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My Christmas ChildhoodThe CD features: 1. Deliveries I was born over the shop in North Main Street, Naas. My sister Kate runs a very successful business there today. We lived beside McHugh's shop which in itself was a little thriving industry. It is now Ferris O'Reily and in my youth there was a Snug, Grocery, Bar, lounge and Restaurant. Down the yard they bottled their own stout. Milked the cows, reared pigs and operated a garden which brimmed over with vegetables. This is now the car park for SuperQuin. Click here to Listen 2. Our Shop on Christmas Eve My father died when I was very young. He was a very successful businessman who had four butcher shops and was a commercial traveller who went as far as County Clare, where, he met, fell in love with and married my mother. After his untimely death my mother closed the butcher shops and turned our shop into a toy shop. This being her only source of income so Christmas Eve was vital for her. She trained us in the shop and had no other help. Click here to Listen 3. Christmas Day When I was six years old my father died and my mother was left a widow with five children, ranging from age seven to one year old. The boys: Donie, myself, Chris and the girls: Josephine and Anne. My father had been a commercial traveller and also had a butchers shop in 5 North Main Street Naas. This my mother converted to a toy shop. Christmas was vital, having a family to support with the only income from the shop. Click here to Listen 4. Saint Stephen's Day The Wren Boys made Saint Stephens Day special. They dressed up and went from pub to pub singing and collecting money. My friends and I copied them. We sang and collected also. Click here to Listen 5. Little Christmas January 6th the first day of the Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas, also known as Little Christmas. This day signalled the end of the Christmas holidays for the school children. Click here to Listen 6. Silent Night Taken from "Sing Choirs of Angles" |
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