ireland, the Society to
which Fr. Paul, Bro, Michael and
myself belong. Last year I was in my
home parish in Birmingham to
celebrate the annual Mission Mass, just around the
anniversary of another priest from the parish who had
been murdered in Uganda in 1980. As boys we had
served Mass together. The night before I was to catch
the return flight I had a phone call from Fr. Finbarr, the
Provincial Superior. “Would you help out for three
months in City Quay Parish?” Strangely enough I didn’t
hesitate and said, “Of course, if there’s no one else.”
I say ‘strangely’ because I have always resisted the
efforts of my Bishops to appoint me to a town parish. I
much prefer the jungle or the countryside. However,
here I am and because it was so much “off the wall” the
brethren in Donamon said I wouldn’t survive more than
a few weeks. And here I am in the sixth month. Why? It
is largely because the people have made it so easy; you
have all welcomed me both at the church and in your
homes when I was visiting. Fr. Paul and Bro. Michael
have formed a warm and supportive community and
given plenty of advice and guidance.
However, I think the biggest reason is that I felt the
Spirit was guidmig me and opening a new opportunity
for me to be of service to a new community in different
circumstances. And though the years lie heavy and the
bones are creaking, the Lord has looked after me and
the bike has been a good friend, except for the day it
threw me on the pavement. I thank you all and though I
may be gone when this appears I want you to know I’ll
always remember you and pray for you. Do the same for
me.
Fr. Paul, Fr. Norman, Bro. Micheal would like to wish you
all a Happy Christmas and welcome you all to our
Christmas services.
After much thought and prayer to the Holy Spirit, I
retired – or though I did go to Donamon Castle, which is
Karen Kelly meets Shane of Westlife AAAHH!!!
New Link 44
WESTLAND ROW PARISH NEWS
by Fr. Paddy Boyle, Adm.
THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH
AND LIVED AMONG US
It’s hard to believe that we are so
near to Christmas again, where has
the time gone? Christmas is always a
special time of the year. It’s the time
of the year when we celebrate the
birth of the child Jesus.It’s a time
when the darkest days of Winter will
soon give way to the beginning of
Spring, new life, new beginnings,
new opportunities, a chance to start
again.
I’ve been here just over three months now and I
want to take this opportunity to thank all the
Parishioners who have given me such a warm
welcome. I can honestly say that I feel very much
at home here in Westland Row. This is also a
chance to thank those groups and individuals who
contribute in so many ways to the Church and to
the Parish, the Choir, the Confraternity, the Office
Staff, the Resource Centre, the St. Vincent de Paul
Society, the 2nd Chance group, the volunteers
who clean the Church, the Sacristans, Ann who
does the flowers, the money counters, Gerry who
locks up the Church every evening, those who look
after the hospitality every Sunday morning, the
children in the Schools who provided the art work
for St. Andrew’s Day, the Brothers and Religious
Sisters who contribute to the life of the Parish, an
many many more, please forgive me if I’ve left
anyone out.
Westland Row is a unique place. The Community
had a long history going back nearly a thousand
years. Its traditions and values have been passed
on faithfully from one generation to the next. It
has experienced and adapted to many historical,
social, political and religious changes. The
resilience, the determination and the deep sense
of their own identity has carried the people here
through many difficult times. At the moment we
are going through another period of great
changes and I have no doubt that the Community
of Westland Row will manage to retain what is
best from the past and seize the opportunities of
the present and the future.
religious heart of the
Parish.For countless
generations people
have come here each
day to pray, to worship
at Mass, to seek consolation and
understanding, to give thanks and to
ask God’s help at the difficult times of
their lives. The Church is a sacred place,
where we can, for a few moments,
escape from the hustle and bustle of life
and be alone with God who alone can
satisfy the restlessness of our hearts. In
the past few months I have met with
groups of Parishioners to discuss with them how
best St. Andrew’s can continue meet the needs of
the community and to nourish its spiritual and
religious life.
The meetings have been very productive and
hopefully from them a Parish Council will evolve,
which will represent the views of all sections of
the community. We have also carried out some
necessary works of repair and maintenance. The
Nuptial Chapel is now finished. The railings
around the Church have been repainted and I
want to thank all the staff of the Resource Centre
for their assistance and generosity in carrying out
this work.
