Then and Now

Dutch photographer Con Mönnich has returned to the house in Polranny after 42 long years!
His photo on the left is of our neighbour Mrs. Masterson and her family back in the day. The one on the right is of Mrs. M today, a proud mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and the absolute matriarch of the clan!
Photos: Con Mönnich

The Neighbours...

... are always happy to pass the time of day with you!

Photo: Riny

The Neighbours

This is where Pirate friends Jane and Al live.

It gets quite exciting when there's a storm and you're huddled up in the living room!!

Photo: Profoundly Superficial

Corraun Diary (13) Checking the Takings

Despite the uncertain future of their pub, Pirate friends and neighbours Jane and Al are determined to look on the bright side, as Jane writes in her diary entry of 29 July 2005: "The Currane Yawl Race takes place at the front of our property over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Bar takings for last night, the Thursday before the August Bank Holiday, were €153. The same night last year it was €420 and the year before it was €2919! Of course the reason for the huge takings on the equivalent day in 2003 was the opening of the Currane Failte Abaile (Welcome Home festival). We moved our bar license to the community centre for that event. You have to go to court to do that, so there were legal fees to pay not to mention the large number of staff we had to employ for the occasion.

There was, however, a play in the community centre and a golf event in the Compass last night so hopefully things will improve over the rest of the bank holiday.
Photo: Jane

Corraun Diary (12) What to Do Next?

In her diary entry of 21st July 2005, Pirate friend and neighbour Jane had some tough issues to consider regarding The George, the pub she was running with her husband Al: "Long discussion with Al today regarding the future of the bar. This year's business is 20% down on last year, which was 20% down on the year before. We have heard that all bars in Ireland are having similar problems. We have always maintained that we will do everything we can to keep the bar open but that was assuming that it would cover its costs. We are getting very close to it costing us money we don't have. In September, our insurance money is due - approx. 6,000 Euro. If August does not go well and we don't have the money we will have to break into our emergency money. I think we'll probably do this and give it another year but we have to face the fact that any serious business person would say it would be better not to pay the insurance and close the bar. We both really hope it doesn't come to this."

Photo of happy days in the bar: Jane

Corraun Diary (11); The Afternoon the George Stayed Closed

In her diary entry of 17 March 2005, Pirate friend and neighbour Jane describes the evening that the George, the pub she was running with her husband Al, stayed closed for the afternoon. There was simply too much musical competition elsewhere: "No point in opening the bar until this evening so we went to Dookinella to watch the pipe bands."
Photo: Jane

Corraun Diary (10); Ju Ju Comes to Visit

Writing her diary in January 2005, our friend and neighbour Jane records the day that Ju Ju came visiting: "Ju Ju Anderson comes to visit. Her father, William Anderson was one of the gardeners at Corraun House. She has wonderful stories to tell about the gardens here. She is shocked at their decline and has very kindly brought some pictures taken in the 1920’s/1930’s for us. I’ve scanned the pictures and put them on the Currane web site (http://www.currane.net/aboutpages/pastpicspre50sjuju.html) for all to see. This makes me keen to try and save the gardens. It would be wonderful for them to be restored for the community to enjoy. I've tried several times to get some help/grant aid but failed. I feel motivated to try again."
Photo: courtesy of Ju Ju Anderson

Corraun Diary (15); After the Christmas Bash

Writing in her diary on 25 December 2004, Pirate friend and neighbour Jane records a hectic Christmas night at the George, the pub she was running with her husband Al in nearby Currane: "It's about 4am an Christmas Day. Our Christmas Eve customers have gone and after a very busy evening all is now quiet and we've finished clearing up. The bar will be closed tomorrow. The bar looks so pretty tonight. I'm very pleased with my decorations."
Photo: Jane

Small World!

Here is our friend and neighbour Mrs. Masterson with Spot the dog and her daughter Annette in Ougterargh, Connemara. Annette is a regular reader of this blog. How? Through her Auntie Bridgie, who lives in America. Enterprising Auntie Bridgie discovered our blog by googling Polranny. And the first thing she saw there was a photo of Spot the dog!



