Local Interviews - 05 - Mrs. Pat McCarthy - Togher Cross

On the last day of September 2015 , Billy O'Brien on behalf of the Togher Historical Assoc. and with the brilliant assistance of Ken McCarthy , Secretary of the Tidy Towns Committee , paid a visit to the home of Mrs. Pat McCarthy ( Ken's Mother ) near Togher Cross. Pat has been resident there since moving from Evergreen Street in 1957 and has been witness to incredible changes in the locale over the last 60 years.

Mrs. Pat McCarthy - Togher - 1957 to Present

Born in 1933 , Pat originally hailed from Nicholas Hill in the City before moving to Togher shortly after marrying James " Jas " McCarthy at the age of 24. Since then Pat , an only child herself , has gone on to rear a Family of 8 boys and girls.

Pat McCarthy with her children at Togher Cross 
in front garden circa 1960 with original wall 
of Liberty Stream on the main Togher Road to rear

Life back then in 1950s Togher was worlds away from the City ( albeit only a short distance away ) and the area was deemed to be in the " Countryside ". The region still had its many " Big Houses " including Clashduff House and Deanrock House ( not to be confused with the Pub of the same name which wouldn't be built until the late 1960s ) and the nearby Lehenaghmore House. The main Togher Road was a narrow affair with much of its frontage either walled or tree lined with a disparate hotch potch of old terraced houses from Ardmanning Hill all the way to Togher Cross and save for Feirm Bawn and Blue Bag , this absence of modern structures continued up both Lehenaghmore Hill and Doughcloyne Hill.

John McCarthy and Daughter

 in front garden on Togher Road 

circa 1960

The Togher that Pat found herself in almost 60 years ago was markedly different from that of today though no less quite. Pat recalls that there was a constant murmur from the flow of the Liberty Stream to the front of her house ( still walled all the way back to the old National School ) and a regular rattle from the passing trains of the Cork Bandon Railway to the rear of her house. This was in marked contrast to the relative quite of the City. One unfortunate consequence of dwelling so near a waterway , was the constant flooding which at times saw the stream literally flow past the front gate! Other distractions would be the weekly rantings around midnight of a passing drunk deriding the Royal Ulster Constabulary far away in the North of Ireland. One character of note was a lady known to many as " Erin's Ghost " who frequently journeyed around the roads up to and including Forge Hill at the dead of night alone. It is not known if she ever strayed inside Togher's boundaries.

John McCarthy on Togher 

Road with old wall of  Liberty
 Stream on left ( early 1980s )

Pat recalls many episodes of pushing a pram up both hills near her home for many years to take in the fresh air and escape the " noise " of the stream and the trains by Togher Cross. Her eldest child , Juliette would go on to be one of the first pupils at the then new Girls School built in 1961 on land donated by the Ryan Family. Several of her boys would attend the old National School ( now Community Centre ) and later the modern Togher B.N.S. when that was completed in 1971.

Pat McCarthy ( 7th from left ) with Drama Group

in Muintir na Tire Cottage circa 1963

Many years before the arrival of the Shopping Centres of the early 1970s - Southside ( Five Star ) and Togher ( V.G. near Ardmanning Pub ) and indeed the units near Greenwood Estate were available , buying the groceries was a far simpler task. This was accomplished by a short walk to the nearby Mrs. Murphys. Originally a " House Shop " , it quickly developed into a proper establishment and has seen many owners over the Decades , including Lehane and Keohane to its present incarnation as a Turkish Barbers. Ken recalls during his childhood days , that the shop switched between two owners over a short period of time , namely Jack Twomey and a Foreign Gentleman , so that it took on the local moniker of " Jacks to Packs ". The other Grocers to surface all those years ago were Morgans on Deanrock Terrace ( selling everything from coal to potatoes it was a lifeline to the original inhabitants of Togher ) and Mrs. O'Sullivans near the old National School. It is believed that she gave the plot of land which would serve as the entrance to the new Westside Estate in the mid 1960s free of charge to the Developers - who obviously were only too happy to accept!  To supplement the dinner table , Pat vividly recalls how they kept some hens to the rear of their home and how Jas would frequently tend to a small vegetable patch , more for some peace and quite than for any actual benefits that might accrue!

Doughcloyne Inn under construction circa 1985

Pat's neighbours back in those halcyon days were the Sullivans , Cronins , Sheehans ( who famously won the sweepstakes with Ryan back in the 1930s ) , Ena Barry nee Lane ( preserved Cottage by Togher Cross ) , Emerys and Hallahans ( daughter Brenda presently involved in Tidy Towns ). She also makes mention of Maxie who ran the Garage near the old Forge.

Doughcloyne Hotel under flood water circa 1990s

Besides spending many Sundays walking the hills with the children , Pat also regularly journeyed up the African Missions Lane to the S.M.A. Orchards where she could purchase bags of apples relatively cheaply. She recounts the Spillanes who lived in the Lodge which ran adjacent to the high iron entrance gates which lead to the old Sarsfield Estate , sold off to the S.M.A. in the early 1940s. Pat recalls the swan song of the Platform Dance near Togher Cross before it was superseded by the Dancehalls and Showbands of the 1960s. One other important outlet for entertainment was the Munitir na Tire. This small bungalow which was originally a family home became a much used outlet for the activities of the organisation , with different nights dedicated to various activities including Cards , Table Tennis and Irish Dancing. Pat attended on many occasions with her Mother and neighbours. Jim O'Keeffe ( Lough ) and Mr. and Mrs. Ronayne ( Leaca Ban ) - house in front of present day Market Gardens Est. were heavily involved in the running of Muintir na Tire. Later on the much used structure would double as an impromptu Credit Union. She also became involved with the local Drama Group around 1963 and took part in their first production of a play entitled " The Mere Man ".

Religious services back then required a long trek up to the Lough Church or over to the Church of Ease in Wilton. To facilitate this , a local Protestant man by the name of Mr. Daunt , ran a mini bus to convey the Catholic worshippers to and fro. The irony was completely lost on the locals of the time.

Two other characters of note from the 1950s and indeed the 1960s both from an Adult and a childhood perspective were Lady Harris and Mrs. Regan. Mrs. Harris originally hailed from England and because of her accent was dubbed " Lady " by the locals. The other woman , very much a Togher woman , was Nellie Regan and by all accounts was feared by the then children in the neighbourhood. Mrs. Harris lived in Feirm Bawn and Nellie lived in one of the three bungalows fronting on to the road which collectively went by the name of Blue Bag. Nellie looked after Mrs. Harris' house whenever she returned to England on holidays. Pat's son , John , recalls being caught red handed up an apple tree at the rear of Mrs. Harris' house and being rewarded with sweets and lemonade for his efforts. Suffice to say , Nellie Regan incited dread in any young miscreants! Such were the innocent memories of children who perhaps unwittingly brought out the best and the worst of their peers.

  Pat in 1963

The Togher Historical Assoc. would like to thank Mrs. Pat McCarthy for the privilege of interviewing her in her home and for being gracious in sharing some of her many wonderful memories of Togher from so long ago. The window which she opened into the past will serve us all well. A time before the massive Housing Schemes which would quickly subsume the land. A world of railways , streams , platform dancing and market gardening. A world sadly now lost to us all.