Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.
I am indebted to Mr. Joe Dempsey who was kind enough to give me a copy of a publication published in 1960.
An Treorán Oifigiúil (Official Guide) is a great source of information about the town in 1960, and of the political, business and community life in the town in that year.
The Treorán was issued “with the approval of the Droichead Nua Town Commissioners” who along with Kildare County Council were the local Authority at the time.
The Commissioners in 1960 were listed as Joseph B Kearns (Chairman), Thomas Dunne (V/Chairman), William O’Neill, Capt. P. Murphy, James Dunne, James Greaney, John Murray, John Donnelly, Mrs. A. Moore.
The legendary Tomas F. Corcoran was Town Clerk – a man who did much to improve the appearance of Newbridge during his many years as Town Clerk.
Other persons and institutions associated with the Town Commission were P. V. Boland & M. Murphy (Solicitors), Dr. Healy (Medical Officer), John. C. Connolly (County Librarian), J. Creed (County Fire Chief) and Town Surveyor F. Concannon. The Commissioners bank was The National Bank Ltd. – founded by Daniel O’Connell in 1835, and taken over by Bank Of Ireland in 1965.
Looking through an Treorán, Tuesday was a day when businesses closed for a half-day, there were just two banks in the town The National Bank Ltd. and Hibernian Bank Ltd. (both taken over by Bank of Ireland) and both of these banks were open on Saturday mornings.
There were three churches – St. Conleth’s (RC), the Dominicans (RC) and St. Patrick’s (CofI), and an Treorán states “Educational facilities are first-class and extensive including the century old Dominican College, two modern primary schools and a large technical school“.
The post office was then (as now) on Main Street, and there were two cinemas the Odeon on Main St. and the Picture Palace on Henry St. There were two hotels The Grand Hotel which boasted just five bedrooms, and Convery’s on Main Street, and just two Café’s – McTernan’s and James Higgins’s on Main St.
An Treorán Oifigiúil acknowledges the origins of the town, and the impact the closure of the British Army Barracks had on the local economy in 1922, the authors do stress the resurgence of the town was primarily due to the founding of Irish Ropes, Newbridge Cutlery, The Irish Last Works and its proximity to the “Curragh Training Camp”. The authors also provide a brief history of the town (and environs) from St. Conleth through to 1960.
Sporting, Social and Leisure
There were a number of sporting and leisure organisations in the town which included:
The Newbridge Coursing Club, Greyhound Racing, North Kildare Angler’s Association and the Curragh Footbeagles. Both Sarsfield’s and Moorefield GAA clubs are mentioned, as was Newbridge Camogie Club, and the two Association Football Clubs were listed as Newbridge and Hotspur’s. The Newbridge Basketball Club and Table Tennis Clubs thrived, as did both Lawn Tennis clubs – Newbridge and St. Conleth’s.
There is mention of the Newbridge Boxing Club, the Cycling & Athletic Club, both the Lumvile and Athgarvan Pitch & Putt clubs along with the Curragh Golf Club are listed. Interestingly there was a Newbridge Motor Cycling and Scooter Club which looking back at archive TV footage is more associated with larger Cities.
There were a number of what are referred to as “Social Organisations” in the town (some of these still exist) and these were listed as the Commercial Club, the C.Y.M.S, the Boys Club (interestingly no Girls Club listed), the Debating Society, Bridge Club, Musical Society, Pantomime Troup, Figure Dancing, Ballet Dancing, and the Gaelic League Classes. Both Irish Ropes and Newbridge Cutlery had Social Clubs.
One organisation listed in An Treorán was called the Newbridge Social Study Group – I wonder if there are any members of that group are still resident in the town – and would any of their research survive – it would make interesting reading in this modern era!
The Advertisements:
Many of the iconic businesses of our childhood are featured in the advertisements – alas many are now gone, but some familiar names among this list of 1960’s advertisers are still trading in the town:-
J.B. Kearns – Confectioner, Stationer, Tobacconist;
John. J. Delaney – Auctioneer, Valuer, Estate Agent;
P.G.Duffy – Motor Engineer;
Conlan’s – Newsagent, High-Class Tobacconist, Confectioner; (Authors Note – Frank Conlan advertised his shop as a “High-Class Tobacconist” – even in 1960 advertising wording was crucial!)
