Memories of Togher - 1940s ~ 1970s - Part 03/04 - Togher Road

The third of a 4-Part article ( read Part 01 here and Part 02 here ) looking back at Togher from the 1940s to the 1970s from the perspective of the Hegarty family , as told by Anne O'Driscoll ( nee Hegarty ). This third short installment begins at the brow of Ardmanning Hill and proceeds down both sides of Togher Road right up to Togher Cross and a little beyond. * Items marked in RED are gone!

 

1 - Longs Farm 

Paddy Long operated a farm between O'Driscolls house and Ardmanning Cottages up to the early 1960s. This farm was bought out by compulsory Purchase Order where the Corporation intiiated a new scheme of houses for sale on a short mortage lease where potential buyers could involve themselves in the design process. Paddy's story is told here.

Ardmanning Hill 1961
Longs Farm ( L ) & Bannons House ( R )

* It must be remarked that one of the newly constructed bungalows on Ardmanning Hill is the only structure in Togher to bear the name " Togher Road "!

Bothar an Tochar - Togher Road

 

* The journey now moves to the opposite side of Togher Road.

2 - Bannons House ( see photos above )

Anne jokingly recalled how she had a crush on one of the boys who lived there. It is thought the family moved to Ballincollig after a compulsory purchase order was placed on the land.


3 - Unknown

Anne recalls an old lady who lived here always dressed in black and wore a bonnet.

4 - Hosfords Farm

Anne recalls how the family kept to themselves. This family moved to Ovens , Ballincollig in 1967 after compulsory purchase order of their land.


** Please note that not all old cottages and houses were mentioned in interviewing Anne O'Driscoll. They include Ardmanning Cottages , Bunny and Pata Cronins house , Carmelville , Murphys , McCarthys , Leaca Ban and a slew of others which the blog has covered in other articles.

5 - Sean O'Briens 

Anne remembers Seanie O'Brien who operated a market garden ( where Market Gardens estate is today ). His sister married a next door neighbour , Frank Moran.

6 - Mannings

The Mannings owned the big house ( where the Barrs clubhouse is now ) and most of the land thereabouts. They had 2 sons who tragically died young. However John Joe Hegarty of The Laurels on Pouladuff Road was great friends of one of the boys and was unofficially " adopted " by the family. This would prove fruitful in later years. There were also 3 Daughters ; Dolly , Greta and Breda. Greta , known as Auntie Greta to the Hegarty siblings , worked for one of the top men in Guinness and even traveled with him to New Zealand for 3 years. However Cor kwas her first love and she eventually returned home. Breda was married to the owner of Follains bookshop in Cork City. Both Greta and Dolly would often jokingly profess their loved for John Joe Hegarty. In the early 1960s ,  Con Neenan who had served with John Joe during the War of Independence was looking for a new home for the Barrs. He had become a wealthy businessman in America and had the finances to fund such a place. However John Joe had the connections with the Mannings ( Anne : " Whatever John Joe wants , John gets! " ). So it was that the Barrs pitch became a reality and many years later their own club house built on the site of the old Manning house.

7 - Kearneys

This was a small cottage angled to the corner of Togher Road and Mannings Lane. 

8 - The Forge

Anne remembers a man who wore plastic glasses and used to break rocks with a big hammer.

* Anne went on to recall how she and her sisters would travel up to the Merries known as Gurdys ( a German traveling company ) in Doughcloyne and would also play down by the stream. They would also go up Mathew Hill to Lehenagh House and steal apples known as " blood reds ". They would then move onto Barretts farm to the Green Patch and have a picnic and watch the Bandon train as it travelled through Togher. They would often place pennies on the tracks to make them flatten as the train passed over. One of these doctored pennies even found its way back to The Laurels shop!