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Doing Pana Ben IRISH

Brooksbank
By Jim McKeon mind dwells on that awful siastical’ was bigger than EXAMINER
was asked recently what night of madness in December myself. I didn’t know what it |
Patrick St. meant to me. 1920 when British forces meant but I used to drop it
IThe question set me think- burned down a large section of casually into conversation October
ing. A thousand memories the city. These two shops were with my friends. They were
flashed across my mind. In the first to be attacked. very impressed. 7th,
most cities the main thorough- Thankfully, those dramatic Around that time I had the
fare is usually straight but, like days are long gone. enormous responsibility of 2020
a giant meandering snake, Returning to our stroll, ringing the Angelus bell in the
Patrick St. twists and turns right on the bend, at the cor- North Cathedral at six o’clock
from Patrick’s Bridge to the ner of Winthrop St., is the Lee every day. In my naive inno- right we then had Fitzsimon’s The Savoy has been the Mecca
Grand Parade. Also, the city Cinema. This intimate venue cence I thought this was the shop, Guy’s printers, for generations of Corkonians
center is relatively small and holds many memories for me. only Angelus bell in Cork. Thompson’s confectioners, down through the years, espe-
has the warm intimacy of a vil- Once, a friend and I agreed to Going on from Egan’s we Liptons, Nathan’s tailors, cially before the arrival of TV.
lage. Take my hand and walk go to the Lee Cinema with have the economy shop, Bolger’s stores, Miss Lucey It was practically impossible to
with me along the Patrick St. of two girls on a warm Sunday another Tyler’s shoe shop, the hairdresser, Gerald Barry gain admission to this magical
my youth. night. At the last minute my graceful Victoria Hotel, Aer ladies outfitters and Elvery’s venue on Sunday night. You
Let us start at number one friend changed his mind and Lingus, Irish Independent sports shop which had a repli- had to have a season ticket and
– the Gas Company show- went to the pub on his own. I Office, to the end of the block ca of an elephant over the I can well remember the
rooms. Next is Melina’s beauty ended up in the front row, an and THE shop in Cork – front door. As young boys we lengthy queues. Tickets were
salon. Melina’s has special unmerciful crick in my neck, Woolworth’s. got all our sports gear here. I like gold dust. You couldn’t
memories for me because in flanked by two girls. I’ll never Woolworth’s was a child’s distinctly remember the hur- get one even on the black mar-
my wayward teenage years I forget that film – Sands Across heaven. You could get every- leys cost a staggering one and ket. The atmosphere was elec-
walked out with a pretty girl the Desert. While my tongue thing there: toys, ice cream, a sixpence (7.5 cent). tric on Monday nights. Always
who worked there, but that’s a was hanging out with the variety of sweets and delicious Next to Elvery’s is PJ packed, not alone did you see a
story for another day. thirst my friend was drinking broken chocolate. Let us move Mockler’s fur shop, and right film, but the audience also had
Next stop is that beautiful pints of Guinness in the Long reluctantly on to the fifty on the bend is the Pavillion a sing-song. They were accom-
old-world shop, Mangan’s, the Valley. It took me years to for- shilling tailors, Saxone Shoes, cinema with its beautiful white panied by organist, Fred
watchmakers and opticians. give him. Cake Rooms, Miss Murphy marble front. This was more Bridgeman, as the words of the
On the footpath opposite their Across from the Lee is hairdresser, Polyfoto Ltd, than just a cinema. It was a songs appeared on the screen.
