The Whole Town Was Captivated - The Story of Agnes in Kinvara:
"I saw Agnes in a café in Loughrea about ten years ago. She was standing inside with her tray. I loved her and I wanted her, even though I had no reason at the time, but there was no way they would part with her. A few years ago, we opened this shop in Kinvara - as my cousin owns the building.
I immediately remembered Agnes! I went over to find her in Loughrea - but she was gone. I was devastated.
I found out that she was kept up in the attic. But she was not for sale.
I was so determined, I went back every week, for two months. The café owner, Bridie, would try and hide when she saw me coming. She knew I wasn’t going to stop. And so, finally, Agnes came home with me.
Shop owner, Maeve Johnston, who was determined to bring Agnes to Kinvara, Co Galway.
I brought her back in three pieces - a head, torso and legs. She had a little sensor, and when you walked past her, she would do a shimmy. That was great, but her head fell off twice.
People are very intimate with her. They kiss her and hug her and all kinds of things, so I had to glue her together.
As soon as Agnes went out there, the whole town was captivated. It changed their world!
Every single person who passes by practically crash into each other trying to see her.
We love Agnes, we would never part with her. I’m like Bridie in Loughrea!
Recently, we found a picture of this shop 100 years ago.
We didn’t know it existed. This is my great grandmother Nora Mannix and my auntie Lil Johnston. Lil was Nora’s daughter.
Look at where Lil is standing, she looks exactly like Agnes! It was very weird and strange, freaky, but amazing.
We found a lot of information from these pictures. My great grandfather’s brother built the house and he died at the age of 27, possibly from TB.
My great grandmother died in 1915 and that’s when Lily inherited the house.
In 1920, she married Ford and the Ford name went over the door.
It was a women’s and children’s drapery shop with groceries on the side. Lily was an innovator. She was the first person in Kinvara to sell ice-cream!
She was a widow at the time and she would travel to Galway to see what was new.
The bank manager wouldn’t give her money for a fridge, but her daughter saved up, and she got it!
We didn’t know any of that ‘til we found the old picture.
