That was a lovely read Sean, congratulations mate, Ireland of bygone years eh! Poverty was the norm but they were a happy lot and seemed not to notice.
I was on a ship based in Londonderry for six months in 1957 and it really opened my eyes to how much difference there was between the poor of Ireland and the poor of England. They really did lead a meagre existence but no one could ever say they were depressed in any way, they enjoyed life to the full.
I was drafted to a minesweeper based at Harwich and had to travel from Derry to Belfast and on to the night ferry to Liverpool thence by train to Harwich. It took me 2 days and a night and I shall never forget that nightime crossing on the ferry. I had to sit on the upper deck because there were no seats below and it blew a gale all the way over, even worse the seats were slatted wood and boy did my a..e ache when we got there. All around me people were retching and moaning, kids screaming it was a nightmare but that sort of crossing was considered normal at the time.