The Street   by Mary Finnegan. March 31st, 2022. Quickwrite -7mins 15 sec.

Since 1912, the family shop was on Selskar Street, taking its name from Selskar Abbey, just around the corner, at the top of the Avenue - Selskar Avenue. Selskar Abbey where Henry II did penance for the death of that "turbulent priest" Thomas à Beckett/Thomas of Canterbury. [Should have been careful with what you said in front of the staff, Henry me lad, if you didn't really MEAN murder when you said "will no-one rid me of . . . " Anyway, I digress.]

Selskar - a corruption of Sepulchre meaning tomb. There are people buried within the small church tower of Selskar Abbey. One of them is named Mrs. Hatchhall. [Tricky name to say. I wonder did people make her repeat it often? Or spell it?]

Anyway, Selskar Street. The very start of Wexford's North Main Street that goes through The Bullring, past the Pikeman statue, winding uphill and onto South Main Street. [Pause for my father's joke - "Yes - that's the Main Street . . and the further you go the "mainer"/meaner it gets." Write it down. Everyone a gem.]

The family just call it Selskar. The shop in Selskar. It was on the corner of Selkar Street and Skeffington Street. Skeffington Street that used to be Ram Street - as in Ramsgrange - or - my grandfather's joke this time - Lamb's Papa Street.