You'll Ruin your dinner.... Sweet Memories from an Irish Childhoodis a new book by Damian Corless. All those nostalgic sweetie moments from our childhoods are captured by Damian as he relives his younger, sugar-fuelled days. A self-confessed sweet tooth, Damian is also one of Ireland's foremost journalists. He works with the Irish Independent and is former editor of In Dublin and Magill. More of his books include GUBU Nation (2004) and The Greatest Bleeding Hearts Racket In The World (2010).
I haven't read the book yet but managed to leaf through it on a recent trip to my local book store. It promises to be an entertaining read and I'm sure Urney Chocolates gets a mention along with favourite brands of the day such as HB Ices and Cleeves. Interesting interview with Damian here. I look forward to discovering the book in my Christmas stocking in a few weeks.
As I finished my last post I remembered that my original idea for a book was the much humbler affair of an illustrated story about the life of Eileen Gallagher. That was before the project sprouted legs and became Sweet Memories the Story of Urney Chocolates, a book about Urney's the factory and a celebration of all who worked there. But in those initial days I created a few illustrations. So I am including one here that relates to Eileen's father and his passion for organ playing. I must find a proper home for these illustrations. More to come in following posts. Perhaps a small children's story? As always, all suggestions welcome!
I've been so busy in the garden this summer that my Urney blog has been sadly neglected. My poly tunnel is producing courgettes to beat the band- suggested uses for same are very welcome. I've been sneaking courgettes into most of my dishes and even tried my hand at a courgette sorbet which my family very politely ate with approving gestures. I'm touched by their tact but I promise, I won't be making any more. *sighs of relief all round..*
I'm sure great-granny Eileen Gallagher would know what to do with a glut of veggies. A chutney-making enterprise perhaps? Afterall, it was the jam that she made from the excess fruit in her garden that launched a cottage industry that later became Urney Chocolates. "Urney Chocolates grew out of a jam pot" as Eileen's husband Harry was fond of saying. I often wondered what it was that made Eileen such an astute business woman. Her determination and practical nature would have helped. Early family life would also have shaped her thinking. She was the youngest of 16 children and despite both her parents coming from well-off families, Eileen saw her mother struggle financially. Her father John had been destined to take over the family business in New Ross, Co. Wexford but preferred to spend his time playing the organ while the family's fortunes dwindled away. It's safe to say Eileen didn't inherit his business acumen (or lack of..). Eileen's mother, Mary Ellen, on the other hand became an adept seamstress and frugal housekeeper and managed to keep up the illusion of comfortable living. She was fortunate to get annual income from her own family, who were related to MP John Redmond. While the allowance would have helped enormously it must have been difficult. No doubt it would have strengthened Eileen's resolve for financial security in later life. And the instilled notion that you couldn't always rely on the traditional bread-winner to provide for you, may have made her more independent and unconventional? Well, we can only speculate. Now...anyone for a slice of courgette cake?
"Sweet Memories, the Story of Urney Chocolates", the exhibition, has returned to it's original host, The Irish Agricultural Museum in Wexford. It was unveiled here for the first time in July 2009 and having visited many of the libraries in South County Dublin over the last two years, it is back for another stint in the sunny south east. So if you missed it first time 'round, now is your chance to catch it. Seven display panels summarize the history of the factory from it's inception to it's closure, capturing the highs and lows of over 50 yearsmaking chocolate. The book is also available for sale at the museum, which is a fascinating place and well worth a visit if you haven't already been. The museum is set in the picturesque grounds of Johnstown Castle, another great reason to drop by.
An intriguing parcel arrived in my postbox last week from my good friend John Haire of Strabane. I was pleasantly surprised to find a book about the history of the parish of Urney. Urney parish consists of townlands from counties Tyrone and Donegal and it was where Urney Chocolates first began trading in 1919. Leafing through the book I came upon the chapter "Urney Chocolates, Sweet Success" written by John's brother William. It details the history of the factory from its inception to its closure.
