The Hogans of Glenart

Eoin Hogan, the second-born son of John and Mary Hogan, married Angela (Ann) Lynch on 20 September 1948 in a double-double wedding with his elder brother Diarmuid and her sister Frances (Fran). After a couple of years in rented accomodation around Dublin city, they bought their first property at 27 Herberton Drive. When they moved in with their first born - Dara - they popped him into his cot in the box room, where he remained until his wedding in 1973.

Mom and Dad brought up six of us in Herberton. Eugene came along in 1951 and Carmel followed in 1953. In 1956, Mick came on the scene and I followed in 1962. However disaster struck in 1965 when Shane was born and my mother rejected me, or at least stopped me climbing up for a cuddle whenever I felt like it. But we eventually recovered.

I don't have much personal experience of the years prior to 1962, but I do know that a really important part of our lives across that time were our relationships with our cousins. The Eoin/Diarmuid/Ann/Fran bonds meant that the Hogan-O'Hogan relations were especially strong, but my older siblings had also strong friendships with the Coyles and the O'Briens.

Shane and I were very much "Herberton Hogs - The Next Generation". Our siblings were mainly adults as we grew up, which was very fortunate given that we lost our father when I was 6. and Shane, only 3. I think it was a very different place after that, but for Shane and I, it is all that we really knew.