Geraldine, Jean, big sister Kay and their mother Josie From Ballymun to Springhill Ave., Blackrock “My name is Geraldine Parry, I am 63 years old and l Iive in Blackrock, Co Dublin. These dolls belonged to me and my sister Jean Parry, who was one year older than me. The dolls names are Aideen (blonde… Continue reading Geraldine and Jean Parry’s Dolls, Christmas 1964
Category: Dolls
Minature Crolly Dolls
This collection of 20+ 1950s miniature costume and souvenir Crolly dolls shows a wide array of clothing, fabrics, and materials. These dolls came to us in excellent condition and allow us to see the incredible handiwork of the factory workers who created them, the majority of whom were young girls and women. Blonde piper girls… Continue reading Minature Crolly Dolls
4.Ann Connolly’s Collection
Exploring Cultural Representation Through Souvenir Dolls For over five decades, Ann’s Hair Salon served as a beacon of warmth and hospitality in Shantalla, one of Galway’s oldest suburbs. From the graceful hula dancers of Hawaii to the intricate porcelain dolls of China, Ann’s collection spans continents and cultures, offering a glimpse into the rich tapestry… Continue reading 4.Ann Connolly’s Collection
Angela Finegan’s Upside Down, Cinderella Doll
1st-She serves as a maid to her step-mother and sisters 2nd- She goes to the ball! The upside down Cinderella doll came from our aunt in Winchester, England. A neighbour of hers made the dolls from scraps of material. One year, for each of our birthdays a doll arrived in the post to us in… Continue reading Angela Finegan’s Upside Down, Cinderella Doll
Maia’s little Rosebud doll, 1950s
Maia grew up in SE London in the 50s. Her parents both hailed from Co Wexford. She was given the beautiful little Rosebud doll by her neighbour and always treasured it. A 7 inch doll, she opens and closes her eyes, has a fully jointed body, soft brown hair, painted shoes, and is dressed in… Continue reading Maia’s little Rosebud doll, 1950s
Karol O’Connor’s Action Man Figures
Karol O’Connor “What you see here on display here at the Bank of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire for the Museum of Childhood Ireland are Action Man toys from my own childhood, toys that I received for birthdays and at Christmas-time back in the 1980s. The toys were carefully put away in shoe boxes and stored… Continue reading Karol O’Connor’s Action Man Figures
Avril O’Reilly’s Barbies
Avril O’Reilly. “I grew up in County Cork. I had Sindy dolls and Anna and Happytime dolls, with horses. In secondary school I kept my dolls secret as many people did. The Barbie movie brought many collectors out of the closet! Many collectors collect the doll that they did not have as children. As a… Continue reading Avril O’Reilly’s Barbies
Mimi’s Sindy dolls* and accessories
Mimi grew up in Co Wicklow in the 1960s. She received a Sindy doll as a 7th birthday present from her parents. For the following few years on birthdays in September, at Christmas, on getting her BCG vaccinations*, and during a spell in the children’s hospital to have her tonsils removed, she received further Sindy… Continue reading Mimi’s Sindy dolls* and accessories
Máire-Anne Doyle’s Shirley Temple doll and books
Máire-Anne as young girl growing up in 1950s/60s Mount Merrion, Co Dublin, was gifted by family friend Roberta Post ( USA and Ireland) her original Shirley Temple doll and steamer trunk, purchased in New York City in 1936. Máire-Anne , born 1956 and her sister Susan played very carefully with this toy, enjoying years of… Continue reading Máire-Anne Doyle’s Shirley Temple doll and books
Aileen Sweeny’s ‘The Bubbauns’
A National Treasure, Aileen Sweeny and Family. “These are the ‘Bubbauns’ made by my granny Hannah approximately 90 years ago. My granny was a dressmaker and the family lived over a shop in Ballina, Co Mayo. Much loved and played with by my father Bob and his brother Paddy. The 3rd doll, Jack, is in… Continue reading Aileen Sweeny’s ‘The Bubbauns’