John Killeen wrote very successfully for The Irish Times in the 1980s, beginning with his ground-breaking series ‘Historic Irish Houses’ which brought a spotlight to bear on the contribution of the so-called Anglo-Irish to Irish life, largely ignored up to that point.
His interview, for example, in Birr Castle with the Earl of Rosse highlighted that individual’s work with the UN and his role as a representative of UNESCO and the UNV in Iran as well as his work with Irish charities Concern and Gorta. The interviews, often in their ancestral homes, with other members of the Anglo-Irish, revealed many similar stories.
Of John Killeen’s memoir, ‘One for Sorrow, Two for Joy’, New York academic and writer John Maxwell O’Brien said: “What a marvelous gift I gave myself when I purchased this book. It chronicles seven formative years in the life of a boy who grew up in the town of Athlone during the early 1950s.
“John-John’s coming of age is described with such skill, sensitivity and universal appeal, that the present writer, who grew up on the streets of New York City during the same years, can completely identify with the main character and the ordeals, awakenings and inner turmoil he struggled with during those halcyon days … Woven into the fabric are threads of Irish history, politics, religion, bigotry … alcoholism…”
The Book
Athlone in the 1950s – Guinness barges steam up the Shannon with their precious cargo; turf boats chug along the canal towards Dublin; markets bring life to the streets as the farmers sell their livestock and vegetables while their wives barter eggs with the snooty shopkeepers.
It is the era of Éamon de Valera and Archbishop McQuaid, when “fallen” women are condemned to the Magdalene Laundries, and droves of hopeful emigrants are making their way to Kingstown Harbor, on their way to far-o lands. But for young John Killeen, Athlone is a whole world in itself, full of opportunities for adventure and colorful characters who take him away from the hostility of home.
There’s no-nonsense Mrs Webb in her crumbling mansion, whose love of horses and indomitable spirit are infectious; the Crotty sisters, who oversee the moral standards of the town; Mr Foy, whose toyshop inspires envy and hope in every child; and the seventh son of a seventh son, whose powers of healing are liberally applied.
Most important of all, there is Peggy, the Killeen’s housekeeper, who is John’s constant source of affection as he navigates a childhood that is at turns both magical and threatening. She is there when his father turns violent, when he falls for young Steffi next door, and whenever he needs his faith in humankind restored.
‘One for Sorrow, Two for Joy’ is an enchanting and searingly honest memoir of an Ireland long gone but well remembered, of a time that remains both part of what we are and part of what we left behind.
Signed copies an be obtained direct from the author at https://www.shopinireland.ie/product/one-for-sorrow-two-for-joy-by-john-killeen-signed-copy/?fbclid=IwAR006vF8tVP2YtHulvoS9oTfLi6J25lg05oqmFHMIrPnlHyWgDMRB2S3sMg
The book is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/One-Sorrow-Two-Joy-Growing/dp/1788461541