The Evening Echo Newspaper Boys of Cork City, Ireland 1977

Máire Ni Mhurchú meets the Echo Boys, who sell ‘The Evening Echo’ in Cork City every day with a distinctive sales pitch.
There have been Echo Boys ever since the newspaper was first published on 14 July 1892 and sold for a halfpenny a copy. Máire Ní Mhurchú meets some of them. They tell her about their tradition and the best spots to sell the paper around the city.
The report includes a clip of Cathal Dunne playing the keyboard as the boys sing along to ‘The Boys of Fairhill’ in the ‘Echo Boys Club’ on Fr Matthew Quay.
Also featured is editor Declan Hassett, who explains how ‘The Evening Echo’ is put together. Circulation manager Richard (Dick) Caverly describes the Echo Boys as vital to distribution: they are responsible for selling about 12,000 copies of the newspaper each day. Newspaper dealer Donal O’Mahony discusses the selection process for hiring Echo Boys, their age and reliability.
John Kelleher, an adult paper seller, talks about his work and about setting up the News Vendors Association to protect newspaper sellers and the Echo Boys. There is an interview with one of the only female newspaper vendors, Katherine Heaphey, who started selling papers at the age of four.
This report by Máire Ní Mhurchú was broadcast on 19 January 1977 as part of the ‘Next Stop’ series. The filming took place from 13 -17 December 1976.
‘Next Stop’ was a weekly series from and about the provinces, highlighting items of general interest or concern. It was presented by John O’Donoghue, Áine O’Connor and Nicholas Coffey.

[@seannolan8615]

Vanishing voices of Ireland.

[@jimmykouba4494]

Yes and it's heartbreaking that this part of history is almost gone forever.

[@justinmercer3147]

@@jimmykouba4494 Sure when children had to work. Grand times

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@@justinmercer3147 But it's still better than being raised to be spoilt brats like all the horrible shallow people spawned since the 1980's.... (you being one of them)

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@@justinmercer3147 Scouser. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. 5' 9". Leo. Gay/Bi curious. Born in 1994. Likes cocaine and pawn and still lives at home with his mum and younger brother..... mmmmm .... Michael. Tara la x

[@yankeeskunkee8519]

They are very articulate and patient with the sorry questions.

[@kevinob1983]

Terrible interviewing. Extremely patronizing

[@G58]

1977 seems like a million years ago, yet it was three years after I left school. The whole world has changed so much and is a very different place today. Thank you for sharing.

[@parati1309]

The boys' voices are so beautiful. They're so genuine and mature too. Wow.

[@fellspoint9364]

God bless those little roughnecks . They remind me of my gang of young city boys with little to rely on but ourselves and the fraternity we forged.

[@TonyMccormick-hu4zn]

Never again to hear a cork accent like it im glad to say my cousin is the last echo boy on the street today tha voice of cork love ya David hogan Catches me every Wednesday for a cup pf tea and a bar of choclate and not jist anyone butlers he has some taste 😂❤❤❤❤

[@gerryduggan6821]

It's great to hear the cork accents , love it as I now live in Wales 20 years , I was about 8 when This went out I think, well probably 9 41 years ago , I sold afew echoes in the late 80s but not for long it wasn't for me But they were the good old days brings back alot of memories My home by the LEE , im so proud of where im from , i must visit soon ❤💪👊🙏🙏

[@FlameFlickers]

It's always interesting to see videos of The Strokes before they were famous.

[@KingMob.]

😆

[@caznevermind7128]

😂

[@theshamanarchist5441]

Er? These kids are Irish, not American. It would have made more sense if you'd have said 'Snow Patrol', but now I'm a killjoy for pointing that out so, good joke.

[@user-lx3oi6xy2e]

The first boy interviewed is 60 now, wow

[@enhancesoutheast5964]

Curious mixture of childlike innocence and street wise wariness...

[@colincrisp1592]

I was in cork 1977. Working from London. It was like going back in time. It was amazing. A wonderful time. Cheers

[@Dion_Mustard]

Such adorable boys x

[@Thegarygreen]

Robot should be credited with the idea for the Terminator

[@jacquikelly7929]

This is fabulous to see these beautiful irish children of the era, I was 16yrs old at the time growing up in England. It's fascinating to me to see my genuine contemporaries in Ireland.

[@SamStone1964]

Same. I was 13 and growing up in Australia but had ancestors from Cork (came over 1840s).

