As a very young lad I knew Brendan.. or rather I should say I have a vague memory of him. My memory of Brendan is of a big man, his coat open as he walked down Summerhill or Middle Gardiner Street. I remember he used to stand at the corner of those two streets as if he were deciding which way to go now.
Alone I was too shy to approach,he was a big man to me... but if a few kids were about we'd run to him and shout "Howya Brendan!" That always got him going... looking back I'm not sure if it was because he liked kids or he liked being recognised.
No matter, the loud salute served it's purpose... Brendan's big fist would come out his pocet with a handful of coins which he'd 'grush', and as soon as we'd got all that was going, like all kids would I suppose, we lost interest in poor Brendan and headed to the DeLuxe in Middle Gardiner St (also known simply as Michael's), Brackens in Gardiner St, or the cake shop in Summerhll. The kids who had been the luckiest in the 'grush' getting the best of it, and those who only got a penny or two had to settle for six Honey Bees or a Sailor's Chew, or if really lucky a Flash Bar.
As Brendan went off and became a successful raconteur on the world stage for being a writer and playright, and we heard of his shennagins through our parents who read the stories printed in the Mail, Herald or Press I wonder did he remember the kids on the corner of Summerhill who were perhaps his earliest admirers.
Back then I had never seen his plays performed nor read any of his books. But I caught up in later years and it was only then that I realised his genuis.
There's a lot I could share of my memories of Brendan.... I am always amused by what his father said to the press after Brndan was sentenced to 14 years for shooting at a policeman near Harte's Corner, "The judge gave him a year for every yard he missed by."
Like thousands of Dubliners I stood in the cold (and got in trouble for taking a day off school) to watch as the hearse bearing Brendan's remains from the Meath hospital made it's way through his city and mine to his final resting place in Glasnevin...
And that's a long winded way of introducing a You Tube clip or two of Brendan. If anyone has memories, thoughts, opinions, photos, or anything, please join in.
The first and second clips are of Brendan taking part in a Canadian TV chat show.
Alone I was too shy to approach,he was a big man to me... but if a few kids were about we'd run to him and shout "Howya Brendan!" That always got him going... looking back I'm not sure if it was because he liked kids or he liked being recognised.
No matter, the loud salute served it's purpose... Brendan's big fist would come out his pocet with a handful of coins which he'd 'grush', and as soon as we'd got all that was going, like all kids would I suppose, we lost interest in poor Brendan and headed to the DeLuxe in Middle Gardiner St (also known simply as Michael's), Brackens in Gardiner St, or the cake shop in Summerhll. The kids who had been the luckiest in the 'grush' getting the best of it, and those who only got a penny or two had to settle for six Honey Bees or a Sailor's Chew, or if really lucky a Flash Bar.
As Brendan went off and became a successful raconteur on the world stage for being a writer and playright, and we heard of his shennagins through our parents who read the stories printed in the Mail, Herald or Press I wonder did he remember the kids on the corner of Summerhill who were perhaps his earliest admirers.
Back then I had never seen his plays performed nor read any of his books. But I caught up in later years and it was only then that I realised his genuis.
There's a lot I could share of my memories of Brendan.... I am always amused by what his father said to the press after Brndan was sentenced to 14 years for shooting at a policeman near Harte's Corner, "The judge gave him a year for every yard he missed by."
Like thousands of Dubliners I stood in the cold (and got in trouble for taking a day off school) to watch as the hearse bearing Brendan's remains from the Meath hospital made it's way through his city and mine to his final resting place in Glasnevin...
And that's a long winded way of introducing a You Tube clip or two of Brendan. If anyone has memories, thoughts, opinions, photos, or anything, please join in.
The first and second clips are of Brendan taking part in a Canadian TV chat show.
Comment