{"id":5173,"date":"2022-02-21T16:28:27","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T16:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=5173"},"modified":"2022-02-21T16:28:27","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T16:28:27","slug":"turning-the-big-one-hundred-a-north-longfordman-remembered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/turning-the-big-one-hundred-a-north-longfordman-remembered\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning the Big One Hundred – A North Longfordman Remembered"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How<\/a>
How it Started – Dad and Ma on their wedding day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dad would have been 100 if alive today. While he always said his date of birth was the 22nd as the “all the twos” birthdate looked cool, we always thought that the 21st was the day he was born. Glossary to be added, as some of the stories make sense to the family more than to the reader!<\/em><\/p>\n

Born between the wars of the cousins and brothers
\nIn the uneasy peace, a new born baby\u2019s was the only screams,
\nBorn to a family Neutral, but sympathetic to the dying Republic,
\nWe wonder looking back of his mothers dreams,
\nWho spoke the Irish it seems that he derided
\nBut she valued, who her Ultans families history did know
\nA family that fled eviction and poverty in Ballyshannon some say,
\nTo come to North Longford in what even then was long ago.<\/p>\n

Her husband was modern, according to himself, for his day,
\nApologetic to the doctor for the bread and cabbage poultice his wife had made
\nBefore he walked with their young son to Dublin from Longford
\nThat the doctor would think them foolish rural folk, he was afraid.
\nThe doctor, understanding, dads father he gently chided,
\n\u201cThank your wife for country knowledge, she was right!\u201d
\nThe old ways are the best when there\u2019s little access to modern medicine
\nMy father said as he told how his mother saved his sight.<\/p>\n

He lived to see a modern and much changed Ireland,
\nBut never did get to cash the cheque that the President would sign
\nHad he achieved his ambition to \u201clive to the big One Hundred!\u201d
\nHe would have enjoyed seeing his name upon that line,
\nInstead, him and his people we remember,
\nWe look around at what he built \u2013 most of it still does stand! –
\nIt all started with a henhouse built by his fathers request for his sister,
\nWhose husband was interned by government\u2019s command.<\/p>\n

That government, decades before shot our house up as the Tans never did,
\nIn Civil War times, \u201cif your neutral your against us\u201d as if to say,
\nHis sister, then a toddler the ricocheting bullets remembered,
\nTold me of her fear in the street in Aughagreagh.
\nTheir father said Sean Mac Eoin had \u201cfought for the right to be wrong\u201d,
\nSo against him in the Civil War we would not fight,
\nThough the Free State was far far short of what was fought for,
\nWe would be neutral though the Republicans were right.<\/p>\n

It was a conviction he carried with him throughout his life,
\nBy the Lost Republic he staunchly made his stand,
\nIts sad to think today so many accept partition,
\nA hundred years after Britain cleft in two our land.
\nHe was active somehow, some folk in half talk tell,
\nThose snippets of the unknown we gather and we save,
\nFor a man forthright with opinions who liked to talk,
\nHe took a lot of tales with him to the grave.<\/p>\n

But, of, the tales he told of him and his cousins smuggling!
\nThe brewing of Poitin with \u201cThe Diver\u201d too,
\nGetting \u201clost\u201d in the fairy fort at Willies was my favourite,
\n\u201cIt was the drink\u201d by grandfather, angry, who found him, said he knew!
\nThose ghost stories of his I told to European friends one Halloween,
\nAre a memory in the heart I will keep,
\nThe fun I had hearing next day that the kids were not the ones that were scared\u2026
\nIt was the mother of the house who could not sleep!<\/p>\n

