Hunting through the memories

Quite a bunch of Kilcullen business history is visible in this photograph provided to the Diary by Niall McDonnell, writes Brian Byrne.

The reason for the picture was a hunt from The Hideout by the Naas Harriers Hunt Club, whose kennels were managed by the late Paddy and Maureen Powell. It's a pity it is taken from behind, as there would be many local and remembered faces in the picture otherwise ... though I think I recognise the 'sit' of Maureen and Paddy respectively on the first and third horses visible from the right.

It was taken sometime after 1965 (the Kildare-registered Renault 16 was a brand new model in that year, and both the Limerick City-registered Ford Zephyr 4 and my Uncle Tommy's Triumph 2000 parked outside Nolans were also 60s cars).

At the time, we can see that Dowling's Garage had switched to Jet petrol, which was enjoying a reputation around Ireland as a more powerful motor fuel than had previously been available. JJ Quinn's newsagent's shop was on the cusp of being taken over, in 1967, by John Joe Dowling, who had worked there for his aunt for many years.

The original facade of my grandfather's hardware and drapery, Byrne & Company Ltd, is clear, as is the BSM Supermarket, established by Tommy Byrne from the burned out shell of the grocery and bar which had been operated by my grand-aunts Nora and Peg Byrne for many decades (I remember that fire well, as a young man helping to bring out stuff from the burning building, and only noticing later that my clothing had been ruined by droplets of melting lead coming from the roof).

Beyond them is Miss Kenny's drapery, and then Mrs Dowling's clothing shop, and finally Stacia Orford's shop.

How many memories have gone down Main Street in the more than four decades since that picture was taken ...