WHY AND WHAT MADE YOU TO DECIDE TO JOIN THIS FORUM

[livenowpraylater]

Most of you know why i joined the site,i was told you could find out nearly anything on the web, and i just typed in my brothers name Cpl Michael Nolan Elizabethvill Congo 1961 , not knowing if anyone had even heard of him outside of his family and the friends and comrades in the forces, after all being fatally shot outside a church in a town called ELIZABETHVILLE while playing a game of football isn't exactly world shattering news, at least that is how the Nolan family heard of his death from the army, as we know now it was nothing the sort.
but i am interested how come you did , what was the trigger that encouraged you to make that first post, i need 500+ replies
haha.
I doubt there is many of you that have forgotten.
If i may be greedy and ask all who join to tell what made you join.
Thanks to all i advance.
Edward Nolan

[afcmoore]

Hi Edward.
Why aren't you the nosey one Ha Ha.
That's a very good Question top of the class for asking it.
I had just purchased my first computer and no idea on how to use it .
I thought about throwing it from the window or smashing it to bits with a hammer.
I have made friends here in London and we have meetings as members of the Morden Platoon.
I have been contacted by a good friend from Wexford were we grew up togather and also both ,served in Plunkett ,Derek Rochford.
Met Noel O Neill who i Knew in Plunkett 1961 1964.
Got info on so many that i served with all those years ago.
I have also made a couple of trips back to the Curragh Camp and met old comrades that i knew over 50yrs ago.
The Son would show me but been a bit thick just couldn't get the hang of it.
I think it must have been like getting corn to grow on concrete telling me to use a PC
Well got there eventually although still unable to do much on the PC give me another 30yrs
I was looking for the Curragh Camp and and information about The Congo
I got into this site by accident and i remember reading a post where someone was talking about Duncannon in Co Wexford.
Now me been a Wexford man it got me interested and then i got into other threads about the Congo and life on the Camp.
I saw photos of Tom Kelly and Jim Donnolly Loading an Armour car ,i had served with both of these lads.
Right i said to my Son Rob you got to get me into this website or i will never speak to you again===Threat growl.
Well i got in for a while i was afraid to post but eventully i plucked up courage the next thing i know i was a Recruit again after 50yrs.
Matt Mcnamara has been so helpful in every way i now feel part of the Curragh Forum Family
I have lost some of this post?.
The PC skills gone out the window as this posts has jumped around abit forgive
Cheers
Ant.

[anncu7hane]

My son told me about it,Matt told him,I was a bit nervous about going on I dident know what to expect, I got used to it after a while
Ann Culhane

[andybrennan]

Edward,

when I hit upon the forum I was struck with all those names that I knew.
It was like sitting into an old comfortable armchair that was moulded to my shape through many years.

The names of the people all familiar as I said but not all the people, It reignoted memories of my past assocation with the Camp, the Curragh and its surroundings.
Names of people I went to school with, pictures, Hops, and a myrad of other pastimes kept cropping up.

Now the age barrier was secondary as a conversation could strike up regardless of age and all opinons were valid .

The history, name places i.e the Gibbath Rath, the old Magazine, Internment Camps, Wren Girls,. and so much more were enough to keep me hooked

The photo grapg galleries had the same effect.
Apart from the familiar names of my youth I was now conversing with new people i.e your self, Tony, Dereck, Noel to name a few also other names from across the globe that I had a recollection of Brendan in the States Louis the far east, Mary F, MaryC, Mag,Kathy O. Sean, Anne Dolan to name just a few.
I knew of the McNamara family but not Matt, same Tommy H. not forgetting me auld pal Charlie 004 who reentered my life3 after nearly 50 years

It was not joining the forum that was important to me but staynig in it and contributing as well as taking on board the contributions of all others.
A great means of obtaining help and information as well as been able to help others when the occassion arose.
another factor has to be the amount of time Matt puts into policing the site, its user friendly appproach and the ease with which all seem to get on in harmony

as I said a comfortable place to be, and has giving me much pleasure.

Andy

[livenowpraylater]

First of all, thank you Ann for starting it off with your post.
even though none of you know me, i'm so pleased you are answering the call to tell what made you join, i'm so looking forward to a huge post's haha.
I do hope other members are looking forward to them as much as i am which is the point of i all.
Now i know its not easy to find time to site and write a post all at once, trying to remember everything sense 2008 , i think that was when tony first introduced himself, dont know who was the first, perhaps Matt can tell us, might have been himself as the owner of the site.

