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

The final part of a 4 Part Series of Ann O'Driscoll's virtual tour ( Part 01 here , Part 02 here and Part 03 here. ) of 1940s - 1960s Togher. This article gives a brief lookback at Pouladuff Road from Marieville to Casey's Cross. Items marker RED are either gone or have been radically altered.

 

Marieville house

1 - Marieville

This was a two storied house which is still in situ today though modernised. It was the first house after The Laurels heading along Pouladuff Road and out towards Casey's Cross. It was lived in by Phil Hussey and her family and their land backed onto Long's Farm on Togher Road. On their property were two other cottages lived in by the O'Briens and the Sheehans.

 

Sarahville house

2 - Sarahville

This workmans cottage is still extant today and was originally lived in by Peggy Crowley. Originally a small house was adjoined to the gable end and was known locally as " The Castle ". * Ironically an estate across the road from the house in the modern suburb of Ballyphehane was named Sarahville Place. As was another estate further up Pouladuff Road and bisected by same - Joe Murphy Road.

Lee Metals formally Pouladuff Motors
owned and operated by Delaney family

Delaney house adjacent to Joe Murphy house

3 - Delaney's  

The Delaney family lived in the " Blue House " which was built adjacent and joined to Joe Murphy house. It should be noted that Ann O'Driscoll's father John Joe Hegarty had a placue erected on Joe Murphy house in 1960. In the late 1960s , Harry Delaney opened Pouladuff Motors on land to the right of  Joe Murphy house which is now Lee Metals.

Former site of Mrs. Edwards house
now Industrial Park

4 -Mrs. Edwards

She lived in a small cottage where the Industrial Park is now. All of that land was owned by the Delaney's.

* It should be noted that all of the land between The Laurels and Casey's Cross was for the most part either bought by Compulsory Purchase Order in the early 1960s for Corporation housing schemes or sold on for Industrial Parks.

Former site of old O'Sullivan cottage
Note old stone wall in background

Old O'Sullivan 2 story house
now Garda Station with extention

5 - O'Sullivans

Initially the O'Sullivan family lived in a small cottage behind a wall in what is now the remnants of Youngline shoe factory. Later in the 1960s they would move across the road near Casey's Cross and build a 2 story house which would later become the new Garda Station in 1983. Ann recalls that they were a large family and all very tall. She jokingly remembers who they would all fill up the bus coming up Pouladuff Road at Casey's Cross.

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 ( 1962 ) 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. Noel Bannons father ( one of the siblings who dwelt in the house ) moved to Greenmount while his Brother moved to Greenwood Estate and worked for Irish Steel. The 2 Brothers also had a sister who once lived in the old house.


3 - Unknown ( Crowleys? )

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 - O'Donnells

A tall Garda named O'Donnell ( after which the lane was named ) lived in a big yellow house ( Deanrock House )

6 - 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.

7 - 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.

8 - Kearneys

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

9 - Roches

Owned all the land where the old Post Office was and now the Dental clinic.

10 - 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 half pennies on the tracks to make them flatten so as to look like real pennies as the train passed over. One pennie would get you 12 Caramels! One of these doctored pennies even found its way back to The Laurels shop!

11 - Lehenaghmore House

Anne went out with Thomas Ryan of Lehenaghmore House when she was 15 back in 1955. She loved going up there as she could smell Mrs. Ryan's brown bread and cakes from the gates. Anne : " If you had  loaves of bread , you definitely gave half a loaf to somebody else. It was after the war and everybody minded each other.
We were lucky , we had the shop ; and an aunt had another shop on Shandon Street. She used to get big crates of tea and sugar which were put into little bags for sale. "

Lehenaghmore House 1950s

She remembers her Aunt Maud turning the bags with two knots at the side. Her  Uncle John ( Fennell ) owned a shop and petrol pump in Belgooly and used to visit The Laurels in his motor car which excited the Hegarty children so much they would literally lift him out of the car. He would present them with a half crown and a penny for their troubles. Even though the half crown was worth more , Jack insisted on getting the hen penny while insisting that Pauline got the half crown or the " horse " which was worth five shillings.
Pauline and Anne would save their money under a board in their wardrobe and would later spend it in Woolworths where they would buy little figurines of perfume.

