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  • #31
    President Keely

    been researching my Grandfather on my Mothers side.
    Terence (President) Keely, I was named after him. sadly he died before I was born.
    If anyone has any memories or information on him could you please share.Thanks

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    • #32
      Originally posted by dterryjones View Post
      been researching my Grandfather on my Mothers side.
      Terence (President) Keely, I was named after him. sadly he died before I was born.
      If anyone has any memories or information on him could you please share.Thanks
      I 'm sure I have something on Keely for President...I'll dig it out and post what I've got soon.
      We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

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      • #33
        Thanks

        You are a gentleman and a scholar, thank you

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        • #34
          Originally posted by dterryjones View Post
          You are a gentleman and a scholar, thank you
          Ya dont know him.....he aint no gentleman.....
          It is what it is.

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          • #35
            Originally posted by Pammy View Post
            Ya dont know him.....he aint no gentleman.....
            a lady should know.....
            Here Rex!!!...Here Rex!!!.....Wuff!!!....... Wuff!!!

            Comment


            • #36
              Originally posted by Pammy View Post
              Ya dont know him.....he aint no gentleman.....
              Ahh cheers Pamsville, would you consider being my PR Officer ?
              We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

              Comment


              • #37
                Originally posted by dterryjones View Post
                You are a gentleman and a scholar, thank you
                Later on today...I won't forget, and will be interesting to hear your story.
                We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

                Comment


                • #38
                  what great photos and info.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Originally posted by dterryjones View Post
                    been researching my Grandfather on my Mothers side.
                    Terence (President) Keely, I was named after him. sadly he died before I was born.
                    If anyone has any memories or information on him could you please share.Thanks
                    Well if it's the same fella, and as far as I know there was only one 'President' Keely in old Dublin.

                    This Dublin street character was known to get himself about during presidential elections, and would always appear on the day of the inauguration ceremony as he went striding up Lord Edward Street wearing a silk covered topper hat with the name KEELY written on it while pushing a handcart, Dubliners being Dubliners and lovers of their street characters would applaud and egg him on .....needless to say he always got a better ovation from the public than the President elect in Dublin Castle.

                    He was known for his famous catch phrases such as;

                    "The ship can't go out if it doesn't come in"

                    "The sun will never fall in Dublin; it'll do as I say"

                    "Vote number one, President Keely".

                    "The ministers use only silver keys but President Keely uses gold keys"

                    PS; Hope you were expecting something like this in reply...seems your Granda was quite a character.....
                    what else can you tell us about him ?.

                    (Lord Edward Street with Dublin Castle down left)
                    Attached Files
                    We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      President keely

                      His first name was Terence there is a debate in the family about how his surname was spelt, We all seem to have different spellings on our birth certificates.
                      He lived in Phisboro for many years, I recall my mum talking about "The Pocket"
                      Due to Ill health He moved over to Birkenhead, England in the early 1950's to be with his daughters who had married Englishmen. Bridie, my mam, and Agnes.His other daughter Kay married an Ulsterman and moved to Belfast.
                      He was just as eccentric in England and played the penny whistle around the Liverpool pubs to earn a few pennies, still had his top hat.He was well known on the streets of Birkenhead and would regale all the women with his Dublin charm.
                      He passed away in 1953 his wife Sarah, nee McGuinness died around 1959.
                      I was talking with my sister who has found some records I will post on here when I pick them up.
                      I heard all the stories from my mam and Aunties and decided to find out all I could.

                      Thanks for all your help.

                      Terry

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by dterryjones View Post
                        His first name was Terence there is a debate in the family about how his surname was spelt, We all seem to have different spellings on our birth certificates.
                        He lived in Phisboro for many years, I recall my mum talking about "The Pocket"
                        Due to Ill health He moved over to Birkenhead, England in the early 1950's to be with his daughters who had married Englishmen. Bridie, my mam, and Agnes.His other daughter Kay married an Ulsterman and moved to Belfast.
                        He was just as eccentric in England and played the penny whistle around the Liverpool pubs to earn a few pennies, still had his top hat.He was well known on the streets of Birkenhead and would regale all the women with his Dublin charm.
                        He passed away in 1953 his wife Sarah, nee McGuinness died around 1959.
                        I was talking with my sister who has found some records I will post on here when I pick them up.
                        I heard all the stories from my mam and Aunties and decided to find out all I could.

