I love my nieces and nephews so much and am very proud of them. In their honour (cos they are extremely cool), I’d like to do a roll call and share a little memory of each one.
Love you guys, Aunty Amo xxx
Mark Keeley – You stayed with us while your mam was in hospital having Sarah (I think). We got a call in the middle of the night to say she had been born. So I went and woke you up to tell you. I made you cry cos you I mentioned your mammy and then you wanted her. The plan was to make you happy…. #fail
Lyn Keeley and Sarah Keeley – remember when I used to mind you in the afternoons? We used to listen to music. I think we made up a few dance routines! I remember we listened to Michael Jackson’s Thriller a lot and every time it would get stuck at ‘the funk of 40,000 years’
Claire Keeley – has to be when you visited Wales with Laura. We had the craic visiting the Millennium Stadium and the…. information centre! We laughed a lot… mainly at Laura: D Quote of the week has to be, “to the MAX”, sharing joint first place with, “I mean seriously, thank God for hair straighteners!”
Katie Keeley – Kates you were only a few days old when I went to my 2nd debs. Your mam and dad came to the house. I had a Debs dress and a Mohican. You seemed to survive it tho.
Mick Keeley Jnr – Dancing Michael! Mick you were happy to dance with an audience of 1 or 100. I’ve seen many stunning routines over the years. The best has to be Lyn’s 21st. I wasn’t there, but I had heard so much about your performance I had to get the video! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so funny.
Maria Brett – I spent a lot of my childhood with you I remember all sorts of mad things like ‘the White Mariah Show’ and playing in the poppies in the back garden in Limekiln Farm, when we weren’t supposed to. I remember going to Brownies once and I don’t think I went again. Remember those twins who put their hats on over the bobbins in their hair? It looked like they had rabbit ears 😀 Oh and there was the time when most of you stayed in Granny’s and you called in (you were staying in Liz’s) and you showed us your line dancing moves, in a space about 1 foot by 1 foot. Wasn’t easy but you did it 😀
Karen Conlon – Bugsy Malone! That was great craic wasn’t it. You played a young black boy if I remember :D. Your song was great and we had the best laugh. You socked it to Breda Sweeney if I remember…. Actually I think you were a bad influence on me. I often got into trouble when I was with you!!!
Brian Sweeney – To be honest Brian, I think you were drunk when this happened. But I bumped into you in the Dragon (or Ahernes can’t remember). We said hello and you gave me a hug and as i walked away someone said, “Who the f*/@ was that?” and laughed. You replied, “shut up you, she’s my aunty and she’s cool!”
Christopher and Susan Sweeney – Your house in Mountain Park was sold and you came and stayed in Granny’s for a while before the Hollow was built. On the first night I looked after you while your ma and da were finishing off emptying the house. Sue, I think I gave you my teddy Aongus McDougal didn’t I? (the low point of that time was when we all had chicken pox together! 😀 )
Peter Kennedy – I remember the day your mam brought you home from hospital. She brought you to Granny’s first. I ran home from school cos I knew you would be there. I ran in the door, through the hall, into the sittingroom… shouting something and was swiftly grabbed by the scruff of the neck and removed from the sitting room and got a smack for making noise and waking you. I owe you one for that
Emma Kennedy – I remember when you were nearly due to have Jamie. Your mam and dad were away for a few days so I stayed with you. We stayed awake really late talking about the last few months and how crazy it was that you were about to have a baby!!! He turned out tho alright didn’t he
Brenda Mockler – You and ‘Sinéadds’ spent what felt like a week (but was probably only 5 minutes) telling me about a fella that you fancied. You asked me for advice (which made me feel very cool) and when I told you what I thought you basically told me that I had it all wrong. Then you started giving me dating advice about Darren Byrne. In fairness… it worked 😀
Susan Keane and Jennifer Farrell – more babysitting and dance routines. This time to ‘Hey Frankie’ by Sister Sledge. I still remember the moves! Susan you were an absolute pleasure to mind. Jen…. you weren’t! 😀
Philip Keane – Phil my abiding memory of you is at family parties you would tell dirty jokes. Your ma would be dying a thousand deaths in the corner. You stood in the middle of the room and made us all laugh.
