Characters

Characters series: Some of the memorable personalities who have frequented Fenor pub down through the decades

Front row — Paddy Flynn, Maurice Cheasty, Paul Murphy, John Joe Rockett, Mike O’Brien, Richie Power; Middle — Mattie Markie, Mikie MacNamara, John Buck, Tom Farrell, Markie Crowley, Matt Henry, Tommy Nash, Jack Rockett, Mickie Riordan, Bob Doyle, Maurice Nash, Mike Veale, Denny Rockett; Back — Paul Hayes, Ned Blanche, Bob Rockett.

As the late Bob recalled, Threshing Day was a major event, with all the family involved and neighbours lending a hand. “The machine men would arrive for breakfast; the one who drove the steam engine had status. Children would watch fascinated by the men working in pairs to keep the grain harvesting exercise in motion. After days of preparation, there was a sigh of relief afterwards, especially in the kitchen; the beer firkin well emptied.”

Characters series: Some of the memorable personalities who have frequented Fenor pub down through the decades

A regular in Fenor Pub in the seventies and eighties, Jack Sherry (left) came from County Meath. He was a carpenter by trade and did a lot of work locally for farmers and families, back in the day when CVs travelled by word of mouth.

He lived at The Rectory, Westown initially and then with the Whelans of ‘Church House’ in lslandkeane, where he saw out the rest of his days on the edge of the Celtic Sea.

A genius when it came to woodwork, the many jobs Jack did around the place included the ‘music lounge’ extension at his then-local, Rockett’s of Westown, in 1969-’70. Tony Rockett remembered how he would work every day of the week — apart from Mondays — but only up until 4 o’clock, “when he would retire to his black tea.” When the mood took him, “Roaming in the Gloamin’” (written when Jack was a baby) was his song.

The son of a farm worker brought up in the rural Trim townland of Corporationland North, Jack was the last born of eight children. Predeceased by all his siblings, he passed away in October 1990, not long after his 80th birthday.

Jack is pictured here c. 1976/’77 with another native of the Royal County, namely Finian Englishby, who was a frequent visitor to O’Mahonys in those years, along with his wife Mary and their eleven children, including daughter Dara (front).

Characters series: Some of the memorable personalities who have frequented Fenor pub down through the decades

County Meath family The Englishbys — Mary, Finian and their 11 children — came to Fenor camping in the late seventies and made many firm friends here.

A great GAA and hurling man with the Wolfe Tones Club, and a respected administrator in the Royal County for many years, Finian worked as a civil engineer and his last project before retiring was the redevelopment of O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.

Also in the photo are “Mother” herself, the late Mrs Mary McHugh, grandmother of current publican Sean O’Mahony, and Mossie Sullivan, The Cottage, Fenor, far left.

Having worked in Britain for many years and also with Waterford County Council, Mossie was from a well-known Caher farming and sporting family. A great neighbour and conversationalist, he combined courtesy and wit — not to mention a verse-writing ability that gave rise to “The Ballad of the Ballyscanlon Hills” and “The Old Fenor Bog”, among other compositions.

A dab hand at darts and cards, Mossie loved all manner of games and sadly died suddenly while watching a Gaelic match in Gorey in the spring of 1991.

Members of the since-expanded Englishby clan still visited the village from time to time. We were very saddened to learn of the passing of Finian Englishby in Co. Meath in July 2025. Rest in Peace, Finian, you left a fine legacy. Our sincere condolences to Mary, their five sons and six daughters.

Characters series: Some of the memorable personalities who have frequented Fenor pub down through the decades

One of the old stock, the late Mikey O’Brien of Cahir Hill, Fenor, pictured relaxing with a pint of stout in the back bar of Mother McHughs in the late nineties.

A well-known and popular figure in the area, Mikey was originally from the Manachaun Hill, Kill, and worked as a farm labourer most of his days. He loved the local cards scene and nothing more than a game of thirties here in O’Mahonys. He also sang his own version of The Moon Behind The Hill, which always went down well.

Ever-cheerful and courteous, pipe-smoking Mikey was part of the furniture in Fenor and it’s hard to believe his 25th anniversary was in early 2025.

Characters series: Some of the memorable personalities who have frequented Fenor pub down through the decades

“Breaking the old into the new” — Fenor Pub patrons Jack Sullivan and Paddy Burns weren’t to be discommoded during the renovations at what was soon to become Mother McHughs back in the mid-’90s. TP O’Mahony can be seen coming through with fresh supplies. The days of small-screen televisions and supersers.

Joe (Phil) Power, Kilfarrasy, and his friend Bill Ormond, the old Post Office, Fenor, in Mother McHughs circa 1997 — two men who spent much of their lives in England before retiring to Fenor.

Joe worked across the water for many years with Jim — both brothers of the late Phil Power, Whitfield, Butlerstown — before returning to Waterford and a farm near his native Fenor in the eighties. Bill was originally from Kilsheelan but connected to Fenor through his sisters, Kathy (d. 1995) and Mary (d. 1998), who purchased the post office here and operated it for more than two decades until its closure in 1986.

Their brother used to visit regularly on holiday before deciding to make the move full-time in the early eighties. He was never happier than when playing cards with his friends in O’Mahonys/Mother McHughs. Joe and Bill passed away within weeks of each other in the year 2000.

The late Dick O’Shea, Ballyduff Hill, Kilmeaden, beguiling his beloved accordion like only he could in Fenor Pub back in the late nineties.

Known for his extraordinary gift as a box player, Dick entertained a variety of social gatherings far and wide for five decades — Joe Grant being one of his early céilí sidekicks.

He was also an ever-present on the cards circuit in places like the Cosy Thatch, the Kilmeaden Inn (a regular spot for trad’ sessions), Haughtons, and countless other venues.

Having been born and raised in Pembrokestown, Butlerstown, in 1961 Dick came to live in Ballyduff Lower, where he and Peggy proudly raised a family of five.

After working in Mount Congreve, he spent many years as groundsman in the busy Waterford Crystal social and sports complex at Ballinaneeshagh and was a familiar sight on his Honda bike.

He loved life, particularly Irish music, cards and hurling, and easily made friends everywhere he went. He was a fixture on the Fenor bus for Waterford matches and Munster Finals from the ’70s through to the ’90s. Collected in Kilmeaden, sitting up top, his fingers kept the tunes going to and fro’.

Kevin Burns can remember mornings heading over to collect Dick — who was a great friend of his father’s — on his own Honda 50 to bring him, box and all, across to O’Mahonys to play before the bus even hit off.

A couple of hours later, the sweat would be rolling off Dick as the bus eventually turned the corner in the village bound for Thurles, Killarney, or wherever!

His empty seat was much lamented on the day of the 2002 Munster final. For sadly, after a brave battle, Dick passed away the previous September, shortly before his 69th birthday. (Mick O’Keeffe recalls that every time he’d see him, Dick used say, and to others no doubt, “Be God, Mick, there’s not many of us left.”)

He was given a fitting music-filled farewell in his adopted homeplace before being laid to rest back in his native soil. In their mind’s ear, many people can still hear Dick in full flight, pushing and pulling the bellows.

Characters series: Some of the memorable personalities who have frequented Fenor pub down through the decades

“Long” Paddy Sullivan with Mary Ormond, Post Office, and Mother McHugh (right) at Fenor Pub, 1970s.

From Kilsheelan, Postmistress Mary and her sister Kathy were lovely friendly ladies and had a little shop as well, selling bread, sweets, ice-cream, pencils, firelighters and all sorts in between; not forgetting the Sunday papers after Mass.