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Post by Brendan on Sept 5, 2010 16:32:26 GMT
Hi MaryF, Tommy and All:
Tommy and I engaged in a discussion offline. Tommy has some great ideas and has a strategy. We both agree it is very important to formalize a committee, give it a name (Curragh Restoration Group or Foundation). Elect members (President, Treasurer, Secretary etc). The committee will then have some legal status. We should formulate a manifesto based on the preservation of the married quarters from a historical and cultural perspective. While the Curragh itself is not old from an architectural perspective, it does have a profound historical perspective since the inception of the State. The cultural aspect is without doubt military in nature. This should undoubtedly be the core basis to have a preservation order placed on the block.
Mary I have another take on the emotional aspect. It’s called having a fire in one’s belly! Tommy and you have that, I like to think I have it too as many of the Shadowers do. This all translates into a concerted commitment to see this through.
I will gladly help in any way I can. I’m behind Tommy who is showing wonderful leadership on this great cause.
Cheers,
Brendan
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Post by johnnykelly on Sept 5, 2010 18:25:16 GMT
Re:Growing up in Pearse the things i remember!!! Hi all Just browsing and seen the comments re the preservation of the last block standing ie Pearse Tce (MQTRS) They are not old enough for a preservation order but a Historical preservation request could or might work as its the history of the area that needs to be kept, but during this time of recession funding may not be forth coming, for the upkeep of the same houses, the Soldiers retirement home at the rear of Centra is not handed over but is a welcome asset to those living therein, i believe that there is a plan afoot to build a roundabout in front of Centra in order to help make the cross road safer? wouldent it be cheaper and make sense to put up traffic lights there instead I rest my case, bye for now Johnny
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Sept 5, 2010 19:03:23 GMT
Hi All,
Have they knocked the bottom block in Pearse? Is the top block still occupied? Thought there were still people living in them? Know the middle one is long gone. Am a bit confused here as you can tell.
Rose.
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Post by carmelkearney on Sept 5, 2010 19:33:53 GMT
Hi Rose, yes we were very sad to see the bottom block knocked the last time we drove around, but we had been up there months earlier and took a brick each home with us(Maura)so we could have a piece of Pearse forever.
Carmel Kearney
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Post by tommysweeney1 on Sept 5, 2010 19:38:03 GMT
Hi Mary F and all
Mary I will have a look at that web site your very hopefully as usual,
Rose, the bottom and middle block are gone Iam afraid, and as soon as the top one is vacated it will share the same fate, Its occupied at the moment, I just put the idea out there of trying to save it and get the authorities to consider it for another use rather than knocking it. One would be to turn one or two of the houses into a museum for the want of a better name, to reflect what they looked like in the earlier years and how the army families lived and the conditions they lived in its just an idea if enough people were interested in having a go I think it would be a success.
Tommy S
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Post by tommysweeney1 on Sept 5, 2010 19:39:54 GMT
Carmel Kearney, Bring back the bricks or I will have the PAs after you Tommy S
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Post by carmelkearney on Sept 5, 2010 20:39:05 GMT
ommy i will never admit to taking then ha ha ha , but love your idea about the top block you ca
n count me in if theres anything i can do
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Post by annemcnamara on Sept 5, 2010 21:20:38 GMT
Hi Carmel and Maura, well done on retrieving a couple of bricks from Pearse Tce what a brilliant idea The only memory I have is living in O'Higgins Tce and I guess they will be there for a while longer (hopefully) Regards Anne.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Sept 5, 2010 21:31:32 GMT
Hi Tommy,
Yes you can count me in too, was'nt aware the bottom block had fallen prey to the knocking ball, we certainly need something to let people know how and where we lived, especially as we are the last of the generations to have been reared on the Camp.
Rose.
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Post by carmelkearney on Sept 6, 2010 19:16:46 GMT
Rose what a thought , it never entered my head that we are the last of a generation and of course we had the picture house, the bakery, all the shops and the best of the curragh when it was bursting with people and every house full, i loved it
Carmel Kearney
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Post by johnnykelly on Sept 6, 2010 21:19:26 GMT
Re:Growing up in Pearse THE THINGS I REMEMBER Hi all My sister Chris asked for and received from the people knocking the bottom block a couple of the chimmney pots and are in use as flower pots in her garden, and every day i drive by the top block and to see the weeds and the overgroth of some of the houses shocks me as a former resident and i am saddened when i think back to the days we all had so much laughter fun and harmless mischief, kick the can jack jack rounders cricket hopscotch skipping football against the coalyard wall hideing in the ash bins the endless games we played, it brings a sigh to see it all bar one of the blocks gone and onlygrass in their place, so lets get the thinking caps on and attempt to get something done before its too late, bye for now Johnny
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Post by maryfarrell6 on Sept 6, 2010 23:03:58 GMT
Hi Johnny,Rose,Carmel and All, Tis true what you say about the fun and laughter that echoed round Pearse. Like yourself I was saddened to see the state of some of the remaining houses when I walked around there in June, especially when you think of the love and pride our mothers put into them when we were young. The front and back steps scrubbed every morning with them down on their hands and knees then the cardinal red polish applied, the snow white curtains washed starched and ironed and arranged in perfect folds behind the sparkling windows which glistened and shone from the vigorous rubbing with windoline or the vinegar and newspaper they got on a daily basis. Do you remember the way when all those jobs were finished the mammies would then gather outside surveying their handywork with sweeping brush in hand as they swept out the back yards and down the channels having a good ould chat and a laugh as they worked and god did they work hard [no labour saving gadgets for them] Now I've got to admit that although there was a lot of rivalry back then between the two lots of married quarters the very same scenario was played out down in McDonagh with all the women down there showing the same pride in there homes The two neighbouring quarters were the exactly same type of block. Sadly with all trace of McDonagh completly gone and only the one block remaining in Pearse we all of us Shadowers need to band together and make sure that this one does not become the next casualty of the demolition teams. Because if this one goes we've lost more than bricks and mortar, [they were and still are so much more than that to us] our whole way of life going back generations will have just vanished off the face of the earth as if we never existed. As Joey pointed out in an earlier post Us Shadowers are becoming extinct, its a sad fact but so very true and the Curragh will never again be the thriving community that we were so lucky to have been born into, we all know that so the least we can do is get that old Curragh Spirit back on track and make one last unified stand to save the Top Block in Pearse. We owe it to all Shadowers past and present to give it our best shot. Sorry I knowI've rambled on and I promised myself I wasn't going to go down the emotional road over this and here I am doing just that but I do feel it would be a devasting blow if the last bit of evidence of family life from that end of the camp was to be destroyed. We do need to act and act now the clock is ticking and time is definitly running out. Bye For Now MaryF
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Sept 7, 2010 20:15:27 GMT
Hi Mary and Crew,
Just thought, the houses in McDermott are identical to Pearse and McDonagh in layout, but for some reason or other they were plastered on the outside, wonder why, presume the red brick is underneath the plaster. Would'nt it be lovely if one or two of the houses were restored as Andy said with as many of the original articles as possible. A whole way of life will be lost with the knocking ball.
Rose.
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Post by jerry on Sept 7, 2010 21:18:27 GMT
Rose,
I may be wrong but the part of Mc dermot houses which was plastered was the new toilet and bathroom that was added in the late 60s Joey correct me if Iam wrong
Jerry
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Post by andybrennan on Sept 7, 2010 22:32:13 GMT
Jerry / Rose.
I think you are correct Jerry, the toilet with ensuite wash hand basin were built on to the back of the blocks that had verandhas at least that was the case in Clarke Connolly and Plunkett.
Andy
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