Dillon Keane – Ah me godson When you were only a few months old I went on holidays to Wexford with you all. The car broke down in the middle of nowhere and it felt like about 3 weeks before anyone came to rescue us. I had to keep you occupied. You were a fun baby x (PS I have a picture of that day…)
Jean Keeley – I remember a hilarious conversation with you. I think you had just started secondary school and I was asking you about it. You told me that you had to wear slippers in school. I didn’t believe you and you worked hard to convince me. (Actually I’m still not convinced you weren’t winding me up.)
Laura Keeley – (see Claire Keeley 😀 ) Also, when I moved to Wales first you used to write to me. I still have the letters. You were going through a tough time we had this long distance conversation about it. You drew hearts all over the letters and the envelopes. I used to LOVE getting them.
Beth Keeley – When you were born, you were (and still are) the image of your mam With so many people in the family, I rarely got to hold babies for very long. (all 27 of you were passed from pillar to post, you know that don’t you?!) But your mam let me hold you and I was delighted that no one took you off me. At one stage you woke up, opened your eyes, looked at me and… went back to sleep. I took it that you were ok with me holding you, and I did… for ages
Jack Keeley – You were still living in Tallaght at the time. Can’t remember what age you were but you were just about talking. I was in your house. I sat on the floor beside you as you emptied the toy box all over the floor. You had a very serious look on your face. I thought you were looking for something. When it was empty you looked and me and said, “now, you.” Then you went out the back garden. So I put everything back in the toy box – you bossy boots!!
Jennifer Keeley – Your 1st birthday Jen! Forever preserved on video! Not my favourite memory of you though and you share it with Susan S… It was Granny and Grandad’s 50th wedding anniversary and I came home from Wales for the doooo. You and Susan were practising ‘Ride On’ by Christy Moore. I stood outside and listened to you then burst in the door at the end. You and Sue lept a few feet in the air and screamed. Got a big hug from you both tho
Christopher Keeley – I remember when you came to Wales with Liz. Everywhere we went you wanted music on in the car so you could sing. We had some monster singsongs in the car – I nearly crashed, more than once If I’m not mistaken you ended up with a few quid that weekend too
Kevin Keeley – The first time I saw you on stage in the Olympia I knew you were going to be a star! You were ‘one of the gang’ but you stood out a mile. The bit where you did the news report in Irish was brilliant. Was VERY proud to be a Keeley and an Aunty that night. I have another memory of you as a kid – but it’s about one night when I was babysitting and you called me to come and see what you did and where you did it…. I can’t tell the story, I wouldn’t do that to you… 😀
Liza Keeley – when you were a baby I was staying in Liz Ken’s house and I minded you there for a day and night. There was no cot so you were in the double bed with me. You’d gone to bed about 8 but by 2 am you were wide awake and all chat. You kept crawling under the covers and hiding down the far corner of the bed and I had to pretend I couldn’t find you. You were lots of fun. (for about an hour, then I wanted to brain you 😀 )
Bobby Keeley – you were in Granny’s and you were only a toddler. I was out in the back porch ironing (that in itself is an event!) I could hear you singing Garth Brooks. “Aaaaahhhh got fwends in yooooow paces….” I could hear you but I couldn’t see you. I knew you were close but I couldn’t work out where you where. Then I spotted you, standing underneath the ironing board – singing away 😀 !
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On the Saturday, I walked over 20k. I raised over £400, our team raised well over £2000; and we were just one of many teams. The weather forecast wasn’t great, but we managed to dodge the showers most of the time. It was the last hour on the Sunday morning when we were about to do our final lap, having received our medals, when the heavens opened and the rain fell. We were rushed into the marquee to escape the thunder showers. It took me about a week to fully recover but what an amazing 24hours it was.
The following weekend I was in London, blessed to stay a couple of nights with a good friend, have chats and a hot chocolate with one of my smashing nieces, and join with other Christian writers for the ACW Writers’ Day with Glen and Emma Scrivener. What I took from it, as well as some great books and practical tips, was a confirmation of what my writing pals had told me the previous weekend. Get it writ! 🙂
I’m paraphrasing here, but what I heard Amy say was, if God had given me stuff to write, then I should stop finding reasons not to do, and just write it.
Just another Christian woman... 