Nostalgia
Waltzing up Bray Head Michael Doorley remembers the celebrated Bray Stairlift, which opened 60 years ago in June, and the boost it gave to the town In both economic and social terms, the ‘Swinging Sixties’ was an energetic upbeat period in Ireland and ushered in an era of enormous change. Key factors included new Taoiseach Sean Lemass’s successful economic iniatives and the launch of RTE television in 1962. The seaside town of Bray reflected much of this optimistic period, particularly along the seafront/ esplanade, so popular with international tourists and day- trippers. It was then known as the ‘Brighton of Ireland’ with its bandstand, carnivals, amusement arcades, slot machines, bumper cars, Punch and Judy shows and chip shops. Oliver (Ollie) Mahony- a local lad in his early twenties was engrossed with pretty much everything that was happening all around him at the time. As a fifteen year old, he had various part
Using the chairlift to deliver Coca Cola to the Eagle’s Nest restaurant on Bray Head in 1963 time jobs- including working on Pat Mooney’s seafront putting green earning 1s/6d per week hiring out deckchairs. A few years later, he got a ‘plum’ job working the chairlift, for which his wages escalated to a whopping £1 per week. The chair lift was originally set up in the 1940s by Eamonn Quin (father of Superquin boss Fergal Quinn) and was in itself a unique tourist attraction. It was supported by seven metal yellow pylons going up to Bray Head and open from April to October. Buses would travel weekly from Red Island in Skerrieswhich was also run by the Quinns. It could convey up to 350 people per hour, with the upward journey costing 1s/6d. The upper terminus was at the popular ‘Eagle’s Nest’ ballroom and restaurant from which there were amazing views across the Irish Sea from Dublin Bay to Wales. The wide scale popularity of ballroom dancing in the early Sixties cannot be underestimated. Huge numbers would attend venues such as the Arcadia in Bray, where some of Ireland’s top showbands (such as the Miami and The Drifters) would regularly perform.
Bray promenade. It was then known as the ‘Brighton of Ireland’ with its bandstand, carnivals, amusement arcades, slot machines, bumper cars, Punch and Judy shows and chip shops.
There was a unique culture around it all and whilst no alcohol was served at the dances this did not necessarily mean that all the patrons were sober. The archaic social format was
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that a dance set comprised three songs or tunes. Girls stood patiently in a row on one side waiting for the fellas to ask them onto the dancefloor and they could accept or decline. The music was usually so loud that communication was more of a shouting match than an intimate conversation. After the early tunes, the tempo slowed to a waltz/slow dance version. If the lady had agreed to stay on for the slow set, it was a good indication for potential romance or alternatively, the promise to retain ‘the last dance’ for the suitor was equally hopeful.
The end of The Arcadia Ballroom, the go-to venue in the Sixties For Ollie, sport was another important aspect of life, particularly football and he and a group of his friends comprised a lively ‘up and coming’ young team calling themselves ‘Bray Celtic F.C’. But they needed to join the Dublin League in order to establish properly and there were financial and other requirements if they were to achieve that status. Taoiseach Sean Lemass’s successful economic initiatives mirrored the optimism of The Sixties which was reflected in the town And so it was exactly sixty years ago that Ollie came up with a plan to
