Old Comrades

[joemcguire]

Hi Johnny, Sounds a little like YORKES DRIFT to me ,I suppose us Maddenstown lads can claim victory, on your eye witness account. say hello to Gerry if you bump into him. All the best Joe

[joemcguire]

Sorry that should have read Rorkes Drift !!!

[johnnykelly]

RE:OLD COMRADES.
ANDY old Chinese proverb
he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.
cute h:::R US Pearse guys.
Johnny

[hugh AKA Harry]

god i remember the digger when there was civies in it many a good tussle was had by the mp and wardens who were stationed there and thank god for the boiler house on those cold nights there I amde a lot of good mates there but like everything i lost contact with them when i became a civie and went my different way in life.
I wondering if anybody who served in the curragh remember my brother Big Dan Wilson I moved to the uk in early 2000 and i will remember the last time i ever seen him alive it was in dublin I had just come out the Bus erran offices where I had bought my ticket to scotland.
To my shame it was only 4 years ago that I found that he had passed away and in the last few years I got back to Naas to say my goodbyes to him.
I would be greatfull if anybody has any funny stories about dan they could share with me thanks in advance hugh

[johnnykelly]

Re:OLD COMRADES
Hi Hugh aka Harry
Iserved with your late Brother Dan RIP when he was in McdONAGH BEFORE HE WENT INTO THE MPs i was shocked to hear he had passed away so young in life, as he was always heard to say here i am in the whole i am larger than life as you can see, gerry pearse jimmy burke x st corbans were in service at the same time as Dan and the slagging that went on within our circle was humouras scandleous and down right laughable at time especially on Magazine duty playin g DON to pass away the hours, welcome to the forum and any stories about the time you spent in the Digger is welcome as some of your xcomrades are members and contribute regularly to the forum , bye for now Johnny

[hughwilson]

Thank you for the welcome jhonny and you and yours have a good Christmas

[johnnykelly]

Re:OLD COMRADES
Hi Hugh
i like the little red devil are you a red or what, utd that is.in your time in the digger did you ever meet any GHOST(S) when walking around at night, remember on duty one night there and there was an awful screeching sound, and we turned out the guard thinking someone was being murdered and even the prisoners wanted to know who died, scary spice or what,
could be a white xmas as so far it is looking more likely to snow all this week, hope not as we were badly hampered as far as driving was restricted badly out here in the sticks, have a happy Xmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Johnny

[hughwilson]

johnny to be honest i have never seen any but a few times i had that cold feeling you can not explain I heard a load of stories about different things that have happened but as i say i cant remember seeing any i was eather to busy trying to stay awake or staying warm the only duty in the digger that was anyway worth doing was the main gate and the only reason for that was the fact that it had an old pot belly stove in it and when topped with the right ammount of turf made it quite a nice warm hut.
I enjoyed my time serveing in the digger it was one of those units where everybody had eachother back and like any family we had our usual tiffs I do have some funny stories but to protect the guilty i cant mention them.
I have spoken to a few people from Browntown area who have told me that the curragh is now a wasteland is there anybody still liveing there what about Orchard Park the Riseing Sun ( many a good hangover was got there ) the wesley powells is the camp completly dead what happened to the units that were there
speak to you later cheers

[johnnykelly]

Re:OLD COMRADES
hI Hugh
The Rising is now called the Brownstown Inn, but everyone calls it the rising. Powells shop is still standing but the bulldozers are hovering close by waiting for the snow to go and then demolish the shop, most of the Units in ARMY have been reorginized and closed down or amalgimated into each other, Orchard pARK STILL STANDS,and most if not all of married quarters have been vacated and demolished,the Weseleen still stands but remains closed after the Magee brothers sold their intrestit passed through a couple of hands was closed down by the health bord after failing a cleanliness inspection was re opened but now closed and boarded up,only 3 messes are open and two ptes messes, the most of the Camp that you would remember and when you visit the only quarters still standing are Pearse top blockx1 Mc dermott blockx1 w/os clarke terrace beside power station, OHiggins tce mostly boarded up,if you trawl through previous threads you will find that the anger over this destruction has reached out all over the world, anway Hugh have a Happy Xmas and a prosperous New Year 2011 Johnny

[hughwilson]

cheers for the info johnny god so thry have all but destroyed the camp I suppose that it was going to come at some point and to be honest I have concidered returning to I reland when my Contract runs out mid year but looking at the news and hearing what you had to say I think I rather remember the curragh as it was.
So anyway how did your xmas go mine was very busy and the newyear will be the same anyway enjoy the newyear and god bless

[Frank OConnor]

Mar 20, 2009 20:46:49 GMT drylander said:

Can anybody remember two friends of mine who served in the Curragh many,many years ago. We were great pals in our young days,but lost touch as so many people do. One was Jim Murphy from Kilkenny. As far as I know he served in the 2nd FAR reaching the rank of CQMS (?). He retired to live in Tramore.I only recently discovered that he died 3or4 years ago and is buried only 5 miles from where I live near Inistioge. The second guy was Pady Synnott, a native of Co. Wicklow. I think he also served in the 2nd FAR. Ihaven't heard of him since 1968. Both of these guys joined up about 1961/2 n Cathal Brugha and were transferred to the Curragh after basic training. Anyony ever hear of them. Drylander

[Frank OConnor]

I remember a Bty QMS (CQMS) Jim Murphy in McKee Barracks in the early 1970s. He transferred from 2 Fd Arty Regt to 7 Fd Arty Regt (FCA) for a few years and then retired. He never returned for any of our Annual Masses since he retired. One nice guy.