Memories of Togher - 1940s ~ 1970s - Part 02/04 - Togher Road

The second of a 4-part article ( Part 1 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 article looks back at the houses of the 1940s and onward dealing with some of the people who dwelt there and highlighting those which thankfully still remain , hidden in plain sight , nestled among the new housing schemes which sprang up in the 1960s. Houses which can still be viewed today are marked with an asterisk *. Those now demolished will be marked in red text. The journey will start at the beginning of Togher Road and alternate left and right of the road in a numbered sequence as shown below.

Kathleen O'Keeffe ( Togher Historical Association )
& Anne O'Driscoll

1 - Harris/Hanley*

This 2 storey house was once the home of the Harris' , a brother and sister who lived alone. Nuala Harris went to live in Greenwood Estate. Today it is owned by the Hanley's who also own the garage on opposite side of road. Note that the side of their house is unique in the area in that it hosts a billboard. The house is currently unoccupied.

Harris/Hanley

 

2- Buckley*

This was the home of the Buckley's and their daughter Jane , an only child. She now lives in the bungalows leading into Sycamore Place. The house is currently unoccupied.

Buckley

3 - A collection of pre 1950s houses consisting of the following located between old Buckley bungalow and entrance to Boston Park.

Jackson ( Peter )*

Ambrose*

Twomey house*

This was originally a cottage but was altered to become a 2 storey house ; situated to the left of the entrance to Boston Park

Twomey house on corner

The following houses are located after entrance to one of the first modern estates Boston Park ( built 1950 ) on left side of Togher Road.

4 - Cunningham*

Situated at the right corner of Boston Park. The left house of this semi-detached is the home of the Cunningham's. Ger Cunningham is well known for playing for the Barrs.

5 - Russell*

Home of the Russell's , Ger Cunningham's Grandfather married one of the daughters back in the 1920s. Originally a market garden which extended all way back to Hegarty's market Garden and to the right where the present day garage is. They also owned the land which Boston Park is now built on. Anne remembers Boston Park being built. Her father put up a wicket gate and the guards would travel through it on their bikes for breakfast , dinner and tea. Anne joked that the guards would often stop the siblings and ask their names to which they replied , " ye know our father! "

Cunningham & Russell houses

6 - two semi-detached bungalows*

Home of the Murphy's ( left ) and Crowley's ( right ) , which today is a doctor's surgery , these two buildings being located at the entrance to Ardmanning Avenue. Austin Crowley lived there with his Mother and had a hire business there.

Murphys & Crowleys

The journey now moves across the road to the site of the present day Shopping Centre.

7 -Minnie's Orchard

Minnie Curtin lived here with her 2 sisters all of whom had passed by the late 1950s. Her cottage was located to the rear of the old Garda Station. All that remains are the high stone walls to the right of Supervalu and to its rear. Hanley's garage is now situated on the site. Minnie had a driveway from Togher Road to her house and all her walls were hand built.

8 - Garda Station/Old R.I.C Barracks

This fronted onto the Togher Road and was still present in 1970 with the new Togher Shopping Centre to its rear. Today the car park occupies its location since demolition in 1971. One notable character from that period was a Guard known as Roundy Lynch.

9- Ardmanning House

Formally occupied by the Caughlins who also owned all the land on which Earlwood Estate is now located which was once made up of orchards all the way back to Bolloway Lane ( now Hillside Road ). Anne recalls how her father used to bring his horse across to the Caughlins as they kept a small forge on their land. They also had a milking shed. She remembers Dan Caughlin milking his cows and they sneaking some of his apples in their clothes even though they had their own orchard! Ardmanning house of course later became a pub and was eventually demolished in 2013. Anne recalls how an old gnarled tree outside the entrance to the house was known as the Penny Tree. People would insert a penny into the bark and make a wish. Anne and her friends cheekily would search for these pennies.

Former location of Minnies Orchard , Garda Stn

& Ardmanning House

The journey now resumes across the road on the brow of Ardmanning Hill.

10 - Kerr's*

Left semi-detached house. The Kerr's originally owned a small dairy farm.

11 - O'Driscoll's*

Originally the home of Garda O'Driscoll. His wife was Head Mistress of a model school across from City Hall. Both families lived there in the 1950s. It is thought that new families now reside there , the private dwellings having been sold on.

