Tom Heery, August 2018

Sunday ‘After Dinner’ entertainment in Ballinacree around 1960

Ballinacree Boys

Front Row: Joe Blake and Patsy Clarke
Middle Row: Brendan Connaughton, Michael Clarke, Michael Connaughton and Michael Donoughoe
Back Row: Larry Briody, Fr Finnian Connaughton, Tom Heery and Tommy Kenny

Hanging around at Katsie Browns Cross probably waiting for more to arrive before deciding what to do next. Maybe perhaps kick a ball around just over the ditch in Hone’s field which of course wasn’t  long enough for two sets of goal posts. Three-goals-in was the favourite (Remember we had no pitch of our own at that time). The sound of Lucy Hone’s car coming down Ballymacad Road meant that everyone had to run for cover. But there were other options. Some might head up to Tubrid Bridge for a game of skittles or pitch & toss but that was usually for the more mature crew where quite a bit of betting took place. Others might head their different ways – often down to Connaughton’s shed for a game of rings or darts where Brendan was a whiz kid at marking up the board.  On a summer’s day the crowd might head for the lake – but that all depending on having a bike, or a least getting a lift on the crossbar.