Such stories unite peoples and generations,
\nWe all will be but a story in our time,
\nOthers will talk of us as I now talk of him,
\nWho told of great fights he fought when in his prime
\nTales we dismissed as drunken bravado,
\nUnlike the \u201cgrate spakes\u201d of others that he told,
\nMy favourite was an aged lady called \u201cOld Judy\u201d
\nWho when Dad was a young boy, then was old.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one young nowadays\u201d, she wistfully would say,
\nAfter a child answered her question of its age,
\n\u201cAuld age, hard to cure it\u201d
\nWas another uttering of this sage!
\nI tell the tales he told to others who may of me tales tell
\nBy such those now gone are still with us today,
\nThough he lies with mother in Keeraun Hill as he wanted
\nto \u201cpush up the daisy\u2019s for all time\u201d as he joking, wistfully used to say.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a>
How it finished – the last photo of dad and ma together in relative health<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dad would have been 100 if alive today. While he always said his date of birth was the 22nd as the “all the twos” birthdate looked cool, we always thought that the 21st was the day he was born. Glossary to be added, as some of the stories make sense …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,23,308],"tags":[40,115,4516,4515,2342,4514,1171],"class_list":["post-5173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family-stories","category-north-longford","category-obituaries","tag-40","tag-ballinalee","tag-civil-war","tag-decade-of-centenaries","tag-north-longford","tag-one-hundred-years","tag-war-of-independence","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-1lr","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5196,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-big-100-my-father-never-got-to-see\/","url_meta":{"origin":5173,"position":0},"title":"The Big 100 My Father Never Got to See","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"22nd February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Dad would have been one hundred today, if still alive. He would have enjoyed cashing the cheque from the President he often said. It wasn't to be. Today we Remember a North Longford man. He was defined by his building, most of what he made still stands, unlike what professional\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3690,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/longford-folk-speak-of-the-pashtun\/","url_meta":{"origin":5173,"position":1},"title":"Longford Folk Speak of the Pashtun","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"23rd April 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Willie Carty worked for the Dopping Hepenstal family, and heard stories of their relative who was in the British Army in Waziristan at the time, and of a mysterius warrior people, tied to their faith and identity, who were savage, unyeilding and unfailingly honourable and hospitable in equal measure. He\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "North Longford"","block_context":{"text":"North Longford","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/north-longford\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Maxwell Edward Dopping Hepenstall - one of the Longfordmen who fought against the Pashtun in the British Army and brought back tales of a fierce but honourable people","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Maxwell-Edward-Dopping-Hepenstall-one-of-the-Longfordmen-who-fought-against-the-Pashtun-in-the-British-Army-and-brought-back-tales-of-a-fierce-but-honourable-people.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4769,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/john-darrell-boyd-elegy-on-an-deceased-airman\/","url_meta":{"origin":5173,"position":2},"title":"John Darrell Boyd – Elegy on an Deceased Airman","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"16th October 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the few of your clan, you died... Who fought in so many wars over the years - Your young bride, the tears she must have cried, To see realised a spouses fears... What a shadow under which to be born, The story of your father, though little known!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Death"","block_context":{"text":"Death","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/death\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/SS-Almeda-Star.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/SS-Almeda-Star.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/SS-Almeda-Star.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3092,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/longford-during-the-emergency\/","url_meta":{"origin":5173,"position":3},"title":"Longford during the “Emergency”","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"8th August 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Im of Longford extraction and am a Longford man to be when my cottage in Ballinamuck is restored and I move up there in the next few years. Both of my parents are from Ballinalee - dad from Auaghagreagh and ma (a Donohoe) practically next door in Lislea. Stories of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Story Behind a Picture - Lalin Swaris in June 2016 Longford Eye","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Story-Behind-a-Picture-Lalin-Swaris-in-June-2016-Longford-Eye.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Story-Behind-a-Picture-Lalin-Swaris-in-June-2016-Longford-Eye.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Story-Behind-a-Picture-Lalin-Swaris-in-June-2016-Longford-Eye.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Story-Behind-a-Picture-Lalin-Swaris-in-June-2016-Longford-Eye.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/The-Story-Behind-a-Picture-Lalin-Swaris-in-June-2016-Longford-Eye.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3803,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/when-they-stood-there-for-that-photo\/","url_meta":{"origin":5173,"position":4},"title":"When They Stood There For That Photo","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"15th July 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=exWwz1HEJFg When they stood there, for that photo Before my father was even born then Who is now but in a picture a face Did those women and men Wonder at the world to come And ponder the coming times of change Though they did not do this I think\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Family Stories","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/family-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo taken of our family outside our home in Aughagreagh by Sean MacEoin, known to us as \"Tipper\" McKeon, when he was known as John Joseph McKeon...","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Carty-family-of-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Carty-family-of-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Carty-family-of-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Carty-family-of-Aughagreagh.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3932,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-lady-of-culray\/","url_meta":{"origin":5173,"position":5},"title":"The Lady of Culray","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"7th September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"She was a landlords daughter Her lover not so grand It was illegal to be a Catholic You could not own your land Little had he to offer The future for them looked bleak But he had the love of a good man Which every girl does seek. But them,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Forbidden Romance"","block_context":{"text":"Forbidden Romance","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/love-poems\/forbidden-romance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Said to be Ralph Anthony Dopping and friends on the lake, the drawing had writing we cant make out. 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