Parts of the Church have also been repainted, the
lighting round the Church had been upgraded
and some urgent electrical and plumbing works
have been carried out. In such an old and
beautiful building there is always work to be
done, and I will keep you informed about these as
time goes by.
Finally, on my own behalf and on behalf of Fr.
Fintan, may I wish you and all your families every
blessing for Christmas and the New Year.
The Church in Westland Row has always been, and
I’m sure will continue to be, the spiritual and
Dearbala Devlin Christening, Sunday 9th November
2005. John Devlin and Josiane da Silva, proud parents.
New Link 45
CHRISTMAS MASS TIMETABLE 2005
CITY QUAY PARISH
Thur 22nd December Penitential Service
ST. ANDREWS PARISH
Fri 9th December
Penitential Service
at 7.30pm
Sat 24th December
Christmas Eve:
Mass: 10.00am
Christmas Carols:
9.30pm
Christmas Mass:
10p.m.
Sun 25th December
Christmas Day:
Masses: 10.00am &
11.30am
at 7.30pm
Sat 24th December
Christmas Eve:
Christmas Vigil with
the Celebration of
Light
Sun 25th December
7.30pm
Christmas Day:
Masses: 10.00am
(No Evening Mass)
Mon 26th December St. Stephen’s Day:
Mon 26th December St. Stephen’s Day:
Mass: 10.00am
Masses: 10.00am
(No Evening Mass)
From Tuesday 27th December to Friday 30th
December, and on Monday 2nd January, there
will be only one Mass daily at 10.00am.
Tues 27th December Mass at 10am only
Sat 31st December
Mass at 10am &
7pm Vigil Mass
Sun 1st January
Mass at 10am &
11.30am
Wed 28th December Mass at 10am only
Thur 29th December Mass at 10am only
Fri 30th December
Mass at 10am only
Sat 31st December
Mass at 10am only
Sun 1st January
Mass at 10am &
7.30pm
Wishing you all the Peace and Joy as we
celebrate the Birth of the Light of Christ into our
Lives.
You are invited to join with us in celebrating the
Birth of Jesus in our Parish.
Fr. Paul, Fr. Norman, Br. Mike and Sr. Goretti
New Link 46
Tues 3rd January
Masses: 8.45am
to Thurs 5th January 10.00am,
12.45pm
Fri 6th January
Epiphany: (Holy
Day of Obligation)
Masses: 7.00pm
(Thursday) Vigil Mass
8.45am, 10.00am
and 12.45pm
Fr. Paddy Brady – Have a Happy and Holy
Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
138 PEARSE STREET,
DUBLIN 2
TEL: 677 5559
FAX: 677 0684
ALL BEEF AND LAMB DIRECT FROM
O U R O W N FA R M .
R E A R E D O N N AT U R A L G R A S S A N D
H O U S E D I N H U M A N E C O M F O R TA B L E
CONDITIONS
OPENING HOURS: 8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Except Saturday, closing 4.45 p.m.
DOYLE’S CHRISTMAS
PICTURE SPECIAL
Customers are always expertly served by John and his excellent staff.
WE
S E L L O N LY N E W
SEASON LAMB
John, Maureen and staff would like to wish the Community
a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year
New Link 47
35 years in the Business
Have a very Happy Christmas
and a Peaceful
New Year
E-mail:
[email protected]
Telephone:
677 1242 / 677 1938 / 677 1933
New Link 48
JOKES
3 WISE WOMEN
Do you know what
would have happened if
it had been Three Wise
Women instead of Three
Wise Men?
They would have asked
directions, arrived on
time, helped to deliver
the baby, cleaned the
stable, made a casserole
and brought practical
gifts.
The Two Ronnies.
Whose the King!!!
Whazzupppp!!!! Elaine and
Catherine.
J & T please!!!!
SOLUTION TO
HALLOWEEN
GUESS WHO DID YOU GUESS
RIGHT.
IT WAS
SEAMUS BOLAND
THE CHRISTMAS
STORY
Terri asked her Sunday
School class to draw
pictures of their
favourite Bible stories.
She was puzzled by
Kyle’s picture, which
showed four people on
an airplane, so she asked
him which story it was
meant to represent.
“The flight to Egypt,”
said Kyle. “I see. And
that must be Mary,
Joseph and Baby Jesus,”
Ms. Terri said. “But who
is the fourth person?”
“Oh, that Pontius - the
Pilot”