There is a lovely anecdote about factory founder Eileen Gallagher in her role of traveling saleswoman during the factory's early years. Eileen noticed that one shop down the country was placing large orders for Urney produce. She asked the shopkeeper how the customers liked the sweets only to get the reply "The farmers find them great in their tea as sugar is still rationed." Probably not the answer Eileen had hoped for! Luckily, this lack of appreciation for her efforts as confectioner did not dampen her spirits too much and the business went from strength to strength.
The publication, titled Urney, History, People, Place (ISBN: 978-0-9568891-0-2) covers all aspects of parish life from remarkable individuals that came from the area to religion, farming and industry. Published by Doneyloop Youth Club and edited by Daniel McMenamin, many authors have contributed to the publication resulting in a valuable and engaging local history resource. Thank you John!
If you go into The Book Centre in Wexford town you will now find Sweet Memories, the Story of Urney Chocolates on their 'Local Interest' shelves. I am delighted to say that the shop have kindly agreed to stock the book where it retails at the same price of €15. The Book Centre have always supported local authors and Wexford certainly has more than it's fair share of literary talent. There is an impressive range of local interest/history books on display in the shop. I always find great gifts here for relatives living abroad. So if happen to be on the Main Street in Wexford, do pop in. Customers are encouraged not just to browse but to make themselves at home; to sit and read, enjoy a coffee and biscuit in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Today I collected the Urney Chocolates exhibition from Tallaght Library. Sile, from Local Studies Department, had carefully packed and padded the display boards, prints, sweet tins and boxes ready for transit back to Wexford. The exhibition, having spent the last seven months touring the libraries of South Dublin, is now looking forward to visiting new venues. All invitations welcome!
Incidentally, not only do the libraries of South Dublin house physical copies of Sweet Memories, The Story of Urney Chocolates, the book is also available for lending as a digital download from their website. The advancement of technology never ceases to amaze me.....
A fine crowd turned up for our Wexford book launch in D'Lush Café last Saturday. The café is just the perfect setting for an intimate gathering and the D'Lush staff worked tirelessly to keep folk fed and watered. Linda's delicious chocolate brownies were a huge hit and, I suspect, the main attraction! It was a great opportunity for everyone to catch up with old friends. Mayor Joe Ryan introduced the book with a warm and well-considered speech. Having grown up in Dublin, Joe was well familiar with Urney Chocolates. He fondly reflected on the lure of the infamous Two and Two bar and noted the factory's significance in Irish industrial history. A terrific night. Thanks to everyone for all the support. And special thanks to Zeno for being both photographer and financial controller on the night. Who said men can't multi-task!
Valentine's Day is fast approaching and many of us have chocolate on our minds. That makes it the perfect time of year to have our rescheduled "Sweet Memories" book launch. The Mayor, Joe Ryan, will launch the book on Saturday 12th Feb in D'Lush Café in Wexford Arts Centre at 7pm, prior to the Maeve Higgins show. There will be delectable home-made chocolate brownies and hot beverages served on the evening. For anyone looking to spoil their loved-one on Valentine's Day, a selection of mouth-wateringly delicious, chocolate goodies, lovingly crafted by Linda of D'Lush, will be available for sale. Linda honed her chocolate-making skills in Holland before returning to Wexford to set up the popular eatery- a favourite spot for both sweet-tooths and lovers of wholesome, healthy fare. And of course I'll be there on the 12th to sign copies of "Sweet memories- the Story of Urney Chocolates". Look forward to seeing you.
Can you believe it's 2011 already? Last year seemed to unravel in the blink of an eye. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into reading the books I got for Christmas. "Chocolate Wars: From Cadbury to Kraft: 200 years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalry" is first on my list. Written by a descendant of the Cadbury chocolate dynasty, Deborah Cadbury tells the engaging story of the Cadbury's chocolate factory from its inception to its recent takeover by Kraft. All the major English Chocolate brands such as Fry's and Rowntree's were started by Quaker families and the devout religious values that infiltrated their factories have long since given way to modern commerce. The world's chocolate industry is now dominated by just four multi-nationals; Kraft, Nestlé, Mars and Ferrero. Deborah, an acclaimed historian and documentary maker, details this fascinating journey in her book.
