Great afternoon of shopkeeping memories

On Sunday afternoon in Kilcullen Community Library a large crowd gathered to share memories of shops in the town, write Mary Orford and Julie O'Donoghue. Both shopkeepers and customers reminisced about the special relationship and bonds that existed on both sides of the counter. As Frances Moloney Cummins so eloquently put it, "we put the food on the customers' tables but they also put the food on ours".

Memories of all the businesses which existed, names of those who are long gone to their great reward, produce that has disappeared from shelves were all topics for discussion this afternoon. There was laughter and some tears but mostly a shared sense that, while times were hard, there was enjoyment and camaraderie.

Billy Redmond was the star of the show with the memorabilia he brought along. The washboard and basin brought stories of carbolic soap and scraped knuckles. The boots purchased in Miss Kenny's shop in the 1950s were a source of amazement as we tried to figure out how men walked in the heavy, sole-studded boots and prompted Mrs Kathleen Mitchell to recall that you could buy replacement hobnails to ensure the boots lasted even longer. Billy made a special plea for the memorabilia to be stored and preserved. Not just the objects he has collected but he has no doubt that others have bits and pieces from the past. Billy believes that there should be a place in Kilcullen where the objects could be not just stored but available for people to see and enjoy them.

Julie O'Donoghue displayed a string shopping bag filled with items that were the staple of every shopping list back then and many a string bag hung on the handle bars of the bicycle on the way home from the weekly shopping. We even listened to some old television ads -," Sally O'Brien and the way she might look at you", "and all because the lady loves Milk Tray" Frances Moloney Cummins shared her memories of hiding under her mother's shop counter and being "little ears" listening to adult conversations and, no doubt, many a shared confidentiality.

Brendan Moran, from far away Australia, provided his memories, Mary Orford shared her memories of her time behind the grocery counter working alongside her father and Niall McDonnell talked about selling wet and dry batteries, motor cycles and the television sets that were slow to sell at first because there was no television reception in the town.

After the presentations, the conversation continued over a cup of tea and the hum of chat and laughter rang out — which is always a sign of a successful event.

Thanks to Kildare Library and Arts Service for making the location available and thanks to everyone who turned up to walk down memory lane.

(Pics: Joe O'Connor.)