Olive Towey

Author : Helen O’Grady, my cousin

Wit and repartee run in the O’Grady family and when my cousin Helen sat down with her mum and documented a slew of great family sayings, she added this ‘cracker’ of her own!  It speaks for itself and means that only the wise spend their money on worthwhile things (or fools never have an emergency fund!).

Olive Towey

Author : Anna O’Grady (née Towey), my aunt

Anna grew up in Glasnevin, Dublin, but spent many happy summers visiting her aunts in Mullingar and going to dances in the County Hall — where she met her future husband, Paul a farmer from Mullingar. She adapted to farm life like a duck to water and is well known for her favourite sayings, which she often quotes whenever she thinks her children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews need a bit of gentle (or sometimes not-so-gentle) advice!

This expression is to describe someone who was mean with money. It made more sense back in the day!

Olive Towey

Author : Anna O’Grady (née Towey), my aunt

Anna grew up in Glasnevin, Dublin, but spent many happy summers visiting her aunts in Mullingar and going to dances in the County Hall — where she met her future husband, Paul a farmer from Mullingar. She adapted to farm life like a duck to water and is well known for her favourite sayings, which she often quotes whenever she thinks her children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews need a bit of gentle (or sometimes not-so-gentle) advice!

Olive Towey

Author : Anna O’Grady (née Towey), my aunt

Anna grew up in Glasnevin, Dublin, but spent many happy summers visiting her aunts in Mullingar and going to dances in the County Hall — where she met her future husband, Paul a farmer from Mullingar. She adapted to farm life like a duck to water and is well known for her favourite sayings, which she often quotes whenever she thinks her children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews need a bit of gentle (or sometimes not-so-gentle) advice!

The above expression was a favourite to describe someone who can’t make up their mind.

Olive Towey

Author : Paddy Egan, my late uncle

Paddy was well travelled having worked in Australia for some years. He came home to Ireland with the intention of returning to Australia but met and fell in love with Bea Towey and decided to settle into farming life. He was a very intelligent man and very witty – offering the right words at the right time in any situation.

Paddy would say this when he encountered someone without much life experience voicing a judgemental opinion.

Olive Towey

Author : Anna O’Grady (née Towey), my aunt

Anna grew up in Glasnevin, Dublin, but spent many happy summers visiting her aunts in Mullingar and going to dances in the County Hall — where she met her future husband, Paul a farmer from Mullingar. She adapted to farm life like a duck to water and is well known for her favourite sayings, which she often quotes whenever she thinks her children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews need a bit of gentle (or sometimes not-so-gentle) advice!

This is one of those funny predictions she would use – when knife falls to the floor, you can expect someone to come knocking on the door.

Olive Towey

Author : Anna O’Grady (nee Towey), my aunt

Anna grew up in Glasnevin, Dublin, but spent many happy summers visiting her aunts in Mullingar and going to dances in the County Hall — where she met her future husband, Paul a farmer from Mullingar. She adapted to farm life like a duck to water and is well known for her favourite sayings, which she often quotes whenever she thinks her children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews need a bit of gentle (or sometimes not-so-gentle) advice!

This expression was a favourite of hers when she would forget something like her purse or her glasses.

Olive Towey

Author : Paddy Egan, my late uncle

Paddy was well travelled having worked in Australia for some years. He came home to Ireland with the intention of returning to Australia but met and fell in love with Bea Towey and decided to settle into farming life. He was a very intelligent man and very witty – offering the right words at the right time in any situation.

Olive Towey

Author : Pauline O’Grady, my cousin

Pauline O’Grady, my fun-loving cousin, takes after her mum when it comes to wit and eloquence!  I had to laugh when she introduced me to this turn of phrase, recently used when painting a room….she thought she’d get away with one coat, but when it dried out, she saw she needed a second.  What a lovely way of expressing intense annoyance!!

Olive Towey

Author : Jack Towey, my late grandfather

Jack Towey, my late grandfather was born on the 1^st of December 1901.  He grew up on a farm in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, moved to Dublin after marrying Lilly and spent his life in the cattle business.  Amongst the marts, there was no shortage of colourful turns of phrase, some of which were not as polite as those here!