The power of the RTÉ film archive surfaces from time to time with flashes of pure magic from its roving camera crews and reporters.
There is nothing more powerful than discovering a piece of old film footage from your own place and one with so many faces clearly if fleetingly featured.
This piece of film would have been included on a ‘Newsbeat’ evening programme in the run-up to Christmas of 1964.
Castleisland on Newsbeat
Newsbeat was the forerunner to Halls Pictorial Weekly and both programmes were fronted by the brilliant Frank Hall.
Hall seemed to love including scenes of life from the country and he had two great men based in Cork.
Cameraman, Joe McCarthy, teamed up with the late Bill O’Herlihy on jobs like that and Castleisland fared better or as well as any other on their beat.
December 8th Market Day
The film must have been taken on December 8th 1964 as that was Castleisland’s big and annual Christmas turkey market in those times.
My old Tralee Road neighbour, Steve ‘Steveen’ Corkery features quite prominently in the run of the film and I recognised Donal Lucey from the Old Road.
Viewers in and around Castleisland and neighbouring parishes will, hopefully, recognise some of the people and several of the buildings which were prominent on Main Street in those long gone days.
Can You Name Anyone ?
If anyone out there can put names on any of the other faces they can do so in the comments section on Facebook or by Email to jreidy@mainevalleypost.com
To see this little treat from all the way from December 1964 you just have to Click on the Link here:
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on…Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.
