I find it almost overwhelming to realise that I have had a toe in nine decades. Not only that, but I have no doubt but that these were the greatest decades to be around in history – and a lot of what they gave us was never experienced before and will not come again.
My generation came into a rough world; survived the hard times; was blessed with the opportunities to improve our lot and make the bad times good. We saw more changes than since Adam was a boy; and now at the other end; sadly the world has become a more dangerous place for humans than ever before.
Children born today are again coming into a tough world; much rougher than my first decade, but for different reasons and with less means of escape or controlling their own destiny.
Born in 1944, whilst Hitler followers were still engaged in a Trump warm up, I remember ration books and scarcities, but thank God, my first memories are of happy days. The later part of the 1940s saw the biggest baby-boom worldwide in the history of mankind.
The 1950s was a grey, harsh decade – especially in Ireland. Four out of every seven children growing up at that time had to emigrate. Times were poor and hardship was compounded by corporal punishment both at home and at school … or even a neighbor could give you a ‘belt’ if you ‘earned’ it!
Sport was the great escape. On the radio, Micheal O Hehir painted pictures of Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard in full flight and enthralled us with the exploits of the ‘terrible twins’, Stockwell and Purcell. The dispatches from Melbourne turned us all into Ronnie Delaneys as we ran on the gravel road. For music we listened to the Vincent Lowe Trio, Bridie Gallagher, Jimmy Shand, Delia Carty and Ruby Murray. But then … us young bucks discovered Radio Luxemburg and with it the sound of Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Elvis and Sam Cooke. ‘Devil’s Music’ became like an intoxicant.
There was a lot packed into the swinging sixties. It was probably the most troubled and divisive decade of all. Wars and assassanations grabbed the headlines. I looked into the eyes of President Kennedy from the side of the street in Galway and mourned his passing a few months later.
Galway footballers won three-in-a-row and when Wexford beat Tipperary in the 1968 hurling final, it was a week later before the result reached me in Manitoewadge, Ontario. This shows how the speed of communication has progressed since then. But back home, this was the showband era; where music, fun and exhilaration offered the safety valve to a generation ready to break the mould. America put the first man on the moon and civil strife erupted in Northern Ireland.
The 1970s brought long hair, bell-bottom trousers, maxi-dresses; marriage and babies for many of us. Ireland joined the EEC; and I believe it was only then we achieved full nationhood from under the ascendency of our big neighbour.
The decade of the 80s saw the scourge of Aids, the Soviet Union collapsed, and work began on a little thing called the Internet! Ray Haughton scored one of the most famous goals of all time (until he did it again!) We watched Polish leader, Lech Walesa, taking on and beating the might of the Communist regime.
And there, in full living colour, we saw them tear down the Berlin wall. Pamela and I bought Mullingar Squash & Leisure Centre. It was a golden decade for hurling, dominated by Galway and Offaly and with Antrim reaching an All-Ireland hurling final.
1990s is looked upon as a decade of peace and prosperity. Ireland became one of the first countries to adopt the Euro currency. Social media began to take hold. It was a great decade for Westmeath sport; winning the All-Ireland minor and U-21 titles. I opened Paddy’s Point Pub in Spain.
The 2000s and the new millennium arrived with great fuss and fanfare. There was an air of optimism and excitement. We bottled all of the excitement into 2004 when Westmeath won its first and only senior Leinster football title.
2010s brought a greater awareness of climate change, worrying political shifts and suspect social movements.
We are nearly half way through the 2020s and that story remains to be written. However, there is a clear threat over democracy, a swing back to ‘might is right’, conspiracy theorists, and far right propaganda.
So, if we started in the worst of times, swam the full circle, and are now back in the worst of times again; which decade got it just about right and where we might like to press the pause button?
Has to be the 1980s: The old sexist, racist and homophobic leanings had become unacceptable and society became kinder. There was a new order aboard and it seemed for a nano-second as if the world was at last civilised.
Importantly, you could still say (and write!) what you thought, or crack a joke about a group or profession without the PC brigade and those needing to be ‘outraged’ descending on you like a ton of bricks …
Don’t Forget
Some people reach old age prematurely.
