Keith Shirley | 
November 7, 2008| 
My father used to have a garage in Court Place – RF Shirley Ltd – It was where I had my first job and had my first dealings with computers. As a child it seemed like the buildings were ancient and had been there forever. I kept finding things that seemed to be from another life – office machinery that was a complete mystery to me – or my Grandfathers business card where his phone number in Carlow was 42 (or maybe 45). It always humbles me when I think of the lives that have gone before. The garage has now been torn down to make way for an entrance to the new Carlow Arts Centre and I do miss it at times.
A YouTube user called CroppyBoy1798 commented on my Carlow Grafitti video and being a good net citizen – I went to have a look at what he does. I found the following two fantastic videos that give an idea of Carlow Past and Present. I encourage anyone that is familiar with Carlow and Graiguecullen to have a look.
The second one is my favourite and is a little spooky at times. They have inspired me to dig out some old photos when I get a chance. If you like the videos then please open them in Youtube and leave a comment for the author. If he knows people like them he might do some more.
First Video
Second Video
November 10th, 2008 at 21:28
Excellent stuff
Michael
November 10th, 2008 at 23:21
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
November 11th, 2008 at 00:00
Great photos, a great link to the past.
November 11th, 2008 at 01:43
Amazing videos. Great job! Thank you.
November 11th, 2008 at 03:04
It was brilliant work; I bet it was a labour of love. I was mesmerized. Very poignant.
November 11th, 2008 at 05:25
Just beautiful. Have not long returned from Carlow and recognised many spots. Perth W.Australia
November 11th, 2008 at 13:33
Just Wonderful! Thank you so much for a short view of life in an earlier Carlow time. It gave me a glimps of things as my family may have seen them before immigrating to the States.
November 11th, 2008 at 18:23
I think I recognized every place from my visits to Carlow. It is mesmerizing to become lost in the past this way, and to see what it was actually like when my family was there.
Sue
Massachusetts, USA
November 11th, 2008 at 19:13
very good! If possible, make the street names clearer and show longer for those of us who have not been there in a very long time. Thank you
November 12th, 2008 at 14:33
Wonderful to see these photos of Carlow past and present.
Saw the shop where my mother worked many moons agowhen she left school before she got married.
Great work would love to see more.
November 12th, 2008 at 18:10
I have only managed to visit Carlow once, but I recognised many of the modern-day scenes. How marvellous to see Carlow as she was when my ancestors lived there. Thank you so very much for these – I would love to see more.
November 13th, 2008 at 01:00
Lovely! and very moving. I would love to see more like this.
November 13th, 2008 at 02:47
They are wonderful videos–I thought of my Irish grandmother
and all her fond memories and stories of Ireland–it makes me want to leave NOW for another visit! Thanks!
November 13th, 2008 at 04:24
A great selection of photos and commentary, marvellous presentation.
From Ballickmoyler, I would visit Carlow almost every week with my mother and sometimes with my father. As a 4 year old, Crotty’s Bakery was my favourite treat. In addition, I used to be amazed with the small milk vans that never made any noise when they moved – they were battery/electric operated. I can now say; look how advanced Carlow Town was almost 50 years ago with battery-operated vans.
November 13th, 2008 at 19:30
Thank you everyone for all the really nice comments. Please don’t forget – I didn’t make the actual video – It was http://www.youtube.com/user/CroppyBoy1798
November 13th, 2008 at 20:03
I loved the music as well as the photos. Beautiful work! Thank you greatly for posting these.
November 14th, 2008 at 15:47
thank you so much for this,brought back my childhood,look forward to the next instalments,please
November 17th, 2008 at 20:24
Left Carlow 51 years ago. Great to see carlow from the past and current. Still visit to See the mother in Graigue. Many thanks for the video. Pearl River NY
November 17th, 2008 at 22:56
Both of my parents were from Armagh. Although I never had the pleasure of visiting Ireland, I love the pitures, videos, etc, of the beautiful country were the proud McKeevers came from. Thank you
November 17th, 2008 at 23:00
Michael Purcell,
carlowmike@gmail.com
November 18th, 2008 at 06:21
Thank you for a walk down memory lane ~ My Family in Ireland & in America appreciate it ~ Go Raibh Maith Agat
November 18th, 2008 at 12:56
Amazing video, I have seen the pictures in the books by Michael Purcell but it was woderful to see them matched up with present day images. It was a true work of love, thank you Keith and Michael and thank you Croppy Boy.
November 18th, 2008 at 13:39
My first job was next door to Shirley’s Garage in Statham’s started on the petrol pumps 0ct 1970 still working for the in motor trade . I thoroughly enjoyed the video
November 19th, 2008 at 01:54
First off, thanks Keith for giving these video’s a spot on your blog and for introducing them to more viewers. Appreciated.
Thank you for all the nice comments guys, glad you liked them. Hopefully there will be more coming in the future, they were a pleasure to make.
Regards,
Peter
November 19th, 2008 at 17:38
loved it,gosh it brought back some memories.got the hankie here..
November 21st, 2008 at 20:58
I was a bit taken aback when i saw my uncle Dan Brennan at his forge in the 2nd video
November 23rd, 2008 at 02:42
aaah when we were young..40+ years ago.
So many of these spots are so alive in my memory. The little town is all grown up – just like us – our hidden jewels of the past are lost and gone forever – “those were happy days in so many many ways in the town that I loved so well”
Who can put the name to to the children at the Forge in the 1960 picture? – love to know who they are!
Who remembers when Tullow Street was a two way street ? – almost incomprehensible to think about it now – I remember being in the flying sweetshop in the late 1960′S going up and down Tullow Street long before it was a one way street.
any of my old friends that visit this site and want to chat – have at it.
January 5th, 2009 at 22:59
I found this site by accident and I thought it was wonderfull it was fantastic the way you brought the past alive so beautifully with the future thank you very much for all your work. I will be recomending this to everyone I know
January 22nd, 2009 at 18:45
Hi Michael. I’m glad you liked them. It seems a lot of people remember the garage from going to school. If my Dad had known how many people used the clock to see if they were late for class he would have played a lot of tricks.
June 20th, 2009 at 20:39
Thank you to the Cropy Boy for the great work and also to Keith for showing the videos. Also to my long lost cousin Michael for telling me about it.My grandfather was Dan Brennan the Farrier in Graiguecullen. Thank you for the lovely memory of the forge, which was the same until they knocked it as far as I can remember.
June 20th, 2009 at 21:00
Love the pictures and it makes me want to return now–it definitely makes me homesick for Ireland!
September 21st, 2009 at 12:59
Hi Keith,
If you and those of you whom were interested in my previous two video’s I now have a third one which you can see at the below link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVdtJTNcrok
Many thanks for the nice comments on the previous vids, its appreciated and makes making more video’s all the better!
September 23rd, 2009 at 09:33
[...] those of you that did not see them in the previous post – he has old photos of Carlow and takes new photos from the same place and angle. In the [...]