James Teresa Frank & Joe

Joe;Born Apr 5th 1913 Died Feb 17th 2009

Joseph Married Marguerite McArdle in 1949

They had five children Sean, Martin, Patricia, Peadar and Seamus

Below is a picture of Joe with his oldest son Sean;
Sean’s oldest son Aaron, and his son Liam taken 2006

James Comes Home

I remember the year of 1947,

I sailed across the ocean to a spot to me is Heaven.

Needless now for me to say my heart was full of glee,

The years elapsed since I was home they number twenty-three.

The same old house and the true old hearts and the lovely country style;

O God bless you Mother Ireland, that sweet old Emerald Isle.

When I landed at my home town there was no one there to meet me,

But familiar sights I knew so good the trees bowed down to greet me.

I blamed not friends or neighbours as I may be sincere,

I came to take by surprise and to take unaware.

I entered as a stranger and shook hands with the Boss,

I said “I’m Doctor Kelly to lecture on Red Cross”;

“Get all the boys together, and have everything in shape,

I hear you are outstanding” to Dan I did relate.

A tash I wore to camouflage, and a pair of dark-rimmed glasses,

They done the trick and done it well, let better ones surpass it.

The fun was great, very great, too great to share alone,

“’Tis James, he’s home from America; begora it is true”,

A finer laugh was never had between both me and you.

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This poem was written by Joe in 1947 to celebrate the first time that James had returned home after having been in America for 23 years. James had not announced that he would be coming back and – disguised with a false moustache and glasses – he fooled his own father (the Boss) and other family members by pretending to be a Dr Kelly coming to lecture on the Red Cross.