Irish Red Cross

St Patrick’s Day – Youghal 1945: The Irish Red Cross proudly wearing the green shamrock on their uniforms as they march from Friar Street towards South Main Street at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday 17th March 1945. The Irish Red Cross was formally established in 1939. In the background on the left can be seen The “Regal” cinema on Friar St. The other cinema on that street was “Horgan’s Picture Palace”. Both cinemas catered for a thousand people. Six hundred in one and four hundred in the other.

The premises with the name “Dickinson” was know as the pub (or Ice Cream Parlor) at the top of Water Lane. This would later become Wright’s Pub with the “The Rendezvous Cafe” beside it; Joe McPaddens, “Las Vegas” Pub and later Joe Moloney’s “The Ocean Lounge” and later again the “The Spinning Wheel”. The premises with the name E. O. Brien also has a sign with Ice Cream. The shop with the name looks like B. Murphy is near the corner of Windmill Lane where the ITGWU had there office years later. – Photo from the Mikey Roche Collection.