I Remember Those Days in the 1940s, 50s and 60s

I remember those days in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. My late sister Betty was a prominent member of the Otter Swimming club based at Dun Laoghaire Baths. Her friends from what I can remember were Rory O’Sullivan, Mervyn McIntyre, Edna Cruise and-she later married Mervyn. I used to hang out at the baths with Val Demery, Norman Wood and Toby Farrrel. Val Demery was a great diver and mixed with the likes of Eddie Heron who was Ireland’s Champion High Board diver.

We all used to use Teddy’s those days which is now famous for its Ice cream. The original owner, Teddy was a great friend to the Otter swimmers and us hangers on. The Baths was then run by the Hill family and I was a particular friend of Carmel, Mr. Hill’s younger daughter, but that’s another story. The Baths and Teddy’ Cafe were a particular type of place teenagers of that era hung out in.

My sister Betty later emigrated to Australia with her husband Mervyn and continued with her swimming to a high standard. I left Ireland in the late 1950s and visited Betty and Mervyn a couple of times with my partner Suzanne Oliver. I regret to say Betty passed away and was swimming to the end my other sister Máiréad who knew a lot of the Dun Laoghaire gang also went to Australia and is still living there. I am now 85 and still remember those fairly innocent times spent at Dun Laoghaire Baths and Teddy’s Cafe.

Further to my reminisces about Dun Laoghaire, some people talk about Life Guards present in the Baths. They were not there in my day. The only person who was there in my memory was a guy called ‘Christie’ who ruled his area with a rod of iron and any misbehaving from any of us was immediately clamped down. I remember one of Val Demery’s tricks was to climb up to the highest point and dive into the Pool. Christie used to go mad and haul Val out of the Pool and give him a dressing down. On reflection he was quite right as it was quite dangerous.