Our Hollywood Star

(A profile of Alice Coleman by Nuala Collins, published in The Bridge in February and March 2001.)

Anyone who starts formal education at age two and a half years is surely qualified for a varied and eventful life. Alice Toomey was carried to Hollywood NS at that early age in the arms of her mother. The Toomeys were always ready to help when need arose and this time it was the local school that needed numbers to sustain a third teacher, so young Alice was brought along to add to the names on the Roll Book.

A long memory has our Alice, because she remembers that day and it was early spring of 1918. She remembers the famous Fr Kavanagh too and says "he would take the children out of their cradles to keep the school going".

The Toomeys of Ballysize, like many Wicklow people were great admirers of Roger Casement, and following the sad day of his execution there was great joy in the family when their fourth child was born, a girl, and a week later Fr Kavanagh christened her Alice! Her birthday is August 4th 1916.

There was a lot of turmoil and trouble in Ireland that year with the Easter Rising just months before. The Second World War was raging in Europe. The Kaiser in Germany gave Paul Von Hindenberg command of the German army. On the other side of the Atlantic the US paid $25 million for the Danish Virgin Islands. These may have been the news headlines but the Wicklow people snug in their villages were struggling with everyday living.

The Toomeys, like many of their neighbours, did not involve themselves too much in politics, although Alice says there was great "reverence" for Charles Stewart Parnell in her home. It was often recalled how the older generation saw him when he addressed a public meeting in Poulaphuca House towards the end of the last century.

Michael Davitt addressed a meeting in Hollywood on November 7th 1882 to form a branch of the Land League.

"You will excuse me if I follow your example and keep on my hat," he said. "I am glad to find myself once again near the mountain homeland of the O'TooIes and the O'Byrnes, beneath of the shadow of these lofty hills that are associated with many a glorious rally in the cause of the fatherland in the past. Whilst this meeting, which I have the privilege of addressing, may not be as large as many that I have stood before in other parts of Ireland, it makes up for numbers by the intensity, enthusiasm and the evidence of resolutions stamped on every face."

Before Alice, Pat and Mary Toomey had three children -- Molly, Mag and Dick. She remembers her three younger brothers, Joe, Paddy and Andy being born. That time the midwife came and stayed with the mother for eight days during the confinement.

Toomeys house was long since filled to capacity. When Alice's parents married in 1910 there were already his father, his brother, two nephews and a niece whose parents had died, all living in the house. But Mary, being a Byrne of good Wicklow stock from Ballintubber, took it all in her stride. The O'Byrne's of Wicklow were considered the most powerful and distinguished in the province of Leinster and the last of the Irish clans to surrender to the Saxon.

Alice's first teacher was a Miss Kiernan from Granard, whose sister Kitty was Michael Collins's sweetheart. Later she retired and moved to Bray where she bought and ran a hotel. Another of her sisters married Tommy Tutty of Hollywood. On promotion to second class, Alice climbed the granite steps to Mrs Goggin's room. According to Alice she was a very good teacher, strict but not cruel ... and could be heard shouting in the next village.

First Communion and Confirmation are vivid memories for Alice. As often through her life, Fr Kavanagh made a big impression. She recalls her first Confession with him. He questioned her "Did you do this and that?" Afraid to say "No, father" Alice felt she came out of the confession box "A terrible sinner, an absolute criminal".

On Confirmation Day, May 11th 1926, Alice had an early start. The donkey grazing on the hill had to be caught and yoked before eight o'clock Mass in Hollywood. Then after breakfast the family set off for Ballymore to meet the Bishop, where Alice was made 'a strong and perfect Christian'. Confirmation was not administered in Hollywood until 1988.

The worst day of Alice's life occurred while she was still at national school. She led a band of rebels and they stayed away from school for the day. The gang of truants included her three younger brothers Andy, Joe and Paddy, together with their neighbours the Dunnes. Led by Alice the troop set off for school as usual one morning. They took the short cut through the woods from Ballysize to Hollywood, but obviously spent too much time dilly-dallying on the way.

There were flowers to be picked. Animal tracks to be investigated. Strange noises to be identified. The stream had to be tested for its contents and temperature. Tall trees had to be gazed at and perhaps climbed. Anyway, when they got to the clearing where the road was waiting they had lost count of time. Along comes Myles Miley the local postman.

"Where are you people going? "asked Myles."

To school, of course," they chorussed.

"At this time of day?" questioned the postman as he took out his pocket watch and informed them it was ten o'clock. School started at nine-thirty, and if you were late you were asked to stand behind the door.

Myles offered no advice and made no criticism. So they had a conference and decided not to venture to school at all. They retreated half way back home to the big bank from where they could keep the school and its activities under observation. Alice felt it was the longest day of her life.

