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 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.
" The Mayor of Pouladuff "
Russells & Cunningham houses in background
L-R: Betty , Edward , Anne , Eileen
1948
showing The Laurels
L-R: Edward , Jack , Jim , Anne , Eileen
back of Laurels 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.
*Cathy Marks , Liz & John Joe Hegarty
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.
All brothers were members
Jack Hegarty
St. Finbarrs Minor Hurling 1963
Crofton Celtic 1965
Jim Hegarty Harty Cup Winners 1968
Barrs County Champions 1968
County Champions
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 , 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 ".
