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Saturday, April 12, 2025

My Great-grandmother's silver watch

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Tom and Bridget Hurley. Following my Dad's passing last year, my Mum surprised me one day in Ballingate by showing me three old-styl...
Wednesday, April 02, 2025

Dad singing Fr O'Flynn

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In 1990, my Dad took part in a recording of an album with members of the Askamore (Co Wexford) Choir. On the album, Dad sang two solos. ...
Monday, March 31, 2025

The Mountains of Mourne, sung by Joe O'Loughlin

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Today (March 31st) would have been my Dad's 94th birthday. To mark the occasion, my Mum Phil, my sister Kathleen (with her partner C...
Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Madeira

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Recently Roma and I spent 10 days in Madeira to get away from the dreary Irish winter. We stayed in a rented apartment in São Martinho just ...
Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Solar Power in 2024

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2024 was the first full year that we have had solar power running at our house. We have sixteen 400 watt panels on our roof - eleven facing ...
Monday, February 17, 2025

Looking back

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It's just over a week since I finished my series of short interview clips with my late father Joe O'Loughlin. I have received ve...
Friday, February 07, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 24

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Today's audio clip is the 24th and last from an interview I recorded with my Dad in 2011. In it he discusses joining the Kilrush Drama G...
Thursday, February 06, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 23

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In today's second last post from my series of clips from the Interview with my Dad series, Dad talks about events in 1992 which started ...
Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 22

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In the late 1980s, my Dad still encountered financial issues - particularly during the months before being paid for the harvest. Over pints ...
Tuesday, February 04, 2025

Interview with my Dad - part 21

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In today's short (1 minute) audio clip my Dad answers a long question by me about how the education of his children came first ahead of ...

Interview with my Dad - Part 20

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In the 1970s after joining the EEC, there was plenty of cheap money available from the World Bank to modernize farms, and Dad tells us in to...
Monday, February 03, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 19

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While busy with the Carnew Musical Society committee, Dad also found time to get involved with musical societies at national level with the ...
Sunday, February 02, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 18

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My Dad's great passion was singing, it was never a bother to get him to sing a song on any occasion. He was blessed with a fine voice an...
Saturday, February 01, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 17

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Following on from yesterday's post about my Dad representing farmers on the Beet Grower's Association and the Irish Farmer's Ass...
Friday, January 31, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 16

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Dad represented farmers in Wicklow, Wexford, and Carlow for many years. In today's clip he tells us about the Beet Grower's Associat...
Thursday, January 30, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 15

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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...
Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 14

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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 you...
Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 13

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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. H...
Monday, January 27, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 12

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Dad spent most of his life living in Ballingate from 1960 until 2024. In today's audio clip he tells us about how he acquired the farm i...
Sunday, January 26, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 11

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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 ...
Saturday, January 25, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 10

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Some of my Dad's fondest memories from his time as a young man was when he was threshing corn around the Carnew and Gorey areas. It was ...
Friday, January 24, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 9

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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 Europ...
Thursday, January 23, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 8

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In today's clip my Dad talks about his love of singing. He tells us about singing in the Shillelagh Courthouse before joining the Gorey ...
Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 7

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In the 1950s, my Dad joined Macra na Feirme. This was the making of him as a young man as it brought him out of the shyness of his teenage y...
Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 6

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Once my Dad had left school it was time to start working full time on the family farm in Tomacork just outside Carnew. In today's audio ...
Monday, January 20, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 5

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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...
Sunday, January 19, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 4

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Dad lived through the Second World War - he was eight years old when it started, and fourteen when it finished. In this audio clip he tells ...
Saturday, January 18, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 3

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In part 3 of my series of short clips from an interview with Dad in 2011, he talks about sport (he was not sporty) and his time in secondary...
Friday, January 17, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 2

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In this second of my 24 part series of interviews with my Dad to mark his 80th birthday, he tells a story that he told us many times about h...
Thursday, January 16, 2025

Monsignor Charles Francis Hurley - 40th Anniversary

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The Mons. Today is the 40th anniversary of the death of my grand-uncle Monsignor Charles Francis Hurley who died on 16th January 1985. I...
Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Interview with my Dad - Part 1

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Several years ago I sat down with my Dad and talked to him about his life. I recorded our conversation (with his knowledge) and have chopped...
Thursday, January 09, 2025

Eulogy for my Dad

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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...
Wednesday, January 01, 2025

Joe O'Loughlin (1931 - 2024)

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It's been almost a month since my Dad passed away, and in the meantime I have put this video tribute to him and his life together. The s...
Thursday, December 05, 2024

Dad

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  Joe O'Loughlin 31st March 1931 - 4th December 2024.
Monday, October 21, 2024

Oh no - I am 5% English!

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I have my family tree on Ancestry.com, and a few years ago I did their DNA test which has been very interesting to investigate and discover ...
Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Geneva

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To wind down after our Italian Job Tour, we decided to spend a few days in Geneva on the way home. We took the train from Milan to Geneva (a...
Tuesday, October 15, 2024

The Italian Job - Reflections

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Back home in a cold and wet Dublin, I already miss Italy and its roads. Some thoughts on our ride and experiences: The Bike The bike we had ...
Friday, October 11, 2024

The Italian Job - Day 15

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Our Italian Job trip is now over, and after 2,970 kms on the road it is time for us all to head our separate ways. We had an early start and...
Thursday, October 10, 2024

The Italian Job - Day 14

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Our final day on the road started out in Florence in light rain. We set out early to try to avoid downpours, with partial success. Mostly dr...
Wednesday, October 09, 2024

The Italian Job - Day 13

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What a fantastic day of art and culture in Florence, or Firenze as the locals call it! This city is totally over-crowded with tourists, but ...