Search Results for 'Peggy Kenny'

On this Saturday, had he lived, Walter Macken would be 110 years old. He was born on May 3, 1915 in St Joseph’s Avenue. His father was originally from Knock, Spiddal and came to Galway aged 14 and worked as a carpenter during the day. At night, he became an actor who performed numerous roles in the Racquet Court Theatre in Middle Street. He became unemployed in 1915 and, as he had a wife and three children to support, he joined the British Army, the Royal Fusiliers to be precise. He was sent to France and was killed on March 28, 1916 in St Eloi. He is in our first photograph in his army uniform.

Ninety years ago, on October 22, 1932, a Fox Moth plane piloted by Captain Armstrong took off from Oranmore carrying mails and two passengers, Peggy Kenny and Kitty Curran, thus starting the first Irish-Continental European air mail delivery and the first passenger service. The mails were handed to the pilot by the postmaster Mr C Lynch. Bad weather at Athlone meant they had to fly blind a few hundred feet above ground for some time. This ‘feeder’ part of the overall journey was sponsored by Galway Harbour Board to the tune of £80. The flight took 55 minutes, it took the ladies four hours to get home on the train.

When I meet Ultan Macken for a morning coffee to chat about his one man show, My Father, My Son, the first thing he does is delightedly show me a new Russian edition of Walter Macken’s God Made Sunday.