James Hogan RIP

A BROTHER'S REMEMBRANCE

At 12.20pm last Friday, Aer Lingus Flight E-135 taxied down the runaway at Shannon Airport headed for Boston Massachusetts. I was aboard the flight after having spent a number of weeks in Ireland to be with my brother James Hogan during his last days as well as his burial in his native Castletownroche.

His final resting place is in Killasane Cemetery located on the Close Road just a short distance from his home that he loved so much. James was truly a Castletownroche man through and through - to
James, there was no place else on this planet that he would rather be than his beloved village of Castletownroche.

The plane flew over the high rocky mountains on the west coast of Clare, the scenic villages of Kilrush and Kilkee, tipping its wings as we flew over Galway Bay before gaining altitude for our journey to Boston. I was thinking of James and how much he loved going to Co Clare. One of James's friends, Danny Pat O'Grady, said that when he passed the house if the gate was closed he knew that James and his wife Margaret were gone on one of their frequent trips to Clare.

James and I were born at the beginning of the 1940s, there was just a little over twelve months between our ages. However, James always let me know that he was my older brother. He would often say, "we lead, others follow'. During the span of James's lifetime, we saw Ireland progress from a country that struggled economically to a nation that now takes its place with all the great nations of the world. Being part of the journey was fun for us, we had a most wonderful childhood surrounded by family, neighbours and friends.

As I mentioned, James always considered himself much older than me, while I was trying to learn how to swing in the Siege of Ennis or how to do the Military Two Step to the Donal Shinnick Ceili
Band, James was doing the quickstep or the fox trot to Mick Delahunty or the Maurice Mulcahy bands. James had his own unique elegant dancing style and friends will long remember his dipping and twirling to the quick step.

James was also unique in that he always did things here and now. There are no regrets for James because of things he left undone. In his retirement years, James and his wife Margaret travelled to many places in Ireland and abroad. They made several trips to the USA, Rome and London. There were no putting things off for later; James was a here and now person. Looking back at our youth I believe James always had that capacity. My parents had a small shop in the village and I recall on one occasion when we were around seven years old, a box of grapes was delivered to the shop. The grapes were packed in small pieces of cork and wrapped in white tissue - they looked so inviting. That night, James and I decided to tip-toe down the stairs and sample some of the grapes. Our parents were in the parlour sitting by the fire with some neighbour, chatting. All was going well, we slipped nice and quietly into the shop and each grabbed a handful of grapes and gently headed back to the stairs. Of course James couldn't wait until we got back to our bedroom, he popped a grape into his mouth. It got lodged in his throat and he lay there on the floor choking. Our midnight raid was foiled, we had to give up the grapes and all we got for our trouble was a lesson on the Heimlich maneouver; how to pop food out of a person's throat if they were choking.

James was a great lover of nature. He enjoyed the displays of wild flowers in the springtime, the various birds - their nesting habits the migrating swallows, he recorded the dates of their return every spring. He was very involved in a wildlife conservation programme in trying to re-introduce the grey partridge to Ireland. He devoted a good deal of time to the breeding and rearing of the young partridges. He also successfully reared countless young pheasant chicks to maturity and re-introduced them into various farmlands around Castletownroche.

When we were young, every spring it was a common practice for James and me to search for birds' nests in the woods around the local castle grounds. We would check on the progress of the nesting birds and we were always happy when the baby birds flew away. On one occasion we discovered a blackbird's nest that had been knocked to the ground with the young tiny birds strewn around. James suggested that we distribute the helpless baby birds in other nests that we were aware of. The exercise was successful; all four birds survived and grew to maturity. James was delighted with the outcome.

When summer arrived we would search for wild bees' nests and then bring them home to our little hives that we created for them. One of the best places to find the bees' nests were in the newly mown meadows. We had a good friend Jimmy Sullivan whose father owned a farm on the Close Road near the village. When Jimmy would find a wild bees' nest we would negotiate with him to purchase it. Depending on the size of the nest or type of bee we might pay up to three pence for a nest. Bumble bees always commanded a higher price.

Later in life, James became an avid beekeeper producing great amounts of honey. He knew everything about beekeeping and he was often sought after for knowledge regarding some issue relating to beekeeping. On one occasion he was visiting with us in Boston and we spent an afternoon at an agricultural fair in Topsfield Massachusetts. This fair is the oldest fair in America. There was a beekeeping exposition and lectures given by some of the leading experts in beekeeping. James was able to discuss every aspect of beekeeping and even passed along some hints for successful beekeeping.

My brother James was a true showman, he was a natural. He wrote many poems, recitations and songs. One of his songs got first place in the Welcome Home Songwriting Contest. He was usually the presenter at the GAA Hall of Fame awards and on those nights, James could cite the accomplishments of the recipient including dates and games that took place, all without notes. He will always be remembered for his touching eulogies of friends and neighbours that have passed on.

