Offaly village 'is a very special place to be part of'

I’ve lived in Killeigh all my life. I love the village and it is a very special place to be part of. My father Tommy Feery was from Castlebrack and my mother Sadie Dunne from Ballinvalley.

My earliest memory is of Mammy coming home from the hospital in a black car with the twins, Johnny and Jimmy. It was 1956, I was six. My granny Mary was holding one of the twins. We were all born in Tullamore hospital, first my older brother Pat, myself, Tom and then the twins. There were five new cottages built in Lockclose and I think we moved into our house in 1958. Mammy and her sister Bridge were married the same day, a double wedding with Aunt Bridge marrying Fint Hinch. We lived beside each other in Lockclose. We grew up next door to our cousins, all eight of them and remained lifetime friends.

Growing up back then everyone had a pig but we also had a donkey along with chickens and ducks. Mammy would also buy turkeys and rear them for the Christmas to sell and a few would be held back for the card games in the house. I could never play the game of ‘25 but would watch as the neighbours came round and play until the early hours of the morning, they are all gone now but great memories as a child looking over their shoulders trying to understand the game without success. Out the back potatoes was sowed, Sonny Conroy and his horse would plough the garden for all us neighbours.

Hail, rain or snow we all walked to Killeigh NS from Lockclose. Ms Flanagan was the infants teacher at that time and lived near us. There would have been a crowd of us walking home, back up the hill after school, the Conroys, Egans, Feerys, Hinches, Tynans and Quinns. The N80 was much quieter back then!

My confirmation was in the old Killeigh church of St Patricks. My dress was white and given to my father from a family friend. Unfortunately Daddy had to give up work in the late 50’s due to ill health, so Mammy would have taken on many extra jobs cleaning and helping out other households. She also worked in the fields thinning turnips and picking potatoes. I have memories of being out with her and can still picture the apron that she always wore. She was a great woman and much loved and Sadie as she was known to everyone else was still riding the bike up the hill with her shopping for many years.

Growing up in Killeigh, I have great memories of the August Bank Holiday weekend. It was a real community event and people came from far and wide. I remember my Uncle Jack would come over to it from Ballycommon and that was the only time my father met up with him in the year.

The old church was still in use in the late 60’s. It was beside Columbs shop, the new church was built and opened in 1971. After Killeigh N.S. we would have cycled to the Tullamore Tech for three years into O’Connor Square which is now the Tullamore library. The Killeigh NS became the GAA club after the new school opened in 1988.

I finished school in 1967 and went to work in Paddy, Julia and Maureen Columb's village shop. It was great, but Sunday morning was a hype of activity after mass there would be great chat, people sat on the benches, having a smoke and catching up. Their daughter Maureen married Pat Spollen and in later years I would have helped them with their children. I spent over forty great years working for them even after they moved and when Columb’s shop was sold in 1974, I still remained in contact with Maureen who is great friend and I always regarded them as my second family.

In my younger days I remember joining a Ladies football team with Ann Rourke, Liz Gorman and a few others. Michael McEnroe from the village pub would drive us to games in Cloghan, Ferbane and the Blueball. There would be a carnival and music after some of the games and that always added to the fun. I always love to sing a song or two, and was in the church choir and being part of a singalong. The first song I ever sang publicly was “Noreen Bawn”. I enjoyed many a sing song in Doyles or now Grennans on the Green with my cousin Mary Dunne and look forward to getting back there soon again.

The Macra hall was opened when I was fifteen, but I couldn’t go until I was sixteen for insurance reasons. Somethings never change! I eagerly awaiting to become the legal age to “get in”. It was always a hive of activity for many nights each week, great fun and a place to meet people. The Macra Na Feirme dances were held during the year, fashion shows, village plays such as “Young Man from Rathmines”, however I never managed to secure a part as I giggled too much so never went too far.

When the Macra hall closed we all started to go to the Central Ballroom in Tullamore, we use to thumb a lift from Church Lane, myself Mary Hinch and Patricia O Connor and one would always be sure of a lift home. I met my husband Timmy coming home on a bus from a Macra outing to Tramore. He had moved to the village when he was nine and was from Loughclose. We got married on the 25th September 1974 in Killeigh’s new St Patricks Church.

Our son Mark was born in 1986 and when he attended Killeigh N.S. I joined the schools parents association. I always felt it great to be involved in the community whether it was with the ICWA or Macra Na Feirme, bingo, coffee mornings or just helping out whatever way I could. A few years ago I was put forward to take part in a fundraiser for Killeigh School Boys and Girls Soccer Club. The outcome was that I was crowned “Mayor of Killeigh” and was great fun and a great honour, I still proudly hold the title until it’s handed over!!

Faith always and still does play a great part in my life and was handed down to me from my parents. Sunday mass, rosary after teatime (before the neighbour’s would ramble in), First Friday mass and fish on a Friday to name but a few and nowadays my daily novena to St Martin and lighting a candle in the church is so important to me.

I love having my family friends and a supportive community around me, Mark and Serena and their family live next door, and plenty of good neighbours and friends nearby. I understand the importance of our community and thankful to the people who are working tirelessly in making our new community centre happen and wish them every success in getting there. Young and old will benefit so l look forward to this becoming a reality, wouldn’t it be just wonderful.

Looking back on my life having spent it here in Killeigh, and never having a reason to move, however little did I know when I started to pen some of my memories and before I got to finish it that my lovely cousin and best friend since childhood and perhaps the sister I never had would be gone to soon, so I dedicate this to Mary Hinch. My memories are her memories my forever friend.