The Christmas Man

 

There once was an auld fellow that travelled the roads of the Irish midlands in the 60s and 70s.  He had a long white beard and an old hat like prospecting miners used to wear in 1940’s Hollywood westerns.  He also wore a wide old coat and it was possibly a huge number of light covered coats.  Children called him ‘Fortycoats’ or ‘Santa Claus’.

He used to tour the countryside and the housing estates and knock on each door.  He would then walk away, and on to the next door, so he was not technically a beggar!  He was always acknowledged as “a safe old man”, so safe that children regularly stopped and talked to him.  Then again, it was a different era, when people were more trusting. 

When the old man knocked on a door, a child would run after him and place a coin in his hand.  The child would then receive a blessing from the old man, which went something like: “May the Great God, the Blessed Virgin and the infant Jesus, bless you now and always!”

He was always walking and it was obvious that he slept rough.  He used to carry a canvas bag, which probably held clothes, or maybe food.

He was a regular sight in Athlone town, until the early 80s, and the poor man seemed to wear the same clothes all year round.

Strangely at Christmas time he was never seen in the housing estates, where he would have cleaned up financially. 

Interestingly at Christmas time, there were many reported sightings of him at various open cribs in Athlone.  He was often seen praying at the Friary Crib, and the crib outside the Prince of Wales Hotel.

In fact the old man got national publicity sometime in the 1970’s, when a journalist and photographer spotted him asleep in the crib, at the Prince of Wales Hotel, in place of the Baby Jesus.  A photo was taken, a poetic story was written, and the old man became a celebrity, although he probably never knew it.

The old man who resembled Santa Claus, brought the true meaning of Christmas to many smiling children of that era.

In May 2012, 100 years old Mrs. May Green of the Cova shop, in Athlone, found a photograph (above) of the old man, dated 1966! writes David Flynn.

The photo of him was an amazing find, because there didn’t seem to be any local image of him available, although numerous people remembered him from that time.  The Westmeath Independent newspaper published the photograph, and it evoked many more memories of the old man of the roads. Many people contacted the paper through its Facebook page or sent letters or emails to the editor.  Some of them knew that the man’s name was Johnny Regan, but few knew any real details of his background, because while he was friendly, he was also intensely private.  Many had heard the rumour of him being a national schoolteacher at some time in his past, but it was never confirmed.

Johnny was 76 years old when he died at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Athlone on October 28^th, 1987, and he was buried in a grave at Coosan Cemetery.

Jimmy Keegan from Annagh, Ballykeeran and his family were friendly with Johnny Regan almost forty years ago, and he was moved by the Westmeath Independent story and picture.

Jimmy became part of a committee of people who planned to have a monument erected at Johnny’s gravesite.  The committee raised funds, following further stories in the newspaper, and were given kind donations by people who remembered Johnny fondly.

The group succeeded in placing a monument over the grave, and on Sunday, December 3rd following 12 noon mass at Coosan Church.   Fr. Declan gave a blessing at the graveside.  However before that Fr. Declan mentioned ‘Fortycoats’ very fondly in his homily at the church.  The theme of the homily was homelessness, which tied in perfectly to the story of Johnny’s life.

“He was a homeless man, and I’m told that Johnny was unusual in many respects, he was homeless and well respected, and jobless but didn’t want any handouts from the state, and he was well spoken,” said Fr. Declan at the mass.  “He was not looking for money, but just looking for a place in a barn or shed to stay, his dignity was intact, and it says a lot about Johnny, that he hasn’t been forgotten.”

The rain poured down as almost forty people with many umbrellas crowded around Johnny Regan’s grave at Coosan on Sunday afternoon.  They included Fr. Declan, who gave the blessing at the graveside, Jimmy Keegan, and Eamon Green, son of Mrs. Green, who found the photograph of Johnny that stirred so many local memories.

“Many of you have heard I’m sure, ‘happy the corpse the rain falls on,’ and Johnny is a man that could very easily be forgotten about, but as much as it says about Johnny, it says a lot about you all, coming here in the rain today,” said Fr. Declan.

Twenty-two years ago, Johnny’s story was first told in the Westmeath Independent, and it was called ‘The Christmas Man’ at that time. ‘The Christmas Man’ story has now been completed this December 2012.

Ar dheis de go raibh a anam dilis