A LETTER FROM A JOMAC ADMIRER
REMEMBERING 1952

(April 2007)

     1952 is a year I will never forget. Agatha Christie’s play “The Mousetrap”, opened in London’s Whitehall Theatre. Our own Bertie Ahern was only a baby, and no doubt was pushed around in his pram, (they weren’t called buggies then), in the area near the “Cat and Cage” pub in Drumcondra.
    On the wireless (as we called it), we tuned into Hospitals Requests…Dick Barton…Dan Dare ( Pilot of the Future )…The Foley Family…The Kennedys of Castlerosse (sponsored by Cadbury’s)…The Imco Show and Hospitals Trust Programme.
Some of the personalities who come to mind include, Bart Bastable… Ian Priestly–Mitchell… Joe Linnane…Frankie Byrne ( Dear Frankie )… Niall and Eric Boden . . . .and the great . . . Michael O’Hehir.
    Young people tuned into the crackly sounds of the American Forces Network or A.F.N. and Radio Luxemburg to hear the latest singles as “pop” music was frowned upon by the powers that be in Radio Eireann.
   Eamon deValera was Taoiseach and Sean T O’Kelly was elected president for a second term. Archbishop John Charles McQuaid reigned supreme over the archdiocese of Dublin.
    Apartments were called flats and being gay meant being in light hearted good humour!
We spent our Sunday afternoons (after we listened to Family Favourites on the B.B.C. light programme), in the Phoenix Park, The Botanic Gardens… or, if the sun was shining, on  Dollymount or Sandymount Strand.  
    When it rained we could be found in the Palm Grove or Rainbow Cafés or Cafolla’s on O’Connell Street spending maybe two hours over one cup of coffee, a Peach Melba or Knickerbocker Glory.  Having a “few cans” was an expression unheard of in 1952.
Smoking was fashionable - grass was mowed -  coke was a drink and pot was something you cooked in.
    Bunnies were small rabbits, designer jeans were screaming girls named Jean.  Having a meaningful relationship meant getting on well with your cousins. 
We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, artificial hearts, word processors, yoghurt or guys wearing earrings.  A chip meant a piece of wood or a fried potato, hardware meant hardware and software wasn’t even a word.  A lap-top was something you sat on as a small child, and a menu was something you were shown in a restaurant. 
We were so dumb as to believe you needed to have a husband if you wanted to have a baby.
    Some of the big films of 1952 were “Singing in the Rain” with Gene Kelly and “High Noon” with Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper and our favourite cinemas included The Metropole, The Savoy, The Carlton and The Ambassador.
Dublin had wonderful theatres including The Theatre Royal (where Danny Kaye and Frankie Laine appeared in 1952), The Capitol, The Queens, The Olympia, The Gaiety, The Abbey and several smaller venues.  Nowadays, only The Gaiety, Olympia and Abbey remain.  The Point isn’t a real theatre at all it was once a tram shed.
    But for me the big event of 1952 took place on Sunday January 4th when 12 boys arrived at The Children’s Hospital in Temple Street to entertain us little ones in what was to become the first Jomac Show, which like “The Mousetrap” and the “Cat and Cage” pub, is still going strong today.
    As regards to Bertie, well we'll have to wait and see.
                                                         Continue the good work.,   
                                                                                         An early admirer.