Kerr's  & O'Driscolls

12 - The Plots

The Plots were long tracts of land rented out to residents of Barracks Street and Bandon Road by the owner Kennedy Couhlan. They were located to the rear and between Boston Park and Ardmanning Avenue.

1951 aerial view of The Plots and The Passage
Note Boston Park to north & 
partially constructed Ardmanning Ave to south

13 - The Passage

The Passage was literally a dirt track and the only connecting point between Togher Road and Pouladuff Road up to the 1960s. It served as an access point for those using their plots ( see above ) and was gated at both ends.

Memories of Togher - 1940s ~ 1970s - Part 01/04 - The Laurels

The first of a 4-part article looking back at Togher from the 1940s to the 1970s from the perspective of the Hegarty family. Part 1 looks exclusively at their home The Laurels and its land with some wonderful information from Anne O'Driscoll and remarkable photographs from her brother Jim Hegarty.

The Laurels aerial photograph of property 1951

Land Purchase document 1917

Land Registry deeds map 1951

Painting of house and shop in 1960s

Shop invoice for tobacco products

The Laurels on Pouladuff Road was built in the 18th Century by the Hegarty's and was the family home up to 1977. The two storey house was the focal point of the market garden contained therein. Originally a wall fronted onto the roadside to the left of the House and cordoned off the gardens on that side with the right side being lined with ditch and two workmen's cottages which were lived in by the Carrolls and McCarthy's up to the 1960s. Originally The Laurels had their own little garden to the front of the house. This was cleared away in the 1960s when the Corporation decided to widen the narrow road and built a narrow footpath in its place. John Joe Hegarty ( read more here! ) and Liz Allen who married in 1937 had 8 children between 1938 and 1950 :  Elizabeth ( Betty ) , Anne , Pauline ,Edward , Eileen , Jack and Jim. Sadly baby Patrick had passed away while still young in 1942. The market garden boasted extensive outbuildings and tilled fields in which they grew their produce.

John Joe Hegarty
" The Mayor of Pouladuff "

Betty , Pauline ( seated ) & Anne

1944

Betty & Anne Hegarty
Russells & Cunningham houses in background

Liz Hegarty with son Jack late 1940s

John Joe & Liz ( pregnant with Jack )
L-R: Betty , Edward , Anne , Eileen
1948

John Joe with eldest daughter Betty at The Laurels

Colourised aerial photo 1951
showing The Laurels

John Joe Hegarty with children at beach 1950s
L-R: Edward , Jack , Jim , Anne , Eileen

Hegarty siblings 1950s back of The Laurels

Edward , Anne , Jimmy , Crissie Allen ( Cousin ) , Eileen

Betty Hegarty ( standing ) & Anne Hegarty
back of Laurels 1950s

Betty Hegarty at The Laurels with Boston Park 

in background 1950s

Betty Hegarty in the gardens of The Laurels

Hegarty family at home 1950s

Anne O'Driscoll ( nee Hegarty ) was born in 1940 and married in 1960 , recalls that in the 1940s both Togher Road and Pouladuff Road were tarmacked for the very first time with a mixture of bitumen and big stones which tended to melt during hot weather. Pouladuff Road was lined with high ditches right up to the 1960s interspersed with a few houses and cottages ( more in Part 4 ). Both Pouladuff Road and Togher Road were for most of their existence narrow country lanes made up of dirt track and rock and would be considerably widened and modernized with the onset of development in the area. Anne and her sisters traveled far and wide throughout Togher when it was very much an agricultural hinterland. She also recalled that when the newcomers came to live in the housing developments of the 1950s that they appeared to be very poor and they would often help them out.

Liz Hegarty at The Laurels 1960s

Pauline Hegarty , Nan Fennell , Gus Fennell , Betty Hegarty ,
*Cathy Marks ,  Liz & John Joe Hegarty

( John Joe stayed with Cathy's family in New York in the 1930s  )