[@jacquikelly7929]

@@SamStone1964 Hi Sam it's nice to know we never forget who we are, no matter where we are. Keep well and sending best wishes to you.

[@marywynne6496]

you wouldn't find children like them today jacqui..its a pity. as they were adorable..from the cork and kerry borders..enjoy browsing you tube so much..🙏

[@Sonia76373]

@@marywynne6496 all conditioned to modern evil ideologies now. Sick country.

[@jacquikelly7929]

@@marywynne6496 Hi Mary, I guess the world has changed so much. I re member the times so clearly, it's sometimes hard to believe the progress made since the early 1970s. Like you I find KZbin wonderful for us to be able to take us down memory lane. Originally Galway. Sending best wishes from UK. X

[@stevenlangdon-griffiths293]

Such pure honesty.

[@palecap]

Love hearing the different accents of boys in the same group! It would be fascinating to me if these boys could gather today for a "where are they now" interview.

[@daithiocinnsealach1982]

Poor children at the bottom of the barrel. Can't imagine they're doing very well today if they're still alive.

[@christophermiller853]

Well, this is Oct 2022, I wonder how many are around today,it would be very interesting to know . Being Welsh myself,the Cork accent has always been a pleasure to listen too.

[@jimmykouba4494]

@@christophermiller853 I would love to know the answer to that as well. Many would be in their 50"a today.

[@jimmykouba4494]

@@daithiocinnsealach1982 One thing for sure is they have a better understanding of responsibility then the kids of today.

[@michaelwalsh9145]

@@daithiocinnsealach1982 they’d be in their mid 50’s I doubt many are dead just because the 79’s were tough in Ireland.

[@Discover-Ireland]

This was absolutely fabulous to watch. It brought back many memories to me

[@timmytimkins4379]

Ireland had such a fabulous culture .. The WEF should all be stood up against a wall..........

[@TaraNaRiEire]

Just over the border and into Killarney, the community must decide in 2022 whether to remain a flourishing and untouched tourism paradise or “progress” to a direct provision reserve. Ireland belongs to the Irish

[@theshamanarchist5441]

And don't forget them bastards Sinn Fein. I'm from a republicanist partisan family who hail from Connacht btw.

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@This Ain't My Name Pakistan is that way fella. Just follow your nose.

[@sunkintree]

@@theshamanarchist5441 Man you're one sorry case of it aren't you

[@marytygett4189]

I’m sure these boys had to work to help support the family . The large Irish Catholic families have all but disappeared. . Brilliant video ! I absolutely enjoyed this . Cork city hasn’t really changed much .

[@fergusobrien9337]

Cathal Dunne on keyboards accompanying the boys. He represented Ireland in the Eurovision in 1979.

[@edmundpower1250]

Wow thought I recognised him

[@michaelwalsh9145]

And he was also the nephew of the Taoiseach at the time, Jack Lynch.

[@marywynne6496]

i think he has a sister living in Ballincollig..as she is also a neice of jack lynch..not sur if ii got this right...🧑‍🦲

[@Lee-nh5bb]

@@michaelwalsh9145 Is that a political title?

[@michaelwalsh9145]

@@Lee-nh5bb no it’s a fact.

[@trancebynature4]

I remember hearing them in cork city.

[@genevievedolan1288]

I wonder where they are now, and how they fared in life. They are so sweet and soft spoken. It is really touching to listen to them and see their shy expressions. I have fallen in love with all of them a little bit. Especially Kevin Lynch. It reminds me of why I chose to be a teacher. Thank you for this.

[@daithiocinnsealach1982]

Very rosy view of the situation. I'm sure these boys did not have pleasant childhoods.

[@genevievedolan1288]

@@daithiocinnsealach1982 I do not think their situation was rosy at all, but seeing these boys touched my heart and reminded me to be glad I spent many years teaching, even though it was hard work with little financial reward. Being with the children themselves really was the reward, and I only hope I was a decent teacher some of the time to some of them. I feel pretty cynical about everything most of the time these days, and seeing these boys made me feel a bit of love and affection for a minute. I hope they went on to reasonably good lives. I came from one of those big families, it has drawbacks but they have a lot of good things about them too. So, yes, I guess I was being a bit nostalgic…rose colored glasses etc…

[@SamStone1964]

I'm the same age as these boys and am quite sure I would have had a huge crush on Kevin Lynch and all the other boys as well lol. Genevieve: have you watched the 7 up series?

