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Put in that she’s looking for a man to settle dow
n with if there’s any readers available. “Monday night’s the night!” Ray says. “Maureen sometimes has a bit of a session and the place becomes a dance floor. I’ve had a couple of personal parties in here. Just having my pals and family coming in to say hello and have the craic.” Maureen loves dancing, and it isn’t long before Ray is asking her about her days in the dance halls, deflecting advances from potential suitors. At one stage, she even does a swaying little dance to embellish a story. It’s kind of surreal to see Maureen, one of the most legendary (if not infamous) women in Dublin 7, dancing with abandon. It can’t be overstated how much levity Ray brings out of Maureen. She may roll her eyes at his jokes but there’s times when the disapproving mask slips and she flashes a grin. At one stage Maureen says she likes to live alone, but Ray is quick to interject. “Put in that she’s looking for a man to settle down with if there’s any readers available. Come on, it’s your time! There could be a gentleman reading this goin’ ‘she’s the one!’” Maureen’s nonplussed. “Nah I’m happy out. I’ve had plenty of men through me hands…” “So have I!” Ray cackles. “That’s why we get along so well, we have so much in common!” Though she might get the cold shoulder from the young professionals in the area, Maureen still has a kinship with Stoneybatter’s youngest residents. It’s well known that she has a great fondness for children; one of her greatest joys is watching them grow over the years. “You build up a bond with a kid. They just get to know you,” she says. At one stage Maureen proudly shows us a framed picture of herself and a girl of about seven, which sits on one of the shelves in the shop. “There was a little girl from Canada back in January, her daddy was in a film here. And she’d be screaming out me name from across the road. She was here for three months and she’d always call in in the morning and after school. We really fell in love with one another, the two of us.” Last year Maureen decided to put her shop on the market. In her 39 years, she can count on one hand the amount of times she’s taken a holiday. She says she’s holding out on selling until she gets the right price, but you sense a certain unwillingness for her to give it up. Maureen is a total workhorse, starting her day at 7am with a paper round and often not getting to bed till midnight. Even though Ray has been giddy throughout the conversation, there’s times where he can’t help but betray his concern. At one stage, Maureen stands on a stool to reach for something on the top shelf, and he’s instantly begging her to get down. Does he worry about her sometimes? “Oh, 100 percent,” he says, suddenly very sincere. “She does too much. Every day she does too much. But there’s no talking to her,” he sighs. “I’m forever telling her to stop doing these things, take a break. But you won’t listen, sure you won’t?” “No, sure I like goin’ on,” Maureen says. “I’m a workaholic, it’s in me system.” “I keep telling you, you need to figure out what you’re gonna do if you do sell,” Ray says. “You’re not going to be one for sitting in the house all day.” “No, I’ll get out and about. I’ll find things to do, but I’m gonna go on one long holiday first.” “To where?” “The Canaries, somewhere like that. Away from everybody. Nobody asking any questions.” “Would you like me to come with ya?” Maureen gives him a withering look. Everyone laughs. Eventually, Maureen does too. ● Maureen’s, 57 Manor Place, Stoneybatter Slice, 56 Manor Place, Stoneybatter asliceofcake.ie 50