purecork

Moynihans the Tailor (Widescreen)

John Joe’s forge, Ladysbridge, East cork. (Wides...

J.J. Cahill is a 3rd generation blacksmith based in the nice little village outside Castlemartyr. He’s been a Blacksmith since 1943. His forge is full of character and J.J’s fond memories of country life and work as a smith are great. He’s used the same hammer since 1950.

Mamie (Widescreen)

Nan Hourihans, Bandon (Widescreen)

Nan’s is the classic grocery shop. One of the few family owned shops left in Bandon. She gives the history of the shop and a detailed account of the pickled pigs heads that used to be so popular. What stuck out for me with this one was that Nan refers to the fact that the first ever Catholic that lived in the old Protestant town lived in her shop and they had found the remins of his harness making business! Also it’s hard to imagine any of the major chain retailers refusing to sell fags on mor...

Nugent’s, Clonakilty (Widescreen)

Gerry Nugent started working in the family shop in 1942. World War II was in full swing, how’s that for job satisfaction!

The Tackle shop, Lavitt’s Quay, Cork city (Wides...

Also a shop I happened to stumble across co-incidentally on it’s last day. Leaving me feeling a little freaked out that everything seemed to be closing down… but Frank O’Hanlon was retiring to go fishing. I liked all the old photo’s on the walls, the shop was full of character and I think there were indeed a few sad fishermen passing through that day. Frank believed that today, far too many young folk expect instant results to be interested in going fishing.

An Greasai - The shoemaker, Liam O 'Conner, Mall...

It’s becoming harder to find a man to fix a hole in an old shoe. Liam O’Conner and his ‘Director’ let me film them. It is perhaps a bit too long but I liked all the chat between the lads as they reminisce times past in the town. The bit that got me was about 8 mins 40 seconds in to the video the lads reel off all the names of the local shops that have closed in recent years. The list is long indeed.

Matt kiely's Last Day (Widescreen)

This footage was caught by pure fluke. My mother had heard on the radio that the infamous inner city Chipper Keily’s was closing down that same day. I dropped everything an in great haste arrived about an hour before the closing. Mattie was, understandably a bit on the emotional side so wasn’t happy to have a camera inside the shop but I think a bit of the atmosphere and feeling about the chipper comes across quite well. The bit I like is when the local wino’s, in desperation to get some of th...

Hickeys Newsagent Bandon