Cappy's Visit to Ballina

Cappy's Visit To Ballina

 One incident, for history’s sake, from the files of the “Western People,” I’d like to mention, is that when "Cappy" Fitzgerald, visited Ballina, from New York, someone in the welcoming crowd asked: “Is that the little man?” as he stood between two big men, Canon Greaney and Frank Courell. “He may have been small in stature but was a giant on the playing field”, was the reply. “Cappy” visited “Liberty Hall” (the nicknamed home of James Wallace Melvin (Larry Doolan), and it seems that an incident occurred one dark night when some of the ‘good’ boys painted the front of Jimmy’s domicile in huge letters the words “Liberty Hall.” When asked was he upset when he saw the words the inquisitor was told that Jimmy went straight down to Sleator’s Photography and had him take a photo of the “Hall” with its proprietor sitting outside complacently on the window sill!. –(P.J.C.)