A Celebration of Love and Sisterly Friendship

50th Golden Wedding, Ribbons Stolen From A Graveyard and A Celebration Of Love and Sisterly Friendship

*Fankerton February 1967*

A tiny village in Stirlingshire, 3 streets of houses built in a circle with 2 blocks of 2 and 3-bedroomed flats alongside the circle, which the locals called ‘the buildings.’ Built in the 1930s to house the workers of Carrongrove Mill, one of the many mills that ranged along the River Carron. One wee shop, one phone box, a butcher's, a baker's, and vans drove up daily to serve the locals from the co-op in nearby Denny.

The Fankerton Hut or ‘the Fankie Hut’ was the local name given to the hall that housed card schools, jumble sales, and events for the Fankerton locals. My granny had been on the Hut’s committee and was involved in putting on wartime concerts and parties. The Hut had also been where children were evacuated from Clydebank, Glasgow, during the wartime blitz, and had met the families with whom they would be living.

*Spring 1916, Youghal*

A little town on the east coast of Ireland, just 30 miles from Cobh, where only four years before, the White Star Line’s flagship ship Titanic, had sailed from on her last stop to New York.

Youghal’s landmark is the imposing Clock Tower where my great-grandmother and great-grandfather lived, Julia and John McGrath. My grandmother, 15-year-old Lena McGrath, had grown up in Youghal. She’d had a happy childhood with her 7 brothers and sisters. Lena and her older sister Kitty were close in age and friendship. Each afternoon after their jobs in service, Kitty and Lena were allowed out for a few hours of freedom.

Kitty and Lena both had long chestnut hair, which fell down their backs in long ringlets. secretly, Kitty was very proud of her hair. She knew it was wrong to be so vain, but what young girl can help admiring her hair, and Kitty was prone to paying extra pennies for gaily coloured ribbons to tie in her lovely, long hair.

Jack Mcateer, a handsome youth aged 19 from Ballyclare, County Antrim, a private in the Dublin Fusiliers. Jack had enlisted to fight in the Great War on the 27th November 1915 and was convalescing in Youghal after losing an eye at Gallipoli in the Dardanelles.

Jack, Kitty, and Lena were often found in each other's company. Jack McAteer enjoyed the company of both girls while he walked along the Strand beach, and both girls were delighted to be seen in the company of such a young, handsome soldier.

Dance halls were a feature in Ireland and often sprung up where no dance hall had been before. Such was the case of the barn along the Youghal Strand beach. Kitty and Lena were permitted to attend a Saturday night dance, and plans were excitedly made.

On the Saturday morning, the day of the dance, Kitty, whilst out getting the messages from the list her mother had given her, took a shortcut home through the graveyard. Kitty spied a beautiful collection of flowers recently laid on a new grave. As Kitty admired the array of flowers tied with beautiful and very expensive green, yellow, red, and white ribbons, a thought came to her. Kitty stroked the ribbons, marvelling at the silky feel of them between her fingers. Kitty struggled with the thought, her conscience wrestling with her desire to have the ribbons. Before she realised what she was doing, she had quickly untied 2 green and 2 yellow ribbons and scampered back home with the ribbons safely tucked in her pocket.

Alas, Kitty had not been the only person in the graveyard, and it wasn’t long before news of her deed was conveyed to her mother. Kitty would not be attending the dance that evening, and the ribbons were quickly placed back on the bundles of flowers to lie on the grave of the newly departed.

Only Lena attended the dance that evening with Jack, and one year later, on the 18th February 1917, Jack and Lena were married in Youghal.

*50 years later, February 1967*

Tonight, the Fankie Hut was transformed into a magical golden and white wonderland. Tables, where my granda and his pals had sat during many of the card schools concentrating on what hand they had, were transformed, covered in white tablecloths, vases of flowers. The Fankie Hut had never looked so beautiful.

Oh, the excitement that was in the family that night. Lena and Jack’s family of 12 sons and daughters and dozens of grandchildren were all excited for the celebration party that my granny and granda had no idea was happening.

My granny and granda had been told they were going to see the film The Sound of Music in Glasgow, and my Uncle Bill Donaghue was driving. They were told they were going the back road to Glasgow over Carronbridge. As the car approached the Hut, not even 100 yards from their house, Uncle Bill drove into the car park and told the bemused Jack and Lena, ‘We’ll just see what's going on here tonight!’

Lena and Jack McAteer entered the Fankie Hut to cheers and tears of congratulations, and there to congratulate them was her sister Kitty with her husband Mick. I was 7 years old and have never forgotten that night, and today, I share this celebration of love with you.