Throwback Thursday: Era when the wireless was king

You have probably spent the entire festive season watching De Box, and now have eye strain in consequence.

But can’t some older readers recall when De Wireless was the focal point of the house, regarded with fear and awe by the young, with some suspicion by the old, relied on absolutely for everything from the news and the weather to light entertainment by the middle-aged?

Yes, there was such a time, and not all that long ago.

Throwback Thursday reader Mícheál Kenefick certainly re when the wireless was king.

“Very few televisions were in the country in the early 1960s, and none at all in the ’50s,” he said. “We didn’t get ours until 1966, just in time to see England winning the World Cup.

“A few of us got to watch TV occasionally in the Fort, where Jack, my father, worked, as Captain Buttimer had reception from Wales so I did see the Cup Finals from 1961.

“And I got to see JFK and his cousins in Wexford with Jimmy Power in 1963. So, up to the mid-’60s the wireless was as much a part of our lives as fish on Fridays and jelly and ice-cream on Sundays.”

Micheál added: “My earliest recollection of the wireless was listening to the dramatic story of The Flying Enterprise and of course the famous Captain Carlsen, whose name was on everyone’s lips that Christmas in 1951 when we still lived in the Middle Road.

“To refresh memories, she was caught in a hurricane on Christmas night, 1951, and the high seas drama lasted until January 10, 1952, when she finally sank literally seconds after Carlsen and Dancy, whom I had forgotten about, jumped off her funnel.

“Following on from that early story, here are some wonderful recollections from the ’50s.

“Even those who have no interest in horses, but are now of a certain vintage, will recall Grand National winners Royal Tan, Quare Times and E S B in ’54 ’55 and ’56. Younger folk will find it hard to believe that one could walk up the village in Whitegate then and have a shilling each way in the Turf ants.

“We always listened to the Angelus, which was broadcast for the first time on August 15, 1950. Although we may not have heard it that particular day, as we would not have been home in time from our walk to Lady’s Well.

“A few more all-time favourites in most houses were Take the Floor with Din Joe, which ran from 1953, followed a year later by Living With Lynch with Joe Lynch, and The School Around The Corner with Paddy Crosby. Who re ‘I can’t sing sir, but me sister’ll sing for me’?”

Micheál points out: “The thing to realise is that in the 1950s, people didn’t just listen to the wireless - they got ready to listen to the wireless. Certain jobs were done and got out of the way before heading for ‘The Room’ where the wireless was, and getting comfortable five minutes or so before it started.

“I that my father seemed to have to tune it every night as I think it used to drift off the station. An odd time we would ‘try Athlone’ for better reception.

“We never had a living room or a parlour but we did have two rooms other than the kitchen – the Big Room and the Small Room. The wireless was on a shelf in the corner of the Small Room, and on big match days the room would be full with neighbours, and regularly there would be a spill over on to the street where the broadcast by Mícheál O’Hehir could be heard through the window, which wouldn’t be just opened but taken out completely.”

Ah, Mícheál O’Hehir and the match commentaries of Sunday afternoons long ago.

At seaside beaches like Robert’s Cove, you would see groups and couples lying down on the sand in the sunshine all along the shoreline, and nearly every one of them with a small transistor radio blasting out the progress of De Match at fullest volume.

Back where the cars were parked, it was the same with any that had the luxury of a built-in radio and weren’t too worried about running down the battery.

But back to Mícheál Kenefick’s memories.

“Later on Sunday night, the results from all over Ireland would be given by Seán Óg O’Ceallachain and we would delight in hearing an Aghada result.

“On another sporting note, when we took an interest in other sports and sports results, there was, and is to this very day, a fantastic programme called Sports Report on the BBC long wave which was for several years presented by Eamonn Andrews.

“From the time the distinctive signature tune started, we were glued to it on Saturdays from 5 until 6 and the match result was known as soon as the first team was named. (I still have a soft spot for Accrington Stanley.)

“We also had our own little ‘Match of the Day’ on Sunday evenings with the likes of Philip Greene and the inimitable Tony Sheehan - ‘My game today was at Milltown where I saw...’.

“Another great favourite on BBC long wave, which as well as being a guide to sailors and shipping also had and still has a cult following, is The Shipping Forecast which is broadcast (now on Radio 4) four times a day. ‘Attention all Shipping! There are warnings of gales in Baily, Faroes and South East Iceland.’

“It took me years to figure that it was German Bight and not bite…

“Years before Dana, Dickie and Butch, younger folk listened to the Eurovision on the BBC with background interruptions - ‘turn that bloody thing off’ - which was mild compared to the abuse Radio Luxembourg got. ‘In the name of God, would ye turn it down or turn it off!’

“How we adored the top 20 on Sunday nights! Ah yes! Radio Luxembourg - The Station of the Stars! It’s a date on 208!’”

Eileen Barry re those Sunday nights too with affection.

