Saturday 25 July 2009

Things We Found.

When they tore down the wall,

there,

hidden,

by some unknown hand,

a newspaper page.

From 1928.


And behind a wall of old, old books,

which I always meant to look through, but never found the time,

until now,

this wallpaper.

I fancy from the same era.

Faded and still so beautiful.

Too aged to remove in one,

I fought to keep a little piece.

And have it now,

to remember these workmen of old,

who walked this floor,

and knew the view from my backdoor,

and signed their names on a post

and hid it within these walls.

I'll keep this too,

for you, whoever you were,

James Kiernan, Kilcoole Station. 1928.

14 comments:

AMI said...

snif.... he could be still alive... Queenies age...

Tan Family said...

I love your blog and I'm going to start following it! Love your daughter's poem. --Jennifer syrendell.blogspot.com

Elaine Prunty said...

a lovely bit of history ,and what does kilcoole station mean?...looking forward to seeing what loveliness you;ll do with the little piece .

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Oh, I adore the wallpaper. Just imagine.

Can you frame the newspaper page?

Ciara Brehony said...

Thanks for the sweet words everyone!

Elaine, Kilcoole station is at the end of the lane here. I am guessing the original houses along here were built for railway workers? I'd love to know more.

Pamela, it's quite damaged but I'll definitely do something with it, and will show when I have!

Paddy said...

Very nostalgic and great to have.
Memento mori!

marty, sharon and pearl said...

oh i love finds like this. love the wallpaper! we found tons of torn up really old newspapers under our floor boards...i have kept a bin liner full of them to do something with - gorgeous old clearys ads with illustrations of fabulous women in their finery etc! hows the building going? - ours starts in the morning, yikes! s x

Gigi Thibodeau said...

What a wonderful link to the past. Just beautiful.

Amber said...

OH sensational. How amazing, dont you wish you could see back there and what they were doing and who they were.
And thank you for your words on my recent post, I love that it touched you and i was touched you took the time to tell me. I do need to remember i live in little child pace and it will get so much crazier, guess i will roll with that when it comes.....xxxx

Acornmoon said...

Isn't it lovely when that happens! I think it would be great if everyone kept a house scrapbook which they left for future occupants. Photo's, snippets of wall paper, garden notes etc. How interesting it would be for new families moving into old properties.

Mel said...

Amazing. You must frame the wallpaper...too? And it's a lovely green still, and speaks to the green dresser you liked. I get a bit choked up when I think of those lives that came not so long before ours... and the hopes and tales and life had they had and in some cases still have to tell...

You must leave something of yourself in your project! In the walls! How wonderful for whomever may find it...

Anonymous said...

lovely. we found an old briefcase of papers in the attic of our old house when we first moved in.

i love these little glimpses into the past. it's fantastic of you to share these!

Fiona said...

That is incredible a piece of history right in your house. A lovely glimpse into another era in your house.

herhimnbryn said...

Tangible history hidden in your walls.