This was certainly taken at Pen Y Fai or Glan Rhyd Hospitals, which were two psychiatric hospital adjacent to each other outside Aberkenfig.

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On the left my grand-father, Cornelius (Con) Creagh. On the right probably my uncle Jim (am I right?), and my cousin John Daly is the child. Taken in Ballyporeen outside the family home

(31)
A school photograph of my son, Anthony Kavanagh, now 32 years of age.

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My sister Anne & myself , taken in the garden of 19 St Brides Road, Aberkenfig.

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Some mug-shots of myself, probably taken about five years ago for work ID Card

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My mother, Nellie Kavanagh, again with their dog “Nigger”

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St Roberts School, Aberkenfig.

I have set myself the task of scanning some of the many family photographs that I have. It’s a good way of sharing them among far flung family members – and having a laugh at changing fashions. They will not be in any particular order, and I would be grateful if any family member can cast light on who some of the people may be, where they were taken, and any other information.

(1)
So here goes – No. 1 of many! This is me, taken when I was living in Kilburn, London, working for a company on Kilburn High Road called “Mobile Press”. Actually, there is far worse to come, so you may need to get a stiff drink ready,

(2)
And this is my lovely Carol. She will have to supply the information on this when she is talking to me again after publishing this!

(3)
This is perhaps the only photograph I have of my father’s parents, Thomas Kavanagh & Emily (nee Orchard). Taken at 19 St Brides Road Aberkenfig. The chimney from the old Tondu Brickworks is in the background.

(4)
This is a photograph of my late Mother Nellie (Ellen) Kavanagh. Taken, I believe, at Glan Rhyd Hospital, near Pen y Fai. My mother is on the left. I think that the person next to her may be her friend Eileen Morris. I would be grateful of any more information on this one.

(5)
My Father, also John Kavanagh, taken perhaps at our home in 19 St Brides Road, Aberkenfig. I don’t recognise the girl – and I know I should. Really annoying that!
My cousin Terry believes the girl to be my aunt Rita (married name Laudanski)

(6)
This is a photo of my uncle, Gerald Kavanagh (the taller one) and someone else. Apparently on their way to some party at St Roberts Hall, Aberkenfig. Perhaps the Catholic Church was more liberal about cross-dressing than I had realised!!!

(7)
My father, John Kavanagh and some unknown woman. Any suggestions anybody? Marked on the back of the original June 1st 1944

(8)
There is no mistaking this one. My mother & sister (Anne Kavanagh) taken outside 19 St Brides Road. Undated

(9)
This photograph is of my mother (second left) with unidentified others (?). My parents dog features: politically incorrectly called “Nigger”.

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I’m risking my neck on this one! I think that this is my cousin Maureen Ford, now Maureen French.

(11)
Two photographs of my cousins of the Spender family (my aunt Tessie Spender, nee Kavanagh). I’m hoping for an e-mail from my cousins to identify them – please.

(12)
Thanks to Terry Spender, who informs me that this is her sister Margeret

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This is a really risky one. I’ll have to wear a crash helmet next time I meet my aunts! Taken in Ballyporeen outside my Grandparents farmhouse. I think that it is, from left to right, my aunts Mary, Bernie, Katie and Nonie. Sorry! He he

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My children feature in this one. Before the days of digital photography it was a waiting game for the results. Self-timer, running back into position, and my daughter Clair refusing to wear glasses. She did not have her eyes open on one of the shots! It was a bad hair day for me too! Left to right, John, Clair, Anthony & Anne Kavanagh.

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A photograph of my mother and my aunt, Veronica Kavanagh. I would be interested in any information about Veronica. There was something about her having a role with British Intelligence during WW11. Is there any evidence of this? Can any relatives cast any light on this? She remained a spinster throughout her life, and struggled with ill health. She lived with my grandfather latterly in Corsham, then finally moved to a nursing Home in Rhyl, North Wales

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I believe this to be my aunt Alice (Lala) Ford [nee Creagh] on the right. I do not know who the person is on the left. Any help folks?

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This one had a note marked “Doherty, Second Cousin”. I suspect this may have connections with relatives living in Pontardawe. I should have more information on this within the next two weeks

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I’m sure that this is my cousin, John Daly, Mary & Paddy’s son. It is certainly far too clean and pretty to be me! I have vague memories of that bike as well.

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This next one is of my father and my aunt, Mary Daly. I’m not sure who the baby is. There is no sound on the photo, so I can’t hear if it is crying (that would have been me, as my aunt Nonie keeps telling me that I was a miserable git!)

(20)
OK, this one is the first of many complete mysteries. Hoping for some serious family imput to solve this. It seems to be on the Creagh side though? Any thoughts?

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Certainly my grandfather, Thomas Kavanagh. The baby may be me(?). Not sure about the woman though. It looks like Doreen Davies, a close friend of my mother’s. Certainly taken in the back garden of St Brides Road. The old fire station tower can be seen in the background.
Terry Spender informs me that this is a photo of Rita Kavanagh (Laudanski), and the baby is my cousin Jean- Pierre

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This is an interesting one. My Mother, taken I think at Rest Bay in Porthcawl, with someone who has a real sense of fashion. Can anyone identify this trendy person?

