Throwback Thursday reader Brian Cronin’s account last week about being torn between Christians and Pres at rugby because he attended both schools, elicited a great reaction. Katie O’Brien commented: “Brian, I totally hear you! “I was at St Angela’s, just up the hill from Christians, and it was taken for granted from the day you started that you supported the lads down below and despised Pres on the other side of town. “‘Up with Christians, down with Pres!’ was a favourite chant among the young ladies on Patrick’s Hill on match days. You simply could not espouse the opposite army. It was unthinkable.” Yes, that was the way of it back then. Perhaps it still is? And by the way, what about the legendary Pres song? And the Christians one? Sung vehemently by both sides and their supporters at every clash? Does anyone still have the words to those? Let’s have them right here on Throwback Thursday if so. And we hear from reader Tom Jones on the same topic: “Hi, Jo. Nice reflections last week by Brian Cronin of the rivalry between CBC. and PBC. rugby teams, both in days of yore and indeed in modern times. “In regard to being conflicted in his allegiance to whatever team or school he played for, both were well beyond my scope. I myself never ever played rugby, as I went to Blarney Street C.B.S. in my formal education in Cork. “After all, it is said that rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen, while soccer is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans. “That is personified more so in today’s international rugby tournaments when players accept judicial decisions including revisions on the field of play, while today’s professional soccer players feign injury from the mildest tackle and constantly complain to the referee.” Tom continues: “In my time, there was never any distinct difference when any game of contention or competition was played on the concrete terraces of Spangle Hill. Betwixt, rough play, foul play, and fair play, we simply got on with the game. “I grew up with soccer players of Cork renown like Martin Sheehan of Cork Hibs fame, a classmate and good friend of mine, amongst other players with Cork Celtic and Hibs I met along the way - Noel Mahony, Donie Madden, Charlie McCarty, and far too many others to mention. “Also, other soccer players who played with various Northside teams, such as Miah Dennehy, Aidan O Mahony, Robbie Stanton, Eddy Hinchen, again far too many to mention. And who could forget Mr Football himself Tony Hennessy?” Tom recalls: “When I returned home to Ireland from England around 1971 (oh, the memories that brings back of the grand old Innisfallen), I became good friends with many of the players and other Highfield Rugby Club members, such as Larry O Neill, Jerry Crogan, and Alfie Carey, all also ex-players or pupils with Pres in their time. (Can’t help but wonder if Brian Cronin played with any of these guys?) “Many of us, from all walks of life, enjoyed having a few pints in that great old Cork pub, the Swan and Cygnet, including many stars of hurling and Gaelic football in the glory years of the early 1970s. I left Erin’s shores shortly after that. An eclectic combination of all sorts, music, sports, etc. enjoying each other’s company, embracing living in that moment of time. “By the way, I sincerely hope I wasn’t rude in any way, last week, by using the word ‘chancers’ while describing the talent competition in the Lido years ago. “The humour of Cork people can be quite self-deprecating at times, but of course it is all done in the order of good craic. Anything for a few laughs like. “As they used to say back then, ‘I’m skitten here like’.” Tom adds of last week’s Throwback Thursday memories: “On reading the ladies’ remembrances of the movies back then, in particular as musicals were mentioned more than once as being their preference, whenever I had a ‘jag’ as a 15-year-old to go to the pictures, I have to confess I never asked or even considered my date’s preferences. “So, chalk it down that I was in that category of dumbass for not asking! “I think we just assumed that they would be delighted to go along with whatever the great male decided! “Yet I do recall seeing a cowboy musical called Calamity Jane in the Lido, many years ago, starring Doris Day. The reason I mention this is because of two songs in particular, namely Once I Had A Secret Love and The Black Hills Of Dakota. These were sung in pubs all over Cork for many years later, and they still, for one reason or another, resound in my cache of memory.” Tom concludes: “One last point on the subject of risqué or questionable films shown in Cork cinemas. (Unless, of course, others reply in kind, considering as I doubt if I or friends of mine were the only ones attracted to movies of such ilk.) “I will reveal this. Once upon a time, a person appeared before a Cork Court of Law, accused of being in possession of subversive material, detrimental to current Irish legislation. “The Judge asked heavily, ‘Am I to understand you deny having in your possession a copy of the latest version of Playboy magazine?’ Enough said for now...” Yes, very different and controlling times, Tom. Is it better these days, with everything and anything available at the click of a mouse? What do others think? Those of us who can vividly remember the Draconian censorship and threatening diktats of an earlier Ireland anyway. Were we better off being controlled and thus so inexperienced that we had to snatch at any stray chance of learning something – anything – about the adult world we would eventually reach? Meanwhile, reader Eileen Barry found some more entries in her diary from 1967 on cinemagoing: “On March 2, I went to Macroom cinema with a few friends, one of whom actually had a car! I think we were a bit out of place there as all the other members of the audience were locals. We did have a good laugh though. “The film was Come September with Rock Hudson, Sandra Dee, Gina Lollobrigida... I made the comment ‘Rather old’ in my diary (it was made in 1961!) ‘but quite good’!” Other diary entires from 1961 regarding movies from Eileen include: “March 18th at the Capitol, Grip Of Fear and Frankenstein. Both rather good — scary. “April 2nd at The Lee for The Loudest Whisper, Shirley McLaine and Audrey Hepburn. Very good film — dramatic. “April 3rd (where?) The Sound Of Music (about the fourth time seeing this.) “April 4th at the Savoy, The Quiller Memorandum. Very good. Secret agent in Berlin type. “April 10. The Classic, Belfast Dr Crippen (X- rated)with Samantha Eggar. Excellent film.” Eileen adds: “I also remember a Swedish film at the Ritz around that time, Elvira Madigan. Gorgeous music and a poignant, sad sort of story. “There was an idyllic scene where the couple (an army officer and Elvira, a tightrope dancer) were collecting wild raspberries and eating them with cream from a can, on a picnic. It had a sad ending... That was the sort of film that the Ritz had.” Yes, the music (Mozart’s 21st) became known as the Elvira Madigan Concerto ever after, Eileen, such was its impact in the film. Rather like Also Sprach Zarathustra, Richard Strauss’s tone poem, being forever associated with 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Ritz was known for favouring foreign films, and regularly ran the Sissi series, starring Romy Schneider as the unhappy Empress of Austria. And now to Mícheál Kenefick and the terrifying tale of The Day The Goat Broke Loose – not on the Grand Parade, but in a field at Barryroe! “Jo, I have been following the film stories on Throwback Thursday,” says Micheál. “Of course, I remember with great fondness that wondrous era, including the side door entrance to ‘the gods’ in the Savoy. “We didn’t have a cinema in Whitegate or Aghada, but we did have multi-purpose halls which were used for every gathering imaginable including card drives, travelling shows, dances, and, believe it or not, cookery demonstrations, signing up for ‘De Light,’ and, of course, the ‘Pictures’. “In following the stories, I remembered Helen and my dear friend Johnty Motherway (who calls round on a Friday for laughter, craic and nostalgia) mentioning going to the pictures in a field. Yes, believe it or not, that is where some of us caught our earliest screenings. “In Ballinrostig, it was Jack Smyth’s field and in Barryroe, normally in Dan Coleman’s field. On one occasion though, the Barryroe field wasn’t available, so the picture show was held in Johnty’s parents’ half acre. Free entry for the Motherway family who saved the day! “They both remembered Laurel and Hardy, and in particular the one shown in Barryroe on one never-to-be-forgotten occasion, when the projectionist had to explain the finale, as a goat ate the end of the reel after a former showing somewhere!” Hang on there, Mícheál. A goat? Ate the end of the film? And the projectionist had to get up and give the end of the story as best he could? Now that is utterly wonderful. Can’t thank you enough for unearthing that treasure for us! It conjures up the hubbub in the tent, the loudly-voiced queries, and then the tired voice explaining, “Well, then Laurel says this to Hardy, and then this villain comes along...” Not quite the same as seeing it on screen, but one hopes the audience of small boys and girls appreciated the effort. “Another film Johnty remembered was The Crimson Circle.” continues Mícheál. “According to Google, this was released in 1940, based on a novel by Edgar Wallace. “6d was the entry fee to a small marquee which could hold about 40 patrons, and the shows were provided by the Lyons family from Midleton. “Similar to the travelling shows like Black & King, and McFaddens, the pictures would stay for about a week.” Ah yes, the last days of the portable theatres, as they used to be called. Not ‘fit-ups’ as they are sometimes incorrectly termed – fit-ups went into existing buildings like barns or halls, and fitted up their own curtains, stage, scenery, etc. The real old portables carried everything with them and erected their theatre or marquee in a field on the edge of town, bringing the latest dramas (well, maybe not the very latest) to a village that might never otherwise have seen them. Towards the end of their lives, when it became easier for country dwellers to get to city cinemas, and television was stealthily raising its head, they cut down on the drama and brought in one or two-reeler films instead. Mícheál kindly directed us to the skehana.galwaycommunityheritage.org/ website which holds a wealth of pictures from those great days of travelling shows, like the one on the facing page of Brian Lyons actually rewinding film after a screening – watched carefully to make sure he did it properly, but by the family dog, not, fortunately, the goat! And a rare shot (above) of Lyons’ show set up on the shore road at Rosscarbery. Ah those were the days!