This week in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN remembers the pubs that have closed up in Cork city, including The Viscount, The Celtic, and Bantry Bar. 

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears precious memories of fair day in Midleton almost a century ago, plus a Moby Dick extra is identified

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears from a reader who believes her gran is in a photo from the filming of Moby Dick in Cork in the 1950s, plus more holiday memories. 

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears about what Cork people did on their holidays, including trips to Courtmacsherry and Fountainstown

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN responds to a letter from 22 years ago, hears memories of Moby Dick being filmed in Youghal, a portable theatre, and finds out about the real border between Cork and Waterford.

After readers shared memories of the old Youghal Bridge in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears from the man responsible for demolishing it

There have been many incarnations of the Youghal bridge to Waterford, and for many years it was closed to traffic, recalls JO KERRIGAN in Throwback Thursday

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears the memories of a woman who recalls her grandfather - a friend of Michael Collins - and her nana in West Cork

Laughs, legends, and lore, MIKE HACKETT has heard them all, Here he shares some some tall tales, some truths, and plenty to give you a giggle.

Before the motor car took over the roads, Cork people used to walk, cycle, or rely on the horse and cart to get around, recalls JO KERRIGAN in this week’s Throwback Thursday

Cork man Michael Riordan beat stiff competition to become the youngest resident engineer of the city’s waterworks. JOHN O’SULLIVAN looks back at the developments during his tenure.

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears stories of another Bailey bridge in Cork, the Muskerry tram, and the discovery of an almost 100 year old copy of a special Cork publication.

CONOR MACHALE, Senior Library Assistant at Cork City Libraries, looks back at the earliest editions of the Holly Bough and asks why it is so difficult to find copies of the Christmas number from 1897 through to the early 1930s.

Stored in an old teapot, Margaret Hunter kept newspaper cuttings about her children’s lives. Her son Patsy tells JO KERRIGAN about some of the snippets

Terence MacSwiney’s grandson, Cathal Brugha MacSwiney, and author Leeann Lane talk to LINDA KENNY about the extraordinary life of Mary MacSwiney.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears the memories of a man from Doneraile, who recalls the passing of his father and ‘churching’ of his mother

A fire at a makeshift cinema in Dromcollogher in 1926 was one of the worst disasters in the history of the State. JOHN DOLAN traces the part a Cork man played in it. 

In this week’s THROWBACK THURSDAY, Jo Kerrigan hears memories of driving tests, and more on the many bridges that run across the Lee connecting the city.

A 35-year transatlantic friendship helped to bring Cork city’s National Monument to fruition. DONAL O’KEEFFE spoke with the great grandnephew of the man who facilitated the financing of one of Cork’s most significant landmarks.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears about a toy that is still working 62 years after Santa delivered it, plus photos of the Bailey Bridge in Cork

When you’ve had a long life, the amusing incidents heard or encountered, true or otherwise, along the way can be numerous, writes MIKE HACKETT. Here he relays some of the tales he heard during his time working at the pubic counter for P&T.

This week in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears a woman’s memories of getting a pram and dolls as a child, plus a salute to our maritime heritage

Oasis fever gripped the country when the Gallagher brothers played Croke Park last summer summer, with tickets like gold dust. Cork woman CLARE BOHANE remembers securing an even more coveted ticket though - to their Páirc Uí Chaoimh gig back in 1996.

This week in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears the reminiscences of a reader who recalls the shops of his East Cork home town as a child. 

97 days after the infamous ‘Fight of the Century’, Joe Frazier came to Cork to play two musical concerts. PATRICK TALBOT looks back at the City Hall gig which failed to draw the crowds.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN shares more memories of the railways, plus we hear from a man who helped build houses of Knocknaheeny. 

DIARMUID O’DONOVAN looks back at the life and sporting achievements of the late Dr Jim Young who, he says, was not only one of Cork’s greatest Gaelic players, but achieved so much in other disciplines.

This week on Throwback Thursday, a Cork man rues the time he just missed seeing The Beatles play in Liverpool, and JO KERRIGAN recalls trains in bygone days

NEIL TOBIN reflects on Jack Charlton’s visits to Cork in the early ‘90s and remembers his dear colleague at the Irish Press, the late Con Houlihan.

In Throwback Thursday this week, JO KERRIGAN hears how prices have changed down the decades - and a £7,000 house in 1977 doubled in value in just a year!

LINDA KENNY looks back over the key moments of the past 188 years that have helped shape this quintessentially Cork institution.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears memories of a boy’s flight to England in 1963, plus recalling the food on trains in bygone days

Almost 60 years ago, Cork man JOHN TWOMEY literally scooped the golden ticket, securing an allocation to the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Here he recalls the experience.