Mrs. Liz Hegarty , being a forward looking businesswoman , opened a shop in 1952 which was built adjacent to the family home. This supplemented the income from the market garden which was run by Mr. John Joe Hegarty  ( a.k.a. The Mayor of Pouladuff as people from all walks of life sought out his advice ) and the rest of the family and would serve the wider community at large for 25 years. All members of the family in addition to helping out on the market garden would also serve behind the counter in the shop. Not only was it a business concern but it also became a meeting place for locals to catch up on the news and general chit chat. Jim , along with the rest of his siblings would serve in the shop. He recalls one incident where a cheeky lad came in asking if his mother kept dripping. When he was told yes , the youth recounted with - " Well get her a bucket! " which had Jim clearing the counter to chase the laughing boy out of the shop and delivering him a well aimed " funt up the hole! ". The shop is still spoken of with fondness by those who frequented it. All of the family were heavily involved in sports of all kinds , the boys playing with the Barrs and other G.A.A. teams including soccer teams both local and further afield and the girls playing camogie. They also became involved in greyhound coursing , their father John Joe fostering a love of the sport in them. Jim recalls getting flack from irate mothers who visited the shop for playing for a Northside team.

Jim ( marked with X ) 3rd Cork Scouts
All brothers were members

Jim Hegarty ( seated at left ) at Togher National School 1960

Under 14 Football Finals - Joseph Plunketts



Jack Hegarty
St. Finbarrs Minor Hurling 1963

Eddie Hegarty
Crofton Celtic 1965

Eddie Hegarty memorial



Jim Hegarty Harty Cup Winners 1968

Group photo of Harty Cup winners 1968



Barrs County Champions 1968

Jim Hegarty ( left back row standing ) Barrs 1968
County Champions

Pouladuff Lough street league 1967
Eamon Teehan & Jim Hegarty - Managers



St. Als camogie team 1957
Betty Hegarty ( Back 2nd from Left )
Pauline Hegarty ( Front 1st on Left )

Jim Hegarty N.I.B.A. president

Jim Hegarty with chain of office



Jack Hegarty - President of Electrical Contractors

Jim Hegarty and siblings at N.I.B.A. Annual Dinner

Jim Hegarty , the youngest member of the family born in 1950 recalls some funny anecdotes from his youth in Togher: " I used to get away with murder in Togher National School. Flor Dullea knew my father was in the old I.R.A. " Jim's future as an alterboy was brought to an abrupt end as follows : " One mass the Priest gave out  to us because he said he couldn't hear us. So we promptly got up and walked out. That was the end of our alterboy career! "  Jim recalls playing ball on the road back in the 1950s and 1960s when there was very little traffic but still keeping a sharp eye out for the Guards. He recalls how the road was eventually widened which saw the loss of the front garden but saw a 2 tiered footpath installed for safety reasons as the house now fronted onto the main road. The shop sadly is also long gone and in its place is a garage which thankfully has a wooden placue attached displaying " The Laurels ".

Family plot , St. Joseph's Cemetery

The Laurels 2020

In common with other market gardeners on Pouladuff and Togher Roads , the Corporation began buying up parcels of land by compulsory purchase order. The Laurels which once boasted extensive grounds was gradually reduced over time. Boston Park which was begun in 1950 but stalled due to financial difficulties was finally finished in the 1960s by acquiring land from The Laurels with another small parcel of land being bought to finish Ardmanning Lawn. Likewise the wall which lined the market garden of The Laurels to its left was demolished for private builds in the 1970s with the remainder of the land to the right being cleared for private building when in 1977 Liz Hegarty decided to sell The Laurels and moved to Mercier Park , Turner's Cross. The land to the right of The Laurels was purchased by John Hilary Forde , Building Contractor , 52 Gould Street , Cork. Hilary Forde was the son of Mamie Forde ( nee Hegarty ). Hilary Forde developed the site and constructed 6 houses on the lands. Most of the construction works were carried out by Hilary and his sons , John Hilary Forde and Patrick Hilary Forde, who were the grandsons of Mamie Forde ( nee Hegarty ) and the great grandsons of Patrick and Elizabeth Hegarty. The electric wiring of the 6 houses was carried out by Hilary’s first cousin Jack Hegarty Electrical , son of John Joe Hegarty. The Laurels house itself is now all that remains of over two centuries of local history. The Wallaces purchased the house but their tenure was short lived with the Gunn family moving in to replace them in the 1980s. They went on to equally serve the community well with Mr. Pearse Gunn being an accomplished sign writer , menswear manager and patron of the arts. Sadly he passed away in recent years and the house was once more up for sale.Today it has yet another owner but the story has taken a twist for the better with the new occupants suggesting a memorial placue citing the Hegartys of War of Independence fame which may be erected on the house at a future date. A film telling the story of the Hegarty siblings who fought in the War of Independence is currently in production.