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Circus History Site
Circus History Site


How to Lose a Tober
written by J.P Browne A Tober which is Circus slang for a lot or site that the Circus can perform in are tough to come by. Ask any circus proprietor and they will tell you the difficulties year in and year out of trying to get the perfect site for a circus to perform. The site should be something highly visible in the town for publicity with access to amenities and convenient parking for customers to get to are some of the easier items I can list. Over the years it’s become
mementoman
2 days ago4 min read


Duffys Circus - 1950 and onward
written by J.P. Browne In the previous article on the Duffy’s Circus we reached up to the post war years and the death of John Duffy II in 1944. After his passing, the circus was taken over by John Duffy III and his brother James (Jimmy) ensuring the success of the Circus through the rest of the 1940’s. Just how popular was the Circus in Ireland back then? Richard McMinn states that in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim the “queues to see the John Duffy Circus was so large that an extra
mementoman
May 306 min read


Duffy's Circus - The Early Years
written by J.P. Browne The Duffy Family along with the Fossett’s are probably the best-known circus family in Ireland having being on the road in Ireland since 1891 in one reiteration or another. The Duffy dynasty started with Patrick James Duffy, a boot and shoemaker by trade who was born in Dublin in 1797. Himself and his wife, a woman called Bridget Galy became the first members who started into the circus life when they at some stage joined a circus and went on the road
mementoman
May 1529 min read


John Moriarty's Circus Memories
written by John Moriarty and Robert Elliot I am currently writing about a particular Irish Circus when I found an old print-out about Irish Strongman John Moriarty. My family knew John slightly which was why we had a print-out of this interview of him. I had heard of this writing several times and seen it cited before in other circus articles but hadn't come across it myself. I am therefore putting in up on the website to make it easier for other people to find and so John's
mementoman
Apr 812 min read
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