It Occurs To Me: The Ramblings of a Tom-Boy
This week Frank Galligan enjoys a trawl through Frankie ‘Tom’ Gallagher’s autobiography, Back in the Day…The Ramblings of a Tom-Boy, which includes the incredible story of the thirty year history of the Ardara Electric Company
One of my father’s favourite stories about the Donegal ‘character’ was of the buck from the west of the county, who is fleeing from the British and the Famine in the 1850s, and ends up on a ‘coffin ship’ to America.
After a long and arduous journey, he eventually disembarks in New York and literally stumbles up the Ellis Island Docks. He is shocked to find that the first human being he encounters is wearing a uniform, a symbol he is trying to escape from.
Unaware that the official is a customs/immigration official, he takes the initiative and grabs him by the tunic. “Is there a Government in this country?”The startled official exclaims, “Yes of course there is!”.
The Donegal man hisses: “Well, I’m against it straight away!”
I was reminded of this story last weekend as I read Frankie ‘Tom’ Gallagher’s fascinating autobiography, Back in the Day…The Ramblings of a Tom-Boy.
The Ardara and Killybegs GAA legend is 93, a miracle considering he survived a heart attack in his 40s, and is as independent and resolute as he was back in the day.
As his son Jody says in the introduction, “My father was never afraid to rattle cages or be a thorn in the side of the establishment.” Frank ‘Tom’ credits Dr Michael O’Boyle with saving his life after the heart attack and tells the extraordinary story of the poor man’s vilification in this very newspaper by the late Senator Paddy McGowan!
As the Killybegs dispensary district extended into Kilcar, Dr O’Boyle (or Dr Boyle, as he was known) and midwife Nurse Quinn were much loved and respected ‘in through’.
However, Senator McGowan caught one of his fingers in a fishing hook at the Killybegs Sea Angling Festival, but the doctor was unavailable to treat the affected digit. As it turned out, Dr O’Boyle was treating a seriously ill patient in Kilcar, but notwithstanding, as Frankie writes: “Senator McGown not only criticised Dr Boyle for not turning up to treat him, be he indulged in a diatribe which could only be described as a character assassination. A wave of outrage swept through Killybegs. People were livid, but I was aware that without someone to take the lead, there would be no repercussions. The Democrat article could not be ignored. It had to be challenged. The soft-spoken doctor would be unlikely to go public and defend himself. So, I took up the cause.”
At a subsequent meeting, there was a huge and animated crowd, but only the Donegal People’s Press turned up, and gleefully published a full-page report of the meeting in reply to the Democrat’s article. On a light note, it was agreed that “Anglers and Fishermen don’t run to a doctor with a bleeding finger, they stick it in their mouth and suck it!”
‘Wee Hughie’
One of the many fascinating stories Frankie shares concerns “Wee Hughie” Callaghan from Killybegs who founded an organisation called the Farmers and Workers and Fishermen’s Association.
Hughie cared greatly about the plight of the poor and accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of “completely ignoring the plight of the Common People of West Donegal”. He selected 12 local men to serve on his committee to serve as advisors, protectors and bodyguards. They were known as the “12 apostles”. In the 1942 county council elections, Hughie topped the poll with 2,000 votes…the big parties were very unhappy and realised he was a serious threat.
He got an increase of some 1000 votes in the 1943 general election, but failed to be elected as a TD. However, his rise was inevitable…until disaster struck. His fiancee became pregnant and “In the eyes of the church and therefore in the eyes of its followers, it was the most serious of serious sins.
The clergy of the area began a campaign of vilification against Hughie and his girlfriend. He now was, in the eyes of the church, not only a communist, but a sinful communist. In the Church of St Mary’s, Killybegs, and surrounding churches, he was condemned from the pulpit, consigned to the Flames of Hell for all eternity! I sat in church listening to the priest’s character assassination of Hughie and his girlfriend, not really understanding what it was all about.” Eventually, they emigrated to Birmingham and married with a family, and Hughie attained a top position in the Trades Union. Frankie ‘Tom’ does not hide his anger at how they were ‘hounded’ out of Ireland.
