You sang along
To a song on the radio –
it was old, vintage stuff
nineteen sixties, I presume
the melody lingered in my head
as I ploughed through
City Hall records
pruning branches on my family tree.
John McCullagh
Emigration to American Isles
We have written before of the great Ulster Presbyterian migrations from here to
Warrenpoint Ferry Boat
For very good reasons, your editor associates the shore and the public baths of Warrenpoint with his childhood friend Vincent McAllister, with whom he often ‘hitched’ a lift there in the bygone days of yore!
The Micks
Have you ever met ‘the Micks’, me lads, when wandering round the town,
They are the crowd of Irishmen, whose fame is all renown.
There’s Alexander, Mungo Park and Michael Vernon too,
But these names I state to you, me lads, are merely just a few.
HCE and how to recognise it!
A number of my friends of long-standing on this site – Carmel, Sally, Jenny, Olwen, Irene, Jim, to name but a few – being aware of my recent bout of ill-health, have offered various prognoses and thankfully, a few tips, as well as copious words of support.
Keystone Ambulance Men
When it was first told to me, I believed the story of the man who guiltily buried the savaged body of his neighbour’s cat – on the assumption that the foul deed was done by his own dog, sworn enemy of that same pussy – only to find that Towser unearthed the corpse and delivered the muddy remains to the other’s doorstep. In similar fashion (am I just gullible?) I also believed the man who recounted the following story, alleging it had happened to him.
Gun Battles & Top of the Pops
We were walking home from school talking about football, girls and who might be on Top of The Pops later that evening. We heard gunfire and it sounded close. It was coming from the direction of our estate!
It was 1974 and gun battles between the IRA and the British Army were a regular occurrence in the estate. We often had to run home to our houses for sanctuary during these battles which were spontaneous and could occur at any time of the day or night.
Martin Trail
Donaghmore is four miles out of Newry on the Belfast Road – at the corner named Four Mile! This was the home area of one of our greatest patriots, John Martin. Visit!!
Shibboleth
Turning into