The Gallaghers of Ballinrobe

Aunt Catherine with Pat and Owen dressed for Easter
Sunday 1963.
Bunning’s 1964 Father’s Day perfect game for the Phillies.
It was playing on a radio brought by someone sitting near
him. At the time, it was only the seventh perfect game in
Major League Baseball history. The Phillies defeated the
New York Mets 6-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at
Shea Stadium that June 21.
Two incidents still resonate from those years in
Wildwood. The first is a story Aunt Catherine fondly
remembered. Uncle Jim had just opened the back door of
the car and his kids had come pouring out onto the
sidewalk when an approving stranger stopped and told him,
“God bless the Irish.” It may have been Uncle Jim's accent
that inspired the blessing. The second incident occurred
with Uncle Jim’s purchase of two boxes of saltwater taffy
from a Boardwalk shop. The store had numerous boxes of
taffy on display outside, which the kids saw and of course
had to have. Uncle Jim picked up two boxes and purchased
them. What the cashier did not disclose was the boxes
outside were filled with sand to keep them from blowing
away. This was discovered only after returning to the
apartment. Uncle Jim never cheated anyone in his life and
would not tolerate anyone cheating him. He didn’t say
anything, just picked up the boxes and walked the 10
blocks back to the shop. There, he emptied the two boxes
of sand on the counter in front of the clerk and asked,
“Does that look like saltwater taffy to you?” When the clerk
said no, Uncle Jim asked, “Why did you charge me like it
was, then?” He returned with boxes that actually contained
taffy.
Uncle Jim, Aunt Catherine, Pat and Owen stand outside
the O’Brien home at 508 W. 27th St. in Wilmington in
1963. In the background at right is Christ Our King
School.
‘AMN’T I’
Back in Wilmington, Patsy DeAscanis
remembered the story of when Pat and Owen got their
tonsils out at St. Francis Hospital. Everything went smooth
for Owen, but Pat had a bad reaction. Patsy said it was the
only time she ever saw Aunt Catherine flustered. Pat does
not remember having a difficult time in the hospital. What
he does remember is when he and Owen returned home, the
family’s first pet was waiting for them. Uncle George
Hoopes and Aunt Marie had brought over a cat named
Boots.
Aunt Catherine made life easy for her family in
many ways. She would make most of her own dresses on a
pedal-powered Singer sowing machine and kept a dress
form in the bedroom. Her children never went to the
hospital growing up, because Aunt Catherine, using her
training as a nurse, was always there to bandage wounds.
When neighbor Harry Farrell had a heart attack, his wife,
Mary, came running to the back door to get Aunt Catherine
that early morning.
The home on Sycamore Street had a Lester upright
grand piano in the living room. It was a huge family effort
relocating it from Hockessin to Wilmington. Uncle Franny
borrowed a truck, and many an uncle (both Gallagher and
Hoopes) helped lug it up the several levels of steps into the
house. Among other things, the piano proved a great hiding
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