[@genevievedolan1288]

@@SamStone1964 yes I have seen 7up. It is very touching in the same way. I thought of that series too, when I watched this.

[@GleeSmee]

Yes, Kevin definitely has that cool 70s vibe going on, with the long hair and the leather jacket. He could be a rock star. Or a Provo!

[@MrDastardly]

Priceless. 👏👏👏👏

[@wicklowtownireland2110]

Robot is now a social worker happily married

[@TheRose087]

Robot looked absolutely terrified throughout the whole filming of this 😮

[@MrDastardly]

I’m so happy to learn that Robot is doing well. Magnificent. 👏👏👏

[@Dhhhhj27]

Charlie from Willy Wonka is robot.

[@sarahwarden5574]

A wonderful snap shot of Cork history.

[@romainvicta3076]

what well spoken young boys - nowadays it would be less civil

[@daithiocinnsealach1982]

Nowadays it is illegal for a child to work. 1996.

[@jimmykouba4494]

@@daithiocinnsealach1982 I was wondering about that. Thanks.

[@AaronSmart.online]

@@daithiocinnsealach1982 14-15 year olds can work part time within certain conditions.

[@daithiocinnsealach1982]

@@AaronSmart.online Those boys were not 14 or 15. They look 12. And even if they were many of them were working full time. As I was at 14. 5 days a week. 12 hours per day. Back breaking work in a slaughterhouse for half the minimum wage. And that was in 1997. Kepak to be exact. Why this insistence on purifying what was clearly child abuse?

[@johncourtneidge]

Entirely wonderful! And that they now have a News Vendors' Association!

[@user-fw3hp7bb6d]

It's like something out of Oliver Twist 😂

[@patricias5122]

I deeply deeply regret I didn't see them when I was in Cork around this time.

[@marywynne6496]

arnt they just fabulous boys..wonder whear they are now...thanks for uploading it. ..enjoyed it so much..love from .Co Kerry..

[@theshamanarchist5441]

Probably down the pub?!

[@calvinsaxon5822]

You don't have to be Irish or a politician to know that "I did once or twice" in answer to the question, "Did you ever..." in fact means 'no'.

[@tonykeggin8906]

Great video. These youngsters be mid 50s now.

[@jimmykouba4494]

Yes they would be. I'm in my late 50's. The 14 year-old would be 60.

[@HumanityArchives_AmbienceWalks]

This is really a symbol of the city. Love it

[@jimmykouba4494]

What caught my attention immediately is how well spoken they are even with the different accents. As they speak about their job they beam with pride and love of it. Love the song and great voices. I wonder what they doing today? How many are left? Did any become singers?

[@niamhcosgrave9545]

there is one left, he's an old guy in his 40s maybe

[@chamboyette853]

@@niamhcosgrave9545 An old guy in his 40s:)?

[@jimmykouba4494]

@@niamhcosgrave9545 Thank you, I came across that one and loved it.

[@jimmykouba4494]

@@chamboyette853 Sorry old is when you're in your 70 and older.

[@chamboyette853]

@@jimmykouba4494 Well tell that to Niamh.

[@valeriekellycurtin4330]

It is always great to hear 'Evening Echo, Echo' … at the General Post Office. Well done to all our 'Echo boys'!

[@Vinesy68]

I love Robot I wonder what happened to him. My dearly departed Dad was a cork boy xxx

[@xamurai00]

Mad that by the time this kid actually goes dancing ''Thriller'' will be released in the discos. 3:27

[@vonliz8223]

great!

[@jacobmoleli1793]

Fantastic

[@tonyclifton265]

Ireland has such a fabulous culture

[@marccleary8592]

Had*

[@Mostrichkugel]

@@marccleary8592 Have you emigrated?

[@SamStone1964]

@@marccleary8592 From what I understand it's now almost an islamic state.

[@j377yb33n]

@@SamStone1964 absolute nonsense, don't believe everything you read on the internet

[@TM-vq1bf]

@@SamStone1964 what a stupid comment

[@TM-vq1bf]

Wish I could just get these two songs complete and in my collection

[@paulmorris4180]

Little toughguys i love 'em

[@annethomson4920]

I remember hearing them as a child

[@edmundpower1250]

Great interviewer. Different times

[@jamesdriscoll2216]

A really good video

[@Kevin-lf4xx]

So well mannered kids .

