What have the following songs or ballads in common: Gra Geal Mo Chroi; Lillibulero; Henry Joy McCracken; Master McGrath; Nell Flaherty's Drake; The Old Orange Flute; Kevin Barry? They are all in that famous book Irish Street Ballads, published at the Three Candles press by Colm O Lochlainn. And Colm is fondly and respectfully remembered by Terry Trench in his recent reminiscences, Nearly Ninety.
Trench worked at the Three Candles for nearly ten years in the Thirties, starting as Colm's secretary at £1 a week, rising to be general manager (£7). His boss appears to have been one of the most enlightened of employers, and many an Irish bookshelf bears testimony to the fine work they turned out. Then, too, there was the Claisceadal, a group dedicated to rescuing Irish language songs, a major part being contributed by Michael Bowles, still very much with us.
But Trench was always an out doors man. Walking and cycling in Germany - seven times in nine years, as a young man. There he came - across for the first time the Jugendherbergen, youth hostels, which he was later, with other enthusiasts, to introduce to this country. And a visit to the famous and innovative Odenwaldschule, the curriculum of which included a daily bain d'air, which consisted of 15 minutes of gym in the nude every morning before breakfast on a playing field, at the edge of the forest. Not all together: the boys went first and the girls after. Trench was the moving spirit behind the founding of An Oige, the Irish youth hostelling movement. The first meeting in 1931 was attended by members of various outdoor organisations. One of their number was Thekla Beere, first woman to become head of a Civil Service department. The name An Oige was given by Colm.
Soon they had a "hostel of sorts" in a barn at Loch Dan, in Wicklow. Then there were four more in Wicklow. At its peak, this organisation of outdoor people had over 30,000 members and fifty five hostels in 16 counties. All built up on voluntary work, manual as well as administrative. He could well claim it as "one of the great successes of the age." Much travelling to international conferences, and Trench could speak to meetings in German and French and English - and to Colm, who was often with him, in Irish. For his next job - manager of an oatmeal and flour mill in Drogheda.
Been everywhere, done everything. So he wrote it all down. Names, places, anecdotes galore. And a lovely, arresting, crayon drawing of his wife, the artist Bea Orpen, by Sean O'Sullivan. Bannon Press, £8.99.