Steckels Circus
written by Richard McMinn
The following article was originally published in the excellent Circus Magazine, produced by the Circus Friends of Ireland. Recently, some posters relating to this circus appeared online, shared by Tony McCarthy, who has kindly given permission for them to be displayed on this website. Following a number of enquiries about the circus, I decided to make the article available online for easier access.
The article was written by the late Dr Richard McMinn, a respected authority on the history of Irish circus and a good friend of mine. I greatly miss our regular conversations, and his passing was a significant loss to both his community and the study of Irish circus history. I hope he would be pleased to know that his research continues to reach new readers and that his work lives on.
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit website dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Irish circus. The article is reproduced for historical and educational purposes, with the kind permission of those who have authorised its display. No commercial gain is intended. Every effort has been made to acknowledge the original author and source. Copyright remains with the respective rights holders, and the article is presented here in recognition of Dr McMinn's valuable contribution to Irish circus history.
Clarification: It seems that their was two variations of the name with Steckles/Steckels being used. The family seemed to be called Steckles but for whatever reason used Steckel as the official name of the Circus.
The Steckles family were Danish circus performers who came to Ireland before the First World War to appear with the John Duffy show. They began touring their own small circus in 1921, concentrating mainly on the northern part of the island, especially after the outbreak of the Second World War. From 1941 onwards, this was the only circus tenting in Northern Ireland and it gave shows for Allied service personnel on a regular basis. The programme was invariably almost entirely a family affair, with cinema films supplementing live acts in the 1930s. Mr. John Steckles and his wife Beatrice had a son, Johnny, and three daughters, Emma (who was married to John Duffy III), Dolinda and Irene. Beatrice Steckles also had a sister, Ethel Hicks, who worked on the show. Beatrice, her husband and sister were excellent performers on the Roman rings in their earlier years.
In 1938 the circus element of the programme, as presented at Killyclogher, near Omagh, Co. Tyrone, included Dolinda on the trapeze (along with Ethel Hicks) and tight-wire, as well as showing her riding skills; Irene with some contortionism; Johnny Steckles with his western pastimes and his amazing juggling of large, awkward, everyday objects contributed by the audience or himself, such as three metal fire buckets; a bareback riding competition and the clowning of John Steckles Snr. Ethel Hicks performed the duties of ringmistress. The show had a string of over thirty horses. Music was supplied by various members of the family, as circumstances permitted.
In 1943 Steckles’ tenting tour opened on 4 April. Mrs. Ethel Hicks again acted as ringmistress and performed with her two nieces, Irene and Dolinda Steckles, on the Roman rings. Johnny Steckles, as usual, presented his juggling act and his rope spinning and whip-cracking. Irene Steckles performed a ‘hurricane’ riding act. The programme also included a baby elephant and an unrideable mule.
Beatrice Steckles died on 1 October 1943 in Banbridge, Co. Down, where the funeral and burial took place on 3 October. The 1944 season opened at Lurgan on 17 March, close to the Steckles winter quarters. Dolinda Steckles performed her wire act and a ladder act. She appeared, as always, with her aunt and sister on the Roman rings.
Irene Steckles made two solo appearances, firstly in Cossack costume, riding bareback on a piebald horse and, secondly, riding a high school horse in a routine which concluded with the horse jumping over four gates. Clowning was by ‘Theo’ (one of the ladics), ‘Nobby’ (John Steckles Snr., by then in his seventieth year), and ‘Bobby’ (Johnny Steckles). Johnny Steckles also closed the show with his unique ‘gentleman juggler’ presentation. At the opening performance, he not only juggled the usual three fire buckets, but also a child’s scooter and a large watering can brought along by members of the audience. These two items were added to his proverbial top-hat and gloves and all were then successfully kept aloft. The programme also included Irene Steckles with some contortions and newcomers Carlos Delmonti and Ogarita, Indian mystics.
The Steckles Circus continued to operate for some years after the war ended (during the Christmas season of 1947–48 it was managed under canvas by showman, John McGovern, at Tower Street, Newtownards Road, Belfast). When their father died, Johnny Steckles and his two sisters joined the John Duffy Circus, since their sister Emma was already married to John Duffy, the joint proprietor of the show with his brother, James. Johnny Steckles died in Newport, Co. Tipperary in 1962. In his later years he had acted as tentmaster on the John Duffy Circus, as well as continuing to clown.
Perhaps the Steckles family reached the peak of their circus careers when they were booked by Dr. Richard M. Hunter to appear in the 1941 Belfast Royal Hippodrome Circus, where the Roman rings act was one of the highlights of the entire show. Johnny Steckles appeared on the same programme as the cowboy juggler, while his two sisters, Dolinda and Irene, along with their aunt, presented a riding act as the Dolindos.
R. McM.
Footnote: This article is based upon cuttings from The World’s Fair of 1938, 1943, 1944 and 1948 contained in Scrapbooks 611, 613 and 614 in the archives of the Circus Friends Association. Thanks are due to archivist Malcolm Clay, for making them available.
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