Do you recognise these kids on Cork city's Rock Steps?

The greatest thing about these Throwback Thursday pages is the way you readers write in to add, to correct, or to furnish more information on any of the topics aired.

Here is one from Tomás McCarthy, putting us right on the little boats which plied the Lee in years gone by.

“Jo, aways enjoy your pieces and frequently learn a lot from them. In the latest, regarding the Blackrock drawing from Gladys Leach, you write: ‘Can you see that nice little tug off there to the left in the Leach picture? It and its fellows were a feature of river life back in the day. One of them was definitely called The Killarney – who re the others?’”

Tomás points out: “The Killarney was in fact (I believe) a different boat. Actually called the MV Cill Airne, this was formerly a tender ship servicing enger vessels in the lower harbour before becoming a training vessel operated by the Maritime Department of Cork RTC (Regional Technical College).

“I was a marine engineering cadet there from 1981 to ’84 and we used to sail her from its mooring around about Penrose Quay down to the harbour and back - great fun.

“The same vessel is now a boat restaurant & bar moored at the North Wall Quay in Dublin, see https://www.mvcillairne.com/ for details of its present life.”

Well, thank-you most sincerely for that correction, Tomás, and also for the revelation of the sort of adventure you and your fellow cadets used to get up to back in the 1980s. Do tell us more!

And for myself, I am going to make a point of visiting the Cill Airne on the North Wall next time I’m up in that place they call the capital!

Now, we asked last week in Throwback Thursday for suggestions as to the longest or the most famous flights of steps in Cork, a city that surely has no competitors when it comes to the sheer number of them.

No matter where you turn on the north side of the river, you will find a small flight, a longer one, an exhausting endless one, a lane that ends in steps, a lane that starts with steps and then graduates to well-worn cobbles... every one of them worn to half its original height by the many thousands of feet treading them over hundreds of years.

Steps too that are hollowed in the centre and higher at the edges, for the same reason. Some with surviving ironwork railings, some perilously without. But all the steps of the city we love so well.

Here is a contribution from Fintan Bloss, who has enriched these pages many times in the past with his memories and - as in this case - often a priceless old photograph.

Fintan’s photo shows the Rock Steps off North Mall in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

He writes: “I am trying to identify the group in this picture. At the bottom of the steps was the ‘devil’s chair’ and well-known families who lived in this area down through the decades were the Brownes, the Comerfords (Paddy of pantomime fame), Leahys, Ryans, O’Learys, Linehans, and O’Mahonys, who all lived on the Rock Steps.

“Below the Rock Steps was the garda station, where the recently deceased Flan Wiley was based on North Abbey Street.

“Many a child spent their time tumbling over the bars in the middle section of the steps, including my wife Yvonne, who was living at 31, Blarney Street, at the time.”

Fintan continues: “When I was at school in the North Mon, I went up and down those steps every school day. So many schooldays, yet so long ago now.

“I hope you have some luck in tracking down the nine people immortalised forever in this photo during their carefree childhood. I would love to know the name of every one of them.”

The Devil’s Chair, Fintan? Do please tell us more!

“It was a section of the rock face that was shaped like a seat or a throne and was known as the devil’s chair,” he explains. “Maybe older neighbours might elaborate on the name? If I see any of the old crowd, I will ask. Hope this is of some use. I don’t think there were any satanic rituals carried out there, though...”

Of course, curiosity being thoroughly aroused, we went hunting further. Back in 2016, The Norries of Cork group on Facebook posted a wonderful picture we reproduce on the facing page, and a tantalising observation: The Rock Steps. Be Wide of the Devil’s Chair.

I don’t know where the original photo from, but if anyone knows who took it, then do let us know, please!

Paul Seymour, on that same Norries of Cork Facebook group, ed: “A wonderful lady, Kathleen Connery lived at the top of those steps, about 40 years ago. Her husband was Bart Connery, a fine figure of a man who worked as an usher in the old Capitol cinema.

“They were a wonderful couple and she was probably the best piano teacher that I had, with the most open of minds. Every time that I hear The Tales Of Hoffman by Offenbach, it reminds me of afternoons in her living room, which had two pianos, out of tune with each other.

“I can see the sunlight sneaking through the window and hear her gently tutoring us kids. A poignant memory of a special lady who lived at the top of the Rock Steps.”

Would that have been the 1950s, Paul? When the film version of Hoffman was released, starring Moira Shearer?

The three LPs of the opera were played constantly in our house at that time, and we all sang The Barcarolle and danced to the March of the Marionettes. As, we suspect, everybody in Cork did.