James always loved recitations. When the travelling ballad singers came to the village, James was bound to purchase a recitation or a song. I can remember many rainy days spent in my father's hay shed with good friends Tom Palmer and Olive Donoghue with James reciting for us 'The Cremation of Sam McGee', or 'Dangerous Dan McGrew'. He would recite each line with such meaning that we almost believed he actually was in the Klondike with a team of dogs mushing through the snow.

SHOWBUSINESS

He could always be relied upon to enter contests for reciting poems or recitations. Performing before a crowd never bothered James. He actually relished the challenge. On one occasion, a variety show came to the Mill Hall in Castletownroche. It was billed as The Great Swami performs sensational acts. In any event, after the show was over, The Great Swami asked James and me if we would travel
with him on Friday night to Glanworth as he was putting on a show there.
He wanted us to help him in one of his sensational acts. He explained that he would pay us ten shillings for the night as well as transportation to and from Glanworth. For our act we were to be sitting
in the audience and he would ask for a volunteer to come up on stage. He had a large wicker basket and I was to go into the basket. He would then place a blanket over the basket say a few magic words and I was supposed to disappear. Prior to taking off the blanket I was supposed to hug the side of the basket in a sort of bent position. The Great Swami would tip the basket towards the audience
and it would seem as if I had disappeared. Then he would ask for another volunteer to come up on stage and poke a sword through parts of the basket to guarantee that the basket was empty. That was to be James's part; he was to be careful that the sword would by-pass me in the basket. After the basket was put back to its proper position. The Great Swami would put the blanket back on the basket and after a few magic words I would reappear.

James was excited about our first introduction to showbusiness. The great Swami dropped us off just before we got into Glanworth and we made our way to the hall. The show got under way and our act was to be the biggest event of the night. The Great Swami called for the volunteer, I got into the basket and all was going well until James started poking the sword into the basket. The first poke jammed me in the rear end the next one was in my ribs. I jumped out of the basket and James and I cut for it out the door and up through the town as fast as our legs could take us. When we left the hall The great Swami was being booed and someone in the front row was tossing orange skins at him. To this day I never found out if James intended to jab me with the sword. As we were walking towards Castletownroche, someone driving a black Ford car stopped and gave us a lift home. We laughed enough about our introduction to showbusiness and we never got the ten shillings.

POLITICS

James was very active in politics and he was a lifelong Fianna Fail member. When we were young, on polling days James and I would go around the village putting Fianna Fail flyers in letter boxes of
people that we knew were not Fianna Fail supporters.

James spent most of his working years as a fitter in Dairygold Co-op where he was known by almost everyone that worked there. He had a wonderful work ethic and was always available night or day if his services were needed.

He was a correspondent for The Corkman for many years. He also held the position of Peace Commissioner for the district. He was a dedicated GAA member and played minor, junior and senior with the club and held the position of secretary and president for a number of years. He was a delegate to the North Cork Board as well as serving on the selection committee for both the Castletownroche club and also for the Avondhu senior hurling team. He was very active in the local community; he gave his time and assistance to all the local associations. One of his proudest achievements was serving as chairman of the Mill Restoration project; the undertaking was the largest project in Munster at that time.

During his lifetime, James met with leaders of industry, presidents of Ireland, several Taoisigh but still he never changed from who he was, always just James Hogan. As Kipling wrote 'he walked
with kings but he still kept the common touch'.

On the night of his wake there was a steady stream of people for over three hours and again at his funeral the church was packed. Sean Hannon the undertaker said it was the largest funeral ever
in Doneraile. Everyone that I met on the night of the removal had warm memories of James. They felt the same sadness as if he was a member of their own family. He was a remarkable person. As the poet wrote: "They are going, going, going; and we cannot bid them stay. They are passing from our midst, we shall not see their likes again."

At his funeral Mass the principal celebrant recited a poem that James often recited himself, the title 'The Indispensible Man'. It is true that no one is indispensible but in James's case he was involved in so many things that he will be missed for a long time. If he wasn't indispensible he was very close to it.

We will think of James when spring will once again set Flynn's glenaglow with primroses and cowslips or when we pass through the village and see its beauty that has been transformed by the Tidy Towns committee. When future generations drive over the bridge at the bottom of the town they will see the beauty of the restored mill. A community treasure, James really made an impact in the community and I am very proud of my brother.

In 1905 a housewife named Bessie A Stanley from Lincoln, Kansas, USA won first prize in a contest for her essay in response to the question: "What constitutes success"? I believe it describes my brother James Hogan well, here it is:

"He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has looked for the best in others and given the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory is a benediction."

I know that life without James will undoubtedly be different - we will all miss him for many different reasons. He has touched so many lives. As a family we enjoyed his visits to our ancestral home on Main Street whenever we visited there. We will miss his lively debates with us and smile at the many funny stories he would tell. James marched to a different drummer at times but as a family we were all in the same band.

James, we pray that the angels will take you to your rest, you will be forever in our hearts.
With fond memories, - Your brother Joe.


Courtesy of The Avondhu. Tweet

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