O K, so this one is really difficult! But many of those pictured in this great period photo were Irish!
We will start you off with a few names. David Keane, brother of Tommy, ex-V.P. of the Abbey Grammar is in the middle of the back row, and beside him is fellow Lislea man, Johnny O'Donnell.
Johnny died very young, tragically - just a few years after this photo was taken, leaving a young wife.
Just in front of Johnny is Bridget McCann. It was bridget's sister Elizabeth who loaned me this photo.
At the front and just left of that group we mentioned is a young Dundalk girl, Phyllis Quigley.
The rest is up to you!!
‘It was 1945, following VE Day and my sister and I
were leaving Co Down to begin a career in nursing in Liverpool. We boarded a ship in Belfast Docks to the
strains of ‘God be with you, till we meet again!’ It was not for our benefit but for all
the men, women and children setting off for faraway lands at the ending of the
Second World War.
We arrived safely at Liverpool Docks and made our way
to the hospital, just to find that our luggage had been delayed in
transit. Matron was not to be, even
temporarily, deprived of two extra pairs of hands and she promptly produced
very thick lisle stockings and long white coats, which, along with our ordinary
shoes – entirely unsuited to hospital floors – comprised our uniform. I was lucky enough to find myself in the
children’s ward where my ‘uniform’ was not noticed. However my sister in Male Surgical Ward
earned the opprobrium of the doctor in charge.
Meals were served in the dining room in the hospital
and our accommodation in the Nurses’ Home was quite comfortable though the
rules were very rigid. Late nights were
not tolerated – 10.00 pm or 11.00 pm on our days off. This rule was strictly adhered to. One had to report to Night Sister to gain
entrance and she was the only key holder.
Seniority was the name of the game. Even someone who started nursing one month
before you was your senior. Matron
presided at the head of the table with the latest batch of students at the
bottom. Platters of food were delivered
first to the head, and there was not much food left by the time they reached
our end. Even going through a door, you
had to stand aside for a nurse who was senior to you.
Our daily work was a round of making beds, washing and
dusting lockers and serving meals. A
good hideaway was the sluice where the bed-pans, urinals and sputum mugs were
cleaned out with Lysol. The hours of
duty were long, especially night duty which saw us with two nights off after
working for two weeks. The pay was poor
and we got four weeks holiday per year.
Despite all this we had an enjoyable time and after
several years we had the necessary qualifications and were appointed ward
sisters in different hospitals. My
sister married and remained in England. After ten years I returned to Northern Ireland.’
Contributed
|
Reminiscence 