                        Thanks for all your help.

                        Terry
                        Well cheers for that Terry...I will add your info to his file, I've been collecting info and pix of the characters for some time now, and although there is info scattered around in many books and publications, nobody has as I know of written a book with all in one place, so ye never know. Dublin wouldn't have been quite the same for us kids without the characters, like this fella here known as Mad Moses.......
                        Attached Files
                        We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          A Posh Street Character

                          The Bird Flanagan

                          William Joseph (Willie "The Bird" ) Flanagan got his name from the time he went to a fancy- dress ball dressed as a bird. When he didn't win a prize,he went up onto the stage where the judge sat, laid an egg and then threw it at the judge. The Bird was a practical joker, with a rich father who could afford to pay for the results of his son's exploits.

                          Another time he was one step ahead of the law, just for the hell of it when he bought a turkey from a stall,and asked if he could pick it up later. The turkey was usually hung up on an outside hook,
                          and later when The Bird saw a policeman nearby he would ride by on his horse and grab the turkey, after he was caught by the cops, he would produce a receipt.

                          A real Dublin practical joker, he was always seen riding his horse through Rialto Village, though on one occasion in 1907, he rode his horse right down to O'Connell Street and through swing doors of the Gresham Hotel, right into lobby, half way up the main staircase, and asked for a drink. "It's after hours, sir", replied a porter. "It's not for me, you fool, it's for the horse!"

                          Another time he rode his horse across the stage of a Dublin theatre from one wing to the other, during a performance, and another time during a performance at the Olympia Theatre Dublin, during WW I he stood up in the middle of the show and took off his overcoat, revealing himself to be dressed as the Kaiser.

                          Yet again in 1907 at the Irish International Exhibition there was an exhibition which demonstrated a "Somali village", with native people from Somalia, including a native family with a baby. The Bird stole the baby, causing chaos, as the natives and show organisers looked for the child, The Bird had wrapped the baby in a mackintosh and on reaching Nelson Pillar left it in a tramcar". Posters appeared with "Black Baby Kidnapped".

                          Then there was the time he gave a young lad a shillin and told him to go see his mother and tell her he'd just seen a fuckin policeman on a horse, needless to say the young lad got a right clip round the ear and had the shillin taken off him.

                          A definite qualifier for the Dub Street Character Hall of Fame there is no doubt that The Bird was a lively chap who brightened up the lives of Dubs in his day. There's a pub named after him in Rialto, where he used to live.

                          He was related to WT Cosgrave through marriage and the pic below shows The Bird with both WT's boys Liam (front) and Michael sitting on Nibby the pony. The other chap in the pic is none other than the famous and brilliant Col Joe O'Reilly right hand to Michael Collins and included in this pic most likely in his capacity as minder to the lads, as he was aide-de-camp to W T Cosgrave.
                          Sadly The Bird died in 1925.
                          Attached Files
                          We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Jack The Juggler

                            Jack the Juggler, was a raggedy ould bearded, hat-less, barefoot oulfella who used to roam the Phoenix Park wearing an oul tail coat. He'd spend his day running after posh carriages doin cartwheels till their occupants tossed him a few coppers to be rid of him, after which he'd make for to McGarry’s public house at Islandbridge to spend his takings…....
                            We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              A regular number of street characters known as Cocklemen could be found on Dublin's streets in the old old days....each had their patch and went about their business carrying a large baskets of fresh cockles from the Shelly Banks, with the usual cry of "Cockle-large-Cock".
                              We'll sail be the tide....aarghhhh !!

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Great days were had by us school boys going to and from Franner,early 50's,no matter where ye went there, you were sure to come across a character, esp, Patrick St,,,,never a dull moment,,and me Da,who worked for the Artisans in John Dillon St,Rialto, Harolds Cross, Portobello, and the rest of the places I now forget,knew most, and always stopped to chat with them,,
                                I'm a Freeborn Man of the Travellin' People

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