Galway Advertiser 1982/1982_02_25/GA_25021982_E1_008.pdf 

Extracted text

i l l " MA

2M

NEXT Sunday is the him. Larry Hynes served F centenary of the birth of him porter in his pub. v Padraic O Conaire. He Hubert Broderick actually was born beside the drank one or two with him, docks. His father came including on an occasion f r o m G a r a f f i n in where he tripped a publican Rosmuc and at one time in Dominick Street with his owned three pubs in cane. Galway. His mother was Perhaps the nicest way to named McDonagh and remember him is as his came from the city. daughter Kay did in a He went to school to the newspaper article published Presentation and then to the about 25 years ago: "He was small, with dark Bish and at the age of eleven went to live in Rosmuc. silky hair -- hair I had often Here he stayed for four stroked as he sang 'Little years and then went on to Red Wing' to me in happier Rockwell and Blackrock days gone by." Colleges. "I could still picture the In 1899 he went to work twinkle he had in his eyes, for the London Civil eyes that were almost green, Service. The Irish poet and the way I wanted to Thomas Boyd encouraged laugh before he started him to write and he began to telling some of his fantastic win Oireachtas prizes. He yarns. As a child, he sould was a very fine teacher in the get me to guess how much London branch of the money he had in his Gaelic League and pockets, and promise me a appeared in the first ever shilling if I was not more Irish language play in than threepence out." London. "Often I would take him At the outbreak of the by the shoulders to adjust first World War, he his tie, his collar or his hat. returned to Ireland. He He, with his head to one side made a living from teaching and the sweetest of smiles, and writing -- 26 books, would allow me to perform about 200 short stories and these operations. During 142 essays are known to one of his visits to London, I have been published. He attended my first dinner wrote only in Irish, and is and dance given by my one of the giants of Irish employers and he promised literature. He was a to meet me at the hotel when socialist, a friend of Michael it was over; promised too, Collins. He spent much of that he would come sober, his time in Dublin or but, of course he did not. Wicklow, Galway or Connemara. His brother Isaac lived in Galway, and travelled for McDonaghs. Padraic 'wandered the Certainly the best photograph countryside a great deal, . many of the qualities the writer telling stories. He was to his cousin always popular with children. He died on the 6th of October 1928 in the Arm in arm we walked Richmond Hospital in' along the Embankment wall Dublin and is buried in the after midnight. We could New Cemetery. The statue not resist the temptation to of Him, which has come to stand and gaze at the old epitomise Galway, was Thames with all its beauty. unveiled by Eamon de He told me of the time he Valera. worked in an office close by. There are still many local He told me also of the night stories told about him. he was disturbed in his sleep Tomas O Broin remembers by a crying cat. He had been him fondly, especially "celebrating" and thought walking out Salthill with a. the cat was in his bedroom. wife and three children He got out of bed, caught trailing "like ducks" after hold of the lace of his boot

Padraic's

father

who once owned

three pubs in the

town.

of Padraic O'Conaire that this newspaper has seen. It captures shared in his work. The photograph is signed by Padraic and given Nelly (now Maguire) who lives in Headford.

ISUG
pAt>nAtr

Cuimn( At'Ain
in conAirte.

l

M **
Birthplace

1

I |i| |
O'Conaire, docks. now Delargy's Bar at the Padraic's mother, Kate whose family Kilkenny. originally came from

w

of Padraic

I6n

TJoimiAc

Cintise,

OATJ

ttleiceArh,

(the cat's tail to Padraic), opened his door, and, with full force, threw the "cat" down the stairs, disturbing the whole household. Frantically searching for the missing boot next morning, he could not remember a thing about it."

New Cemetery Monument
A large granite monu ment designed and cut by sculptor James Power of Dublin (son of Albert who made the famous statue of Padraic O'Conaire at Eyre Square) will be unveiled and blessed at the New Cemetery this Sunday 3 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Padraic's

class at the Bish.

That's

him fourth

from

left,

back