“A group of hostellers returning from the youth hostel in Knockree after a weekend of hiking in the Wicklow mountains. Far right at the back is myself, Jimmy Cushen from Larkfield Grove. We’d just got off the bus at Westmoreland Street, and the photograph was taken in the middle of O’Connell Bridge. The photo was taken in 1964. This group and others would regularly go hiking at weekends and stay in the An Óige hostels in Knockree, Glencree and Glendalough. During the summer months we would travel further afield to Kilkenny, Ballydavid and Mountain Lodge. The whole thing about meeting up at the hostels every weekend was the camaraderie. It was great fun – meet up, sing songs, laughter, the craic. Many of these hostels are no longer around but I’m still in An Óige. It’s fantastic – people of today don’t know what they’re missing!'”
(1964)
Submitted by James CUSHEN