Meanwhile, Annette's son Alan, who lives in Australia with his girlfriend, has also become a Polranny Pirates regular. Nowadays he's a chartered accountant, but this is him back in 1982 when he was snapped by Pirate Peti while visiting his grandparents here. We're sure he hasn't changed a bit!
Photos: Peti

Corraun Diary (14); Banishing the evil weed

On 28 March 2004, Jane recorded a momentous occasion in her diary: "The night before the smoking ban takes effect in Ireland. How will it affect our business? Only time will tell."
Photo: Jane

Corraun Diary (13); Lovestruck

Our friend and neighbour Jane writes: 'This is Stephen, one of our regular customers at our pub, The George. The photo was taken in June 2003 by Sonia Hunt as part of our project to document life in Currane at the time of the Welcome Home Festival. I love this picture. Shows a man in love with his pint.'
Photo: Sonia Hunt

Corraun Diary (6); Paddy's Day

On March 17 2003, Pirate neighbour Jane wrote: "We decided to open at lunchtime today but the bar didn't get busy until the evening. The whole place has been cleaned down ready for redecoration. We plan to start next week."
Photo: Al

Becoming at One With Nature

This abandonned Morris Oxford once belonged to Pirate neighbours Peggy and Hughie Cattigan. Here, it is slowly becoming a part of the landscape.

Another stretch of the same boglands
Drawings by Peti

Corraun Diary (5); Taking Over the George

On 15 January 2003, Pirate neighbour Jane wrote: "Our first large event in the bar. A 40th birthday party. It was a great night, lots of music and a great singsong."
Photo: Jane

Corraun Diary (4); Taking Over The George

On January 6 2003, Pirate friend and neighbour Jane wrote: "Today is the celebration of Oíche Nollag na m'Ban (Women’s Christmas). We made sandwiches and bought our neighbours a drink. So many people came to wish us well with the bar and John Mhikie Gallagher, a respected member of the community and great musician, made a wonderful speech wishing us well and adding how pleased he was that the house and bar were finally back in the hands of a local.

Tonight we felt we had truly found our home, were accepted and surrounded by the wonderful people of our community. We have so much work ahead of us to get the place in order but we're really looking forward to it."
Photo: Jane of Al measuring up.

Corraun Diary (3); Taking Over The George

On January 5 2003, Pirate friend and neighbour Jane wrote: "Yesterday was Derek Norton's (centre) last night at The George. Locals gathered together to thank Derek for his service to the community over the last 12 years. Bar staff Michael (left) and John Joe (right) have agreed to carry on working for us. Thank goodness - we'll need their help over the months to come."
Photo: Al

Corraun Diary (2)

Pirate friend and neighbour Jane writes: "I've been coming to Currane all of my life; I'm lucky enough to have a mother born here and even luckier to have married a man, Alistair (I'll be calling him Al), who loves it here as much as me. Today it all changes though: we have a home and a pub (bar) to run.

There are two bars in Currane. The Compass Bar and what is known locally as "The George", which is actually located in the eastern wing of Corraun House.

The George" is a small bar, only open in the evenings; it's old fashioned, rather like sitting in someone’s sitting room but it's a great place for a singsong. It's off the beaten track, many people do not even know it exists and that's what makes it special. When people find it, they feel they have made a real discovery."
Photo: Jane

Corraun Diary (1)

Pirate friend and neighbour Jane writes: 'I've admired Corraun House for a long time; the place has always had a magical quality. The beautiful old house and the amazing gardens were once spectacular but both are now in a state of disrepair. The fantastic situation on Clew Bay, overlooking Clare Island and Achill Beg with ever changing views across the Bay and into Connemara; it's the stuff of dreams to me. Today it becomes ours. I can't believe that I even have the chance to live in this house and look at these views for the rest of my life.'
The photo of Corraun House was taken in the 1930s

More Midges

Nothing - not even swarms of midges - can deter Pirate friend Jane Steger-Lewis from angling for a big catch.
Photo: Al

The Other View from the Opperpuist

The house of the Pirates' neighbour and friend, Mrs. Masterson. She looks for our lights at night, we watch the smoke wafting from her chimney early in the morning.
Photo: Annie