Archive (9 life histories found)

I met my husband Michael at a dance in the Crystal Ballroom in South Anne Street, Dublin. He with his friends and me with mine. We danced quite a lot together over the weeks, resulting in both his and my friends eventually sitting and chatting…

The flow of life moved on, we got older, meanwhile our interest expanded to dances and boys. Boyfriends then were usually altar boys or boy scouts who too were attached to the Franciscans. At the time, a bicycle was a great accessory to own and I…

I first met Hannah in a queue waiting to go into the Crumlin Picture House. She was wearing a Linfield scarf and I a Glentoran scarf. Glentoran were beaten.Because Hannah's mother died on the date arranged we had to postpone the wedding for 6…

Dating was a much more innocent affair in those days. No 'Good' girl would allow even the most chaste kiss on a first date and sex, a word which was not allowed in decent company, was reserved for after marriage. All the expenses in relation to the…

We had no sexual relationship before marriage and on our wedding day one of her married brothers took me aside and told me not to rush sex, to leave it for a day or two until we were both ready.We were married in Donnybrook Church on 15th January…

Still involved in youth clubs I went to a weekend conference in Red Island holiday camp in Skerries. It was for the youth leaders from all the Dublin youth clubs. At that time all youth leadership was voluntary, the idea of being paid was…

I fancied a bird in Macroom (Cork) just after this, not the most convenient place as I was working in Donegal. She was eldest of a large family (7), both parents dead, the family being looked after by 'Aunt Agnes' from Cork. Aunt Agnes was from…

Finding a wife was a difficult business for me. I was super-sensitive and a denial hurt greatly. So pre-occupied were we all between the Boys' Club and the flat where we lived, talked, and partied, however innocently. I couldn't be frivolous,…