P. J. Cox – High-Class Provisions, with “Spacious Lounge and Public Bar”;
Curragh Air Services – Official International Air Agents;
Newbridge College O. P. – Boarding & Day School;
Joseph Murphy – Builder & Contractor;
Flood’s – Tea, Wine, Spirit & Grain Merchants;
Baroda Stud – The home of many renowned Thoroughbred Horses;
McTernan’s – Snack Bar and Grills – with “Mobile Catering Unit”;
F. Ahern – High-Class Tailor & Outfitter;
Odeon Cinema – Showing all the Latest and Greatest Productions;
J. Fahy & Son – Jeweller and Optician;
Central Hardware Stores – Seán Keegan’s;
The Newbridge Cutlery Ltd. – Cutlery, Spoons, Forks and cased goods…;
J. H. McLoughlin – Authorised Caltex Distributer, White Paraffin….;
H. H. Aga Khan – Irish Stud operator in Ballymany, Sheshoon, Gilltown, Sallymount and Ongar;
In addition businesses which featured separately in the Treorán were Bord Na Móna, Irish Ropes Ltd., The Newbridge Cutlery Co. Ltd., all of these would have been major employers in 1960.
Photographs:
Interestingly there are just three photographs featured in an Treorán and while I assume these would have been the most “up-to-date” photographs available, the photograph of the Main Street shows both motor cars and horse-drawn carriages…. a period of transition I assume. There is a photograph of the National Stud, The Liffey with Dominican College in the background all supplied by Bord Fáilte Ireland. (I have not re-produced them here as the quality would be poor – however I have made enquiries with Fáilte Ireland to check if the original prints / negatives have survived.)
Attractions in the locality included Horse Racing, The Curragh, Gibbet Rath, Japanese Gardens, Jigginstown, Donnelly’s Hollow, Dun Aillinne (and how many of you have visited that wonderful site I wonder?), and more…
Younger readers will be somewhat surprised – nay – dare I say intrigued to see the limited nature of our telephone system in 1960, businesses in Newbridge had two or three digit phone-numbers.
In 1960 – to phone Frank Ahern (Taylor / Men’s Outfitters) you wound the handle to contact the “exchange” or “operator” and if you asked for telephone number “16” the operator would connect you to Frank Ahern. In a similar manner if you wanted the Gardaí you needed to ask for number “28”…..and that is of course IF you had a phone in the first place. I know from another document I have in my possession that Irish Ropes Limited had TWO phone numbers in 1952 – no’s 44 & 45.
I wonder who in Droichead Nua / Newbridge had Number 1 – looking back you would think that the Gardaí, Doctor or Priest / Minister would have had the lower numbers……yet the Gardaí had number 28 – so there were 27 residents or businesses who had phones prior to the local Garda Station getting a phone!
Interestingly the emergency number for the Fire Brigade was 666 and not 112 or 999 as at present. Below is a photo of yours truly on the (wind up) phone in the early 1960’s – yes it was a real phone!
Much indeed most of the information contained in this booklet has been superceded in the intervening 55 years, our Town Commission (later Town Council) has been abolished, many of the businesses are no longer trading, some of the clubs and associations have ceased to exist – but on the positive side more businesses have set-up in Newbridge, and there are far more clubs and associations in existence now than there were in 1960’s Newbridge.
The Population in 1960 (within the town area as then defined) was 4,419 persons (Source #1) – although An Treorán quotes a figure of 4,200 – today Droichead Nua / Newbridge is a far different and busier town than it was when An Treorán Oifigiúil was published.
Happily today Droichead Nua / Newbridge is the place which 21,561 people call “HOME” (2011 Census Source #2). Home is what you make it – we have a far more diverse mix of citizens than lived here in 1960, now our town comprises of citizens who have been born here, those who have joined us from all the Counties in Ireland and those of all Nationalities and all Continents (well maybe not Antarctica) – and that welcome and essential diversity can only benefit the town as we head into the “commemoration” years 1916 – 1922 and beyond.
Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.
There’s no place like home.
Acknowledgements:
An Treorán Oifigiúil to Droichead Nua was Designed and Published in Ireland by The Irish and Overseas Publishing Company Limited, 9-11 Nassau St., Dublin. It was printed by the Kerryman Limited, Tralee. Photographs used in An Treorán Oifigiúil were supplied by Bord Fáilte Éireann (none reproduced here);
Thanks to the then Town Commission who had the foresight to commission the booklet;
To John Phelan for the Lasts manufactured here in Newbridge, which I had the opportunity to photograph;
And
Mr. Joe Dempsey of Kildare Town who was kind enough to pass a copy of An Treorán Oifigiúil to me.
Other Sources:
#1 Central Statistics Office (Droichead Nua Urban 3,668 + Droichead Nua Environs 751= Total 4,419)
http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/census1961results/volume1/C,1961,VOL,1,T8.pdf
#2 Central Statistics Office (Droichead Nua Urban 7,563 + Droichead Nua Environs 4,434, + Morristown Biller 9,564 = Total 21,561)
http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/documents/census2011vol1andprofile1/Table,5.pdf
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