[@irishman2539]

Love 💕 it

[@seamusburke9101]

Fantastic upload, a lot of the lads are familure faces. Great young fellas that time. I wouldn't recommend going dancing in the Hilton. It ruined my life

[@orionxtc1119]

Really..why?

[@AlbertAnastasia.]

@@orionxtc1119 I'm glad you asked this, I want to know wtf happened dancing in The Hilton

[@genevievedolan1288]

Do you know what any of them are doing now? (Sorry about the Hilton and your life by the way)

[@markrutter8597]

I'm guessing cos that's probably where he met his wife

[@francisheperi4180]

@@markrutter8597 😊

[@freebornjohn2687]

Sweet kids, I wonder if they had to give any of the money to their mums. When I was very young I was given a few shillings for my birthday and my mum used it to buy food.

[@theshamanarchist5441]

Cry me a river....

[@sunkintree]

@@theshamanarchist5441 You seem like you really need a shoulder to cry on yourself, what with all the comments you're posting begging for one

[@TM-vq1bf]

We gotta find these lads

[@The_Gallowglass]

Nice seeing some kids doing work.

[@xamurai00]

2:55 ''Where did you bring her'' Lad by the side '' smelly ol haybarn'' PMSL

[@bluewren8134]

Wonderful Boys, has anyone caught up with them again.

[@raymondwalsh7520]

i wish someone would do a follow up of these lads of how things faired out for them

[@georgel74]

All the people up in grawn they keep running to the pawn..😂😂

[@loobyloocawthorne212]

Wish I knew what become of them all

[@martin29976]

Gold

[@ben-yf2em]

How do the roads look better back then than now wtf

[@davidplummer4034]

class

[@rubydawn1]

priceless

[@cameramanceltic4915]

how well spoken . That cork accent respectful and shy they all are . I bet a lot of them did actually join the army and the naval service down in cob h like myself, I was 14 in 1977 not an echo boy. I came from tipperary but cork was a favourite haunt of mine and when I turned 17 .. I joined the navy . in cobh

[@TheRose087]

It's not "south Cork accent"those are North Cork accents,I'm From Cork myself so I'd know more than you Tipp man and all that 🤡

[@cameramanceltic4915]

@@TheRose087 I'd say the best part of you fell on the hospital floor when your special needs mother gave birth . it is a south cork accent . I lived in cork for 20 years I know . Cork woman and all that 🤡 🙉

[@cameramanceltic4915]

@@TheRose087 no its definitly a south cork accent but yes the kids singing are north cork. anyway regardless of that my dear little Cork woman ? 🤔 I'd say the best part of you fell on the hospital floor when your mother gave birth . you sad conservative 🤡 🐵 🙈 🙉 😂

[@cameramanceltic4915]

@@TheRose087 no its definitly a south cork accent but yes the kids singing are north cork. anyway regardless of that my dear little Cork woman ? I'd say the best part of you fell on the hospital floor when your mother gave birth . you sad conservative

[@cameramanceltic4915]

@@TheRose087 whether its north or south cork accent who really cares. but you obviously do , you sad little 🙉 anyway regardless of that my dear little Cork woman ? I'd say the best part of you fell on the hospital floor when your mother gave birth . you sad conservative girlie 🤡 🤡 🤡

[@user-sp2le5kx9f]

Great kids, the salt of the earth.

[@Kevin-lo1le]

Absolutely brilliant, thanks 🙏

[@MartinOfTheDaly]

Hi @CRsVideoVaults , can I use some of this footage in a video? I would like to use it for a music video for a song that a man from Cork wrote about the Echo Boys. I think some of the footage of the lads here selling the papers would go really well appended to the end of the music video. Let me know if it works for you :)

[@paulvon2378]

Echo and the Bunnymen

[@TM-vq1bf]

What’re these songs called

[@baranabdullah4989]

❤

[@anniehope8651]

Does anyone know the song the boys are singing in the beginning and at the end?

[@ferguslavers5918]

The Boys of Fairhill

[@TM-vq1bf]

@@ferguslavers5918 how about the other song ?

[@declantwomey7525]

I know a few faces in there 🇮🇪🏆👍🏻☘️☘️☘️

[@rw6391]

My son's father is from cork, I've never been

[@cassbarker1966]

Naaaaawww wee robot was a very beaten down wee lad! His smile lit up his wee face would have been nice to see it more 😢 kids nowadays wouldn’t handle this!

