Here is Granny and Aunty Vera in their home
Pictured Left, Oliver, John, Paddy, Granny, Mary, Vera, John McGowan and Tommy. Oliver, John, Paddy and Tommy are Vera’s brothers. Mary is Paddy’s Wife and John McGowan is married to my mum’s sister.
If there is one thing that the Irish know how to do and that is throw a party.
Every year we would go to Granny and Vera’s house for New Year’s Eve.
People would start arriving around 7:30 and by 8:00 everyone was here.
The music was playing, and the adults were having a drink, while, we kids played in the front room and ran up and downstairs. Even jumping on the beds.
All the women were busy in the kitchen. They had been cooking and then we sat down to have a meal.
The men went first, followed by the children and women.
It wasn’t a buffet, a three-course meal for all of us
After we had all eat, we had a sing song in the living room. Each male parent would take it in turns to sing a song.
Aunt Vera was busy bringing in cans of beer and Guinness for the men. She even brought in cigars. Many of them had quit smoking years ago, including my dad John, but at Christmas they all had one.
Finally, we all danced in the kitchen to Irish music, until the clock struck 12 and it was “New Year’s Eve.
What great parties they were. All the family together.
We all still talk about it now and how much fun they were
God bless Granny and Vera, for making it such a special evening for us all
