Thinking and ranting out loud - my own thoughts and comments written whenever the mood takes me. Nothing is safe, Chop Chop!
Blog title from a song by Pink Floyd.
Friday, January 31, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 16
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 15
Today's audio clip sees my Dad telling us about his early life in Ballingate in the 60's, and his faith - especially when my Mum got sick. He found this time (mid-1960's) hard going, but his "get on with it" attitude saw him through.
Click below to listen:
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 14
As I recently discovered, when your father dies it is not an easy time. Dad's father PJ O'Loughlin died on 19th June 1965 at the young age of 60 years. In today's audio clip Dad talks about his relationship with his father, which he describes as "formal" and his sadness surrounding his passing.
Click below to listen:
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 13
In today's very short audio clip, my Dad explains how the family farm that he grew up on in Tomacork had to be sold as debts piled up. His father PJ's auctioneering business also suffered and had to be closed. This must have been a sad time for all the O'Loughlin family in the early 1960s. While Dad stayed behind on his own farm in Ballingate, his family moved to Shankill in Dublin.
Click below to listen.
Monday, January 27, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 12
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 11
The late 1950s was an eventful time in my Dad's life. At this time he was working on both his father PJ's farm in Tomacork, and his Uncle Pat Hurley's farm in Ballingate. He also got married!
In today's audio clip you can hear about when he proposed to Mum, going to Spain on their honeymoon, and living in Tomacork during the first two years of marriage.
Click below to listen:
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 10
Friday, January 24, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 9
Travelling during the 1950s was not a common thing for Irish people to do, but my Dad managed a couple of trips to see a little bit of Europe still suffering after the end of World War II. In today's clip, my Dad tells us about travelling to Lourdes on a Dublin diocesan pilgrimage with his Uncle Charles (Mons), and to Paris, and Arnhem in Holland with Macra na Feirme. During the latter visit he and the Macra lads went to see the still bombed out city of Essen in Germany.
Click below to listen:
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 8
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 7
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 6
Monday, January 20, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 5
In this very short clip (part 5 of 24) my Dad talks about leaving secondary school in Roscrea at the end of 5th year in 1948, and his regret at not going on to complete the leaving certificate or going to university.
Click below to listen.
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 4
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 3
Friday, January 17, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 2
Here's Dad telling the story:
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Monsignor Charles Francis Hurley - 40th Anniversary
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The Mons. |
Rest in peace Uncle Charlie.
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Interview with my Dad - Part 1
Thursday, January 09, 2025
Eulogy for my Dad
At my father's funeral in Tomacork church I was kindly allowed by Fr Casey to give a short eulogy at the end of the requiem mass. I have to admit that I had written a lot of it some time ago and refined it as the end for Dad drew near. I ran it by family before the mass and modified as requested.
The mass was streamed live, but this broke down after 30 minutes - Storm Daragh was having its way on Dad's final journey. Luckily, I still got a recording. I thought for a long time (it's five weeks since Dad died) as to whether it would be appropriate to publish it here, but a lot of people could not come on the day due to the storm. I am also very proud of Dad's achievements and his life - so here goes:
Many thanks to KMcE and LDMcE for recording.