Old photos, Spanish Flu and Some More of Mike O'Donnell's Covid Cartoons

Photo: Poshey Ahern

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Some Old Photos

Photo shared on Facebook by BPM.   A young Tadhg Kennelly at the Muster Colleges Athletics in
1998.

Charles Street Neighbours, Nellie Moloney and Mrs Stack share a cuppa and a chat.
Photo shared by Patrick Godfrey.... no date

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A Spitoon

I am old enough to remember spittoons in pubs. (Children were allowed into pubs back in the day.) In my young days TB was the greatest scourge around. People lived in fear and dread of contracting it. There were no hand sanitisers, or disinfectant wipes and people didn't think of staying home as a way of curbing the spread so it was not unusual to see a sign on buses and on public places asking people not to spit.

This was also  one of the instructions given to people during the great flu of 1918 and 19. Here are the other instructions for how to conduct yourself

In case anyone should be inclined to try eucalyptus by mouth- it is not safe to take it orally as it is poisonous! 

We're back in the same boat again.

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Some More Mike O'Donnell Covid Cartoons

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A Poem of Family Love

Jim’s Last Goodbye

By Noel Roche

(Noel and Jim grew up in O'Connell's Avenue in a large and happy family. Noel finds comfort in poetry. He wrote this one after his brother's funeral.)

And so the family gathered

To partake in Jim’s last race,

Led off by the lone piper

Who played Amazing Grace.

He was flanked by Tom and me,

We stood proud and bold,

Followed by a guard of honour

Of the Gaels in green and gold.

Behind the hearse came brothers and sisters,

Nephews, nieces and the rest.

Dick Walsh controlled the traffic

He was like a man possessed.

And in the church that evening

There was not a dry eye,

As, in the back, on his accordion,

Jerry Walsh played Danny Boy.

Next morning at the funeral

I couldn’t believe my eyes

At least five hundred people

Came to say their last goodbyes.

Out comes the priest

His name was “Fr. Jack”.

I thought it was really cool

That Fr. Jack was black.

It seemed to me that everyone

Who knew Jim was there.

And I got to hear a new rendition

As Mike said his Lord’s Prayer.

As Tom gave his tribute,

It had us spellbound from the start.

You could see that every word he said

Came from deep inside his heart.

And then we gave Jim

His greatest last goodbye

As five hundred people raised the roof

Singing The Fields of Athenry.

I can see you up there now  Jim,

As you sit upon a cloud,

Telling all the angels

How your family did you proud.