Cabra History.Com

Willie Kavanagh and Martin Coffey

‘Today I attended the funeral of my childhood friend, Willie Kavanagh. We originally lived two doors away from each other, we were born in the same year, started school together, robbed orchards together and we shared everything together.  We went to the Cabra Grand together, to the Cabra Baths, to the Phoenix Park, to the Cattle Market, into Town, the Christian Brothers chased us out of the Deaf and Dumb together, we robbed a Beano out of Mr Beechinor’s shop together, we went on adventures up along the Canal together, broke into a factory up in Ashtown together, ran up and down the Silverspoon in our nude together and had all the Young Ones screaming at us, we went for Chestnuts together, picked Blackberries together, played Football together with a burst ball, walked along the Railway at the back of Bachelor’s together, walked all around the Phoenix Park together, we were chased out of Finglas together, in school we went to Mass together and I’d pretend to faint and Willie had to take me home, we smoked our very first cigarette together up the lane at the back of The Capitol Stores on Fassaugh Avenue, we were barred out of the Boh’ Picture House together for bashing up a Queer who put his hand on my leg, we searched for Clocks and Maggots in the compound on our road together, we were in the same class in school together, we raced each other home from Finbar’s School together, we made our First Holy Communion together, we made our Confirmation together, we used to sit outside my house together and I’d play my guitar and we’d sing “The House of the Rising Sun” together, we went to see Dickie Rock on Finbar’s Hall together, we went to all the “Hops” together, we went to the Playground together, we played on the Railway at the back of the Cabra Grand together, we even went “Mitching” up to the Bogeys together and one time when  I found Two Shillings we went up to the shops together and bought ice cream wafers and loads of sweets from Cafolla’s window as well as a cigarette and a match. We went up the lane at the shops and lit the fag up. After taking a few puffs each we threw it away. Later that day when I arrived home the Ma’ says “What were you smoking for” and just as I was about to tell her I wasn’t I spotted Willier sitting on our best Tea-Chest by the fire and him with a guilty look written all over his face. You see, the Ma’ saw him on his own and asked him where I was and he blurts out “He’s up at the shops Misses Coffey smoking a cigarette“. Now I can tell you that that put a damper on our friendship for about ten minutes and then we went out and off on another adventure together. All of this was going through my head as I sat next to Philip Roche “The Boxer” and Leo Lalor from Lower Killala Road in the Pro Cathedral today as the Priest was saying Mass for Willier…’