Anne Reidy
Interview by Jackie Elger on May 2, 2012
Gender: Female
Birth date: 1929
Area: East Clare - Tulla
Parish: Tulla - Tulla
Report date: June 1, 2012
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 0:00:00 - 0:06:59 | EARLY YEARS IN AMERICA - Anne was born on 16th July 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother Delia Moloney was from Lisofin, Tulla and her father was Michael Hanrahan, from Ballinruan. They met in New York in 1922. Her father emigrated to America in 1912 and was drafted into the army in 1914 to fight in WWI. After this he joined the New York Fire Dept. Her parents married at 122nd St, Brooklyn. Anne says there were nine children in her family but one died at birth. The children were delivered by a Dr Cusack, originally from Kilrush. They lived at 44 6th Avenue, Brooklyn. Her father died when she was 6, after being married for 13 years. Anne mentions that when her father emigrated to America the boat ticket was £3, 10 shillings. She says the family returned to Tulla in 1934, as her father was ill. He died in 1935. Anne's mother worked in a department store in New York. Her grandmother, McGrath had also gone to America but didn't stay. She says her maternal grandfather was Dinny Moloney. She believes they should have had counselling after her father died. She says her mother lived until she was 89 and got pensions from America but nothing from the Irish State to help bring them up. |
| 0:07:00 - 0:11:18 | SCHOOL DAYS - Anne says her mother sent them all to secondary school, the boys to Flannan's & CBS Ennis and Anne went to a convent boarding school in Banaher, Offaly. Before that she went to the convent primary school in Tulla. She remembers her first day at school. She recalls her teacher was Mother Genevieve. She says the nuns were very cross. She says she hated Irish. She believes the nuns weren't great at teaching Irish. She recalls her communion day. |
| 0:11:19 - 0:20:52 | HOME LIFE - Anne speaks about her maternal grandparents. She describes her grandmother, Mary Ann Moloney (nee McGrath). She speaks about matchmaking. She recalls that there were matches made in James Mac's Pub in Tulla. She says her grandfather loved fishing and had a boat in Killane Lake. He died in 1947. Anne recalls that her family lived in what is now the dole office in Tulla. She says her youngest brother Denis was born a month after her father died. Anne says her mother employed John Melody to put a new roof on the house and made other improvements such as getting running water and a bathroom. Her mother also got a Wellstood Cooker. She speaks about helping her mother with the washing, the garden her mother grew and that she was a lovely cook. |
| 0:20:53 - 0:27:15 | CHIRSTMAS/ELECTRIFICATION/CINEMA - Anne recalls how they would decorate the house at Christmas. She says the youngest person of the house would light the candles. She speaks of her grandmother who died in 1940. She says they were the first family to have a tree. She thinks they got the water in 1937 and the electricity in 1938. Higgins from Killaloe put it in for them. She says an uncle brought them an electric radio from America. She says her grandfather loved the cinema, which was run by John Burns. She recalls that television came in 1961. She says her mother went made a novena to Knock three years in a row and that they said the rosary every night |
| 0:00:00 - 0:05:17 File 2 | CUSTOMS - Anne recalls that on May Day every field on their farm was blest with holy water. She says that there were a lot of pisreogs that milk or cattle would be taken. She says that when she was a child they always had an alter to Mary at home and at school. She recalls that there were the May devotions every evening in the church. She says that on St John's Eve they would have a big bonfire in Tulla near the graveyard. Anne says they didn't do much at Halloween when she was young. |
| 0:05:18 - 0:15:39 | AMERICA - Anne recalls some of the elderly people she knew in Tulla as a child. She speaks of a Mrs Byrnes and a Mrs Rohan. Anne got married in 1961. She speaks of her time in America from 1947 - 54. She remembers the boat journey the family had back to Ireland in 1934. She travelled to America in 1947 by plane. She says it took 18 hours from Shannon to La Guardia in New York. She thinks the fare was about £70. She describes her work as a bookkeeper in the Corn Exchange Bank, on the IBM bookkeeping machines. She says she went to Radio City every Easter. She speaks of the subways. She came home for her brother Michael's ordination in 1954. He says her brother John went up to Belfast in 1945 and joined the American Army Air Corps. He spent 18 months in Europe and then went to America. |
| 0:00:00 - 0:02:28 File 3 | AMERICA - Anne speaks of her siblings who moved back to America. She says she returned to Ireland to get married to T.J. Reidy. Anne says she loved American baseball and recalls going to the games. |
| 0:02:29 - 0:0:06:10 | DR. TOMMY DALY - Anne speaks about Dr Tommy Daly and about when he was killed. She says her grandfather was a hearse driver for the Daly's (Birdie & his father John). She remembers Tommy's funeral in 1936. She says they would go to the local games every Sunday with 6p. She remembers that on the day they opened Dr Daly Park in 1941 there was thunder & lightening. She recalls two women, Mrs Scanlon & Mrs Moriarty, selling sweets there. She speaks of the sweets she would buy. |
| 0:06:11 - 0:08:09 | SHOPS IN TULLA - Anne recalls some of the shops in Tulla. She said women never went into a pub when she was young. She speaks of listening to radio Luxembourg. She says her husband T.J. loved horse racing. |
| 0:08:10 - 0:12:35 | POLITICS - Anne mentions Tim Burns next door to her grandparents who was on the run from the Black & Tans. She said her grandfather had 2 horses which he used to deliver stout etc from Limerick. Anne remembers De Valera coming to visit the nuns in the convent. She says he stood outside the bank and spoke to the people and some Fine Gael supporters drove their cars through the crowd. She says her family always supported Fianna Fáil. She believes it was good that De Valera never gave the ports to England. |
| 0:12:36 - 0:17:23 | WWII - Anne speaks of rationing during WWII. She says the flour was black at the time. She speaks of Iral coffee. She says there was a shop in Tulla (MacMahons) who sold blackmarket goods. She recalls that two sisters from the Linnane family (Matty Ryan's aunts) were killed in the bombings in London. She mentions that letters were censored. She says when fruit started coming in again her mother found her young brother eating a lemon. She says she would have to bring her ration book to boarding school. |
| 0:17:24 - 0:21:12 | MEDICINE - Anne says she had pneumonia of a child and she remembers being treated by Dr Scanlon. She recalls that Dr Corry came to Tulla when Dr Scanlon retired. She remembers Dr Scanlon putting her dislocated arm in splints. She then remembers Burke the Bonesetter from Miltown Malbay putting the bone back in. She then recalls taking her son with a dislocated hip to Burke's son. |
| 0:00:00 - 0:06:10 | GREATEST CHANGE - Anne says people get a lot more help from the state now. She says they never borrowed money for anything. She speaks of working on their farm. |