Pauline Spain (Nee Genockey)

Pauline was born in 100 St. Bridget’s Gardens, the eldest of eight children. Her father as a delivery driver for Guinness’s brewery before buying a paper stand from Mrs. Kelly, which he had for years.

Leaving school Pauline began working as a seamstress in Andorra Sewing factory. She met her husband locally and they have seven children and twelve grandchildren.

Pauline has great memories of growing up in the flats one of her fondest memories is of long summer evenings where all the children gathered to play a variety of games. Annual tennis, tournaments were a feature of the playground supervised by Dublin city council employees and as a talented tennis player she was the under 16’s Dublin champion.

Later in life she recalls joining a drama group facilitated by a community worker called Fiona Nolan. Pauline was involved in this group for twelve years which culminated in the production of a play based on the women from Sheriff Street, as told through the medium of childhood songs and games. The Balcony Belles play was produced and performed in the Peacock Theatre. Subsequently, local author & film maker Peter Sheridan produced a documentary based on the play.

Pauline has vivid memories of the shop both the old shop and the new shop, she can still see my father’s face, the weighing scales, patsy ice pops and the ice cream wafers and feels it was a great place to grow up in. She continues to live in the area.