Photograph appeal: readers can you help?

Guardian reader Eileen Dillon-Moyles is appealing to the public for help in identifying the people in this photograph in Ormond Street taken by Willie Heaney back in 1960 or 1961. At that time Willie lived in Ormond St with his mother. He wrote for the Tipperary Star where his column was called ‘Diary of a Nenagh man’ and later for The Guardian ‘In the Passing Parade’. He also wrote ‘The House of Courage - Life in a Sanatorium’, which was published in 1952. It was a first hand account because he spent 16 months is a sanatorium in Dublin with tuberculosis.

Eileen writes: “From the 1880s to the 1950s TB was the primary cause of death in Ireland and this was especially so for those living in over crowded urban settings.

“As children we did hear bits about TB and we knew that it was bad and looking back now I expect that is why we had so much fresh air circulating in schools and other buildings because the thinking was that it was a very contagious disease. This sounds familiar to us today in the era of coronavirus where social distancing, good hygiene and fresh air are so important.

“We knew about the BCG vaccination which protected us against tuberculosis because we got it at school. The vaccines and boosters today will protect the population from coronavirus, although there may not be a permanent cure as such.

“We know some of the people in this photo but we would love to identify everyone and perhaps to hear some of their memories of the 1950s and '60s in that part of Nenagh.”

If you can help, please email Eileen at emoyles@gmail.com