Two women share memories of their childhood in Dublin of the 1920s.
Carmel O'Connell and Vera Sherlock grew up in Capel Street in north inner city Dublin, where their father owned a shoe repair shop.
They were often allowed help in a neighbouring shop, a dairy, which sold fresh milk and groceries. As children they wondered about the shopping habits of some customers who shopped from meal to meal, ordering,
An ounce of tea, two ounces of butter and a penn’orth of milk.
Sweets were just as important to young people then as now. Nolan’s confectionary shop in Capel Street also manufactured some sweets on the premises and was visited regularly for,
Nutty Favours...Peggy’s Leg...Lucky Lumps.
Children living in the city centre looked forward in particular to a visit to the People’s Garden in the Phoenix Park. The fountain there held a particular attraction, as it had a cup for drinks of water which everyone used.
I wonder...with all the emphasis on hygiene, how did we all survive?
From 'July Diary’ broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on 31 July 1984. The presenter is Michael Holmes.
