Patrick Cooke Ryehill. Memories of the life and times of Patsy Cooke compiled by his daughter Deirdre Cooke

Patrick (Patsy) Cooke was born in Ryehill, Monivea in 1938 to Patrick and Helen Cooke. He grew up on the family farm in Ryehill along with his siblings John Joe and Breege. The family house in Ryehill was originally a single-story cottage. His grandfather John Cooke converted it to a two-story traditional farmhouse in the early 1900’s. It was built of stone. It was a good time to grow up on a farm as food was rationed due to World War 2. Rationing continued until 1951. Patsy attended Ryehill national school. Some enduring memories he had from that time was mass in Latin and going to Ballyglunin train station to watch the filming of the Quite Man in June 1951.

Following primary school Patsy went to secondary school at St Joseph’s Patrician College (The Bish) in Galway. To get to the Bish he cycled from his home in Ryehill to Monivea where he met up with Pete Conroy and Peadar Moran (now Monsignor Moran). Together they cycled to Athenry to get the train to Galway. It was an early start and late evening as in addition to studying there were jobs to do on the farm or drawing water from the well. Drinking water was drawn from the well between Cooke’s and Lally’s house. His father had built a large water tank which was supplied with rainwater from the shed drainpipes. This tank water was used for cattle and other farm activities.

Fortunately, in 1954 the Rural Electrification scheme came to Monivea which greatly facilitated studying on long winter nights. It would also herald their first radio. Previous to this, radios operated on large heavy batteries.  Prior to 1954 they used to go to their neighbour Tommy Costello to listen to matches on his radio. 1954 was also the year his brother John Joe won the junior county ploughing championship. Patsy liked to play handball and hurling. He played hurling on Monivea green and with Belleville hurling team. During weekends and summer holidays there was plenty of work to do on the farm. In the 1940’s /1950’s the farm consisted of cows, sheep, hens, sowing of oats, barley, sugar beet, and potatoes. They had a horse for ploughing and transport. At one stage they shared a horse with a neighbour John Quinn. They did not grow sugar beet for long as it was very labour intensive with little reward.

After secondary school Patsy went to University College Galway to study maths and science. Again, he cycled to Athenry and sometimes cycled to Galway to get to college. After graduating with a BSc in Science he emigrated to London and started teaching. It was in London that he met and married his wife Nora. Always eager to return to Ireland he took up a teaching post in Kildare. He completed the HDip in Maynooth University.

During school holidays he was often summoned home to help at busy times on the farm. Communication at that time was mostly via letter or telegram. Very few people had phones. In the 1970’s phone line rental and calls were expensive.  There was a two-year waiting list for a phone and you had a choice of a black or white phone, desk or wall mounted. Phone calls were generally to a pub in Monivea where if the person you wanted was not there a message could be left. 

The farm in Ryehill was also evolving with advances in new technology. In 1963 they got their first tractor a Ferguson 20 diesel, followed over the years by Massey Ferguson MF 35X and David Brown’s. The Ferguson 20 diesel or as it was commonly known ‘ the Little Grey Fergie’ marked a major advance in tractor design. It utilised diesel rather than the more expensive TVO (tractor vaporising oil) engine. It was small, versatile, affordable, and played a large part in mechanising agriculture. This facilitated his brother John Joe branching out into agricultural contract work obtaining the necessary machinery over the years such as ploughs, hay cutter, hay bob, fertilizer spreader /sprayer, potato chain digger, binder for cutting oats and barley, bailer, combine harvester etc.

Patsy was always interested in new technology and when computers started to come on stream in the early 1980’s he completed a degree in Information Technology in DCU. He taught maths, science, and computers in Kildare for many years.

But his heart was always in Monivea and he often returned to Monivea during the summer to help on the farm.  He especially liked combine harvesting and in the 1980’s drove Massey Ferguson MF187 and Class Senator 60 combine harvesters. After a long day cutting corn around Monivea he loved catching up with his neighbours and old friends for a pint and a song. When he retired, he returned to Monivea, building a house in Caherlissakill and he would say ‘looking down on Monivea at last’. This was a very happy time for him. He was always interested in the people and history of Monivea, the landscape, landlords, Tobar Padraig and its ancient past. Sadly, Patsy did not have long to enjoy his retirement in Monivea having been ill for a number of years he sadly died in November 2016 R.I.P.

Compiled by Deirdre Cooke January 2020.