My wife, Olive, died suddenly while swimming in the sea at Rosslare in 2001. A few years later I came across our honeymoon bill for the 8½ days we spent in Casey’s Hotel, Glengarriff, Co Cork, in September 1968.
The bill came to a grand total of £50, seven and sixpence. Not quite the last of the big spenders, I know, but honeymoons abroad were a comparative novelty then, and as a poorly paid teacher I could barely afford Glengarriff.
The bill is meticulously set out for our stay, September 19th-28th. It tells of another world: the phone number of Casey’s Hotel is Glengarriff 10.
It’s a long trip from the wedding scene in Co Meath to west Cork. So how does the dashing groom celebrate the arrival with his beautiful bride?“One pot of tea – two shillings.” What the hell; it was our honeymoon.
The official pre-booked stay was for one week. This is duly recorded for Room 5 (ah, Room 5). One week @ £20 each = £40, before I would have to present myself to Sr Ann Dolores for teaching duties with the Sisters of Charity in Co Sligo. But Olive and I were obviously getting to like the place as well as each other.
“1 day @ 57/6 each – £5/15/-”
The bounder cadged another day from Sr Ann Dolores. What’s this? Yet another night in Room 5. “27/28th Apts (?) and Breakfast – 35 shillings each – £3/10/-”Add a 10 per cent service charge and it comes to £4/18/6 (the equivalent of half a week’s wages).
Grand total: £54/7/6
Less deposit: £5. (The other half of the week’s wages.)
New total: £49/5/6
Now, what will we tell Sr Ann? Car trouble? Ah here; let’s really go for it.
“28th/9/68 Two luncheons @ 10 shillings each – £1 plus 10% service charge – two shillings.”
Final total: £50/7/6
Wasn’t Olive McKeever lucky she married a filthy-rich teacher who topped the £50 quid mark on the honeymoon? The bill may not represent a lavish or exotic holiday, but it reminds me of a very precious week (8½ days, actually) when we were beguiled by the handsome young English man who played Scrabble endlessly with his mother and upbraided her with comments such as, “Oh mother, you are an absolute toad.”
And Sr Ann Dolores was very understanding.
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