In Reply to: Re: Fantastic Lady (Qween of the Rd.) posted by mdf on August 26, 2008 at 19:58:39:

maidin mait agut.....i'm writing about how life was in castlebar once upon a good time....and yey in the times of my youth ww2 was raging through europe.....times were good because there were no complications ...no distractions....and yet we lived in times that were seasoned by harsh disciplines...we were controlled from every quarter....home ....school...church...we lived in a fear....almost like miltons description of hell ...in his work ...paradise lost...a dungeon horrible on all sides round ...as one great furnace flamed yet from those flames no light visible......and in certain settings there was no light visible.....but we managed to pluck from those conditions a spirit for living....we allowed the opera of the day be the spark that ignited the drive of the morrow.....many of my friends flew the coop as soon as they could......to escape the tyrannies of their life.....escape to new freedoms.....but the characters of our day presented uncensored comedy and drama.....in your posting...you were confused by my reference to massbrook.......quickly may i clarify.....in my " lost weekend"....i lived in the gate house at massbrook estate....at the time it was owned by herr....?[ name lost in time]...in those dark days this german landlord extended considerations and kindnesses to me and my family....although at the time i was oblivious to all that was going on.....i would leave in the morning never knowing when i would return.....i had some wild experiences with my friend tommy brady........tom had a car and collected mail from the station....a kind of contract with the postal department....this reminded me of my stint many years before as a temporary postman....mise...fear an phuist....my cousin con clarke ....who was raised by my maternal granparents...to avoid the atrocities of being sent to letterfrack....with his brothers billy, david , mickey,paudeen,...his sister bridie was sent to the convent "of mercy"..westport....a goldenbridge type setting....orphaned children were sent to these institutions way back then......how they could be allowed to exist is baffling and outrageous......however conn was spared this and was raised on new line.....conn had got a job as temporary postman.....however he decided to go to england....but neede to find a replacement ...so that he could leave the post....he approached me......and i agreed it was early fifties.....conn brought me up to charlie hanley who was acting postmaster at the time.......the first thing charlie asked me was could i speak an gaelge.....to which i replied fluently.....he asked a couple of things in gaelic....now he said every post man must have a good bicycle and his statement was....your bicycle must have applicable brakes.....and a sound bell...verbatum declaration.....i was officially " sworn" in...and given my duties one of which was to deliver the post from spencer street , station road, mchale road.mons terrace, and all the villges to ballyheane.....the other duth was i was the post office authorithy to sign and collect the mail from the late train from dublin......mr. foy....signalman....would have me sign a docket.....however mick garry had the cotract to convey the mail from the station to the post office....mick very rarely showed up...for the train....he was either in m.j.byrnnes....or in some other pub.....i'd wait .....until mr foy would tell me id have to look for him as he was going to lock the station up for the night.....i would cycle out to where he lived out the rathbawn road.....not there....byrnes was closed so many times the post had to locked up in a room at the station......then early morning mick garry would be banging at my door to get up so we could collect the mail......often the postmen were already in the office waiting to sort out the mail....technically as i had signed for the mail ....registered mail....was always a concern.....postmen of the day were patsy mclaughlin, joady scully, tom mcgreal, gerry cotter and paddy....?....there was always alot of fun sorting out the mail....and comradeie in thre mail from was awesome....i 'd sort out my "walk"....arriving on mchale road was always alot of fun......ladies of the house would be out waiting for me.....and moe so waiting for that registered letter from england .....sometimes that look of disappointment.said a million words ...but i'd always say maybe tomorrow....or maybe you'llget a wire....then off i'd go towards aughadrinagh...and villages in between.....i loved cycling up to drimneen....there were 4 houses in the village...the omaille's, the browns,....i forget the other names....then off to my nextexcitement a letter for lizzy cahill....from america....lizzy would open it ....and shake out the dollars....then ask me to read the letter....a little of it.....then shed throw the letter in the fire.....then off to the post office in ballyheane.....i remember one day coming in from my run....a very wet day i may add.....when i got to the post office there to meet me was about six million flyers and coupons from daz soap....i was told i had to deliver these that very moment......so i set off until i got to aughadrinagh....i cycled up the bog road and disposed of my flyers.......i often wondered if tirf cutters later found a stash of coupons.....my last weekend on the job before my going to england........was one that i will never forget.....i was very good friends with barry jennings.....his parents had a pub and pastry shop on castle lane.....after work i went down to barry....a few bob in my pocket.....a few pints and a few smithwicks later i was p@#$%ed....i saw mike dolans pick up on the street and jumped in the back as he was pulling off....mike stopped the truck around the mall....and those that remember mike and julia dolan...will remeber mike had a lisp......jeeesus ch.... he said whatz the f.... ya think yar doin...ghet out or i'll give ya kick the arshe.....or i'll get the boys after ya...the boys [ the siochallonie].....get to f...out....young killeen....i managed to get out and make it home.....to more problems ....but another time....an sceil sin.....john donne wrote ....no mans is an island entire of itself..............therfore send to know for whom the bell tolls.....it tolls for thee......
slan ....agus tog go bog e.......