Count John McCormack

John McCormack, the lyric tenor, was born on the 14^th June 1884 in Athlone, County Westmeath. He was one of eleven children born to Andrew McCormack and Hannah Watson, both of whom were from Galashiels, Scotland and his father was foreman in the Athlone Woollen Mills. He was baptised in St Mary’s Church, Athlone, on 23 June 1884.

Count John McCormack

He went to school in Athlone before attending Summerhill College, Sligo. When his family moved to Dublin he sang in the St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral choir, and it was here that his young talent was first noticed. In 1903 he entered the prestigious Feis Ceoil competition and won the gold medal. The following year he practised with and helped James Joyce, a young man who also had ambitions of becoming a singer, but sadly for Joyce he only won the bronze medal.

In 1905 he set off for Italy where he was trained by Vincenzo Sabatini, the renowned voice coach, before making his operatic debut on the 13th of January 1906 in Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz at the Teatro Chiabrera, Savona. In 1907 he had his first operatic performance in Covent Garden, London, in Cavalleria rusticana, becoming the theatre’s youngest principal tenor. Later, he partnered Nellie Melba, the most famous soprano at the time, and performed there for eight consecutive seasons.

In 1909 he toured the major cities of America, and his recordings were hugely successful. Later he stepped back from appearing in operas and preferred to give recitals which proved to be both perfect, and profitable, for him. He was the first artist to record It’s a Long Way to Tipperary; and Keep The Home Fires Burning in 1917. And, due to his singing and support of various Catholic charities he received the title of Papal Count in 1928.

He returned to Ireland and bought Glena on Rock Road, Booterstown for the fresh, sea air as his health was suffering due to worsening emphysema. He died on 16^th September 1945 and was buried in Deansgrange Cemetery, Dublin.

Glena, Rock Road, Booterstown

Photo: Eddie Hanlon

Grand Slam Glory

Another Grand Slam, let’s rejoice

Sing it out loud, be in great voice

Andy Farrell’s our man

With a glorious plan

Racking up points, yeah, that’s nice!

Dundrum – Corner of the Pale

Like many small villages in and around Dublin, Dundrum grew slowly and quietly until the introduction of the Dublin South East Railway in 1854. This was constructed by William Dargan, Ireland’s first ‘railway mogul’. The line was operated until 1958 when it closed amid much controversy, only to be reopened with the introduction of the LUAS in 2004. The elegant, new bridge, named after the line’s creator, reflects the nature of change and rebirth that the area has seen.

William Dargan Bridge, Dundrum, Dublin

In 1971 a modern shopping centre opened across the road from the Dundrum train station. It was the second of its kind in the country (Stillorgan S/C being the first) and dominated the neighbourhood for years.

In response to the recent level of construction in the area new roads were built which bypass the old village. Holy Cross church is still a refuge of peace, and along with the red-brick terraces, standing for over a century, give the main street a quiet, almost timeless air. The 17^th century St Nahi’s Church is an interesting place where you can see the baptismal font used for the christening of Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, and the grave of George Johnstone Stoney, the Irish physicist who introduced the term electron as the ‘fundamental unit quantity of electricity’.

St. Nahi’s Church

The library, which now almost sits under the new bridge was opened in 1914. It was one of many libraries funded by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, and it is still a busy place even in the expanding digital age. The contrast between the old building beneath the towering new bridge conjures up a sense of progress with an acknowledgement to the past. For a village that was once at the corner of the Pale – the area established by Henry II between 1171-72 and where English rule was established – Dundrum is now very much at the centre of things and moving forward.

William Dargan

William Dargan, one of Ireland’s most important engineers of the 19^th century, was born on the 28^th February 1799 in County Carlow. He attended local school where he excelled at mathematics, before getting a position in a surveyor’s office in Carlow. By 1819, and with the help of local MP Henry Purcell, he was working with the renowned engineer Thomas Telford on the important Holyhead to London road. In 1824, and back in Ireland, he assisted Telford on extending the Howth Road from Raheny to Sutton, leading Parnell to describe the road as “a model for other roads in the vicinity of Dublin”. He also was assistant manager for three years on the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal, as well as adding more roads in Dublin, Carlow and Louth.

William Dargan

Busy as he was he did find time to marry Jane Arkinstall on the 13^th October 1828 in the Church of St Michael & All Angels, Adbaston, Staffordshire, but they had no children.

In 1825 when the Irish parliament decided to construct a railway from Dublin to Kingstown – DKR (now Dun Laoghaire) he became committed to setting it up, and along with the engineer, Charles Vignoles, they designed the route and the line was opened on the 17^th December 1834. It was very successful, and it was the earliest dedicated commuter in the world. Other lines were completed: Dublin to Drogheda, and the Great Southern and Western Railway. He contributed nearly eight hundred miles of track to the rail network and was rightly called the ‘Founder of Railways in Ireland’. He also designed the Ulster Canal, connecting Lough Erne and Belfast, which was a difficult but brilliantly handled project.

Dargan Bridge, Dundrum, Dublin

In 1853 he was the lead promoter for the Great Exhibition that was held on the lawns of Leinster House. Afterwards, he was involved in the creation of the National Gallery of Ireland on the same site, and a statue to him stands outside the main entrance.

He died on the 7^th February 1867, and was buried in Glasnevin cemetery.

Flann O’Brien

Brian O’Nolan, author, poet, columnist, and better-known to many as Flann O’Brien, was born on the 11^th October 1911 in Strabane, County Tyrone. His father, Michael, was an officer in the Customs and Excise Service and this necessitated much moving about from one post to another as he proceeded to rise to more senior positions. The family lived in Glasgow, Dublin, Tullamore and the children were educated at home by a tutor or correspondence course.

Flann O’Brien

He finally went into formal education at CBS Synge Street when the family were living in Herbert Place. The place didn’t agree with him, and he was much happier when they moved to Avoca Terrace and he was sent to Blackrock College. Although not a rugby player he made friends easily. Later, he studied English, Irish and German in UCD and graduated in 1932. He joined the Department of Local Government in 1935 and two years later he became the family breadwinner when his father died.

His book At-Swim-Two-Birds which was published by Longman, using the pseudonym ‘Flann O’Brien’, in March 1939. In 1967 The Third Policeman was published to great acclaim. From 1940 to 1966 he wrote the column Cruiskeen Lawn in the Irish Times under the pseudonym ‘Myles na gCopaleen’. This was very popular and allowed him to discuss topics of the day and take issue with of those in authority. He introduced us to The Brother (a real Dubliner), the Plain People of Ireland and the fantastic puns of Keats and Chapman.

In 1954 he was one of the six ORIGINALS who went on the first Bloomsday trip from Sandycove, but only managed to make it to The Bailey such was their inebriation. A verse from his poem The Workman’s Friend is due:

When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night
A pint of plain is your only man.

He died on 1^st April 1966 and was buried in Deansgrange Cemetery, Dublin.