A light at the end of the tunnel
Frankie ‘Tom’ Gallagher’s fascinating autobiography, Back in the Day…The Ramblings of a Tom-Boy
Johnny ‘Tom’, his grandfather was the caretaker/operator of the innovative enterprise, having worked as an assistant to the German engineer organising the water course and flow of the Owentocker River. Amazingly, this hydro-scheme was the only one of its kind in Donegal until Cathaleen's Falls in Ballyshannon in the 1940s.
The ESB took over in 1956, but the acquisition was not popular as all townhouses needed an expensive rewiring. He also recalls the battle to open the ‘Rebel School’ (secondary) in Killybegs, in which he played a major role. After his return from the UK in 1955, he became a fisherman for a period.
By the way…it’s great news about the proposed sale of The Nesbitt Arms Hotel, let’s hope that footfall in Ardara gets a huge lift when it reopens. It’s been a tough few years.
The GAA
Space precludes me from chronicling all the great GAA achievements of Frankie in Ardara, Killybegs and Donegal, but ‘legend’ is no exaggeration.
I first met him in 2018 when his sister Kathleen Sheerin introduced us in Ardara, and I was struck by his forthright and handsome demeanour and an endearing mix of humour and straight talking.
Kathleen was a former president of the Donegal Association in Dublin, and when I asked her in an interview if Donegal people were clannish, she gave me an answer that I treasure to this day: “No, but we go a bit of the road with everybody.”
That road brought Frankie, whose wife Joan Cunningham was a native of Killybegs, to Manchester as a teenager.
Last year, in this newspaper, Frank Craig reminded us that Frankie ‘Tom’ was one of the founding members of Oisin’s GAA Club back in the early 50s and that Oasis star Noel Gallagher played with them!
One of many great football yarns Frankie recalls is a match between Ardara and Killybegs, in which Frankie’s elbow ‘accidentally’ clashed with Killybegs player Andy Carr, who lost a few teeth. Suddenly there was a roar of “Put him off, ref!”...it was Frankie’s dad, followed by his grandfather telling his father to shut up! Later on, a bullet kick from Ardar’s Phil McHugh struck one of his own supporters, Hughie Johnny McGill in the face, and Hughie mistakenly thought it was a Killybegs supporter, and clocked the nearest one to him! “Within minutes, the entire sideline was throwing punches at each other, but as they didn’t encroach on the pitch, the game carried on!”
The book is a great read, and as Tom-boys go, Frankie’s way up there!
A packed first night in Mullingar!
I was delighted to be asked to MC the first night out for the newly formed Donegal Association in Mullingar last Friday night. There was an almighty buzz as old friends met and new friends were made…the Greville Arms was festooned with green and gold bunting and flags, thanks to the hard work of Cathal Dunlevy, Eamonn McGowan, Joan Crawford and Mark Breslin.
Four lads travelled all the way from south Donegal to provide the music and as the Lucozade kicked in and ‘the blood ris’’, there was an emotional farewell, as all and sundry on the dance floor and at the tables sang My Donegal. The old rafters were well and truly raised!
The sponsors were very generous indeed…especially Stephen Kennedy of Hydro Engineering and Plumbing (originally Meeanneary), also Kevin Dunlevy of the Chambers Bar and many more with Donegal connections, as well as those local business people with no ties to Tír Chonaill or Inishowen.
Thanks to Cathal and Eileen Dunlevy, a signed DL jersey was the big auction attraction, and in due course the committee will be making a contribution to the Donegal Supporters Club. If I miss any townland or parish in this list, my apologies, but attendees originally hailed from Creeslough, Lifford, Dunfanaghy, Portsalon, Kerrykeel, Downings, Convoy, Straleel, Doocharry, The Twin Towns, Killygordon, Glenfin, Gaoth Dobhair, Buncrana, Moville, Glenties, Ardara, Glencolmcille, Castlefin, Drimarone, Letterbarrow, Frosses, Loughanure and Leitir.
Next time out, the committee hopes to have some of our great footballers of yore (and current) present. Dún na nGall Abú!!