“I came to Tullamore for work on 21st June 1946 after serving as a carpenter. I was 25 years old. It was either that or go home to Kilkenny! Myself and my friend Joe Sullivan got off the train together and became very good friends, getting ‘digs’ together. Joe was a very sensible lad and was a great influence on me. He didn’t drink or smoke, but I did both! On our first day in Tullamore, we went in for a cup of tea, and the first person we met was Josie, a shopgirl in Dan’s. As it turned out, she was the sister of my wife-to-be.
I first met Kathleen during the winter of 1946. It was snowing hard, and we were down at Forresters throwing snowballs. A dance was on, and all these stout women came into the hall. Then I saw Kathleen. She was a tiny little woman. We chatted that evening and eventually met again at the Pattern of Durrow the following June. We cycled out separately but came home together, and that was it.
In 1968, I bought a black Morris Minor from Dr Moran. It cost me £200, which was a lot of money then. I built my little garage at the back of the house with bits of wood and bits of glass. In the winter, I used to cover it every night with a big overcoat that my mother bought me when I was leaving Kilkenny. I went to Garda Hanley for driving lessons and was 47 when I passed my test.
That car brought us great joy. It opened up a whole new life for us. Kathleen used to love getting off in the car. She never drove herself. I did try to teach Kathleen to drive out in Durrow one day, and the kids laughed so much in the back of the car Kathleen got out and never drove again. We went to many places in that car, to matches, the zoo, Ballybunion, and so many places. There used to be five in the back and two in the front. We went to Knock, too and did three decades of the rosary up and back for a safe journey. It did break down a few times, but it nearly always got us home”.
Jack Brophy passed away on Wednesday, 17th November 2021, in his 101st year. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.