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.

The Hegartys of the Laurels - Poem by John Murphy

The following blog post includes the lyrics to The Hegartys of The Laurels written by John Murphy. The video below allows the reader to listen to the song as sung by John Murphy. It was written as a tribute to John Joe Hegarty and his two sisters Mamie and Nan who all fought in the War of Independence and Civil War. A Garden of Remembrance and Reflection is soon to be opened in Clashduv Park honouring the two sisters where Mamie's GreatGrandson Danny Dineen will perform the song live at the ceremony.

 The Hegartys of the Laurels
Lyrics by John Murphy

When Ireland’s freedom was denied
and its people were downtrodden.
When brave young heroes risked their lives
to take part in that fight.

I’ll tell you of the Hegartys
who should not be forgotten.
In County Cork
they went to work
and vowed to put things right.

Market gardening was their trade
on land blessed by the heavens.
To their door be they rich or poor
the citizens were fed.

John Joe worked harvesting crops
but also stored the weapons.
Spuds onions and tin can bombs

longside the planting beds.
                                                               
     Chorus

They joined the fight
against the might
of tyrants tans and tommies.
They went to war
with those next door
and beat them black and blue.

They saw the cull
of old John Bull
the nation without morals.

Now show your class
and raise your glass

to the Hegartys of the laurels.


Nan and Mamie joined the Cumann
from its first inception.
they quickly moved up through the ranks

as officers they served.

They carried arms to local battles
avoiding interception.
Bombs and bullets rifles guns
completely unobserved.

Weekly visits to Cork prison

to sit with starving comrades.
They held their hands and mopped their brows
with care and dignity.

And when these men at last succumbed
to the ravages of hunger.
The sisters charged the jailors

with murder first degree.


Repeat Chorus

In the grim, Cork County jail

The year of nineteen twenty.
Joseph Murphy gave his life

so Ireland could be free.

He served his country with distinction
and with courage plenty.
Up to the end his greatest friend
was John Joe Hegarty.

Mamie wore full uniform

the day that she was married.
And Nan with pride stood by her side

two soldiers on parade.

They had no time to celebrate

the wedding party parried.
Til Ireland can be free at last

the party was delayed.


Repeat Chorus x 2 & End

The Hegartys of The Laurels

© John Murphy

 
 
Jim Hegarty has also authored a book on the life and heroic exploits of his father and aunt's entitled "The Hegartys of The Laurels " which is available for purchase from Lettertec by clicking on the link below. 

 

 

Purchase book here

Mary O'Leary - Joe Murphy's Fiancee

Though much has now been written about hunger striker Joe Murphy , little to nothing was known about his fiancee Mary O'Leary. In fact it wasn't even generally known ( outside of family circles ) that he even had a fiancee up to very recently. This article will outline the tragic life of Mary O'Leary and the appalling manner in which she was treated by the authorities leading up and including Joe Murphy's death. The Togher Historical Association would sincerely like to thank Sean Delaney ( Mary's Grandson ) for his efforts in compiling this article and also Jim Hegarty for arranging the meeting.
 

Mary O'Leary & Joe Murphy

Mary O'Leary was born in 1901 and lived at No.8 Cookes Lane off Shandon Street. The lane does not exist anymore following the slum clearances of the 1930s by Cork Corporation. Her parents were Denis and Anne while her siblings were Ellen ( Nellie ) , John and a younger brother Denis. In line with the high infant mortality rate of the time , her mother sadly had lost three babies during childbirth.

1911 Census of O'Leary family
8 Cookes Lane off Shandon St.

 

 

Approximate location of Cookes Lane

 

 

Location of Cookes Lane as indicated by yellow arrow

Directly across from Credit Union

 

Little is known of Mary's childhood or indeed even when she first met Joe Murphy. However through Joe's work as a Cork Corporation worker , it is evident that he met her perhaps through his work. Their subsequent engagement when she was barely 19 and plans for marriage were forever changed by Joe's status as a volunteer. She would have known of his activities and supported them. However she could not have known what the future held for her.

People waiting outside Cork Gaol
for news of the hunger strikers 1920

When Joe was arrested and imprisoned in Cork Gaol it was only family members who could attend which completely ostracised Mary. Even though she was his fiancee she was not technically a family member. However , Mamie and Nan Hegarty , sisters of Joe's commanding officer John Joe Hegarty were trained nurses and were given permission to give care to Joe Murphy. As his condition worsened she used a prison pass given to her by Joe's family and posing as his sister was able to see him. It must have been some comfort to the now dying Joe to have his fiancee by his side. Sadly she was the last person to see Joe Murphy alive shortly before his death. It is reputed that Joe gave her his miraculous medal which she smuggled out of the prison. It is here that Mary seems to disappear but it may have been a suggestion by those who knew her that given the volatility of the situation and the possible backlash against her own family that she should perhaps fade into the background.

Mary and Timothy Owens
with baby Breda 1925

Following the events of the passing of Joe Murphy , Mary had to face reality and try to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Cobh at the time was still one of the ports under British control and it was fate that had a U.S. Navy ship in the harbor which lead to Mary O'Leary meeting a U.S. Army soldier while on shore leave. His name was Corporal Timothy Owens and after demobbing he began courting Mary. They would go on to marry circa 1924 and live on Moriarty's Lane off Shandon Street.

