House of Stories a success

The story was about the young lad from a poor home in the American midwest who went away to the army. Among other things he found out about flush toilets. A lot different from the outside privy he'd known at home. He resolved to do something about it when he went home, and for that purpose brought with him a hand grenade.



As Michael Murphy (above) told the story at Friday night's 'House of Stories' organised by Billy Redmond in the Parish Centre, the homecoming conversation went something like so:

"Hey, Paw, watch this!"

Paw watched as his son pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it at the privy, which disappeared in the subsequent explosion and smoke. "Goin' to get you one of 'em flush toilets, Paw," the son said with satisfaction.

Paw shook his head. "You shouldn' a done, that, boy."

"Why not, Paw? Goin' to get you and Maw a much better toilet."

Paw shook his head again. "Maw was in there ..."

At that point the audience erupted in laughter. But Michael Murphy, a true performer, hadn't delivered his real punch line. When things quieted he told how at that moment, Maw appeared out of the smoke surrounding the remains of the old privy, understandably the worse for wear. She looked at Paw and their son, an expression of apology on her smoke-blacked face.

"Must have been somethin' I ate, Paw."

At which point the room exploded in twice as much merriment as a few moments before.



Michael Murphy was just one of a long list of performers at the 'House of Stories', all doing their party pieces of songs, stories, recitations and instrumental pieces, under the direction of MC Billy Horan.

The cars outside told how far many had come, with numberplates from Wexford, Tipperary, and Cork parked among those of the closer counties and from Kildare itself.

Billy Redmond had organised the evening to bring to Kilcullen some of the old style of entertainment that didn't depend on the pub and which illustrated old fashioned manners of listening in silence to performers.



It was a first, and hopefully not a last, effort for Kilcullen. There was no charge, but a raffle at the interval raised enough to pay for the expenses of the room and the tea and sandwiches provided. The Diary couldn't stay through, but full marks to the two Billys and to all who entertained the 70 or so people who filled the room.

'House of Stories' evenings are quite common in the southern counties. It's nice to see them extend up to here, where we're in danger of being turned into passive fodder for TV and pub entertainment.

There are too many to mention, but local singer Jack McDonald opened proceedings. And that it can be very much a family thing was ilustrated by husband and wife Seamus and Nancy Sheils from Tipperary, who each provided their own inimitable kinds of performance.

Bring it on again, Billy. These are the kind of nights that help to shorten the winter.

(Here's a set of pictures from the evening.)

Brian Byrne.