To the Chapel St shop

We were up to Jennings on Chapel Street!!

They lived at 17 and it was a home where everyone was welcome and a home of which I have many fond memories. There was James, Tilly, Pat, Mary, John, Seamus, Lizzie and Margaret and also living with them were Tommy McConville and Joe Connolly. 

That’s Tom Second Left.  Work on the rest!

Owenie and Lizzie McKevitt lived next door. This was the home of my boyhood pal Genie and of John, marie, Willie, Noel, Tony, Gerald, Bridie and a sister who died young. I think Brian was born in Mary Street. 

Even today when we meet on the street, we recall the happy days.

Up the street past an old ruin lived the Keenans. I remember the mother but not the father. There was Mary Ellen, Maggie, Tilly, Clare and the well-remembered Patrick (Tubs). Keenans was one of the many Chapel Street Spring water – then as now – was to be savoured and every year the wells would be limed and whitewashed to ensure purity. houses that had a well in the backyard – or maybe two – and everyone availed of these in the summer months.

Brendan Mackin’s mother and father lived next door. These were decent people as was his sister Sadie who married Mick turley from Church Street. Brendan married Agnes Hearst. She was a sister of the famous Jackie Hearst and there was another younger sister Eileen.

Then we had the McDonalds, Charlie, Rose and Sarah. Charlie was a docker and was spoiled and ruined by his two sisters who incidentally were cousins of Minnie Smith who lived in Lonan Teach an Conais (Tan Open).

There was a shop at the end of the row, McIlroys, where in our childhood days we dispensed every penny we could get in exchange for gobstoppers, liquorice, caramels, toffee and anything else you could think of that was available for one penny or less.

We’ll leave the other side of the Street for another day, will we?

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