In Reply to: Re: Ceist eile do Oliver K posted by Oireach on August 29, 2008 at 22:33:51:

a cara.....the baronn of broadwy....everyone in our town at that time remembers .....hanley......he pulled into town in a '49 ford customline....painted in green white and yellow....our national colours.....austie gannon was his chauffeur.....and he stayed ....or should i say he held court in the erris hotel.....he smoked the finest havana cigars......his mission as he declared was to " buy" the six counties.....he drove to stormont to meet with lord beaverbrook....we used to hang outside the erris to get a look at him.....mrs tierney pampered his every whim......a man after my own heart.....because he lived on his wits.....austie was decked out in white gloves....and the whole nine yards......the connaught was never without a story on the doings of mr. hanley.....he came a second time but his reception was a little diluted.....a good con never goes back to the same well twice.....when he departed the first time he left with the fanfare given to celebrity......next time 'round he evaporated....some time after the town had its annual fancy dress parade......jimmy ormsby....certainly played the part of the baron of broadway.....with pop hopkins as his chaufeur....not long after that jimmy was eletrocuted in their welding shop....and as fate would deal a further tragedy....pop hopkins was burid alive in an explosion ....jimmy and pop were lifetime friends...... and in fact won the award for most original character.....lawhie mcginty at that time had a piebald pony and trap....and paddy joe mcginty.....rode the horse in the parade....his theme was based on the race horse caughoo.....paddy joe carried the colours well....paddy moylett had a crush on B and treated her lavishly to win her affections......this was 1956.........mickey garvey ....and billy cresham wer soon departing for the us......i was departing for canada....well this sunday afternoon we hired tom tunney to drive us to westport......there was mickey , scals, pat ludden {i think pat was with us}, B, myself.....and off we go.......tom tunney wore the thickest bi focal glasses i ever saw.....we often joked .....as we drove with tom ....tom there's a turn to the left coming up......we arrive in cathair na mart....and we headed straight for blowser walshes pub.....in those days the licensing laws were screwball....some pubs had a 6 day licence....others had a7 day licence.....so if you were bona fide...you could get into a 7 day pub on a sunday.....if you lived outside a 3 mile area....you qualified.....we knocked at the door and blowser let us in .....he brought us into his kitchen......soon the pints were up ...after a few pints.......mickey garvey said to scals....if you drink 5 pints in five mouthfuls....ill pay for you and B to the dance......mickey had a stammer.....so his comment went somthing like this.....i...ff.f.f you dr...in...drin..k 5 pints ...one after another....wit...hou...ttt takin' the glas fr...o..mmmm yo...yo...you....rrrr. mouth i...i...l..ll payyyyy for you and b abbbbbs.to the dance.....scals took up the challenge.....the first pint arrived ....paddy got it his mouth and down the guinness went....good man paddy was the call......blowser bring in another pint......and again paddy was a hero.......the third ....and the fourth......paddy had but one more pint to get down....the lush was ordered there was a silence as paddy took the pint in his hand....you can do it paddy....good man....fair play.....as paddy put the pint to his mouth...there was a ghostly silence....half way down paddy was been urged on .....then mickey garvey....burst into voice.....jjjjeeee.....s....ssus....h...hhhehe...s go....go...in' to do it....paddy made a costly mistake ....he lost his composure....and rhythm.....and he took a big gulp....the next thing we knew there was guinness gushing everywhere from paddy's mouth....along with carrots ...potatoes.....and i think there was some lamb in there too....we tried to clean it up with tea towels that were hanging to dry around range.....blowser came in ....i can still hear his f'n and blindin'''as he said get out you castlebar blackguards.....we climbed in to tom tunneys car ....come on tom get us to the dance.....another gusher in the car......and more rucksions......paddy passed out in the car.....mickey did pay for B.....4 hours later paddy was still comatose....in fact .....all the way back to castlebar.....i dont know if that damaged his chances with B or not.....not too long after that ....mickey left for the windy city....and i left for toronto......ironically mickey and i have never seen each other since.....he was in my class in school.....i have very fond memories of mickey....gussie....and susy....when gussie was involved with the town hall.....he was standing at the garden shop corner....a well known town beauty....approached him....gussie let me into the dance....i will said gussie.....if you give me the r...the rest is history.....
tog go bog e.....