Ann Sisk - The Cutting

On August 4th 2018 , the Togher Historical Association caught up with a former resident of The Cutting , now sadly consigned to memory in Togher. Billy O'Brien had the privilege of interviewing Ann O'Neill ( nee Sisk ) in Ballincollig and archiving her life story of which only a small portion is being committed to the blog. 

Ann O'Neill & Billy O'Brien

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** Sadly Ann passed away on October 12th 2021. This article stands as a tribute to her and her life in Togher. Because of her generosity in sharing her memories , much of the 1950s and 1960s from a small part of Togher are forever archived here. M.S.R.I.P. **

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Ann's home ( first at centre ) 1971

Ann's home ( first centre left ) 1971

Ann's house on left as seen from Mrs. O'Sullivan's yard

 

John Sisk & Theresa Allen

The Sisk family connection with the Cutting didn't take place until the erection of the 3 terraced houses in the late 1920s. Ann's paternal Grandfather Denis Sisk was a stoker in the Royal Navy whilst his Father John Sisk was a farmer living on Togher Road. Ann's paternal Grandmother Norah Sullivan a.k.a. Honora was the daughter of John Sullivan who was a labourer who lived on Togher Road. The couple married in 1905. It is unknown where they resided until the 1920s when their final home was built in the Cutting.
 

Paternal Grandparents Marriage Certificate 1905
Denis Sisk & Honora Sullivan

Honora Sisk

Ann mentions that her parents were married in 1941 and like all couples were very much in love. John Sisk who was born in the Cuttings first began seeing Theresa Allen who lived with her sisters in the family home on Doughcloyne Hill. Sadly that house was only recently demolished. Their relationship was not looked on favourably and Theresa decided to leave home and eventually settled in the Sisk house on The Cuttings. After marrying , John's mother Honora continued to live in the house with many improvements and extensions being added on over the course of time. John and Theresa would have 7 children : Denis , Alan , Colum , Barry , Ann , Frank , Valerie and Bernie.  Sadly John passed away in the 1970s. Fate would have it that as time wore on and the Bridge was demolished , plans by developers were in place to build a future motorway which meant the forced sale of the family home. Ann's mother Theresa finally moved out in 1981 and into Sandown Crest. Theresa herself would pass away at the age of 92 on 24th June 2013 at Marymount Hospice.

John Sisk outside Lough Church 1920s

John Sisk ( left ) on Togher Railway bridge 1940s

Parents Marriage Certificate 1941
John Sisk & Theresa Allen

Theresa Allen ( m.Sisk ) 1920s with siblings

Theresa Allen in her youth

Theresa Allens old home 2017 before demolition

The photo below shows the family in the early 1960s outside the family home in The Cuttings and was taken by Ann's Brother , Denis. The photo above shows Theresa ( circled ) in the 1920s as a child with her siblings in the garden of their home on Spur Hill. Her father , David Allen ( see more here ) was instrumental in setting up what would become the Togher Community Association which ensured public lighting , a bus service and a post office for the region in the 1940s.

Rear: Colum , Alan , Front : Ann ( Valerie on lap ) ,
 Bernie/ Theresa ( on Mrs. Sisk's lap ) , Frank

John & Theresa Sisk 1960s
Daly's cottage in background

John Sisk at The Cuttings

John & Theresa at wedding

Theresa Sisk in later years

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Ann Sisk & Paul O'Neill

Ann Sisk was born in 1948 and lived in the last house of three to the rear of The Cuttings. Her siblings include Denis , Barry ( who passed away at 6 months old ) , Alan (  who passed on ) , Colum , Frank ( who passed on ) , Valerie, and Bernie/Theresa. She attended Togher National School from 1953 to 1961 in the old School which now serves as the Community Centre. Her two Principals during her time there were Mrs. McCarthy who was succeeded by Ms. McSwiney.

Ann Sisk - Communion 1955

Ann with siblings and local children 1955

Ann has many fond memories of growing up in Togher which ranged from playing by the Liberty Stream and running along the Railway Track and teasing the chickens to the rear of Birdie's house ( now front part of Scout Hall ) and darting quickly under the Snotty Bridge on Lehenaghmore Hill in order to avoid the drips. Ann has always identified herself as a railway kid with the line running parallel to the rear of her home. She was also present during the lifting of the Macroom track in 1955 along with other children who marveled at the spectacle. The event was captured for posterity by a reporter from the Railway Bridge at the time ( photo shown above ).  All attended Togher National School , with the younger Girls studying at the newly opened Girls National School after 1961 ( now home to Foroige ). Ann fondly remembers working behind the counter of her cousins , the Hegartys shop on Pouladuff Road - The Laurels. ( story told here ). One of her best friends growing up was Mary Walsh who lived on the opposite side of the Cutting next to the old Marshall house ( story told here ). For a more in-depth article on the Cutting go here.