the reason for this post is to make it easy for members to post a reply is to go to word or notebook or whatever you use to compile letters , write your post in say notebook, click FILE' on the drop-down menu, click SAVE AS FILE NAME, call it Why did i?, give your letter a name.
write as much as time/memory will allow, always save often, just click save, if you want to leave it an get back to it another time , just go into notepad, click FILE,OPEN, WHY DID I, OPEN, an there is your letter ready to add more of your memory.
when your finished ,click SAVE, click on your left mouse button an hold it down ,drag the mouse pointer down till the end,(if you wander and lose your highlited text ,just move you pointer over the text an it will re appear), then let go the mouse, move pointer anywhere in the highlighted letter/post, an click the right hand mouse, drop down menu click COPY, to make it easy click on minimize button an your forum will appear , you can do what you like with the left mouse button but not the right one, when you have signed in or you are in message pane , if you cant see a cursor blink click left mouse, click Right hand mouse button , on drop-down menu click PASTE, an your letter appears.
some of you will know of a shorter way of doing it, if you do let me know, i love learning new tricks.
if you want to send any of the post's to a friend , do the same ting , highlight a post right click and COPY, go to your e-mail , on your e-mail SUBJECT write what it's about, then right click and PASTE there you have your post for your friend to see without having to write it out your self.
hope this is as clear as mud.
edward.

[livenowpraylater]

forgot to mention ,

it was while researching my brother in the Congo that i came across this site.

i see the fire station where i served , lo an behold there was all these captain , cornels , lieutenants corporals ,bqms cqms and a hole host of other ranks, 3* private id no chance, .
well here i am joined with them all and am i happy i did.

"You bet".

eaward.

[afcmoore]

Hello Edward.
Sergeant Major your taking the parade on McDonagh square in the morning .
How quick you've came up the ranks the next thing you'll be looking for a commission.
Cheers ;D
Ant

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Even though I only moved a couple of miles down the road from the Camp and can pop in any time I want I suppose, its not the same Camp I grew up in. Was Googling when I came across the site, was delighted, and cannot understand, how I did'nt know of its existence.

Well I won't lie, I was'nt shy about posting, I am told I am not shy when it comes to talking either.

I only have good memories of home, even though we had our share of bad times too, living on the Camp made the bad times easier to get through. There is very little I don't remember about growing up on the Camp, people say I have a great memory, but my parents both died in their prime, all my memories of them are on the Camp, so maybe that has something to do with my recall.

Since joining and posting I have caught up with Mag (Kavanagh), we were great pals growing up in McDonag, Kathy (Kathleen O'Brien), Jackie McCarney, Mary Farrell, Blaise Phillips the list goes on.

I love the debates, the slagging, the stories about the characters who passed through. Neighbours we thought we would never see or hear from again, to see their names come up on the site is brill.

Matt does a brilliant job, without his constant work, the site would probably be long gone.

Rose.

[johnnykelly]

Re:WHY AND WHAT MADE YOU JOIN THIS FORUM
Hi all
was informed about the site by a friend and i was amazed at how long the site was up and running,great site to meet and greet and hear from long lost friends and old neighbours and siblings of those that were reared in the wonderful world of the Curragh that we new and grew up in all due to the forum can we remember the good times that we had, and what a wonderful world it has been(as the song goes) good morning every body and have a nice day,
Johnny

[joanivers]

Never stopped missing the Curragh, had great freedom an fun as a child, it was like a big family for years. Its gone now though, pity. Iwas glad to get away as a teenager to England, it just was'nt exciting enough then, but I could'nt have asked for a better childhood there, still miss all the young kids I hung around with and often wonder what their up to, happy days joan

[livenowpraylater]

Hi ken.
thats 2 posts in 1 day make this third time lucky.
ya i know i'm pushey , i love reading about the reasons.

edward.

[Maggie Syrett]

Hi,
My great-grandfather was living at Curragh in 1911 (John Buckle, English, wife Irish). He was with the Royal Engineers, and was appointed military engineering instructor at Dublin University OTC, so we have heard. He and has family are in the 1911 Census living at Curragh Military Camp, Kildare. I'm looking at old photos, reading articles, looking at what life would have been like for my family members. My grandmother must have gone to school there 1911 to 1914. Then they moved to England and my great-grandfather went to First World War (survived).
Maggie

[joanivers]

I joined because I'm from the Curragh, never stopped missing it!!

[Colette Smith (nee O'Rourke)]

I joined because I'm doing a family tree (on my Dad's side). It brought back memories of the Curragh. Hope eventually someone will remember my Dad although it is some time back - ahem! I haven't seen anything on the site about the Army Athletic team in my Dad's day - well what I remember 1950's to when I left in 1963. Never mind onwards and upwards.

[johnny1951]

Hi Colette
I will attempt to make contact with the DFAA office during to see if they have any archive/records of that era and will get back to you if i come up with any information. it will take me a couple of days to contact them if you have your dads army number it may be of help.
bye for now.
Johnny