The Green Box - Togher Children's & Teenage Clubs

In the early 1970s , a youth group was set up in Togher to facilitate the after school needs of primary school children/teenagers in the area , initially using the local community centre and girls school hall which hosted discos chaperoned by volunteer parents. Headed up by Mr. Morley from Deanrock , Mr. Dalton from Togher Road and many others , its activities included day trips away , performing plays and many other events.

Togher Boys National School 1978/9
The Green Box in background

In 1975 , the Children's Club was officially formed by Mr. Morley and others to encourage the young people in Togher to become involved in local activities and events. Each member was presented with a membership card which ensured their participation in singing competitions , plays and day trips away. However , it soon became apparent that a more suitable permanent premises was required and to that end , Fr Hodnet petitioned for the erection of a club house behind the Girls National School. Local men and women were heavily involved in its construction and staffing. Local Deanrock man Pat O'Rourke was the regular D.J. at the discos and was himself a pioneer in Cork Pirate Radio! Many other local organizations used the facilities as well , including the Majorettes and Tamborettes and Martial Arts clubs ( see below ).

Official opening of The Green Box 1978

The Green Box

Togher Children's Club trip to Dublin Zoo 1978

Teenage Club Summer trip to Garrettstown

Togher Children's Club badge

Children's Club membership card
1976 & 1977

 

Children's Club membership card 1978

Catriona Pearse
Children's Club

Caroline Jones ( Walsh )
Teenage Club 1978

Togher Taekwon Do club 1979
Instructor Jim O'Sullivan ( R ) - Rose Lawn

Pat Houlihan ( left ) from Togher

Streetwise self defence club 1983 - 1985

Aerial photo of The Green Box ( Top Left )
7th July 1979

Sandra Dalton was chairwoman of the Teenage club when she was 16/17 (circa 1978 ). The Teenage clubhouse became known as the " Green Box " due to its timber being painted in green. She recalls how Fr. Hodnett went off to Lourdes and gave instructions that the Teenage club was to be closed while he was away. However Fr. Daly was unaware and a disco was held for the children of Between. He was not happy when he came back!  A sculpted wooden hand was presented to Togher Teenage club by lord mayor Paudie Black in 1981 as acknowledgement of their fundraising efforts for various charities which Sandra proudly displays in her home. Togher Teenage club gave money to buy the first four beds for Marymount hospice. Many years later following Fr. Hodnett's departure from the Parish, the Togher Teenage club presented him with a placue.

Sandra Dalton

Sandra Dalton with 1982 Fundraising Award
for Teenage Club

Sadly , with the passing of time , these clubs like many others which sprang up in Togher in the 1970s , were like comets streaking across the sky and faded away in the 1980s and are no more.

Redmond's G.A.A. Club & The Barracka - A Short History

This article takes a brief look at the Togher legacy of 2 famous Cork Institutions - Redmonds HFC and Barracks Street Brass Band and how the circle of life included a sports team and a musical group.

Redmonds GAA Club 1892 - 2018

Redmonds HFC was founded in 1892 and filled its ranks from the surrounding Barracks Street environs. Their social club and the heart of its operations was located on Tower Street in the South Parish. Their initial formation saw them win many titles but as the 20th Century wore on this would diminish greatly due to players seeking glory with the bigger clubs such as Nemo Rangers and The Barrs.  However having no official pitch to call their own , they finally adopted Togher ( see below ) as their anchor in the 1980s. This was named Páirc Uí Laoire and was situated next to Everton AFC pitch near the Airport. Over the course of 6 decades , its chairman Mick O'Shea campaigned tirelessly for his beloved club. His greatest achievement saw Redmonds secure their own pitch in Lehenaghmore , Togher in 1984 duly naming it Páirc Uí Laoire. However the distance from their club house on Tower Street and their difficulties in retaining players saw the " Sporting Reds " finally close their doors on over 120 years as a team on September 2018. That year also saw the closure of their sports club and bar on Tower Street. As of 2024/5 , Ballyphehane GAA club have secured tenancy of the old Redmonds ground and are currently upgrading the pitch. Thankfully another Cork Institution ( *see further below ) was to revitalize the old social club of " Na Reamonaigh " ensuring its use for future generations.

Redmond's Hurling Team 1902

Redmonds Hurling Team 1919
*Note original hurleys in photo
Photo : Jim Coughlin

 1927 - Blackrock v Redmonds

Centenary Crest 1992

Redmonds new Club & Sportsbar
Under construction 1971

Redmonds Club & Sportsbar
Tower Street

Páirc Uí Laoire

Prior to securing their own pitch Redmonds along with some other local G.A.A. clubs used the fields off Tramore Road for their games. Scoil Stiofain Naofa secondary school was built on one of the fields in 1977 and now functions as College Campus of FET.

Old stomping ground of Redmonds 1970s
Former Barrett's Fields
Tramore Road

In the 1850s , Griffiths Valuations listed a plot of land in Lehenaghmore ( at the time in the E.D. of Lehenagh and the parish of St. Finbarrs ) as being in the possession of landlord Jeremiah Carroll , who undoubtedly was the head of Cruiskeen Lodge ( now Marian Lodge ) , located to the north. His grounds included 14 fields of varying sizes. Access was from Togher Road on the west and the old Kinsale Road on the east. For the purpose of this article , the field in question as pertains to Redmonds G.A.A. club was located at the south eastern part of the plots. Originally 3 fields set aside for agricultural use , the passing of over 140 years would see parts of these combine to make one large field for use as a sports ground by the onset of the mid 1980s. It was this grassy pasture which would welcome the arrival of Redmonds in 1984.

Land of Jermiah Carroll 1850s
Plot No.16 outlined in heavy ink

Plot No.16 in modern times
Note - Everton AFC south of Plot

Chairman Mick O'Shea
Holding photograph of new pitch opening in 1984

Redmonds - Páirc Uí Laoire
Lehenaghmore , Togher

 

Redmonds - Lehenaghmore , Togher
Aerial photo

A milestone was reached when Mick O'Shea was inducted into the G.A.A. Hall Of Fame in September 2018 for 60 years service to the Club. The cruel irony of this achievement was the dissolution of his beloved Redmonds that same month.

Mick O'Shea sadly passed away on 5th August 2024.

 

 

The Barracka 

The Barracks Street Brass & Reed Band was founded in 1833/7 by Fr. Theobald Mathew ( a Capuchin Priest ) as a musical attraction for his Temperance Society.  

 

 

Fr. Theobald Mathew 1849
photographed By Mathew Brady

 

Mrs. Shinkwin's house located off Doughcloyne Hill a.k.a. " Coventry " was a well known reading room where teetotalers would gather. Undoubtedly , they would have been visited by Fr. Mathew during his campaigning. Fr. Mathew's brother Charles resided at Lehenagh House in Togher where he would stay many times while preaching his abstinence policy in Togher.

Mathew Hill , Lehenagh Beg , Togher

Today , the hill leading up from Pouladuff Crossroads is called Mathew Hill in honour of Fr. Mathew. A tenuous link exists between Togher and The Barracka through their founder Fr. Mathew and his connection to Togher. Following the dissolution of Redmond's AFC , their club house was recently bought by The Barracka as their new premises. So continues an historical tie to Togher which hopefully will remain for a very long time to come.