This week in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears about the life of a Cork bus inspector, plus memories of the céilí sessions and dances of yesterday

When it comes to sport, St Colman’s in Fermoy may be best known for success in hurling, but it was once more associated with a different sport, writes TONY WALSH. 

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears from a bus driver who used to take revellers to the Majorca, plus more memories of travel back in the day

Celtic FC’s visit to Cork last July to take on Cork City in the Cork Super Cup brought back memories of a previous visit by the Glasgow giants to Leeside, which had a surprising denouement for one Cork star, writes BARRY ROCHE.

This week in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears about the Cork dance halls which bucked the trend in the showband era... and the joy of an offer of ‘a mug of soup’

Mick Barry has had a significant impact on the development of the Seandún division over the years, but says, he was only first elected an officer as he forgot to take his name off the ballot paper. RORY NOONAN looks back at his involvement in GAA in the city.

This week in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN remembers the halcyon days of the showband era in Cork, and recalls some of the great bands of those days

James Wilkinson, Cork City’s longest-serving librarian, steered the library through many difficult times including the Burning of Cork. MAIRÉAD MOONEY looks at the critical role he played in restoring the city’s public library service.

Warning: Throwback Thursday this week contains more references to tripe, but JO KERRIGAN also hears fonder memories of crubeens, and learns about life in 1947

A piece of street furniture brought down and destroyed more than 163 years ago still gives its name to one of Cork’s most important thoroughfares. DONAL O’KEEFFE looks at the history and the legacy of ‘The Yella Horse’.

In a packed Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears memories of the Rock Steps and tripe, and marvels at the variety of traders in Cork 150 years ago

In the 2024 Holly Bough, we recounted the story of Corkman Cormac Gallagher, who played a starring role in an Oscar-nominated film, and went on to be a world-renowned scientist. Now, JOHN DOLAN tells the story of another celebrated Cork scientist who played his part in an Oscar-winning documentary. 

Memories of Lent, fasting, and keeling over in church for this week’s Throwback Thursday. Plus, JO KERRIGAN hears more about the Rock Steps and Infant of Prague

A manuscript recipe collection, compiled 100 years ago, recently came through the doors of a library in Cork city. RICHARD FORREST shares details of its unusual contents.

In the season of Lent, JO KERRIGAN recalls a biscuit named after a Cork bishop. Also in Throwback Thursday, she reveals why folk went to Skellig to wed. 

Mayfield Ladies Club, the first club of its kind to be established in the city, is nearing its 60th anniversary. MARIE BARRY looks back at the history of the club.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears about traditions surrounding rainfall - and recalls the An Tóstal events of the 1950s

In 1975, 23 students from a Cork school set off on what would be an epic school tour around Europe. Fifty years on from the trip, FINBARR BUCKLEY looks back at the excursion.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN looks back at common practices at the start of Lent, and hears memories of Cork’s second-hand bookshops.

JOHN O’ SULLIVAN looks back at the long journey to developing City Hall and details how newspaper reports show the building was almost developed at an entirely different location.

In Throwback Thursday today, JO KERRIGAN hears the poignant story of a Cork Navy man’s death, plus explores how Leeside has long had a love for books

SARAH HORGAN meets three individuals with very different interests, but, who share passion for collecting. She hears how they amassed accumulations of currency, 100,000 match programmes, and thimbles.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears a barman’s account of life behind a Cork city bar, plus an eyewitness to a ship’s evacuation in 1947. 

Aged 14, ED FINN and his classmates at Pres had a shock on their school tour of Europe in 1979, when he recalls they met the newly-installed pontiff. 

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, a Cork man tells JO KERRIGAN about his teenage adventures - and misadventures! - with the Irish Naval Reserve

In 1880, 240 men departed Cork on the first organised pilgrimage by train to the shrine in Mayo. OLIVER DOYLE looks back at the early pilgrimages to Knock and details how a number of gifts to the shrine from Cork pilgrims continue to have pride of place there today.

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN follows up on her article on the Ardmanning Bar in Togher last week, and recalls a band who played there

Seamus White and Tony O’Sullivan both worked in a number of pubs in Cork city over the years. They took a stroll down Oliver Plunkett Street, recalling the pubs which stood there in the 1960s. Here, CIARAN WHITE shares their recollections of the time.

We recall the heyday of the Ardmanning Bar in Cork in Throwback Thursday, plus JO KERRIGAN also hears an appeal for information on The Pavilion cinema. 

As the 60th anniversary of the Cork man’s death nears on January 25, PAT POLAND recalls the remarkable World War II exploits of Tom Ryan, a Chief Petty Officer with the Royal Navy

In 1974, Queen’s Place, with 260 years left on its lease, was demolished. RICHARD FORREST looks at the history of the now obsolete Cork address, and finds out about some of the residents that lived there.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears about wonderful memories of visits to Scotland - by a boy scout and a female hitch-hiker

RUTI LACHS is a Jewish musician and music educator who has been researching Cork’s Jewish history for almost a decade. She shines a light on the community and friendships in the city’s Jewtown.

