The 1970/1980s School Run was a precursor to Car Pooling. It was a practical way of transporting c. 8 children to school in a car designed for 4. All school bags and snorkel jackets went in the front seat, smiling mother in driver seat, cargo/scholars in the back. There were… read more →
On Sydenham Villas we were known for our selection of surnames. We had quite an array of names from the normal to the…, well here we go. The first family at the end of the Cul de Sac were the Ffolliotts; two sisters and one drove a pink Morris Minor… read more →
My first memory of Dundrum was going with my Mum and Dad and little brother Simon to look around the house. It was number 7 Sydenham Rd, Dundrum Dublin 14. I think the house cost £3,500. It seemed absolutely enormous. I remember walking down the many steps in the house… read more →
We would go through the phone book and pick on random numbers until we got through to some old person. The phone calls from Ard Lui went like this: Ralph: Hello, this is detective sergeant Tom Nash from Blackrock Garda station. Is that Mr Kelly? Mr Kelly: … read more →
I was brought up on a farm in rural North Yorkshire, where my family have farmed for generations and still do so to this day. My brother Charles and I lived quite a free existence, involving cattle, chickens, ponies and toy tractors! Every harvest we would happily cut all the… read more →
Ralph and Bing used to like to do some night cycling on their Raleigh Scorpios to relieve the stress of a heavy day of study at Blackrock College. Ralph always had a blue Scorpio and Bing always had a brand new Orange one. Bing always had a brand new one… read more →
The Big City! I arrived in Dundrum at age small (around 6 I guess) as schooling opportunities in Durrus, near Bantry, where my father was the Rector of St James Church, were a little limited. Well, there was one – it had a hole in the ground for a toilet… read more →
I decided to have a surprise 21st in the garden when the folks were away. Richard my 16-year-old brother got word of it and at the time his hangout was McDonough’s Pub in Dalkey where he happily spread the word. On arrival home from the Queen’s Pub with a select group… read more →
While out walking with a good mate Ciara she mentioned how kind Richard my 16-year-old brother was, and how he always drove in and collected her younger sisters and all her friends from Wesley Disco in Donnybrook on a Friday night. I was a little shocked to hear this in… read more →
My friend Mary O’Connell had been given a moped to get her to and from Trinity College. I heard from a mutual friend that Mary had been bombing into town, down the Sandyford Road, came round a bend a bit too quickly and ended up on the wrong side of… read more →