front door stands the famous Cudmore’s shop, Commercial Blackthorn House, great meeting and eating place At this time I worked as a
old clock which has been the College, Fitzgerald’s tailors, Cavendish’s and Burton’s on in the poshest of surroundings. young postman delivering let-
meeting place for countless Cork Art Club, O’Regan the corner where you got the Whenever there was a special ters to the Savoy and Pavillion
courting couples. Next door is Hosiers, Miss Todd hairdress- suit for that special occasion. date, when trying to impress a cinemas. One of the perks of
the Tivoli restaurant which er, and McKechnie’s Dyers After Burton’s there’s the girl, it was always the Pav; tea tthis duty was that I got two
has a certain fame because near the corner of the long, Man’s Shop, Grant’s and and cream cakes and then the complimentary tickets for
when the King and Queen of dull Robert St. I recall Robert McTighe’s tobacconists as we film. Now heading for both cinemas every week. The
England visited Cork in 1903 St. with mixed feelings. I was a pass Market Lane, the Oyster Patrick’s Bridge, we pass JJ Savoy was also used as cabaret
this was where the royal cou- young telegram boy working and the Market Bars, BMC Barry’s, Brennan’s jewellers, and some of the visiting stars
ple had lunch. in the nearby GPO, and we Stores and the famous Dan Hip’s tailors, Brown that spring to mind are Harry
Moving on quickly there is had access to occasional tips in Hobbs’ shop. Dan was one of Thompson seedmen, Murray’s Secombe, Val Doonican and
Santry’s snuff and tobacco the telegrams from England. Cork’s great characters. gunsmiths, the Ulster Bank, Tom Jones.
shop, Leupold the photogra- There was a betting office at We are almost at the the Moderne shop and Leaving the Savoy we come
pher, Blair’s chemist, Halo the end of Robert which was halfway mark with four MacSweeny’s chemist at the to Tailorfit’s, the Cork hard-
hairdressers, the Sovereign strictly out of bounds but we clothes shops in a row: Tom corner of Academy St. ware Company, the
Bar, Andrews newsagents, often put our last shilling on Murphy’s, Mannix and On the far corner there is Steampacket Company,
O’Shea tailors, Bacon shops Fred Winter or Lester Pigott. Culhane’s, Buckley’s and Con Barter’s travel agent, the Dowden’s Costume Makers,
Ltd, Simcox grocery and As our bosses, who also got Murphy’s. Then right up to Green Door restaurant, Le Pigott’s record shop,
Tyler’s shoe shop on the cor- these tips, frequented this the final bend it’s Roche’s jew- Chateau Bar, London and Kingston’s shoes, Vard’s furs,
ner. Then there is the book- office we were sometimes ellers, Barry’s tobacconist and, Newcastle Tea Company, the Gilbert’s, Dooley’s estate
sellers, Educational Company caught red-handed. finally, at the corner of the Examiner Office, O’Flynn’s agents, Barry and Hyland’s
of Ireland. At the corner we come to Grand Parade, O’Callaghan’s butchers, John’s Shop, British shoe shop, the Old Bridge
Nowadays it is a common another old-world shop – the chemist. Rail, Smith’s Stores, Miss restaurant and, finally, that
sight to see a plethora of wait- Munster Arcade. Next to the Let us cross the street and Cummins’ Chiropody, great sporting bar, the Swan
ing taxis waiting in the rank Arcade is Egan’s jewellers. do the other side of Pana. At Mayne’s chemist, the and Cygnet. Our brief stroll
opposite where this shop was. When I was a twelve-year old the corner of Daunt’s Square is Methodist Church, the down memory lane has come
Some years back taxis were schoolboy I was farmed out to Woodford Bourne’s. I want to Leprechaun restaurant, Foly’s to an end.
few and far between – only a Egan’s for a while. It was my linger here for a brief moment beautiful sweet shop, Clancy’s As we stand on the corner, I
handful in this rank – and if a first job. One of my many and close my eyes and take in wine shop and then Robert can look off to my left and fol-
car was needed, the customer duties was to open the back that unique smell of groceries, Day’s harness-makers. Again, low the vast skyline on the
was required to ring the phone door which was situated in wine and tea. Next door is the smell of the leather and Northside. Away up to the
which hung precariously on a Elbow Lane, off Cook St., and Fielding’s chemist followed by polish comes back to me, right are the distant mansions
solitary pole. Patrick St. now prepare the shop for the 9 am the provincial Bank, McCarthy Then we had Joseph of Montenotte, and right in
begins to turn as we approach opening. I seemed to spend all and Kearney tailors, and Mayne’s china shop and front of me is Shandon Steeple
two of the city’s finest shops, my time polishing glass and Archer’s jewellers which Dunnes Stores before we cross with its four faces glowering
Roches Stores and Cashs. brass in the ecclesiastical seemed to be up ten flights of the narrow lane to Lester’s down at the people in Patrick
While passing this area my department. The word ‘eccle- stairs. If memory serves me chemist and the Savoy cinema. St. C