Sheila's book is an essential guide to all things Glencar
Family members and friends of Sheila Crowley at the launch of her book her personal history of the Glencar area at Glencar Community Hall.
Wednesday December 09 2009
GLENCAR residents past and present turned out in force on Sunday as former teacher and national school principal Sheila Crowley launched her personal history of an area that's dear to her heart.
Glencar Community Hall bulged to the sounds of bygone days as locals read stories from 'Glencar – My Own Place' and recalled tales as they were joined by special guests, Kerry author Tommy Frank O'Connor and Fr Anthony O'Sullivan.
"I was surprised and very humbled by the crowds there on the day," Sheila stated afterwards, adding, "everyone really had a part to play in the book".
Using an autobiographical style, Sheila, who now lives in Churchtown, Beaufort, details her formative years spent in London, her teenage years in Glencar and ultimately her teaching career which saw her serve almost four decades at Boheshill National School.
While the book begins with an account of the author, it soon evolves into all things Glencar, detailing topics such as post-war recovery, emigration, agriculture, education, as well as customs and antiquities. With local sayings and profiles of local characters, many since passed away, it will be a trip down memory lane for most.
Indeed, a compilation of facts presented in a personal style, it could be considered a valuable source of information for local residents as well as those who may have travelled to pastures new.
"I didn't want place names and such things about Glencar to be lost, so I decided to put it all in the one book, partly as a reference," the author continued.
It's a project that's been decades in the making and Sheila says she wasn't helped by a somewhat unhelpful computer. "I had the book largely written about three years ago but my entire work was wiped by a computer, so I had to start from scratch," she explains.
- KEVIN HUGHES
