Welcome to the White House, Joe . . .Up Mayo!
JAYBEE'S CORNER
GROWING up in Castlebar in the 1940s and '50s the main source of entertainment for young people was the Sunday matinee in the County Cinema, Spencer Street.
Jack Flanagan, McHale Road, operated the film projector and was often joined by his son Patrick, a fine golfer in later years. I also remember Patrick as a dab hand at pitch and toss.
After Jack Flanagan retired, Frank Guthrie took over his job, a born comedian.
Frank conveyed the films from the railway station to the County Cinema in a box. He jokingly remarked that he was the person who could put Jimmy Cagney in his box.
Willie Ainsworth, resplendent in his chocolate coloured uniform and white gloves, cut an impressive figure at the front of the cinema, a neighbour of mine and a lovely gentleman.
John 'Botha' Roach, a veteran of World War One, who was awarded the distinguished conduct medal for his bravery under enemy fire, often helped out with crowd control.
Occasionally, Detective Mullen, known as 'Flash', also helped with crowd control.
William Boyd, otherwise known as Hopalong Cassidy, with his horse 'Topper', appeared in so many films in the County Cinema that local people jokingly maintained the animal was looked after by Pato Kelly, who lived next door to the cinema.
Roy Rogers, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Jimmy Cagney and John Wayne were the leading male actors coming out of Hollywood at the time.
On the female side of things we all fell in love with Betty Grable, a star with the million dollar legs, Maureen O’Hara, Zsa Zsa Gábor, Dorothy Lamour, Jayne Mansfield and Judy Garland.
Maureen O’Hara regularly visited Castlebar, where her cousins, the Ryan family, Newtown, lived. She was a close friend of the Collins family, Davitt’s Terrace.
The second world war came and featured many Hollywood actors virtually defeating the Germans on their own.
Later on we welcomed Jack Kennedy to Ireland, the first Catholic to be elected president of the United States, with his dazzling good looks, a genuine war hero whose grandparents came from the ould sod, as the Americans often call Ireland.
America was known as the 'home of the brave', to which hundreds of thousands of Irish people emigrated, prospered and made it their home.
In Joe Biden, America now has a decent man in the White House who has overcome great personal tragedy and who will look after his country with decency, fair play and honour.
Biden comes from solid Mayo stock and has never forgotten his roots.
Welcome to the White House, Joe.
We are confident you will do America, Ireland and Mayo proud.