As a result of a recent phone chat about Castleisland’s street carnivals in what now seems like a different world, I thought I’d have a look back through The Kerryman records and get the lay of the land.
Because the chat was one of the rose tinted glasses type, I began to doubt the accuracy of our recollections of such street events. I wondered if they really were as insanely busy as we thought or remembered them – and they were and more so.
Collision with Coincidence
And while perusing the old issues I had a collision with coincidence in the early hours of this morning.
I came across a page with a photograph of a fancy dress party with a trio of children from the top-of-the-town.
David Prendiville, before he got the ‘Dauber’ tag was pictured with Eileen Prendiville and Anne Griffin as the winners of the September 1958 Castleisland Carnival Fancy Dress Competition with their entry, Hay Saving 1958.
During that 1958 carnival there were donkey derbies, dog shows, road races and a ‘mongrel parade’ and fancy dress parades for both adults and children.
Street Events from 1973
I also found a piece on a more recent and equally busy carnival programme from 1973. And the amount of volunteerism and the programme of events they managed to squeeze into the week is astounding – by today’s standards and relative absence of involvement in events like this. I’ll include it here soon.
First Anniversary Mass
Friends of ‘The Dauber’ might like to know that his first anniversary Mass will be celebrated in the Church of Saints Stephen and John in Castleisland on this Saturday evening June 3rd at 6:15pm.
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