"I was the oldest," she says "and felt responsible for them all. I suffered more with the chaps fighting and bickering. This, I thought, is my biggest sin ever. How will I ever face Fr Kavanagh at confession on Saturday?"

She managed to keep control until the pupils were dismissed at three o'clock and the guilty Alice allowed her followers to return home with strict orders to keep the secret.

Next day was worse. Arriving at school on time, Alice was asked by her friend Mag Bourke about the day before and was told that the school attendance officer Garda Brennan had come to check on absentees. Notebook was produced and names were taken.

She suffered more anxiety the next few days expecting him to arrive at the house for explanations. "I felt so deceitful and had told Mother a lie."

However, whether it was her prayers to St Kevin who had visited Hollywood, or to St Jude, patron of hopeless cases, or another more serious crime, no charges were pressed against the truants.

Alice's father Pat worked as a barman and shop boy in Nolan's of Ballymore and was quite happy to continue his career in the business world, but when his brother who had inherited the family farm died Pat returned home to take over. His brother Mike was drawing grain for Guinnesses to Blessington when he fell off the creel and was killed.

Alice, like all children, did her share of work on the farm. She didn't enjoy it, but had no choice as hens, ducks and other fowl had to be fed, eggs collected, cleaned and counted for 'the higler' who came to collect them once a week. When the turkey began pouting under their feet, Alice says they knew she was ready to hatch. When the time was right Mag and Alice had to walk the two or three miles to Whitelys with the brooding turkey to visit the turkeycock. This was a special "gentleman" and had to be registered with the Department of Agriculture.

Here again Fr Kavanagh is mentioned, because it was he who gave the young people instruction on the 'facts of life'. "He had his own way of dealing with these things," she recalls.

After the mating a big iron pot had to be procured for her nest and allow her one month to hatch. Thunder and lightning were dreaded while hens were hatching because they killed the young birds in the eggs.

Milking the cows was another farmyard task and Alice even helped next door with the milking for the Dunnes. She often had to milk nine or ten cows morning and evening. Then, of course, the churning had to be done. The dash churn and its contents were blessed before the work started and any visitor coming to the house had to take a turn -- the old superstition was that, if not, they would take the butter.

Alice is very proud of the fact that her family was self-sufficient, as were many others at the time. They all produced their own food and any that could be was sold to subsidise the family income, like eggs to 'the higler', homemade butter to the local shop Milk was sold to Dublin Dairies and transported by tram from Poulaphuca.

Her mother was an expert with the needle, Alice recalls. "Any coat or dress she saw worn by someone she could copy and make," She adds that her father "was very neat and tidy", his vegetable garden was special and he tended it with care but she doesn't remember any carrots being sown.

The bread man came round once a week to supplement the bread her mother made over the kitchen fire in her bakeoven. The batch loaves came at six for two shillings. Killing the pig once a year for family use was a big occasion. She remembers the boiling pots of water for the ritual. A big platform had to be erected for the killing. She didn't enjoy the squealing before the pig was stunned. But she did enjoy the delicacies which were served for tea afterwards.

After some of the fresh pork was shared with the relations and the Dunnes next door, the "curing" process began. The kitchen table was moved out and a bed of straw was laid by the wall. The sides of pork were boned and saltpetre was rubbed in. This process continued for a week and then the flitches of bacon were hung in hooks from the rafters in the kitchen.

While the men did this heavy work, the women were busy making the black puddings of pigs blood mixed with oatmeal, pieces of chopped pork and lots of seasoning. Mother made delicious brawn from the pigs head. Smaller pieces of pork and the hams were hung in the chimneybreast and smoked.

On either side of this chimneybreast were two "tailleogs". These were two shelves for the salt and other goods, which needed to be kept dry. Although the Toomeys had lots of fowl, and fresh pork and bacon for the table, Alice's favourite meat was rabbit. She says it was a great "mainstay for the family".

Alice's grandmother had cures for many ailments. Some were secret recipes as for jaundice; rashes she could cure with ivy boiled in lard. Poultices were made from flour browned in the pan and then mixed with soap, sugar and salt. Sometimes, when complaints were more serious, Dr Lyons from Dunlavin was called or the patient visited his surgery in Dunlavin, which he attended once a week.

Mrs Toomey had a "bad time" when Paddy was born. Dr Lyons was called and he brought his son, who was a newly qualified doctor. Aunt Alice was sent for as well to help deliver the fourteen-pound baby boy. It was a long and difficult labour and Fr Kavanagh was called to administer the last rites. The children were called to say "goodbye" to mother. Alice says they felt like frightened rabbits. But thank God, Patrick Toomey was delivered safe and well.

He had black and blue marks on him that were explained away by the fact that the doctor had let him fall on the road. The stones that caused the marks were even shown to the two brothers and three sisters. Such was the innocence and ignorance of the time.

