It was August 19th 1967 and the wedding day of one of the Drifters, Eamon McArdle! I’m sure Gerry McGovern (front, kneeling) had an eye for the historic nature of the occasion, for haven’t I seen an album cover (was it the Beatles first?) with a similar pose?
As it happened, this name (dubbed by the groom – Eamon and his beautiful bride Rita, who hail now from Dublin Road and have six adult children today and two grandchildren) soon proved appropriate, as Adrian Devine emigrated to USA, and Gerry McGovern to Great Northern Territories, Australia. Pat Hughes migrated only as far as fair Rostrevor, while Brian Naughton is the only Drifter still to hail from the High Street area. Or does Peter McCaul (who married Kathleen Millar of Clanrye Avenue) still reside in this vicinity? Francie Elmore of Hollywood Gardens, who like Eamon worked (still does, actually) all his life in Daisy Hill Hospital, is on the left.
Missing from the photo, but very much a part of the gang, is Gerry McLoughlin of Stream Street. Gerry is a fan of Newry Journal. How about a reminiscence contribution some time soon, Gerry, please?