Ann Sisk 1960s

Ann recounts the following event from her school days back in the old National School :

" I lived around corner from the school , but was always last in ( not late ). One day in a hurry I ran off to school and realised I had forgotten to put on my knickers. I was about 6 years old. I was in the horrors and told the teacher. She was shocked , ( this was late 1950's ) and told me to stand out in the back ( this was a space between the two class rooms ). I was a small thing with all these eyes on me , so I ran home. My Mother was very protective of me being the only girl at the time. She put on my underwear and actually marched me down to the school. She called the teacher out so as not to upset the girls. I don't know what was said , but when Mum had gone , the teacher got my sack and turned it upside down. She took my beloved scrap book which was full from relations , told me to pick up my stuff and I wasn't going to see that book again! I didn't tell Mum as I felt I was a very bad girl.  But I cried inside when the girls were playing with theirs. I know this sounds silly , but as I got older I looked in secondhand bookshops for it..... "

Ann outside family home mid 1960s

Ann Sisk outside home in 1960s

Ann 1968

Ann 1969

Ann started a romantic relationship in the late 1960s with Paul O'Neill who came from Maymount on Friar's Walk. Ann takes up the story : " I was at a match in Turners Cross in 1969. On the way out I looked down to the pitch and just then this fellow looked right at me , as if no one else was there. That night I went to a dance on the number 14 bus to the Stardust and he was there. He asked me to dance , and we have been together since. " 

Paul O'Neill ,  Friars Walk

 with his future sisters-in-law

Valerie and Theresa Sisk outside Cuttings

Ann & Paul at The Cutting 1969

Ann with friend at Turners Cross 1969

 

Paul O'Neill with Theresa , Valerie & Mr. John Sisk

inside Sisk family home at The Cuttings 1970

She always remembers being walked home with Paul stopping on the Railway Bridge until she had safely arrived indoors and blowing kisses to each other and not leaving until he saw her attic light come on. Ann left Togher in 1970 eventually settling in Ballincollig where she lives to this day. She was married at the Parish Church in the Lough in 1971.

Mrs. Sisk , Paul & Ann , Mr. Sisk
Wedding Day at Lough Church 1971

Ann with her father Mr. Sisk
Lough Church 1971

Ann & Paul
Wedding Day 1971

Paul & Ann 
Wedding Day 1971

Ann & Paul 1971

Ann & Paul

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Colum Sisk

Ann's Brother Colum ( shown below ) was a keen runner and member of Togher Athletics Club from its formation in 1966. He had studied in Maynooth to become a Priest but opted out and pursued a career in Teaching eventually ending up as Principal of Blarney Boy's School. He is married with two children.

Colum Sisk ( Centre ) with Togher A.C. 

1967 in Coffey's Field

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Frank Sisk

Frank Sisk , another Brother of Ann's went on to join the Army and originally moved into the N.B.A. scheme before finally settling in Ballyphehane with his Wife , Mary. He had a love for the sport of darts which he regularly played at the Ardmanning pub. Sadly he passed away in 2000. Ann remembers him as a fun child who was easy to mind and full of love.

 Frank aged 6

Frank Sisk ( left back ) Ardmanning Darts team

Frank Sisk ( 3rd from right  back row )

Frank Sisk ( left holding darts ) in Ardmanning Pub 1980s

Frank Sisk in later years

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Alan Sisk

Photo above shows the late Alan Sisk in the 1960s. As Ann recalls : " He looked more like the Allens than any of us. "

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Denis Sisk

Denis Sisk who lives in West Cork

Denis Sisk who is the eldest worked as a breadman and lived for a time in Greenwood Estate but now resides in West Cork. In Togher he was famous for his adult rendition of the song " Ruby , Don't Take Your Love To Town ".

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Ann further recounts the following memories from her days in the Cutting and her life in general and that of her Family: 

" .... My father has memories as a young boy of hearing shots off in the distance and of seeing the black and tans and of bodies being taken out of the marshes over by the African Missions land!