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This one is a real mystery, and I am totally reliant on relatives in Ireland to cast some light on it. RAF uniform, but that’s as far as it goes. Good looking woman though!

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The adults in this are Lala, my mother Nellie & Mary. Who the young girl (Nonie?) and the baby are remained to be solved

(25)

I’ll finish off for today with a photograph of a very special uncle of mine, Paddy Daly. This has been more of an emotional exercise than I had anticipated. The words of the song are ringing in my ears -”You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone”

Taken in the back garden of the farmhouse in Ballyporeen.

The next Creagh Day gathering is tentatively proposed for Friday 20th /and Saturday 21st July 2012. This is the weekend before the official opening of the 2012 London Olympics, which hopefully may suit anyone coming from some distance away for the Olympics to conviently attend the real event in the village of Ballyporeen, Co Tipp.

The previous family gathering was a great success, and I have nearly recovered from it. It was smallish family event, with just under 100 people attending. The proposed Creagh Day 2 is likely to be larger, and therefore will not be organised in the same way. I suggest a much more casual affair, with people making their own arrangements for accommodation (details of local hotels, etc will be posted later once we get an idea of how many we will need to plan for). Local hostelries will be advised to get in extra Guinness, Bushmills, etc. Further details will be posted once I get the opportunity to visit Ireland next year.

I will cover all information on Facebook ( cf. Celt Photographic ), via my e-mail ( johnakavanagh@hotmail.co.uk ) and on my website (http://celtphotographic.com ) as we progress.
It would be useful if you could indicate that you might be interested in joining us.

Hope to see you all there John K

The next generation

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Some of the salvaged shots taken on a compact. Having a drink or two with the first cousins

Putting the world to right over a twiglet

I had to make a sad journey a few weeks ago, back to the village of Ballyporeen, where my Mother’s side of the family hailed from. My aunt “Phillie” (Philomena – I think) died this year after a long and difficult illness at her home in Melbourne. Her son David brought her ashes home to be placed in the family grave, alongside her parents Alice & Cornelius Creagh, my mother Nellie (Ellen) and her brother Michael. As many of the family as could make the journey gathered together in the lovely village of Ballyporeen, which nestles between the Galtee and Knockmeldown Mountains.

It was a journey of mixed feelings. I still find it very difficult to revisit my mother’s grave, and recognise that much of my life is about denial of painful episodes. However, Ballyporeen also holds idyllic memories of childhood, the freedom to roam the fields and hinterland freely, without fear and with a sense of sunny exploration. The village still retains – in a most peculiar way – a sense of unspoilt innocence, reminicent of Laury Lee’s “Cider with Rosie”. It has an air of being a relative backwater, reluctantly dipping its toes into the 21st century. The main industry appears to still be based on farming, with the consequence that the skilled workforce has to some degree or another commute to areas which are more industrialised. The houses, with the exception of some of the palacial newer buildings, are not as bright and pristine as in my childhood memories, and there is a vibrancy missing which the busy market village once held. The Catholic Church stills wields a powerful influence in the community, not surprising I suppose. Still, I find the presence of such unquestioning faith disturbing. Put it down to my cynicism.

One thing that still exists in copious doses is a sense of humour. Our lives are immensely complicated today. As a child I recall Ballyporeen in glowing terms, a real sense of community in the face of hardship, always accompanied with a laugh or a joke. Ireland’s cities and towns may have become more homogenous and bland. Many of the small communities show a reluctance to chance, which I find healthy and disarming at the same time.

I have grave suspicions that the good people of Ballyporeen did a great con job on the President of the United States, Ronnie Reagan. I’m sure someone may put me right on this, but there seem to be some wry smiles when the subject of Ronnie’s Irish heritage is mentioned. The claim is that his grandfather came from this unassuming village. I’m not sure that the evidence stands up to scrutiny though. I may well rattle someones cage in writing this, but it was very convenient for the late Ronnie anyway at a time when he needed the Irish vote back home. Whatever, the locals used the occasion for an almighty “piss-up”, which is OK by me.

I was surprised by the number of newcomers into the area from England and Germany. Although, moving into this beautiful area is wisdom on their part if one is looking to escape the vagaries of modern existence, or at least hold it at arms length. They seem to have seamlessly blended into the landscape. I don’t know why I should be surprised at that – perhaps because this does not happen so readily in Wales.

Over one or two beers, the first cousins who had gathered stared a headcount. Several recounts were necessary, but it was finally agreed that there are 35 first cousins on the Creagh side of this family, all of whom (with one sad exception) are still around to tell the tale. There have been a number of attempts to write a family tree, though because we have tended to work in isolation this has not yet materialised. Perhaps with the advantage of the internet we might finally get our act together. I am not the most organised of people to do this, but maybe I should make more effort to organise this with others. (Will put on my “must do” list)

As a postscript;- I took over two hundred photographs of Ballyporeen while I was there, which involved driving my Land Rover well off-road in order to get the right angle. However, I lost the bloody lot on my computer when I returned home. OK, this gives me a good reason to return, hopefully in the Spring, and spend a couple of days soaking in the atmosphere, the Guinness and the warmth of a truly beautiful part of the world.

(See also the August 09 blog for Creagh Day Ballyporeen)