ROSCOMMON AS IT WAS
George N Geraghty
His first question was ‘Did you bring a bottle?’
Before his death in 1953, George N. Geraghty wrote extensively about his memories of life in Roscommon Town (and environs) in the early years of the 20th century…the Roscommon People is pleased to serialise these fascinating memories
Medical profession
The medical profession was then very well represented in Roscommon. Apart from Dr. Blakeney, there were Dr. McLoughlin, living in the corner house at Convent Road, and Dr. Healy, living where MPJ Neilan, solicitor, has his home now. He was the dispensary doctor. The dispensary was in the Well Lane, now Henry Street. All patients going to him he addressed as ‘John’ and ‘Mary’ and his first question was “Did you bring a bottle?” He was a fine looking man, always well dressed and seldom without a tall silk hat.
Dr. Harrison lived in the house now occupied by Mr. John Neilan in Abbey Street. I well remember seeing him start from outside his house to pay his morning visit to the workhouse (now The County Home). He had a very fine four-wheel phaeton and a first class horse, perfectly polished and groomed. He was a real lover of animals. He owned two or three racehorses, and a great assortment of dogs. The dogs, six or seven of them, would accompany him on his visits, running before and after the phaeton. He was very kind to the poor inmates and did all he could for them. In fact he was kind to all the poor of the town. And the townspeople did not forget him, as the Harrison Hall is there to remind them of all his kind deeds.
Dr. McDonnell lived where Messrs. Farrell McDonnell, solicitors, are now at present. Like Dr. Harrison, he was very kind and attentive to the poor. Dr. Digby lived in the house
that is now the Garda Station. He was a very handsome man and died when quite young from a fever contracted from one of his patients. The only chemist in the town was Dr. O’Brien. He lived in the house now owned by Harry Monaghan in Market Square. He changed from there to where Mrs. Jim Gavin is living now in Church Street.
The law
As for the legal side, Burke & Son, Farrell McDonnell, and John Whelan were the leading solicitors at the time. Others came and went. One Quinten Kennedy was I remember a great sport. He took part in the paper chases. We would get a lot of old newspapers and tear them into small pieces. They were then placed in a sack and one boy started across-country. As he ran, he scattered the pieces of paper which formed a trail. After he had a start of twenty minutes, the ‘pack’ would start on the trail over the fields, ditches and through hedges. It was a good form of cross-country running.
Tradesmen of Roscommon
The tradesmen were a very fine class of men. Each of them highly skilled in his particular trade. Carpenters, stone masons, slaters and plasterers, coachbuilders, black-smiths, boot and shoe makers, painters, nailers, coopers, etc. The outstanding carpenters were the Curleys, Harkins, Gannons and Burkes. Henry Carroll was a first class plasterer and slater; his son Richard carried on the good work and excelled at all branches of the trade.
The stonemasons were the Gilloolys, Tom and Dan, the Geraghtys, Pat and his sons Jack and Willie. Dan Foley and his sons Tom and Pat, and Peter Brady. The Foleys and Peter Brady lived in Ballymurray. The working hours at the building then from 7 am to 6 pm and the Foleys and P. Brady were always on the job to time – although they had to walk to and from Ballymurray to Roscommon (three miles).
The painters Bernard Waldron, the Baxter family, John Moffit and his son James. B. Waldron’s sign writing and graining work was first class. Pat Loftus was famous for cart-making, the farmers gave him great credit for wheel work. Michael Doolan was a cooper. He made churns, tubs and feeding troughs. He lived in Goff Street.
The old castle
I cherish fond recollections of the old castle ruins. It was a great meeting place for the boys and the climbing to the different high parts caused keen competition, as did handball and pitch and toss. Many of the townspeople spent the summer evening in and around the old ruins, some reading, others having a game of cards. The Antiquarian Society carried out some repairs to the old stonework some time ago. Before they started the work of repair, the old building was almost covered with ivy and lovely it looked in its mantle of green. The workmen got orders to cut away the ivy and well they did the job. Not a trace of the ivy left and now it looks a drab pile, cold and grey.
The RIC
The Royal Irish Constabulary barracks was at one time situated where Mrs. George Jackson has her shop. From there it moved to Dr. Killmartin’s in The Square. Another move was to the old military barracks near the Railway Station and from there to the Old Jail near the Courthouse. The prisoners were taken through an underground passage leading from an opening inside the gate near the present handball alley to the Dock in the Courthouse.