Incidently, Urney Chocolates founder Harry Gallagher also had Quaker roots. His mother, Harriet Thomas, came from a County Cork Quaker family. Harry certainly empathized with the Quaker ideal of caring for workers and he devoted much of his time creating a pleasant and safe environment for his employees. The Urney factory became known locally as the factory in a garden- just as the Cadbury factory had many years before in Victorian England.
Due to adverse weather conditions the Sweet Memories, the Story of Urney Chocolates book launch will be postponed until further notice. Provided conditions do not deteriorate much further, I will be in Greenacres tomorrow, Saturday 4th to inform people of the change in schedule. I will also be available to sign books from 12pm til 3pm should anyone brave the elements and make it into Wexford town. A new launch date will be rescheduled shortly. Watch this space......In the meanwhile, keep warm....
Finally, the Wexford launch has arrived. Be sure to get to Greenacres gallery at midday on Saturday 4th December to catch the opening of the Greenacres Christmas show. Directly following the art opening, local author and historian Nicky Furlong will introduce the book, Sweet Memories. The Story of Urney Chocolates. Special guest Brendan Grace will be joining us, promising an afternoon of shared memories and good old-fashioned craic. Don't miss it!
This afternoon Tom Doorley was promoting his book "Eating for Ireland" on RTE's Four Live show. He chatted to Maura Derrane about favourite foods of our childhood and how they evoke a longing for a simpler but comforting time. His book celebrates this nostalgia and discusses how we used to eat throughout the years. Of course, Urney Chocolates got a mention. Tom and Maura waxed lyrical about the delectable Two and Two bar and the toothsomely chewy Bobby bar. At one point Maura furtively produced my book Sweet Memories- The Story of Urney Chocolates" from under the counter, taking care not to reveal its cover. She opened the book to point at a picture of a Two and Two Bar wrapper. As the camera lingered on the image they enthusiastically discussed the reincarnation of the well-loved bar. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the book title or its author and the implication was that this was a double page spread from Tom's book. Shame.....I feel a bit cheated..... See the programme for yourself here (scroll to 17.36mins for the Tom Doorley interview.) Link is only available til December 1st. Feel free to highlight this injustice by emailing emails@fourlive.ie......
L.C. Confectionery, owner of many Irish vintage confectionery brands, including Urney Chocolates, has introduced Hadji Bey Turkish Delight back to the market. Hadji Bey the company, was established in 1902 in Cork by Armenian national, Harutun Batmazian. Harutun's first career choice, like Urney Chocolates founder, Harry Gallagher, was law. While studying in Istanbul (then Constantinople) Harutun found time to help out in a confectionery business producing Turkish Delight. However, when the Turks began executing Armenian Christians he fled to south west Ireland. Despite having no English or financial backing Haruntun set up shop in MacCurtain Street, Cork and before long had converted the Irish to the exotic charms of Turkish Delight.
Today in County Kildare, Hadji Bey sweetmeats are still lovingly handmade to original recipes. Available in Original Rose and Rahat Lokoum (a mix of Rose, Orange and Lemon) flavours, the sweets are hand packed in beautifully designed sturdy, round boxes. The boxes retail at a very reasonable €8.95 from outlets nationwide, such as the English Market, Cork and The Chocolate Shop. They can also be found in exclusive London foodstore, Fortnum and Mason.
For anyone who missed the Sweet Memories, The Story of Urney Chocolates exhibition you can catch it in Clondalkin library where it will run until 23rd of November 2010. After that....who knows, maybe a venue near you........ If there are people out there that were unable to make it to the Dublin or Wexford show and are interested in seeing the exhibition, please drop me a line and I'll try my best to get it to a venue as close to you as possible.
Thanks to everyone who came along to the launch last Thursday evening. So many people turned out to support the project and to catch up with old friends and colleagues. There was such a warm and friendly atmosphere in Tallaght Library that night - an indication of the enviable camaraderie that existed in the Urney Chocolates factory before it closed its doors 40 years ago. Sile, Una and library staff did a terrific job organising the whole event, even providing a chocolate fountain with the refreshments. The exhibition runs until September 19th, during library opening hours so you still have a chance to view it.
