"THROUGH MY EYES" by TERENCE COSKERAN

"THROUGH MY EYES" 

Every now and then I am approached by someone wanting to promote various things..Quite often I have to decline, as they are politically motivated, not of general interest to my readership or they just don't suit.

 This doesn't look to be one of those...

 Let me introduce you to the work of Terence Coskeran, who has written the following book and self published. Though I have not read the book in it's entirety, I feel that just by what I have seen it could be of interest to any others who feel they may be related to these families.

 If you wish to purchase this book, please see the details below.. and please contact Terence directly. I have no financial interest in this publication.

Preface

It is a great pleasure to write this narrative and I hope it gives interesting and informative reading to all who engage with it.

It is by no means conclusive either in fact or information but I hope it is a start, and my dearest wish is that people would see fit to add in further content in the years ahead.

When starting, I had an idea where I was going but did not know where I came from so in order to correct this, I decided on this research. 

A personal account of Lena Foye nee Costello is recalled below by her granddaughter Mary Ellen Foye:

I believe each of the grandchildren of Helena Costello Foye, our "Ma" could share many personal memories and life lessons she taught us along the way.   I can only speak for myself and a few of the others who have sent a few words of remembrance, but I assure you, our grandmother left a huge footprint on our hearts and in our minds and helped shape the people we are today.  Ma's favorite two expressions to me were: Sleep when you're old, you'll be a long time dead,

and every time I was worried about something, as a child and a teenager and even as a young mother with a child, she would tell me to stop worrying and go to sleep. She would say, "HE is going to be up all night anyway. Let HIM worry about it for you". I have quoted that to my children and friends for years

Below is a short insight into a lasting memory of Bridget, by her niece, Nellie Daly nee Spillane..

My Auntie  Bridget married to Timothy Danaher ...they  had no family and lived in London for  a number of years .She would come home to Ireland on holidays every year and spend  some of her  time with my family, the Spillanes, in Ardahan, Galbally. I can recall her as a very easy going and gentle person. A trip or journey when on holidays would not be a spur of the moment decision; indeed it would take her nearly all day to get ready. The first job was her hair in curlers from early morning, then the makeup and a very important part of that was the lipstick.  She loved her cup of strong tea along with a cigarette. 

My Dad Jim

Well, first, of course, he died young. Not for him the steady slide into old age, the declining faculties, the disappointments and disillusionments that for some can be the legacy of ageing. Unlike Mum, who has faced her own tribulations of old age with great stoicism and courage, in all our memories, Dad remains forever in his prime, at the peak of his powers, like all those who die before their time.

David my Father

 The disadvantage of a limited academic learning experience was compensated by having a very good memory of things heard orally and also the ability to, in his mind, recall places visited via landmarks and by any other visual means that were there. David, the eldest of a family of twelve is recorded in the census of nineteen hundred and eleven living in the Barry household as an infant along with his mother Ellen. The census does not have any record of David’s father Thomas. The answer to this may be that Thomas stayed on working in Liverpool following his marriage to Ellen in nineteen hundred and nine.

With most of his life having being spent farm labouring and having worked for the previous thirteen years at Condon’s in Knockcordan, Lattin, Co. Tipperary. A change of job along with a change of country came Dad’s way in nineteen hundred and sixty three with a move to London.

Terence Coskeran first days in school in London 

 Memories as I write this come flooding back, how I would find my way around the building, milk at first break in quarter pint glass, pint bottles had to be consumed. School dinners, which you would not be doing an “Oliver” on (and asking for more) had to be consumed with teachers sitting at the tables but at least I could speak English, if in a somewhat different way to a lot of others. A lot of students would have arrived in school with no English; I cannot say that I remember any Language teachers.

Irish Holidays

 On one of my many journeys to work in Ireland I met Margaret Moroney from Lisvernane, Aherlow, Co Tipperary, who has been my wife and companion since nineteen hundred and seventy seven. At the time of our meeting Margaret was attending secondary school in Clonmel Co Tipperary, indeed I can recall going to collect her from school and telling the nun that I was her brother, Thinking that my little lie had been a success until to my dismay at her graduation dance the nun left me in no doubt as to her knowledge of my plot.

An Australian view 

 The Irish are friendly and hospitable, but not in a cloying or overly-polite way. A nod and a handshake are usually followed by some polite inquiries as they feel you out. Neither naïve nor untrusting; they will, over time, decide for themselves based on how you act and how you treat them. Irish like to talk and are good listeners too. Because they can laugh at themselves and have few pretensions, you might think that their legendary foolishness is commonplace. It isn’t. You underestimate them at your peril.

(c) Terence Coskeran

(c) Terence Coskeran Granny Keylogues and Nan

To quote from Terence...

"The family origins are in Galbally Co Limerick but a Grand Uncle moved and settled in Kildysart area of Clare in around 1888 strange as it seems his name changed from Coskeran to Costello.The reason for this I do not know. He was a stone mason who married a Catherine Clancy and they were parents to three children , one named David who remained in Kildysart area married Margaret Murphy  and also worked as a stone mason. Nora went to the America and married John Coughlin, Ellen also went to America and married John Foye."

"This is the Clare connection with the narrative. There are one hundred and fourteen pages A4 size with a lot of photos included.It is available from me (Terence) at

 ahgael@gmail.com    The cost is €20 plus postage. "