 

 ....My Dad had cancer of the eye when young and had use of only one eye and so never owned a car. He used to take me to mass in Wilton up the train track and over a tree trunk of Glasheen River.

Aunt Crissie ( Mrs. Sisks sister ) on right

....My Aunt Crissie Allen ( see photo above ) , loved her , she took me every where. I waited on the steps in the cutting for her every Wednesday when she visited mum.

 ....One time when I was very young , my two brothers were messing with a pellet gun and shot me across my eyebrow. I still have a piece of the pellet there. When my Dad found out , he smashed the gun off our front wall. It wasn't even ours!

....We'd sneak around Nanna Cronies ( Hannah Cronin ) , and out her gate to the cutting. She'd hit us with a floor brush if we were caught! It only took a minute off our way home but it was the dare of course! 

....We would sneak in through the hedge from the Railway track to see the match in the Barrs instead of going up Dineen's Lane and paying. 

Mr. Sisk at The Cutting 1970s

....My Dad , he kept the steps in good condition in the Cuttings through weeding and cleaning. One day after working on it , he said to my sister and Mary Cronin , that he felt he had lost 5 pounds that day. When he had gone up home , Bernie/ Theresa and Mary Cronin spent the rest of the day looking for it! haha. That was about 50 years ago. The innocence back then.

....When I was very young, most of the Togher families got together in the Barrs playing field , and the women brought soft drinks and biscuits etc. for us children , and we'd sing and dance and play in front of a huge fire , the men talking sport and the women exchanging gossip, when it was time for the children to go home , the women would clean up, and we'd all head off leaving the men to doing their thing, and seeing to the fire , no fighting, just the one night we all met up.
  
....Next to my old school was Miss O's shop ( red door ).  At lunch time she would bring out packets of biscuits to sell to us over the wall.  She would open the pack slowly and sell a biscuit for half a penny. If anyone wanted change she would stroll back into the shop for it.

Paul with Mrs. Sisk


....I loved Mrs. O though through the years , I would wait in her little shop , for the bus or a date. I loved the smell of the heater she had. There was a very high wall between her shop and her farm house so I would stay if she wanted something from the house. The shop wouldn't always be open as she got older. So we would knock on a little high window and God love her , she would go down to the shop for us , never said no. It was from that window we got our milk every day. Would you believe , I never knew if they were married or brother and sister. Never saw him out and about , only in the farm yard. Our front gate was next to the farms gate, and the cows used to gather there at times , and the smell of manure! When my uncle Jim Allen went blind from shingles , his sense of smell was intensified! But I won't repeat what he would say! My Dad never used bad language!

....Jim Allen lived at Mams own home. David Allen was their Dads name. It was the first house up in Spur Hill. It was beautiful then , beautiful gardens , large orchard , but when Jim died , it went to bits. David his son had no interest in gardening , and Frank had married and lived elsewhere. 

....When my Mam fell in love with my Dad ( he was a handsome man and a gentleman ) her father disowned her because he was just working in Dunlop , so my poor Mam came from money to a cottage. She was a wonderful Mother , 7 of us, and she wouldn't let us lift a finger , fire lighting every morning before we got up , never saw our clothes line without a line of sheets , after she kneeling on the kitchen floor washing them over a tin bath , which she had to fill from dozens of hot water kettles of water , and so sad we all took it for granted , but we cared for her after we all got married , still not enough though...."

....There was a character who used to hang around the railway tracks called Jackie. He wore a soft hat and an overcoat. He would boil spuds on the track! He actually lived in Glasheen but was often seen by the track , where Teddy Murphy , the Dineens and my brothers would chat to him. "

Sisk family home shortly before demolition 1983

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The Sisk Family

Sisk Family gathering 1990s

Ann , Valerie , Theresa ( Bernie ) & Colum 2019

Paul O'Neill with Ann's cousin Jim Hegarty

 

 

The Blog would like to thank most sincerely the entire Sisk/O'Neill Family for their contributions to this article. A whole world which many had never even known existed in Togher has finally been brought back to life. So next time you walk over the Togher Overpass bridge , just think that many moons ago , between the Deanrock pub and the Industrial Estate , a thriving community full of hopes and dreams and laughter once dwelt there! 

 

 

Acknowledgements :

 

Ann O'Neill
Paul O'Neill
Jim Hegarty
Mary Cooney  

 Malcolm Dollery