Perils of an Earth Walker 1.

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Newry has a proud and illustrious history of offering aid to the developing world – and indeed to the needy at home, both on the group and the individual level. 

Father Peter McVerry was recently presented on RTE with Man of the Year (again!) for his efforts with the homeless and addicts in Dublin. Dan Moore presently works in the same arena. 

No escape (Reader’s Story)

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Billy Lawson emerged unsteadily from the lavatory in Dunhill’s pub.

He’d been drinking since ten o’clock in the morning. He’d been outside at a quarter to, staring at the foul green scum lying like a thin knotty blanket on the flat waters of the canal.  

Sister Mary Baptist Russell

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The nineteenth century Newry family, Russell of Dominic Street in Ballybot, played a prominent role not just here in Newry but in far-off California and in England. We have already featured the life of Charles Russell, Lord Chief Justice of England. What of his siblings?

His eldest sister Mary died suddenly at twelve years of age. His brother Matthew became a Jesuit priest. His three surviving sisters became Sisters of Mercy. We will later refer to each in turn. First, Kate.

Immigrant Jobs

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20.09.05

Dear Agnes

You know the drill! You’ve been round the circuit a few times! You could advise me!

Bill Hanna’s life

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In father’s absence at first – for six months or so – we stayed at Grandfather Bicker’s in Poyntzpass. Then my two sisters were fostered to two married aunts. 

I was taken in by Granny Hanna who had already reared nine sons. She was more comfortable with boys. This was to my advantage as she was a lovely person and respected by all. Her life had been hard, helping grandfather to run the farm as well as rearing so many sons. It was a sad day for me when grandmother died when I was fourteen. 

Emigration Patterns 2

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The Ulster emigration of the eighteenth century was, as we noted earlier, almost continuous from 1717 onwards. Much of that first wave (1717-18) was organised by Presbyterian ministers. Their people suffered from increasing rents, which saw the iniquitous tithes

St Joe’s Chess & Debating 65

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The Chess team below shows:  B. (L-R)  Joe McGrath, Eric Johnston and Raymond O’Neill
F. (L-R)  M Hollywood, Martin Treanor (Captain) and J Strain

The team was ably coached by popular teacher of the time Brian O’Hare.

Lisraw, 1920’s

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I spent the first fifteen years of my life on my grandfather’s farm in the townland of Lisraw. The routine was school, farm work, hunting with dogs and ferrets and, rarely, playing with friends.

Kilkeel Ramblers 1945

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The Kilkeel Ramblers of 1945 consisted of Pat Hudson (the photographer here) and (L-R)

Frank McCann, Helen Fearon, Alma Nicholson, John McConnell, Tony Cunningham, Teresa Hudson, Maura Morgan and Tom Quinn.

Presbyterians to America

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One can only speculate what might have been the outcome of the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland had not so many Ulster Presbyterians, the backbone of that radical movement the United Irishmen, left our shores in the eighteenth century to find a new life in America. Our previous article demonstrates what a huge effect these pioneering people had on the future history of that emerging nation on the other side of the Atlantic. 

1957 Liverpool, Nurses’ Dance

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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. 

Ulster American Presidents

The Irish ancestry of president John F Kennedy is well-documented, but less well known is the Ulster ancestry of as many as seventeen of the forty-three Presidents of the USA.

Pahvees of Dromintee

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The late Jim Murphy of Dernaroy, a noted Gaelic footballer in his time and one time Newry and Mourne Councillor, was a pavhee most of his life.