A very, very bad memory that Alice has of her young life is having to go stay with her Aunt Judy, who lived in Slievecorragh. Judy was actually her mother's aunt but the girls had to stay with her in turn. When Alice's turn came she obediently went up the mountain but hated every minute.

Alice loved watercress and one day innocently went with Maurice to get some. She thought Aunt Judy would be delighted but on return found the old lady waiting with the besum. She was no "nice old lady" says Alice "but an auld tyrant". That was the final straw for Alice and she left.

Two things were special at Christmas in Toomeys -- the baked rice pudding with the fruit in it, and the Christmas stocking. But one day the children intercepted the postman and found that he was doing Santa's work. Aunt Babs in the Isle of Man was the source of the gifts.

Alice got a great fright during the Black and Tan's occupation of Hollywood barracks. They were on patrol one day when she and Mollie went to the stream for water. The girls were leaning in to fill the bucket when the Tans crossed over the bridge Mollie got such a fright she dropped the bucket and Alice into the water. Afraid to scream for help Alice clung on to the reeds until the patrol had moved on.

Fr Kavanagh was one of Hollywood's well known and well-loved characters. He was curate in Hollywood from 1902 till his death in 1936 at the age of 91. He was immortalised by Monsignor Maurice Browne, PP of Ballymore Eustace, in his books "In Monavalla" and "From a Presbytery Window". He was a farmer and kept sheep (hard for anyone not to, living in the Wicklow hills). He kept Pekinese dogs. He had a pony, which was successful at point-to-point races.

When there was racing at Punchestown, Fr Kavanagh was on duty in case of any emergency. In the twenties he organised a trip by charabanc to Templemore, after a vision was supposed to have taken place there. In the thirties he rented Guirke's loft and ran three or four dances a year in it, the Gallowglass Ceili Band supplied music.

He took the school children for instruction on all matters every Friday and again on Sundays. When he died he left all his money to the missions.

Alice's last teacher in the primary school was Master Dunne. He was another well known personality in the area. He and his wife taught in the old school for many years. Mrs Dunne decided that the school should have an unofficial holiday on the day Corrigan's sheep came from the Curragh for shearing. She did this on the grounds that it
took them so long to pass, no work would be done in the classrooms anyway.

The Master had interests outside the classroom too. At one stage he grew tobacco. Another time he sowed a quarter acre of wheat. The wheat when harvested was brought to Collins's Mill in Kilcullen and made into three-barrel sacks of flour for wholemeal bread.

After eleven and a half years in school, at age fourteen years Alice sought fulltime employment. Her first job was in a local house. One of her duties was to clean the shoes of the son of the house. This she did dutifully every Saturday for Sunday use until one week there was a church holiday and she was told to clean the boots again. She cheekily told the young man to clean them himself and got the sack.

Next job was with Mrs Crooks at The Glebe. She was the wife of the Rector of St Kevin's (Church of Ireland) in Hollywood. This led to her next position, which was with Mrs Crook's sister in Bray.

The journey from west to east Wicklow started when Alice got on the bus at Poulaphuca. She was aged fifteen, and this was her first time to travel further than Hollywood. As she travelled north, looking down on the city of Dublin for the first time, Alice was confident and eager to take on the world.

On reaching Burgh Quay Alice got off the bus, and, following instructions, got her bus connection for Bray. This took her through Ballybrack and Dun Laoire. Another passenger, a girl on the bus, opened the conversation and Alice, always being sociable, chatted with her. The girl was from Blessington, heading for work in Dun Laoire and already knew her way around the metropolis. She gave Alice instructions on where to get off when she reached her destination.

This was a B&B and her job was to do general housework and wait on the paying guests. The man of the house was a commercial traveller and the couple had a six months old baby. Alice spent the next four years in employment there. She didn't like Bray. She thought it was very cold. The salt air made her hair stand on end. She remembers on Sundays having to go to seven o'clock Mass, and run from the sea front to Main Street for Mass and be back in time to serve breakfast

They kept ten or twelve guests. Her wages were 7/6 (seven shillings and six pence, that's 40 pence in today's money) a week plus a few tips. She sent her wages home every week and lived on the tips. Mother didn't say she had to but Alice knew she was the earner and felt it her duty to add to the family purse. Molly was earning too, but Alice says "she smoked a lot and couldn't contribute much".

Alice's time off was limited. She had a half day free once a week, and one day off every month. On her day off she visited the family in Hollywood. Home in the morning and back in the evening. With all the travelling there wasn't much time left, but at least she could catch up on the family news.

When she had enough "tips" saved up she bought a second-hand bicycle. This was the passion to Alice's social life. She could cycle to Delgany and some more of the local beauty spots. Then she started going to the dances in Bray and Greystones. These were afternoon dances and she went on the train. The train fare was six pence return and the admission to the dances was the same price. There was a whole shilling gone on one outing.