We are almost at the end of this wonderful month that heralds the start of summer.

Micheál Kenefick has given us some wonderful details of how May was celebrated in days of yore - and indeed still is today - in his native village of Whitegate:

“The Irish Folklore Commission, which was established in 1935 and is now The National Folklore Collection, undertook what has become known as the Schools Scheme between 1936 and 1938,” said Micheál.

“The children of the nation were asked to record for posterity life in Ireland under a variety of headings. One of the requests was to speak to a two-generation gap and record their folklore and tradition, e.g. grandparents and/or the peers of grandparents. So this brings us well back into the 19th century.

“Here, by kind permission of The National Folklore Collection, is a word-for-word description of The Queen of the May in the little village of Whitegate.

“We call the first Sunday in May, May Sunday. One of the younger girls is selected as Queen of the May, usually she is dressed in a wreath and veil. An arch of flowers is held over her head and she is escorted from door to door by ten or twelve other girls. At each door they sing a song and collect money, and in the evening they buy cakes, sweets and lemonade and then they hold a party.

“This is the song they usually sing:

We are merry little maidens

And our hearts are bright and gay,

We go skipping o’er the hedges

In the merry month of May

Chorus

In the merry month of May

In the merry month of May

We go skipping o’er the hedges

In the merry month of May

You must wake and call me early

Call me early Mother dear

For today will be the happiest day

Of all the glad New Year

Of all the glad New Year, Mother

The happiest, happiest day

For I’m to be queen of the May, Mother

I’m to be queen of the May.

Micheál continues: “There followed an era of where there was also a king of the May. To the best of my knowledge, the king was the only boy allowed to march in the procession and the reason a king was allowed was maybe the entrepreneurial idea of the 6th classes of the 1940s. Equally, it may have been an experiment for a year or two. Sadly, nobody left to ask. I did, though, know one king, Tom Kelly, recently enough deceased.

“In the 1950s and for several more decades the May ritual had a very regular pattern. The queen would be selected by lottery from the First Communion class of the previous year. John Bennett would then find a suitable briar for the bough and the 6th class girls would take it to a local lady for adornment. Maura Day certainly did this job for many years.

“When John died, Teddy Cleary was next to provide the famous briar.

“The girls of the school would pick bunches of primroses and bluebells, which were in abundance in Day’s Wood and Corkbeg, in the days leading up to the Sunday.

“Also prior to the day, the 6th class girls would be allowed to ‘open a book’ in Margaret Keeffe’s or Russell’s so that goodies could be bought on tick. These would be paid for religiously on the Monday. The balance of the spoils would be divided equally between all the girls in the school.”

Micheál continues his reflection: “Back to the day itself. On May Sunday, come hail, rain or shine (and often all three!), the queen would be brought in procession under the beautifully adorned bough which would be held in their turn by two 6th class girls.

“All the houses would be visited and the very same song sung as before. The white communion bag would be opened and the coins dropped in.

“The smaller children would only do the village march and were then escorted back to the school to wait for the party. The bigger girls and the young queen would venture further afield in order to further strengthen the coffers.

“Then, finally, back to the school for lemonade, sweet cakes, and of course jelly and ice cream. By tea time, all over for another year.

“In this era, the boys also had a role, albeit a negative one, having been given their strict instructions on Friday by the master - DO NOT GO NEAR THE SCHOOL ON SUNDAY. And we never did!

“The 21st century celebration is still organised by the 6th class girls and is still a very successfully-run event in Whitegate.

“The queen is still selected by lottery but, as an addition, princesses are also selected. The second girl out of the hat is first sub to be queen in the unlikely chance that the selected lady may be indisposed on the big day. Third out is second sub and so on.

“Sadly, but understandably, there now has to be parental supervision of both the walking and the party, which now also includes a talent competition with prizes, also organised by the girls.

“The booty is no longer divided, but is now given to a charity or charities chosen by the pupils. The bough is now decorated by Linda Barry, no longer a large briar but a plastic hula hoop.

“The celebration cake is decorated by the confectioners in Eurospar with a reproduction of the last bough that Maura dressed, so that she is still ed.

“It is also wonderful to be able to report that even though we have a state-of-the-art supermarket in Whitegate, the girls can still get tick until the Monday.

“Well done to all at Day’s Long, may this wonderful tradition continue in the seaside village of Whitegate.”

Agreed, Micheál, for every lasting tradition still observed in our countryside. We should never lose these, as they are a vital part of what we are as Irish people.

Tell us of the traditions and customs with which you grew up. Email [email protected]. Or leave a comment on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/echolivecork.