::: Newry Journal ::: - 1917 Queen St/Downshire Court

Today’s Patrick/Dominic Streets and Francis Street were formerly known as Queen Street and King Street respectively. A great many families lived in this poor town {Ballybot} and the official lists of residents of 1917 disguises the fact that many more families than those named shared these homes. However here are the Reporter lists of Queen Street residents in the year of 1917.

1	William Kearney
2	James Cowan
3	John Murphy
4	George Cowan
5	Maria Anderson
6	John Scott
7	W J Harkness
8	Robert McGrath
9	Robert McCullough
10	Hugh Stairf
12	John Murray
13	Robert Marks
14	William Norris
15	Annie McMinn
16	William Hughes
17	Eliza McAlpine
19	William Dunn
20	Hamilton Millar
21	James Clarke
22	Eliza Kearns
23	Alexander Taylor
25	Bridget Haughey
26	Hanna Cowan
27	Peter Kelly
28	James Edwards
29	Henry Murphy
30	Edward Lowans
31	Eliza Caldwell
32	Sara Baird
33	William Buchanan
34	Jane Kinney
39	Hugh Clydesdale
40	William McKnight
41	Mary Eliza Boyd
50	Peter Loy
52	Francis Curran
54	Margaret Johnston
55	John McGrath
56	Laurence Kennedy
57	Terence Ruddy
62	Patrick Mallon
63	Patrick Ruddy
65	James McAlinden
70	Hugh Finnegan

The rear pedestrian access to our Cathedral was formerly named Downshire Court (today it serves as a parking space for residents of the flats above – and as rear goods access to the Corn Dolly on Hill Street). In 1917 there were four named key-holders – but as we saw in our last story [Rifleman Bernard McAlister] had other families co-habiting – a common practice up until a generation ago. The McAlisters stayed at number 5, the home of James Curran.

Downshire Court 1917

3	Margaret Gentry
5	James Curran
7	Thomas Campbell
9	James Magee