Memories From an Old Photograph

Photo L to R:  Mrs Margaret Larkin, Mary Ann Madden, Mrs Molly Larkin, Gerard Holohan, driver.  

Photo, taken by Barbara at the Airport, courtesy: Mrs Lily Hayes.

The American Visitor

Mrs Margaret Larkin lived in Barnaboy, Abbey with her son Tom Joe, always known as Farmer!  In 1948, Mrs Larkin’s grand-niece, Barbara Burns, arrived on a surprise visit from America.  It was Barbara’s first visit to Ireland.  After a holiday in Barnaboy and visiting all her relations, Barbara was set to return to the USA.

Mrs Larkin was anxious to see her grand-niece off safely.  Only three years earlier, in 1945, the transatlantic airport was opened at Shannon.  The airport itself was built in the late 1930s in the townland known as Rineanna, chosen as the most suitable site for Ireland’s first transatlantic airport. The first commercial flight took place in 1939 from Rineanna airport, later to become known as Shannon International Airport.

Now, as Barbara’s holiday was coming to an end, Mrs Larkin wanted to take her to Rineanna as the airport was still locally known.  There were not many cars around in 1948 so Mrs Larkin asked Gerard Holohan if he would take four people to Rineanna in Holohan’s family car.

As a souvenir of the trip Barbara took a photograph at the airport as she was the only person with a camera!  Mrs Lily Hayes kindly gave the photograph to Abbey Heritage as a record of a little bit of history.

It appears that Barbara made a return visit to Barnaboy nine or ten years later as local Barnaboy man, Naoise Larkin remembers her attending the Abbey Carnival in 1958!