My memories of Kilcullen

A response to Jim Collins's response to the story of the Richard Murphy paintings of Kilcullen

I was amused about the forge becoming a beauty salon and only the German internee being in possession of a camera. During the war my mother would visit regularly taking home lots of butter, bacon etc, which was rationed. Upon her return neighbours would come to her door with sugar and tea in exchange for the excellent Kilcullen butter. I assume the small amount of butter available was of a poor standard.

I was meant to be born in Kilcullen because of the war, but at the last moment mother was unable to travel, so I was born in Surrey.

I think my great uncle Richard probably died in 1944 as I was born in January 1945. My full name is John Richard Laurence Murphy and the Richard was added in memory of my recently deceased great uncle. The paintings then passed to his sister, my great aunt Janey and on her death to my father. Janey lived in London with another brother, Roland. Dad died in 1987 and my mother very recently.

I well remember McTernan's. As a boy we would cycle there (as well as all over Co Kildare) and I would have sausages and chips with Irish lemonade.

My grandfather, Laurence Murphy, died in Kilcullen in 1953 leaving three sons. The eldest, Dennis, a carpenter, moved to Birmingham around 1960 and died in 1973. I am told he built some of the pews in the church, but they have probably been replaced by now.

The next was my father Laurence who came to the UK in 1938, joining the British army and demobbed in 1945.

The youngest was Seamus who emigrated to South Africa in 1956 but died suddenly just a few years later. His wife Geraldine and children remained in Durban, but we lost contact just a few years ago.

Eventually the house in Milemill passed to me. I had a romantic notion about renovating and retaining it as a holiday home. At that time in my life it was neither affordable or practical. So I sold it. However Grandad purchased it in the village pub and only had a receipt for it. I had to engage Brown and McCann to create title deeds -- a costly exercise.

I was last in Kilcullen six years ago, but plan to visit next year.

John Murphy.