By Sammy Best
As a local lad growing up in Patrick’s Villas, Ringsend, this remarkable and very special village holds many memories for me. Now as a senior citizen, I would like to share one such memory with my friends and readers of News Four.

The Jetty Steps were located at the back of the Technical School, Ringsend, and jutted out down to the river. The entrance to the steps is still visible today, but alas, through progress, they are largely gone making way for a motorway to the East Link Bridge.

It was a meeting place for the women and children of Ringsend in the summer and at weekends the hard-working dockers came along to enjoy swimming. The coal boat workers from The Gas Company, Wallaces, Heitons, etc could wash and remove the coal dust from their tired bodies.
We as children were taught to swim at the steps, swimming out to a small fishing boat called ‘The Alice’. It was a place to be during Ringsend Regatta, a seat here was as valuable as a seat at Old Trafford, home to Manchester United.

On one sunny afternoon, while swimming at the steps, large objects came floating down the Liffey on the outgoing tide. It did not take the thirsty men of Ringsend long to know that they were barrels and quicker still what they contained.

Guinness Wharf at Kingsbridge was supplied with large barrels of beer from the main brewery. The barrels were lifted by a winch and placed onto Guinness barges which transported them to City Quay and Custom House Quay for shipping. While loading, one of the barges, which was full of barrels, tilted to send Ringsend its gift. A shout went up “All hands into the water”. This command ensured that four barrels did not get away, pushing and shoving to the side of the Jetty Steps, assisted by Anna Livia’s outgoing tide. Unfortunately, two other barrels did get away and I am quite sure their contents were enjoyed by Liverpool or Holyhead dockers or where ever.

Nothing was impossible to the Ringsend men and a total of four barrels ended up in Ringsend Park awaiting a quick decision. One very religious and honest man said, “we should tell Guinness”. He was outnumbered. However a problem arose, how to get at the contents of the barrels. No advantage knocking the bung out as the contents would flow all over Ringsend Park. A compromise was found involving a sledge hammer smashing the circular lid. A constant vigil was mounted and a steady flow of people with a variety of containers reduced the contents to naught.

We all agree that ‘Uncle Arthur’ was a very generous and benevolent man in times past, but what a novel and extraordinary way to send a present to the thirsty men of Ringsend by floating it down to them via the River Liffey. Cheers!