1981 - 1990

Priests & Sacristans

In the 1980s the priests in Ballycotton were Fr. Troy and Fr. Madden. The sacristan was Mrs. Mary O'Brien.


*Fr. Troy*	*Fr. Madden*


*Mrs. Mary O'Brien*

During the 1980s Saturday evening Mass started in Ballycotton.

The Hyman Winstone

The Hyman Winstone was re-dedicated on the 8th September 1985. The ceremony started with the Southern Command band playing the National Anthem. After that the local choir sang a song. Fr. Bertie Troy welcomed the guests and he informed them of what was going to happen during the ceremony. Mr. Jeff Mankertz, the inspector of lifeboats in Ireland, described the Hyman Winstone. Mr. Clayton Love Junior, a Vice President and member of the executive committee of the RNLI, gave the lifeboat to the care of Ballycotton. Dr. John J. Ahern, Bishop of Cloyne, and Reverend Samuel G. Poyntz blessed the lifeboat. After the formalities people were given trips on the new lifeboat and some refreshments were also given at the Cliff Palace.

Tommy Sliney

Tommy Sliney was born in Ballycotton in 1922. His mother used to sell fish on the pier. When Tommy was old enough he took on the business with the family's donkey and cart. Tommy was known by everyone from far and near. He was known as a handy man, helping out the village. He would white wash the walls for the procession and clean up the graveyard in Cloyne. The children loved him as well as his stories about goblins, witches and sea monsters. Tommy Sliney died on 24th November 1988. He got a heart attack while getting fish out of a basket. The doctor was in Cloyne that day and tried to do resucitation on Tommy but he was already dead. His body was removed from the funeral home that following evening. He was buried the following day. The children of Ballycotton did a guard while the cortege left the church. He was taken to Kilmahon cemetary and was buried next to his mother.

Here is one of Tommy's stories that he told to people:

Tommy often wore waistcoats. One day he told me a story about one of his waistcoats.

"I was coming home in my donkey and cart one evening. As I came by Smiddy's field the dog cocked his ears and jumped out of the cart over the ditch. He had spotted a massive hare in the field and he chased after it. The hare zigzagged to escape from the dog but he was catching up. Suddenly the hare darted to the left of the field to avoid a plough that was in the middle of the field. But the poor dog never saw the plough and went straight into it. It killed him stone dead! Well, I loved that dog so much, I brought him home before I buried him. I skinned him and cured his hide. Then I made it into a lovely waistcoat. A few weeks later I was coming back on the same road. Didn't the donkey stop at the exact same spot where the dog had jumped off the cart? Whatever look I gave into the field, there was the same hare sitting in the middle of the field. And with that, the waistcoat jumped off my back, disappeared into the same field after the hare and I never saw sight nor sound of either of them since!"

Tommy Sliney and his donkey and cart

Unveiling of plaque to Tommy Sliney

Tommy Sliney's Plaque

I remember you Tommy,

All you did for me,

All your funny stories,

Your voice chuckling on the quay.

Home

Index

1991 - 2000