Finally, after a year in the making, the book is finished. Sweet Memories, The Story of Urney Chocolates will be launched on Thursday evening at 7pm in Tallaght Library. With a heart-warming foreword from comedian Brendan Grace the publication traces the growth of Urney Chocolates from its humble beginnings in Co. Tyrone to an industrial pioneer of Irish confectionery. In conjunction with Heritage week and in association with the book there is also an exhibition on show in Tallaght library. Everybody is welcome to the launch, so come along this Thursday and relive your favourite Urney memories.
A highlight of our trip to Strabane was a visit to Harleys shop on the main street. The shop once housed a drapery store, built by Edward Gallagher in 1869. Edward had made a small fortune selling bibles in America and came home to start a business. The shop was on the ground floor with menswear to the front and ladies wear at the back. Later a shirt factory was built to the rear of the building. Harry (Urney Chocolates founder) worked in his father Edward's business for a short time before being sent off to study law. Harry later returned to the area when he got the post of Crown Solicitor to Donegal and his brother Andrew took over the family business. The shop then came into Joseph Harley's father's hands and Joseph now runs a furniture shop from the same premises. Today's shop retains many of the old features including the wooden floor and exterior design. There was a lovely nostalgic feel to the building; you could almost hear the ghosts of customers milling in the out of the busy drapery store of over 100 years ago when Edward traded his wares.
Last week-end mum and myself took drove to Tyrone where the story of Urney Chocolates all began. Urney, meaning place of prayer, is a parish just outside Strabane and straddles the Donegal-Tyrone border. The 5 gruelling hours it took to get were quickly forgotten on our arrival. We were met by John Haire, his brother William and John's lovely family who generously kept us fed and watered as we exchanged Urney Chocolates trivia. John and William are avid local historians and had a plethora of Urney memorabilia to show us.
To make the experience more tangible John drove us out to the original site where the factory had started. There is now a graveyard where Urney House once stood overlooking the river Finn. (Please excuse the ropiness of my stitched-together landscape...) The production of confectionery had started in the cellar of Urney house until the former rectory burned down. Then a purpose-built factory and bungalow was erected on the grounds of the estate until 2 years later it was to suffer the same fate, which prompted the business to move south to Tallaght. There are no traces of these buildings left on the beautiful site but the views of the river winding through the gently undulating countryside can't have changed very much. John then took us to a few other sites (another blogs work) and we left over-laden with fantastic images and gathered information. They could not have been more helpful or more giving with their time, collections and hospitality. It was a truly memorable trip.
The other day while rummaging through family stuff in search of Urney bits and bobs I came across this book by my Great-Aunt Helen.
Helen was the only daughter of Urney Chocolates founders Harry and Eileen Gallagher. She was born in 1910. Trained as a nurse in St Vincent’s Hospital Helen went on to study physiotherapy. She married engineer Dermot O’Clery and began writing books for children. She quickly became an established author and had many books published both in Ireland and in America. The couple's eldest daughter Ann, an architect and accomplished artist, illustrated several of Helen’s books including this one, Mysterious Waterway. Ann's beautiful sketches feature throughout.
Published in 1963 by Alan Figgis this adventure story for young readers sees the O’Reilly family navigate their way from Dublin Quay to Port Shannon on board a cabin cruiser. Although it is a work of fiction, the book was written to highlight the importance of retaining the canal. Dublin Corporation planned to lay a sewer in the bed on the city section of the Grand Canal and concrete over it to make a motorway. At this time Dermot O’Clery was president of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI) which was formed in 1954 in an effort to preserve Ireland’s inland waterways. The IWAI is still in operation today and has this to say about Dermot on their website:
1963:..... Dermot O'Clery, President from 1962-'67, produced a comprehensive report about the future development of the Shannon, at the request of Bord Failte, indicating the funds that would be required to implement it. Bord Failte allocated the necessary funds, €140,000, and it is significant that almost all the suggestions contained in the report have now been carried out, illustrating the importance of putting suggestions in writing in a well laid out format.
I'm a graphic designer and illustrator with chocolate making in my ancestry. This blog helped me keep track of progress on the "Sweet Memories" project. Many people have kindly given me time, inspiration and personal anecdotes that have been instrumental in creating the project to date. Many thanks to you!
www.karennolandesign.ie
www.mizzwinkens.com
