The Gallaghers of Ballinrobe

he married Loretta Slavin. (“Lovie” was a nurse at St.
Francis Hospital.) The Gallaghers also had one boarder, a
Mr. McSorly. It’s unclear how long he stayed, but he was
certainly gone by 1940. Aunt May sometimes wondered if
the extra income from one boarder was worth the extra
laundry and cleaning.
In 1937, Peter John, the first of the next
generation of Gallaghers, was born. An early memory for
his parents was the expression of wonder in his eyes as he
was carried downstairs and saw the lights on the family
Christmas tree in 1939. Mary Theresa came along in 1943.
Both Pete and Mary were born at 704 N. Clayton. The
family collie, Lassie, was added a few years later. In the
meantime, Uncle Pete sponsored Uncle Tom to come to the
United States in 1940. Uncle Tom would live briefly with
the family on Clayton Street.
In May 1944, Uncle Pete and Aunt May bought a
bar for $13,000. It was located at 100 N. Franklin St., just
down the block from where Aunt May had stayed with the
Tuckers when she first arrived in the country.
Mary remembers that before they made the
decision to purchase the business, her mother and her sister
Delia Tierney went to inspect the beer garden. Uncle Pete
may have been working. In any event, Aunt May and Delia
liked what they saw, because shortly after the visit, the
purchase was made. In Wilmington City Directories from
the time, the name of the bar is listed as “Gallagher’s
Café,” although Mary cannot remember anyone using that
name. The family lived in the two stories above the bar. It
was a neighborhood gathering place, and their customers
were their neighbors – men working at the shipyards,
Pullman (train) shops, leather tanning factories and other
small businesses. Saturday nights brought out couples, as
well. The jukebox would be going with big-band sounds.
(Top hits from those years included “Sentimental Journey”
by Les Brown and His Orchestra with Doris Day; Bing
Crosby’s “Swinging on a Star”; and Perry Como’s “Some
Enchanted Evening.”) A shuffleboard table and pinball
machine were there for additional entertainment.
Uncle Pete also provided a banking service for his
customers. Mary remembers going with him to the
Wilmington Trust Bank at 10th and Market streets on
Friday mornings to withdraw enough money to cash
paychecks of friends and neighbors who came to the bar on
Friday evenings. Uncle Pete would then deposit the checks
on Monday morning. He never charged for this service,
which was a clever business strategy in addition to an act
of kindness. It was very convenient for hard-working
customers, who might find it difficult to get to a downtown
bank. It also ensured they would show up every Friday and
Top, Uncle Pete with son Pete on the steps at 704 N.
Clayton St. in Wilmington. Above, Aunt May with young
Pete in Rockford Park.
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