I have a co-conspirator in this week’s Friday Favourite / Postcard from the Past slot.
Breda McGaley sent me three photographs of two local and very talented women who shared everything in the course of a life-long friendship.
Tuesday, July 29th is a very special birthday for Mary Frances McGaley and her cousin and friend, Jean Horgan celebrated that same milestone a couple of months ago.
Like many youngsters of my age, I was sent to confession quite a lot. It was always on Saturday mornings and a feature of my memories of Church Street is of dallying outside Nell Kerin’s house listening to the amazing piano playing of the same Mary Frances McGaley.
From then and later from hearing her dad, Frank and brother John at different times, I always thought that the McGaley name is a by-word for musical talent and I’ve no reason to doubt that notion now. While Mary took herself and her talents off overseas, cousin Jean plied her talents on stage with the Island Players and has been delighting audiences here since ‘The Players’ were formed here nearly three-and-a-half decades ago.
I got the birthday alert from Breda with the following few lines of thoughtfulness:
“I have put together three lovely photos showing ‘The 3 ages of Woman.’ It would be great if you could include these in The Maine Valley Post as I know both Mary F and Jean are avid readers.”
Thanking you, Breda McGaley.
I’ll take the liberty of wishing Jean and Mary Frances good health and happiness on their special milestone on behalf of readers everywhere and my thanks to Breda for the photographs and the research.
Breda mentioned three photographs. I found a ‘Bromide’ of the family picture in an old cardboard box in The Kingdom Newspaper offices about 20 years ago. I knew I’d use it someday.