In the first of a series of articles reflecting on forthcoming anniversaries in 2026, PAT POLAND recalls the arrival in Kinsale of 15 escaped German PoWs seeking asylum, 80 years ago next month

SHANE LEHANE looks at some of the more unusual traditions around New Year’s Eve including banging bread on the door at midnight.

It is only as we get older that we appreciate certain artists have created a soundtrack to sections of our lives, writes PATRICK TALBOT. He reflects on Joe Bonamassa’s appearance in Cork during the summer and the impact of the music of Rory Gallagher on a whole generation.

This Christmas marks 50 years since George Best lined out for Cork Celtic. CONCUBHAR Ó LIATHÁIN takes a look at the game and how it all came about.

A peek into some of the cookbooks of the past in this week’s Throwback Thursday, plus JO KERRIGAN hears one man’s childhood memories of Christmas

Before, during and after World War II, families in Ireland sent thousands of turkeys to their loved ones in Britain by mail ship and ‘turkey lift’, writes AISLING MEATH.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears your memories of the Opera House fire 70 years ago, and a lucky escape from a fatal Cork air crash

On December 12, 1955, Cork’s beloved Opera House was destroyed by fire. PAT POLAND recalls the night the old opera house burned down.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN revisits your memories of Pioneer events in Cork, plus a reader recalls the excitement of scouting days

In 1875, members of a relatively new order of religious sisters from England moved to East Cork. Initially, they lived with locals before establishing a convent here. SR MARY KENEFICK looks back at the early beginnings of the order and their impact locally.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears an amusing story about gate-crashers to a Pioneer party in Cork, plus more on Moores Hotel in the city

For generations, children have visited Santa and his helpers in Cork city, and beyond, in the run up to Christmas. SHANE LEHANE looks back at the start of this tradition and provides a snapshot into the Santa visits of times gone by.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears from a Cork man who was born and grew up in one of the city’s best-known hotels

Paddy McCarthy’s family was one of the last to live on Horse Island. He tells AISLING MEATH about the realities of island living, his fond memories of the stations, and their clever farming hacks.

This week on Throwback Thursday, Joe Terry tells JO KERRIGAN about his reflective drive through the streets of Cork and shares memories of the the city’s roads, Blackpool village, and departing on the Innisfallen.

This week on Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN hears memories of wearing cloaks, and how clothes lasted for a lifetime in the make-do-and-mend era. 

She devoted her life to caring for female emigrants in their final days on Irish soil, and Charlotte Grace O'Brien managed it despite a disability, says Deaf historian David Breslin

A crew man on board a ship that got stuck on a Cork mudbank for 12 days shares his memory with JO KERRIGAN in this week’s Throwback Thursday

In World War II, they were the nation’s ‘eyes and ears’, keeping a 24/7 vigil on Ireland’s challenging coastline for the first signs of an invasion. 80 years after they stood down, PAT POLAND salutes Cork’s ‘Saygulls’

MIKE HACKETT harks back to the sweet shops he used to visit in his boyhood in Youghal

A schoolgirl travelling alone from Cork to London, to Dover, to Belgium, and on to Germany for a summer job? Yes, it really did happen, says JO KERRIGAN in this week’s Throwback Thursday. 

For three decades in the mid-20th century, Mossie Good was a vital cog in Cork's transport hub, rowing people and goods from the harbour to Crosshaven. His son tells LYNDA FOLEY about his life

Your recollections of some of the shops around Cork city feature in this week’s Throwback Thursday, plus JO KERRIGAN hears another lovely Innisfallen memory. 

When the Irish Pine was sunk by a German U-boat in 1942, 33 crewmen died, including eight from Cork. GER O’SULLIVAN remembers the victims — and a sailor who had a lucky escape

In Throwback Thursday this week, JO KERRIGAN hears a poignant account of a Cork teenager’s lonesome emigration to England on board the Innisfallen. 

Last October, Jackie Lennox, one of Ireland’s most iconic chippers, dished up its last orders after 73 years of service. Plunkett Carter reflects on the news. 

This week in Throwback Thursday, JO KERRIGAN takes a walk down Cork city of the past, when horses and carts, small shops and cinemas were common sights. 

When Mary O'Connell got the chance to fly in a plane over Cork in 1933, it was a dream come true - but would her father approve? Her son, JOE TERRY tells the story

After mentioning Cork author Alice Taylor’s book, To School Through The Fields, JO KERRIGAN finds an example of just that in Throwback Thursday this week