6th April, 2000
Last week was a hectic week. Kay Black had her
annual night at the G.A.A Club and everybody seemed to have had a
great night. On Tuesday night the Dunnes Stores Staff organised a
monster quiz in the Rochestown Park Hotel in aid of People In
Need. The Grange swimmers raised, wait for it, £23,000 from
their Christmas Day Swim in Myrtleville, every penny went to the
Children's Leukaemia Ward in the Mercy Hospital(Sorry lads I
couldn't make the presentation) On Friday night Ken Murphy had
his 21st Birthday Party in St Columba's Hall, and later on the
same night the Chernobyl Children's Aid Project had a social in
the G.A.A Club. Well done to everybody who in this age of the
Celtic Tiger still take and make time to think of others less
fortunate than we are. The words Sense of Community come to mind.
Saturday night was a really special night for Douglas West
resident, Frank Downey who was joined by his relatives and
friends to celebrate his 70th Birthday. They came from near and
far to pay tribute to a lovely man. I only got to know Frank
during the past year. About six months ago I published an old
photograph of the St Patrick's Mill Workers (Circa 1930) I asked
if anybody knew any of them. Two days later I got a letter from
Frank naming almost everybody in the photo. I printed the names
the following week, and every second person who I spoke to said
to me “I know who you got those names from, it was Frank
Downey”. After that I got to know Frank and I was stunned by
his amazing memory of the names, dates and places connected with
Douglas. The friends and relatives who turned up on the night
were his work mates from the Mill, relatives from Ireland,
England, and Wales, friends from New York. Frank's brother Noel
entertained everybody with his fine singing voice backed by
musician Frank Fitzgerald. Denis Murphy (how is the article
coming along Denis?) spoke eloquently about the old days of the
Mill and how the great sailing ships of the 1700's sailed the
four corners of the world with sails made in Douglas. He paid
tribute to people named Stout, Desmond, and Downey who were, he
said, “The Real Douglas Mills”. Finally he said when
the mill closed down the Murphy's didn't adopt Frank Downey,
Frank adopted the Murphy's! A funny story happened on the night.
Denis Murphy surprised Frank by arranging a black limousine to
collect Frank at his home. When the driver called and rang the
bell Frank answered, looked at the car and said “I can't go
to a removal, I'm having a Birthday party.” Well done as
usual to the staff of Rochestown Park Hotel and everybody who
made it to such a wonderful night.
The saddest headline of the week was “Most homeless were
once Industrial Schoolchildren” the facts are, 80% of all
homeless people over forty years of age were once in industrial
schools, think about it, 64,000 men and women were brutalised in
59 industrial schools. Children were taken from their Mothers (Unmarried),
and locked up to be brutalised and abused, used as slave labour,
and then thrown on the streets to fend for themselves. So the
next time I see a “Wino” on the street I'll wonder what
made him or her what they are today.
Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Sky T.V grows and grows with his
media empire. Soon he will move outside this world with his
satellite dishes, pointed to the heavens. On our deathbeds we
will get a call from a Multi Channel Agent, who will say, “Last
chance to get to heaven, only £11.99 if you book now. After
midnight it's £14.99. Book now to avoid disappointment, failure
to do so could confine you to Purgatory with only one channel TG4!”
Beam me up Scotty.
The old subject of litter continues to make the news. So many of
our readers who I meet on my rounds of Douglas and beyond are
forever complaining about our streets. The filth and litter,
which is dropped on them everyday. I heard Tourism Minister Jim
McDaid talk about the subject of litter recently. Jim made a lot
of sense when he suggested that towns and villages should have
their own Litter Wardens sometimes doubling as Traffic Wardens.
Did I not suggest the very same thing last year? Another reader
from Grange told me he saw a huge increase in litter when school
children and teenagers were leaving school. One of this week's
letters suggests that Douglas should have its own Urban District
Council, did I not suggest that last year? Three years ago
Douglas did not have a locally based Councillor, now it has two,
Deirdre Forde and Peter Kelly. Maybe it's time we controlled a
part of our destiny and decide which way we want our area to
develop and grow. It is up to us all to make sure Douglas is a
good, safe and clean place to live. The choice is yours. Finally
Get Well Soon to Tony O’Flynn of Douglas Rugby Club and St
Columba's Hall. I, like all your friends hope to see you back in
the hall soon.
Bye for now,
Michael O'Hanlon.