Mary with her children circa 1939
Danny , Denis and Kitty

Gap between buildings which lead to Moriarty's Lane

They went on to have 4 children ; Breda ( Sean's mother )  b.1925 , Daniel b.1926 , Denis b.1928 and Kitty b.1929. Timothy suffered greatly from depression as it was known as at the time - it was actually Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from his time in World War I. He went back home to the States for a while to try and cure himself and then returned to Ireland where he took up a job in Forde's. It was here that he was subjected to bullying from fellow workers who believed he acquired the job because of his American nationality , the owner Henry Forde being Irish American. Sadly the demons won and Timothy would eventually take his own life. Horrifically , it was his eldest daughter Breda , then only 4 years of age , who opened the front door of their home to find him hanging. Following her husband's death she held down three jobs including working at Egan's opticians in Blackrock to help support her young family. Mary never remarried and would live to the ripe old age of 85 , dying in 1986. She is buried in Curraghkippane graveyard. MSRIP†

 

Kathleen O'Keeffe - Togher Historical Association

with Sean Delaney

Billy O'Brien - Togher Historical Association

with Sean Delaney

Billy O'Brien & Sean Delaney

Joe Murphy house

**Ironically , Sean Delaney attended the same secondary school in Farranree as Jim Hegarty. Jim is the son of John Joe Hegarty while Sean is the grandson of Mary Owen ( nee O'Leary ) who of course was Joe Murphy's fiancee. Mary's eldest sister Ellen was also a founding member of Na Piarsiaghs on Cork's Northside.

Cork Shoe Company / Youngline - A Brief History

Old Cork Shoe Company/Youngline site
Pouladuff Road , Togher

Togher has a rich history of enterprise and manufacturing and the present day site which houses Cork University Press and others is no exception. The former market garden land was transformed in July 1961 when Paul Duggan opened the brand new Cork Shoe Company on the corner of Tramore Road and Pouladuff Road. Paul Duggan had founded the business in an attic above Marlboro Street in 1947 with 9 employees before moving to Drinan Street and ultimately settling in Togher. The new plant was over 22,000 sq.ft. An extension in 1963 brought it up to 52,000 sq.ft. By then there were 200 employees making 18,000 pairs of slippers and leather shoes. The Cork Rubber & Plastic Manufacturing Co. was set up in 1963 ( to provide rubber soling ) adjoining the site and provided an extra 150 jobs to the locality. Initially the employees attire was very formal with the men for the most part wearing shirt and tie and all employees male and female either wore white or brown work overcoats. As time wore on , the dress became less formal and more casual as employees simply wore their own clothes. It provided employment not only to Togher locals but many of the residents of neighboring Ballyphehane. Sadly the business went into receivership in 1975 and the factory was sold to Youngline Shoe Company. It should be noted that Paul Duggan was the Godfather of Togher native Katie Rowland who still resides locally while Paul moved to the Lough to retire. Sadly he passed away on July 13th 2012 , peacefully at the Mercy University Hospital and is buried in St. Joseph's cemetery.

Paul Duggan founder Cork Shoe Company 1940

Cork Shoe Company 1966

Cork Shoe Company employees 1960s

Helen O'Sullivan ( nee Molloy ) : " I worked there in 1968 when I was 14. I lasted one day. They gave me a brush bigger than myself to sweep the floor. I never went back! "

Katie Rowland : " The owner Paul Duggan is my Godfather! "

Marty Noonan : " Worked in Cork Shoe when the Golden Eagles showband played there in 1968. "

Noreen Kenny : " My mam worked there for years for Mr. Duggan and also in Drinan St. where Mr. Duggan started off. My sister Marie worked there too. A lovely man. "

Mary Sheehan : " I worked there from when I was 14 until I was 21. A great place , especially my boss the late Michael Sheehan. "

The following photographs are courtesy of Mick Dineen and give a window into the interior of the factory back in the 1960s showing the employees at work and the various departments. Machinists , floor staff and packing all combined on the open shop floor. This was a time when the only item of uniform was a white overcoat.

Helen Hurley : " I worked in Cork Shoe and left in 1966 to get married. My late husband Jim Hurley worked in Drinan Street before they moved to Pouladuff Road. He left after a strike in 1970 but went on to work in Youngline and worked until he had to give up due to ill health. Here are photos of outings in the 1960s and dinner dance. "

Cork Shoe Company 1973
( Top left off Pouladuff Road )

Youngline Shoe Company opened for business in Togher in 1975 taking over the site of the former Cork Shoe Company. Like its predecessor it barely lasted a decade and a half before closing its doors in 1990. In the interim it again provided employment for many Togher men and women. It gained the nickname of the " Slipper Factory " and still to the present day is remembered fondly by its ex-employees as " a great place to work ".

Youngline Bus Outing circa 1978/79

Vivienne Byrne : " I worked in youngline for three years 1979 to 1982. I loved it. My boss was John Froggit. I remember all the people I worked with. They were the old days. We would be running the slippers through the machine's eying up the fellas. I remember I was in love with a fella called Leslie Ring. I'm sure he didn't even notice me. "

Patricia Morey McCarthy : " Worked in Youngline for a few years. Loved it. "

Paul Molly of Togher Square : " I worked in " The Vulks " which was the vulcanizing department where the slippers were put together. You would put the uppers onto a last and then fill a hot mold with rubber and basically melt them together. "

The following photographs were kindly supplied by Paul Molloy and show the staff in the early 1980s where they would work both day and night shifts. A fascinating piece of local history of a bygone age.

 Paul Molly at work in " The Vulks "