What happens when you grow up in a village where everyone knows everyone — and then watch that village become a thriving town?
In this episode of Voices of Greystones, Terry sits down with Dave Robbie, whose family's story in Greystones stretches back around 70 years.
Dave remembers a very different Greystones: playing football on Church Road when cars were few and far between, spending summer days swimming at the beach, travelling to school by train and growing up in a community where doors were left open and people simply walked into one another's homes.
His family became deeply woven into local life. His mother, Dorothy Robbie, produced the St Patrick's Players Christmas pantomime for more than 20 years, bringing generations of Greystones children together. Dave recalls the characters, the rehearsals, the Christmas traditions and even the time a famous singer appeared in the pantomime.
We also talk rugby, including Dave's brother Johnny's international career and eventual move to South Africa, as well as Dave's siblings Janie and Peter and the creative legacy that ran through the Robbie family.
But underneath all those stories is something much simpler.
People.
What they meant to one another.
What made Greystones feel like a village.
And what Dave hopes the town never loses as it continues to grow.
Towards the end, Dave shares a particularly touching memory of his mother and explains why, despite all the changes, he has never found another place that quite matched Greystones.
This is a conversation about memory, family, community and the places that become part of who we are.
🎙️ Voices of Greystones is produced by High Tide Studios in the heart of Greystones.
Listen to the full series and find the video episodes here:
Voices of Greystones — High Tide Studios
Every stone has a story. What's yours?
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Voices of Greystones
00:44 — The Greystones that was once a village
03:38 — Growing up by the sea
05:25 — School, trains and a different Greystones
09:24 — Why the Robbie family came to Greystones
12:30 — Open doors and an open community
14:36 — Dorothy Robbie enters the story
16:19 — The Christmas pantomimes that brought Greystones together
18:11 — The woman behind the pantomimes
20:59 — How Dorothy Robbie changed the community
22:32 — Christmas in the Robbie household
24:37 — Life behind the pantomime curtain
27:30 — Why the pantomimes meant so much
29:06 — The village becomes a town
33:29 — Rugby, Ireland and Johnny Robbie
37:31 — The Robbie family's creative legacy
39:23 — “Don't forget the village”
39:49 — Where people gathered
43:16 — The Ormond Cinema and old Greystones
45:14 — What changed as Greystones grew?
46:48 — What should Greystones never lose?
49:20 — What did the Robbie family give Greystones?
51:06 — The story Dave will never forget about his mum
54:19 — What would Dorothy think of Greystones today?
56:17 — What should future generations remember?
58:52 — Every stone has a story
Voices of Greystones is a community podcast celebrating the people, memories and moments that make our remarkable coastal town unique.
Proudly produced at High Tide Studios in the heart of Greystones, every episode captures honest conversations that might otherwise only be shared around a table, over a coffee or on a seafront walk.
Have a story to share, or know someone whose voice deserves to be heard?
Take part in Voices of Greystones
https://hightidestudios.ie/voices
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Every Stone Has a Story. What's Yours?
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