A 1950s Irish Childhood

1950s Ireland was the age of De Valera and John Charles McQuaid. It was the age before television, Vatican II, and home central heating. A time when motor cars and public telephones had wind-up handles, when boys wore short trousers and girls wore ribbons, when nuns wore white bonnets and priests wore black hats in church. To the young people of today, the 1950s seem like another age. But for those who played, learned and worked at this time, this era feels like just yesterday. This delightful collection of memories will appeal to all who grew up in 1950s Ireland and will jog memories about all aspects of life as it was.

RUTH ILLINGWORTH, who works as a tour guide in Westmeath and is president of the Westmeath Historical and Archaeological Society, has written numerous books and articles on aspects of Westmeath and Irish history and has broadcast on the BBC and RTÉ. She has lectured at NUI Maynooth and is a member of the Women's Historical Association of Ireland (WHAI). Ruth was a Member of Mullingar Town Council from 2004 to 2014 and was Mayor of Mullingar 2009-10.