“ Heathcliff”, Ballinluska, Myrtleville, Co. Cork
Daughter of William O’ Regan and his wife Charlatte-Louisa(nee Teape),
I have lived all my live in Myrtleville. An only child, I attended the Presentation Convent, Crosshaven School, worked in the counting house offices of Dwyer& Co. wholesale firm, Washington St, Cork, made many friends and enjoyed a good social life.
During the summer evenings at our old farm-house we enjoyed music, singing and dancing around the old piano in the sitting room when some of the best city pianists and singers gathered. I had many birthday and Christmas parties. I married on the 1st June 1957, to Sean O’Shea from Cork city.
My dad built many bungalows in his time but he built “Heathcliff” Especially for me. Why “Heathcliff”? well, I loved that character in the Bronte novel “Wuthering Heights” and maybe I had known a person like that. I had always wanted what was bad for me!
In seven years I had five children. Four sons and a daughter. We enjoyed walking along the coast road to Fountainstown and back around the Mill road homewards, having visited the beaches of Myrtleville and Fountainstown and seeing the beautiful birds at Bunnyconnellan Hotel gardens where we were always welcome.
I attended the I.C.A Crosshaven enjoying the company, arts, crafts and especially their drama. The late Mrs Marjory Fitzmaurice presented many plays and took us off to drama festivals and competitions.
I joined the Carrigaline and District Writers group for many years. We attended readings and visited Cork City writers, Northside writers and Great Island Cobh writers. They in turn visited us. Under the guidance of Patricia O’Neill, the founder member and well-known freelance journalist and writer, we had many articles published including two journals. We had a radio show, awards and publications in Waterford Review. We entered An-Post adult letter writing competition, an all-Ireland event. I attended the party in Dublin on two occasions to collect my two awards, and Margaret Miller got there once. I met Pat Kenny, the RTE presenter and the top man of An-Post, John Hynes. We hosted a school children essay competition. Summer outings took us to interesting places like Bantry House etc.
I write a weekly column in the Carrigdhoun and enjoy Patricia O’Neills “Out and About” monthly articles with lovely photographs. Tony Kennys “ Times Past” stories with pictures of old Carrigaline were a delight. I have retired from the writers group since last September. People have stopped me on the village street and said “I loved your column, why don’t you write a book?” why not indeed? There is a book in everyone’s life, and having lived so long in Myrtleville and one of the oldest people here, I have seen and heard so much down each decade of my life. I hope it will entertain and amuse people because I have a wicked sense of humour.
Yes I have started the book. “ Footprints in the Sands”. Wish me luck!
Myrtleville is part of me. Six generations of O’Regans (now O’Shea) have lived on our land. I remember when it was all green fields, not a bungalow anywhere, except a few farm cottages. My ancestors worked hard on the farm. It was old Ireland, a place of peace and calm, nature’s way, when I was a small child. Then I saw the bungalows being built and city people wanting to live in Myrtleville. Merchant Princes joined farm communities, business people joined fisherman and British soldiers occupied the Forts, followed by the Irish army when they left.
Many memories indeed.
I have seen my children’s children and before I have to go, I shall answer all their questions about the long ago. As the years go onwards, I hope they will agree to tell their children ‘s children what grandpa once told me.