Older and wiser: Cork library group celebrates stories of the past

When you have stories to tell, like growing up in Cork in the old days, living with three families with one toilet, or going down a ladder on the river to salvage timber to dry for the fire, then you simply have to share them.

“That is exactly what we do on the first and third Thursday of every month in Cork City Library,” says Michael O’Sullivan, a long-standing member of the group, Elder Writers Of Cork.

“Some of the stories we share take us back to our childhood or to memories of shared experiences or very different experiences.”

Like what?

“One of our members told the story of leaving home in Cork to work in Jersey picking spuds,” says Michael.

“The work was hard but he was well fed with plenty bacon and cabbage. He sent his wages back to his mother for the rest of the family.”

Was it a good experience picking spuds in Jersey?

“Well, he said he put on weight!”

There are more than 70,000 seniors over the age of 65 in Cork city and county, and each one has their own life experience and story to tell.

Michael has heard and read a lot of these wonderful stories at Elder Writers Of Cork gatherings.

“Today I have checked the books and 52 individuals came to our meeting over the last 12 months,” he says. “Not all stayed and most came and went, leaving their stories and poetry behind.”

Elder Writers Of Cork is a unique group.

“We had to insist on the 55-plus rule later as some younger individuals wanted to join, but we stuck to seniors only,” says Michael.

“We felt that each senior person needed to be heard individually so harmony was important.

“Discussions gradually took over the writing, meeting with people producing stories and poetry for the group to discuss. Very quickly we stopped ‘Critical Analysis’ of members’ writing and just listened and enjoyed the sessions.

“The Elder Writers Of Cork is a meeting of seniors, retired, who follow their own memories, ideas and learning from their lifetimes.”

Their stories are unique.

“We have fascinating discussions and conversations,” says Michael.

“People speak of a long life lived in Cork and all around the world. We are here to listen and also learn from our peer group.”

I like Susan Bailey’s poem, The New Knee, that resonates with me having had a knee replacement.

I’ve heard you’ve got a new knee

Who is your new best friend

He’s helping you to walk again

He’s learning how to bend.

You’ve waited a long time in pain from day to day

But now he is part of you

And he is here to stay.

We know we’ll never see him

Which really is a shame

But even so we know he’s there

And he deserves a name.

We thought and thought - rejected lots

But none did seem ideal

Then suddenly we saw the light

We’re going to name him Neil!

Frank Whelan shares his memory.

“As I got older, I took to the streets of Cork in search of something more than the routine of school and chores,” writes Frank.

‘Cork was safe then, or so I believed. I got the start as a part time labourer in a button factory. Boring work but paid every week.

“I handed most of the wage up to my mother but kept enough for a weekend with my friends.

‘Young kids going into pubs if we had money. The pubs, the laughter, the nights that stretched long into the early morning. I found new friends and a kind of a new family among the people there.

“Cork is a city where pubs are more than just places to drink, they’re a part of the fabric of life, places where stories are told, friends are made, deals are struck, and the night is never quite over.

“We were young and filled with excitement and hope for a bright future. I scribbled a lot of stories and poetry. I was happy.”

Life didn’t quite turn out as Frank expected. He also writes about dark times, isolation, and addiction.

“I fell into the whirlpool of dark depression for a long time and finally got away from its grip,” he says.

Where does the story end?

“Now I stand here, a man from Cork, who’s seen the depths of the streets and walked through the darkness. I’m not sure where the road leads next, but no matter where I go I will always carry a piece of Cork with me - the city that taught me that even when you think you’ve lost everything, there’s always something left to hold on to.

“Whether it’s the mist over the Lee or the comforting sound of a busker’s tune on the corner of Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork will always be home.”

In the book Elder Writers Of Cork, edited by Michael O’ Sullivan and John O’Brien, readers will be transported back to the halcyon days of their youth, their school-days, the good old days, the bad days, and their life-experiences that resonate with so many people.

Thursdays in the Thomas Davis room in Cork City Library is a treasure trove of real-life experiences and real-life stories from real Cork people.

“The group is very sociable and very friendly,” says Michael. “You don’t have to write anything. You can just listen.”

You can have a cuppa too

“Declan, Patricia, Michael and Sadbh in the City Library are very good to us, as is Caoimhe in Hollyhill,” says Michael. “They allow us to have a cuppa, not out in the public library, but in a handy spot at the back. They even provide biscuits! Chatting over a cuppa, members of the group exchange ideas.

“Everyone is interested and everyone likes to try their hand at writing. You learn as you go.”

The Elder Writers Of Cork is making a good fist of it.

How do I join?

“If you are over 55, it’s automatic,” says Michael.

The location in the city is ideal.

“This is a marvellous location due to easy access by public transport for seniors,” says Michael.

“We met other people working at serious literature and publications and they were very supportive.”

Rowen Murphy, 20, from Douglas, was a great help.

“Rowen has been the deciding factor in showing us that we need help and support to overcome the techniques and software problems we sometimes encounter,” says Michael.

“With his help, we are embracing intergenerational learning and support.”

The future looks bright for Elder Writers Of Cork. “We will keep going as long as we can,” says Michael.

“However, the future needs to include upskilling for seniors to create resilience so we need to make progress with support or by ourselves. We will be looking for young people like Rowen to help us over this transition.”

Michael is an optimist.

“It’s good to have a plan and ambitions to help our fellow seniors to enjoy life in old age and meet fellow retirees and look back over their lives and society and give advice to young people coming up.”

There may be a book in Michael, too. About his travels to Chernobyl, the logistics, the mapping, the organising, the washing and packing of clothes, the storing of vital supplies, driving along the high roads and by-roads of Europe, across unknown terrain.

“It is a book that has yet to be written!” he says.

Elder Writers Of Cork meet in Cork City Library on the first and third Thursday of every month from 2.pm to 3.30pm. Call 085-1967361