In 1936 Alice finished her employment in Bray. She was twenty years old, and came home for Christmas holidays and decided not to go back.

Hollywood is described as a pleasantly wooded area at the foot of Slievecorragh. Some say that the correct spelling is Holywood, because St Kevin rested there on his way to Glendalough. Hollywood in the USA was probably given its name by a Mr Guirke who emigrated to America and owned a lot of land in California in the area where Hollywood was built in 1887.

St Kevin's chair is a local landmark in Hollywood, County Wicklow. According to folklore, anyone secretly making a wish while seated on that stone may rest assured that their wish will come true. No doubt Alice wished there many times.

Well, her wish came true when she was offered a job as cook with Mrs Hornidge at Tulfarris. This came about when she was home for Christmas 1936 and she was asked to help at their Christmas children's party. She made a good impression and donned the cook's hat for Mrs Hornidge. Mrs Hornidge was originally Thelma Stannus whose Edris was better known as Dame Ninette de Valois the internationally famous ballet dancer and choreographer. Both ladies were born in Baltiboys.

A good basic cook was Alice, but she learned a lot from Thelma, like cake making and icing. No wonder Tulfarris is still renowned for good food with the likes of Alice making her mark in the kitchen.

She had three years done in the Hornidge household when a young carpenter named Paddy Dowling came to do work on the stairs. Paddy and Alice fell in love. Their dancing was done in the halls and ballrooms of west Wicklow. Valleymount, Poulaphuca, and Ballymore. Alice recalls the great bands, especially The Gallowglass, and remembers Mrs Keogh playing. Paddy had a car, so transport was no problem.

They were married in Valleymount Church four days after her twenty-third birthday, on the 8th of August 1939. The wedding breakfast was held in Lenehans hotel in Harcourt St, and the happy couple left to start their honeymoon in Bray. Alice mustn't have disliked Bray that much after all. Or maybe she did because the honeymoon couple continued on to Cork and even visited Puck Fair. Alice remembers that when they returned to Wicklow from their honeymoon the Second World War was declared in Europe.

Alice and Paddy set up their first home at Harristown and paid ten shillings a week rent. Paddy was still working in Tulfarris and Alice stayed home housekeeping. However when the cook left Mrs Hornidge, Alice was asked to return. This meant living in, and Alice agreed as long as Paddy came too. The lady of the house went along with that, anything to get her old cook back.

Carpenters were paid a penny an hour more than other workers and Paddy wages were £4.13s.0d a week. Alice earned £3.0d.0d a month and they paid £1.10s.0d a week rent. Then they moved to Ballymore and their first child Rita was born. Next girl Marie was born two years later. Sadly for Alice and the girls, Paddy died in 1950 aged 39 years.

By this time Paddy and Alice had a construction business going. They had just bought a new lorry and had ten lads working. Alice, ever resourceful, carried on the contract work and even drove the lorry herself.

The house where Alice still lives in Kilcullen came on the market and Alice was the highest bidder. She bought the property and Wicklow's loss was Kilcullen's gain. Alice drove into town in her new Ford Consul. That's how we got our Hollywood Star!

Into the bargain she married a Kilcullen man Noel Coleman, in September 1954. She employed a well-known Kilcullen nanny, Chris Barker, to take care of the children while she and Noel carried on with the work. She even started a shop in the front room and sold drapery and general goods along with her own homemade cakes and fancies and even wedding cakes.

Not content with all this industry she turned again towards Ballymore where a pub came on the market in 1956, and bought that, which she and Noel ran for two years. She even had a hackney service and says she met lots of interesting people. All this as well as having two more daughters Patricia and Bernadette.

Another big part of Alice Coleman's career was B&B business, which accommodated people visiting, doing business or passing through Kilcullen. She ran a boarding house for many years and kept teachers, milk board employees, shop assistants, bookies, shop assistants, chemists, and the list goes on. She provided hot lunches for anyone who needed them. Noel died in 1996.

In semi-retirement Alice did some travelling. She went to visit her brother Dick in the USA and while there visited Kansas, Miami, Florida and Oklahoma. Thankfully she didn't go to Hollywood California, or she might have gone into the film business and not returned to us!

While on a visit to Torquay, England, with Peggy White, Lily and Peg's son and daughter, Alice was nearly arrested. They were in a pub in Windsor and were mistaken for subversives when it was blown up.

Alice has always been part of the social scene in Kilcullen and enjoys being out in the company of her friends. She has been and still is a good parishioner and neighbour. Lucky for Alice her daughters, sons in law and twelve grandchildren live locally. Now in her mid-eighties, Alice has time to sit by her cosy fire and enchant us with her many memories.

The village of Hollywood may be the only village in Ireland that is a cul de sac but what a great character it produced in Alice.