[@conorkelly947]

It's a good thing kids these days don't have to work...

[@francisheperi4180]

@@conorkelly947 Spoilt lil brats new!

[@j377yb33n]

@@francisheperi4180 aye, it's terrible that life isn't as hard nowadays isn't it.

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@@conorkelly947 yes. Because they grow up to be dole-ites with no get up and go.

[@ghaidaaalobaidy4033]

❤❤

[@Orandu]

14:33 The only echo girl is 21 going on 50; life was hard…

[@theshamanarchist5441]

I think life was far easier back then.

[@sunkintree]

@@theshamanarchist5441 Damn dude just get a therapist

[@chalkychoochoo2304]

"Why would they be out selling them if they didn't want to?" 🙄

[@dougtheviking6503]

Corkers ?

[@opencurtin]

Robot with the dreaded cold soar Zovirax would sort that out now fairly fast , up the rebels boy !

[@pottypranks8628]

Brilliant ☺️😁

[@kev9385]

Wonder what happened the eco boys, hope they haven’t fell into the cork drug/homeless system

[@mikelavin7317]

Negative thing to say

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@@mikelavin7317 Why? Can't you handle 'reality' or something? Love & Light then innit? I'm sure they are all chanpion unicorn jockeys by now pal?

[@sunkintree]

@@theshamanarchist5441 Listen man, what's going wrong in your life and what's got you blaming other people for your lot?

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@@sunkintree it all started with my father.... what? Who the fuk are you Sigmund? Lol. Perfectly happy with my life thanks, not that its any of your bloody business, you fruitcake.

[@minzygreen1167]

Kevin this was back in the 70s! they were kids with a good work ethic, nicely spoken and from good families. I'd say they did very well.

[@etboy2013]

1977 and traffic jam on patrick street, no much change😅

[@unamcivor3518]

Sherkin Island is all I’ll say

[@sarmcg52]

How the time changes ,, All drug dealers now😳,, lol.. bring back the old times😢 Cool Videos 💚

[@georgel74]

She's hopeless interviewing..

[@jimmykouba4494]

Typical of the day with interviewers. She wasn't sure how to approach this since many of the kids came from poor families that the Country and state rather forget.

[@SamStone1964]

Most of her questions were dreadful but the boys handled them so politely.

[@jimmykouba4494]

@@SamStone1964 That they did. Kudos to their parents in raising them to be intelligent lads.

[@auntyjo1792]

To me unlike the modern equivalent she doesn't go in with "an angle." Basic questions with a space for people to express themselves. It's ended up an interesting film.

[@theshamanarchist5441]

She only a woman. Don't be so hard on the daft cow.

[@davidocallaghan6361]

Cork is a long way from that today. Junkies, alcoholics and Roma beggars have taken it over. I avoid the place like the plague.

[@61505]

Were these boys early school leavers?

[@theshamanarchist5441]

Oh yeah. School closed early on Saturday when they where out selling the echo.

[@61505]

@@theshamanarchist5441 no i meant did they drop out of schoold altogether. Also I should not have been expected to know that the newspaper was sold on Saturday seeing as I am not from Cork and the 1970,s is before my time...

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@@61505 gathered that.

[@61505]

@@theshamanarchist5441 its sounds like you didn,t gather that with the apparently sarcastic tone -as though "everyone should know that its obvious " type of thing.

[@theshamanarchist5441]

@@61505 Sorry mate. I was on the kick off in the comments section and I might have accidently caught you with a backhander ha ha. Seriously though, I thought, oh no another millenial liberal who wants to say that the past isn't better than the present because these kids where in forced child labour or they'd had to drop out of school because of poverty or something? I don't know if the echo was only on a Suturday either but as a Gen X-er I can definitely say that we all hated school anyway back then and earning your own money that you'd worked for was always faaar preferable to someone just giving you money for nothing. It's all about 'work ethic' and it's a major reason why anyone born since the 80's has zero get up and go. We got our weekend 'pocket money' only AFTER we'd mowed the lawn, washed the floor, cleaned the budgies cage etc. So it gave us backbone rather than entitlement. I aint even having a pop at these sh1t generations (irony), I'm merely pointing out why they are so selfish and shallow. If they give the kids some household chores to do though, we could get things back-on-track very easily. Anyway. Sorry for being so facetious. I just don't want to see Western Civilisation go down the sh1tter. Aiye

[@dnhy7951]

I have a bit of a hangover on 2nd last morning of week in 🇪🇸.Not sure I'm up to all 18 mins right now. I'm wondering is this the footage where a young boy being interviewed says something like 'they would shame you' with reference to the opposite sex. Not explaining it well but both hilarious and yet also touching....