“We would go up to bed early and listen to The Top 20 on my sister’s transistor radio. There was an advert they used to play for Cadbury’s Milk Tiffin – it went,

Take a biscuit that’s no bigger than a button,

Take a raisin that’s been lazin’ in the sun,

Find yourself a mellow chunk of chocolate,

Take a Tiffin, take them all in one!

“One Sunday night, we actually got hold of a bar of Milk Tiffin and opened it as they played that advert. We felt super-cool, really part of the scene!”

Eileen also re Butch Moore and Ireland’s first entry into the Eurovision. “We went down town and watched it in a shop window, somewhere near Woolworth’s. They had the screen live all evening and there were crowds, because very few had a TV at home at that time.

“Long before Tolka Row, and The Riordans with Tom and Mary, and of course Benjy,” recalled Mícheál, “we had The Kennedys of of Castleross - Mrs Kennedy and Christy. We never missed it and it made such a huge impression, yet I can’t one single story line!

“I suppose it will be the same in 20 years for Fair City. I think we must have thought The Archers a bit beyond us as we never listened.

“And then there were the sponsored programmes. Waltons - ‘If you feel like singing, do sing an Irish song’ all recorded on Glenside label. And who re The Glenabbey Show at lunchtime? That was a wacky programme. ‘Will Mrs Delaney win the Dahomey election? Who IS Mrs Delaney?’

“Chivers, Frys and P J Carroll also had programmes, and there was the hugely popular Hospitals Requests - ‘now for the Best Mother in the World…’ Any gap between programmes was filled with repetitions of O Donnell Abú.”

Micheál added: “I have fond memories of the shining mahogany veneer with the brown cloth and the lovely feel of the knobs as we tried to tune in to places with the strange-sounding names like Prague, Vienna, Berlin, and Moscow.

“Happy days, and I still love jelly and the Shipping Forecast…”

He then adds a footnote: “While searching for something in a newspaper dated March 5, 1926, I found the following:

To-Night’s Wireless Programmes

7:30 Tuning Note

7:31 Talk “Early Civilisation Asia”

7:45 Station Trio

8:0 London Relay

8:35 Gaelic Songs - Mr Patrick Kirwin (Tenor)

8:45 Songs - Miss Mamie Dingle (Soprano)

8:55 Piano Solo - Miss Dina Copeman

9:5 Songs - Dueta. Miss Bertha Haworth and Miss Dora Levey.

9:15 Station Trio

9:30 Songs - Mr.Percy Gillespie (Baritone)

9:40 Songs - Miss Adeline Ryan (Contralto)

9:50 Piano Solo - Miss Dina Copeman

10:0 Weather Forecast

10:1 Savings Committee Bulletin—Mr. H.A.Mullet B.L.

10:5 Songs - Miss Mamie Dingle (Soprano)

10:10 Songs - Mr Patrick Kirwin ( Tenor)

10:20 Station Trio

10:30 Close Down.

Micheál said: “To be fair to Radio Eireann (then called 2RN as inspired by Come back to Erin - like txt today, Come back 2RN) the station was only two months old at the time. as it first broadcast from a hut in McKee Barracks on January 1, 1926.

“Also, of course, as everything was live, Mamie and her colleagues with the later slots had to wait around for the whole evening to perform. But what did that matter when you were going out on air to the entire country?”

Lovely memories, Mícheál, and thank you for highlighting that nice detail: there was indeed an age when you looked forward to a special time listening to the radio, whether it was a show like Take The Floor, the news and weather forecast, or, joy of joys, the latest episode of a thrilling serial like The Singing Spider.

We maintain that there is nothing quite like listening to a thriller on the radio where the persuasive voice has you jumping nervously and wondering what was that movement behind the sofa.

And who re Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future? Or Journey Into Space? Blockbuster films may all be very well, but with radio serials, your own imagination is set free to run wild too, accompanying the spoken words with images conjured up in your fertile brain.

Watching a movie means seeing what one director, one screen writer, want you to see, want you to think. With the voice alone coming into your living room, you can see that world whatever way you like.

And finally, we have had a nice letter from Jamie Dunne, who is in 6th class at Beaumont Boys’ School in Blackrock, Cork. He saw the Throwback Thursday feature on November 28 which mentioned Dean Horgan and his project on his great grandmother for the Discover Cork history project, which inspired him to write.

Jamie wrote: “Hi Jo. I was reading that article about the pupil doing the project. I am doing a project for the Discover Cork History Project too. Mine is entitled Cork Harbour Through The age Of Time.

“I built a replica of the Spitbank lighthouse with help from my dad Ronan, which I saw on a harbour cruise last summer. I was amazed with the history of the harbour, so that’s where my inspiration came from.”

Well, good on you, Jamie. We are delighted to hear of all these fascinating projects, and your replica really is a fine piece of work. Well done!

Any more of you out there doing similar research? We’d like to hear from you if so.

Send us your stories, your thoughts, your memories.

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