Heritage Notes - 26 August 2011

Steamer’s Quay

Last week’s picture has been identified as a scene from 1936, but the reason behind Sargent’s Garage selling three different brands of fuel remains a mystery, even to serious car experts locally. This week we re-live the golden age of the steamboat with a scene from the Steamer’s Quay around the early 1890s. If you look closely enough you can see the new panelling on the red bridge, the ticket box for collecting the fares and there is even a little boy dressed in a sailor suit, perhaps for his very first trip to Youghal. Who knows what an adventure he had that day?

Following the great work done on the red bridge car park by Civic Link and the Council, the Heritage Group has been working hard of late trying to progress a possible restoration to modern standards of the Steamer’s Quay, and we have been very heartened by the backing we have received from landowners and river users alike. Our aim is simply to see the Quay restored for use by boats of any description and there is no desire to make money from the venture. It could be a great boost to local river use, and to tourist interest in the area and we are committed to doing all that a small voluntary group can do to bring this about.

‘Off the Top’

With the opening of Cappoquin’s first barber’s shop (i.e. for the guys only) in more than thirty years now just a few days away (Aug 30), it is great to hear that the name of Mark Ferguson’s new establishment is derived from one of the favourite sayings of our last barber, the late Paddy Connolly of Upper Main Street. We have narrowed down the date of Paddy’s closure for business to between 1974 and 1980 or so but if anyone can be more precise do let us know. In the meantime, the best of luck to Mark in his new venture beside Super Valu – no news as yet whether hair transplants are also available!

Ap training

Some of our members were heading for the launch of the mobile phone application devoted to Dungarvan history this week and we are very hopeful that we can access training to allow us to develop something similar for Cappoquin in the coming months.

Heritage Christmas Cards

This year’s stock of postcards on local themes are selling very well and can still be bought in either the credit union or post office. We have also decided to produce a new series of local Christmas cards for this year. However, this year we would like to invite anyone who has taken ‘Christmassy’ images of local scenes in the past to submit them to us and we will use the best six as the images for this year’s cards. Ideally, we need to get pictures in before the end of September and we will be happy to give some free Christmas cards (as well as the obvious fame involved!) to the people whose photos, or paintings, are selected. Any Heritage Group or Civic Link member will be glad to hear from you on this one.

Heritage Notes - 19 August 2011

This week’s picture

This week, we hope people will take a new look at an old picture. The scene shows what we presume to be members of West Waterford Hunt setting out from the Square and coming up Main Street. Image enhancement has shown that the number plates visible on the cars are KI 2200 and KI 1969. If anyone can date the picture, or identify the cars, do let us know. More curious still is the fact that the petrol pumps at Sargent’s Garage on the right are selling at least three different brands of petrol. From the left, you can see the SHELL logo, and then TEXACO and ESSO closer to the main garage shop. Can anyone explain how that could be, please? Those who can recall Sargent’s were of the view it was an ESSO garage, so the SHELL and TEXACO pumps are certainly curiosities.

County Council Thanks

While we continue to lobby the Council on some matters of footpath safety, playground maintenance and lighting, we should also reiterate that the Council has been great in the assistance it has given to the clean up of the Inch car park a few weeks ago. Exciting plans are coming from the County Museum also, relating to the development of web-based heritage trails in different places around the county. With the work we have already done on the Cappoquin Heritage trails being available online at www.cappoquin.net already, we are very hopeful of being able to link with the museum’s initiative in the near future.

More recently still, it is an absolute joy to see Cappoquin’s Carnegie Library back close to full operation. Mrs Muriel Cullen has taken up the job of branch librarian since last week and the branch is now open for a total of 18 hours a week. We wish Muriel the very best of luck in her new role. Monday and Fridays sees opening times from 10.00 to 1.00 and from 2.00 to 5.00, while Thursday’s opening times are 1.00 to 4.00 and 5.00 to 8.00.

Reflective Jackets

Civic Link recently purchased a set of two dozen reflective jackets and if any community group would like to borrow some of these for safety purposes during their own activities, any committee member will be glad to help arrange the loan.

Working on the Inch

Some of our members have been hard at work in recent weeks on ideas which might form part of our efforts to improve the Inch area. Our last meeting agreed to call a meeting of any interested parties to discuss the possibilities before any further action is considered. This will be advertised in due course.

Heritage Notes - 5 August 2011

A very special photograph

This week's photograph is a relatively recent one for us in heritage terms but a very historic one nevertheless. It shows the retirement celebration of Mrs Ellen Scanlan from the Boys' National School, Cappoquin in 1977. Pictured, from left, are Shaun Moynihan (principal), James Bennett, Mrs Scanlan, Pat Fleming, Sr. Mary Darcy and the late Bessie Cahill.

The photograph is particularly significant as Mrs Scanlan reached the great age of 100 years at the end of June, and many congratulations to her on reaching this milestone. Who knows how many hundreds and perhaps thousands of local children learnt handwriting, spelling, reading and so on from this great lady?

Mrs Scanlan's teaching service locally saw her in Mount Melleray Girls National School from 1931 to 1942, in Villierstown National School from 1943 to 1950, followed by service in Cappoquin Boys School from 1950 until 30th June 1977. Amazing.