[@GleeSmee]

Why is the interviewer so obsessed about the size of their families?

[@SamStone1964]

Maybe they were working so young because of those huge Catholic families.

[@GleeSmee]

@@SamStone1964 Maybe. Still, not a question that she had to press quite so hard, imho.

[@theshamanarchist5441]

Maybe she's an orphan? Why do you care? Are you going for the classic libtard 'child slave labour' angle here luv, or what? Maybe she's hinting at the fact the Catholic church wouldn't allow contraception; 'a kid per f*#k' tbey used to say.

[@dwaynechalmers9478]

Robot looks traumatised

[@TheRose087]

I thought that too,he was absolutely terrified and seemed bullied

[@Vondreema]

Their voices sound wrecked (or maybe it's the accent)

[@Inaworldoflove]

The boys all have a harshness to them, except the boy with long black hair, 'Kevin Lynch'. He would be 60 now.

[@TheRose087]

RUDE

[@keithwhittygmail]

Good old child labour. When parents were happy to let their children bring in a wage and the government happy to take a.cut of it.

[@theshamanarchist5441]

Shut up you wet lunch.

[@vincenthigginbotham8729]

Times in it it was a great training tool it made men of them and not a lazy bone in them some of them went away and done very well

[@MrDastardly]

A cyclical view.

[@lallyoisin]

The media kids

[@bristolfashion4421]

dey diddle and they twiddle and then they eat a potato innit

[@theshamanarchist5441]

Then slap the shyte out of you for living in 'Bristol'. Yuppie prat.

[@marymcsherry1965]

Get lost

[@vronica84]

Robot looks so sad and afraid.

[@fallenangel2982]

Wow watching this is so strange because i am from Cork where these boys are and looking at the streets and people back then on this video is as i said strange plus i wasn't born until 1984 and now days it's so different

[@meloman4604]

A time of common sence... when there was only two genders and when statues would be left alone.

[@kevh6948]

Oh jog on. You can't even spell sense

[@meloman4604]

@@kevh6948 english isn't my first language Einstein.

[@conorkelly947]

Nelsons column was blown up in 66 and you don't need to worry about anyone's gender but your own ya gowl

[@dnhy7951]

@@meloman4604 There are statues that shouldn't be left alone. Do you really think everything from the past is ok?

[@peaceenjoyer]

this is how it works. An ignorant lost boomer talking about "common sense" when NONE of the marxists actually believe their lies and are instead just vile and filthy and strategic (winning against the boomers ignorance). and millions of npc's like conor here not even being able to say no to poison injections and mutilation of 10 year olds.

[@ROOKTABULA]

All those way-too-large families because of the lunacy of religion! Their qualities of life would have been so much better with a sane family size.

[@gulag8735]

Ah yes, the bus man's shelter, a pavement you wouldn't break your neck on, ornanate lamp standards, no heroine dealing and no fakeugees in doorways with smart phones. Isn't "progress" great.

[@fintonmainz7845]

Heroine abuse was rife then. You could see junkies openly shooting up in the streets of Dublin with the Gardaí sauntering idly by.

[@gyorkshire257]

Isn't horrific child labour quaint?

[@musashidanmcgrath]

Child labour? The lads are 14/15. You were practically an adult at that age back then. Not like today where we have children in their mid-30s.

[@gyorkshire257]

@@musashidanmcgrath If the poor lads are 14-15, then they are criminally malnourished. Not a great advert for the free state, that. It had just about come to the end of its priest-ridden hellhole stage by then, but if those lads are 14/15 then you can see the damage that was done.

[@musashidanmcgrath]

@@gyorkshire257 Well, people don't realise just how poor Ireland was back then and right through the 80s. We weren't far off Charles Dickens conditions.

[@gyorkshire257]

@@musashidanmcgrath Well, if the lads are as old as you say, then it's Dickensian in a different way from the one that I thought :)

[@orionxtc1119]

Are you SANE?

[@bouncer2005]

Good lads them