My name is Terry Cummins and I am the oldest surviving member of the Cummins Family. I was the 3rd youngest of 7 boys and 2 girls.

Sean, the eldest served his time in Eagle Printers in Cork and then against my Fathers wishes enlisted in the British Navy and later the Australian Navy. Jack jnr, (died at 2 years) Betty, worked in the Bindery at Bailey Gibsons, Dublin. David served his time as a compositor in the Bohemian Press in Dublin before he moved to Cahills and finally to a Newspaper in Toronto Canada. Brian became a Chef in the old Russell Hotel in Harcourt Street Dublin. Austin served his time in Cahills as a compositor, moved to Juverna and then later joined me in Cummins Graphics as a rep. I came next in the family line and served my time in the Wood Printing works as a Printer. Niall my younger Brother served his time as a compositor in Cahills and he also moved to Juverna Press, subsequently got involved in Packaging then moved to Leaf (the Bubble Gum Factory). He then with 2 others established his own company ZGum and not long after bought over Leaf their main competitors. My younger sister Verna worked in advertising before moving to Canada.

My Father (a Corkman) and his Father before him were compositors. My Father worked in the Eagle Printing Co. and also The Lee Press, during his liftime in Cork and was works manager in the Eagle before coming to Dublin to take up an appointment as works manager in Cahills then situated in Parkgate Street. He subsequently moved to The Juverna Press as manager and held this appointment when Juverna took over the Beacon Printing Company in the early 70's.

In 1951 my Father produced the first edition of his book "Printers Guide" In 1959 as part of the 150th anniversary of the Dublin Typographical Provident Society my Father was presented with a scroll to mark his long association with the society.

In late 1973 as my Father was dying of cancer so I put together the 1974 and final edition of his "printers Guide. Thanks to John Rock and Frank Trankner Directors of the Hayward Company and great friends of my Father I was allowed use the equipment we had there at the time for demonstrating i,e Darkroom and Dominant 714 Offset (our new agency after losing the Heidelberg Agency to Millers.). So I pasted up camera ready copy, produced the negatives on the camera made the plates, printed the book, hand folded it and thanks to the late Billy Brittan at Leinster leader he stitched and cut the books for me as a favour and also a very old friend of my family for many years. Naturally I was delighted I could produce the last issue and carry my fathers Obitury in his book after he died in March 1974 and 2 weeks before I started "Cummins Graphic Supplies" a lonely start to a new venture.

I was born in Cork City on 10th June 1941. In 1943 my family moved to Dublin.

I was educated at the Infant section of National School, Rialto, Dublin, and Scoil Iosagain,Aughavanagh Road, Crumlin and St.Enda's secondanary School, Crumlin, Dublin. My Dad insisted I was NOT going into the Navy until I had a trade so I sat the Printing Industry Examination and qualified.

I started my apprenticship in March 1956 in the Wood Printing Works, Wolftone Street, Dublin 1. My wife Margaret Fox started in September of the same year. Ten years later We married in Meath Street Church, Dublin, on the 4th June 1966.

I completed my apprentice as a Printer and moved for a short while to Brindley.s of Eustace Street, and then to Juverna Press,Jervis Street, where my father Jack Cummins was the works manager. I stayed at Juverna until 1969. It was in 1969 at Juverna Press early one morning while cutting a piece of wood to make a cabinet for home that I severed my index finger and almost lost two others. While recovering from the injuries I was offered a job as a demonstrator with The Hayward Company, one of the leading printing Suppliers and Heidelberg Agents in Ireland at that time. This was successful as no one else seemed to have applied for the job.

During the next five years I was responsible for the selling and demonstration of a complete Offset package i.e. Full Darkroom plus a Heidelberg offset mostly to Letterpress houses wishing to get into Offset. I usually re-trained the compositor in the use of of a darkroom and making offset plates and then re-trained the letterpress Printer on the use of either the GTO or Kord which were the new Heidelberg range.

I remained with the Hayward Company until 1974 when on being offered the exclusive agency for Polychrome Offset Plates I decided to start my own company, "Cummins Graphic Supplies" on Aprils Fools Day 1974 3 weeks after I buried my Dad.

Cummins graphics has spent the past 30 years situated at 32-34 lennox street and has been good to the family and has provided a good standard of living for us all, thanks to the many customers who stood by us in good time and the many bad times. During this period I had my wife Margaret, daughters Adrienne and Siobhan and my son Damien all employed at Cummins Graphics. Also there was my brother Austin and his Brother-in-law, Michael Keegan. So we could surely call ourselves a family business. Pat Doherty of print Finishing Equipment, Peter Doyle of Agfa, and Richard Styles of Litho Supplies, all worked for me at some stage. Mairead McFadden mother of former Westlife singer Brian McFadden also worked for me for many years and her daughter Susan McFadden doing very well in the Westend shows is my God-daughter and will be appearing this month in her own concert at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

In 2003 I sold my business to Walter Nash and stayed with Nash as a consultant until I decided to call it a day at the end of December 2005. During the few years prior to selling to Nash I had built up a comphrensive database of every Printer I could find. This numbered almost 1400. A lot of time was spent gathering contact names and email addresses primarily to email quotes for supplies but after selling to Nash I used the database to advertise machinery that Irish Printers wanted to sell so it then became "Printers Buy and Sell" and that is where we are today.

In 1958 I joined the Irish Naval Reserve (An Slua Muiri). During this service I rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to the officer ranks. During the years as a Commissioned Officer I was both the Recruiting Officer and Training Officer for the Naval Reserve, I was also the Attesting Office meaning could swear in those wishing to join the Naval Reserve. Many were recruited from the College of Technology in Bolton Street following several recruiting campaigns I conducted particularly at the School of Printing.

I studied and qualified as a Radio Operator, passing a Marconi Radio Officers course (First Class) following three years night school at Kevin Street Technical College. It was my intention to go to sea as a Radio Officer with the Marconi Company, but getting engaged to be married put paid to that idea. I also studied and spent long periods at sea with the Navy to qualify and receive the IYA yacht Masters certificate. This was required by the Navy if a Naval Reserve Officer was to be considered as Skipper of any of the Naval Sail Training Vessels. In 1986 I was appointed by Naval Headquarters Skipper of the Naval Reserve Training Vessel STY "Credine" and continued as Skipper until my final trip abroad prior to my retirement (on reaching the age limit) from the service in July 1996 with the rank of Naval Lieutenent (Army captain).

My Naval Stand Down Parade

New Recruits Passing Out parade including some Printers