Derrybeg: we move in
‘It doesn’t seem like forty-five years since we stumbled over rubble outside our…
Derrybeg Roll-of-Honour
Fabian Boyle takes up the story of the Derrybeg Estate.
‘In addition to the men already named, I feel it necessary to include Mickey McCaul, Davey Morley, Billy Scott, Jim Gorman, Tommy McKeown, Oliver Markey, Jim Morgan, Derek O’Brien, Bobby McAleavey, Dominic McKevitt and Jack McKenna in the ‘Beg roll-of-honour.
Derrybeg: the beginning
In the early Sixties the green fields to the north-west of our home in The Meadow became a building site and the new housing estate of Derrybeg grew up.
Real Dockers
The timber boat men were there along with Micky and Francie McGuirk, Robbie McKee, Martin Havern, Artie Green (RIP) and one great worker Smigsey Smith (RIP). As this was my first time Francie McGuirk told me what would happen.
Bessbrook Mill
The first power flax-spinning mill in
Ring Forts
As we move forward in time in our archaeological review, we find the plentiful ring forts – especially plentiful in our area of interest – which were a feature of the early Christian era (c. 5th century-12th century).
Unloading boats
I remember in the early 60’s on a Monday morning Hughie Green called at our door in Drumalane and asked me if I wanted a couple of days work unloading a timber boat. I had never done it before but being broke, I decided to give it a go.
Early monuments
It’s getting round to tourist influx season again so I just thought it time I review some of our archaeological heritage.
If you are interested in the fairly recent past – like the twelfth century! – you might pay a visit to the so-called Bagenal’s Castle ….
No large families
One of the major changes in more recent years was the conversion of some three-bedroom houses to two-bedroom dwellings. It was wrong, Geordie, insists.
Why does no one visit me?
My place is neat and clean,
there are no locks on the gate.
It is a quiet area of town.
So why does no one visit me?
Meadow: my work
The floors in The Meadow were of a bitumen type that you weren’t allowed to cover. It was supposed to be polished. But, says Geordie, the floors were soft.
Small’s ‘Sketch’ of Newry
The enforced emigration of Ireland’s life blood over centuries, which came to a head during and after the Great Famine (1845-1851) is one of the reasons for the huge Irish worldwide diaspora and the fairly ludicrous situation that by far the greater part of people of Irish descent do not and never have lived on the island.
