PREQUEL TO PASSING OF AN IRISH TENOR

                                                     JIMMY O'ROARKE

Cathleen rinsed the last glass and hung it over the bar. Alone now except for a couple of lads nursing empty’s.
There were always a few not wanting to go home, and of course Jimmy. 
She was from Ballinora just out side Cork, 6 miles south of Blarney where James O’Rourke, voice of an angel, was from.
She had had her dreams, and the lads for miles around swore that none were fairer than little Cathleen of County Cork.

But, As luck would have it, she had set her cap for Jimmy O’Rourke.
With her sweet smiles and fiery red hair he hadn’t a chance of escape.

Married in May of 1898 they moved to Ballingarry, county of Tipperary.
There was work!
The Ballingarry Coal Mines were hiring young men and Jimmy wasn’t afraid of hard work.
Wasn’t long before they had a wee leanbh named Liam after his grandfather.
They were happy and Jimmy’s name was well known through out county Tipperary and many more counties as the Irish Tenor with voice of an Angel.
Liam, turned 16 and joined the IRA. Lost his life to a British soldier in the Easter rebellion April 25, 1916
Jimmy lost his voice to black lung and fags in ‘27.
Cathleen has been here at The Swan and Bowl going on five years. The mines fired Jimmy when he coughed more than he worked.
The doctors told Jimmy to give up his fags and get plenty of fresh air and sunshine. He didn’t like either so he kept his fags and and sat in the house till opening time at The Swan.
This year 1932 Jimmy would be 49, and with his coughing wouldn’t live to see his fiftieth birthday.
She pours him a half of Guinness and turns out the lights.