Girl’s Christmas wish to Santa found 45 years on
Yvonne Foley’s faded letter, in beautiful handwriting, was written by her father JC, and overseen by her mother Ann.
But Yvonne, who now lives in Bray, Co Wicklow, signed it herself in big, bold letters.
The letter was unearthed by workmen renovating her former home at 4 Salvador Place, Western Road, Cork, more than two years ago but it only came to prominence this week after it was published in a local freesheet magazine.
“The workman didn’t know what to do with it but his wife, who works at the magazine, thought they might find me if it was published. I still have family living in Cork and was tracked down that way,” said Yvonne.
In the letter, which was sent up the chimney on November 1, 1960, she asks Santa Claus for a jar, a bottle for her dolly, a stick with a balloon on it and a Rolls Royce dinky and a game of Ludo.
“The jar was for my marbles, or glassy-alleys as we call them in Cork, the doll was no Barbie Doll but a plump one with curly hair, I wanted the Rolls Royce dinky for myself because my brothers Robin and Dr MG (Michael Gillian)
Foley, who both now live in Florida, never let me play with theirs,” she said.
“I’ve had so many calls about the letter from people who knew me by my nickname ‘Foles’, including one from Cork chemist, Robert Duffy, who I haven’t seen since I was three.
“I was in Cork recently and actually passed by the house in Salvador Place, not knowing I once lived there. Funnily enough I did get a weird feeling about the place,” she said.
Yvonne, now chief executive of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, is planning to return to Cork in the new year to meet up with the workman who found the letter and old friends such as Robert Duffy and jeweller Tim Keane.
But first Yvonne had just enough time for another Christmas letter.
“Dear Santa,
“Forget the jar, doll, stick with balloon, and dinky. I want a Rolls Royce for Christmas.
“Yvonne Foley.”
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