Helen’s Terrace in The Meadow was there long before the great housing estate was first constructed in the late 1940s. Indeed then they were the only homes in a kilometre radius – except for the isolated cottage of ‘Sticks’ Morgan’s people a little further along the Pighall Loanan.
This great open meadow area – and especially the part in the vicinity of the new
Peter (Rusty) Mallon, one of a large family from the nearby
‘I remember those early residents of Helen’s Terrace.
Each house had an allotment in front of it where the residents could supplement their diet by growing some vegetables. In those frugal and thrifty days, almost everyone did.
There were the Clarkes in the first house. Then Joe McGuigan of the shoe shop.
Next there was the Raffertys. Emmett and Francis were sons. Francie later married Marie McElherron.
The Faddens were next, followed by Annie McClelland. Annie and her husband had the corrugated-iron enclosure below the steps, where they one time cultivated some few vegetables and kept fowl. It protected the sluice-beds that controlled the flood waters into the nearby Resi.
I remember Mr McClelland owned a pellet gun. He would tie rashers of fried bacon to tree branches and let them hang ten or twelve inches above the rocks of the stream. The idea was to attract rats.
When they appeared he used them for target practice. This was interesting and exciting for us small lads of the time. A gun of any form was dangerous and therefore appealing.
The final two houses belonged to the Bodells and the Mooreheads. Later that last house belonged to Larry Carragher, uncle of Larry, Frank, Paddy and the rest.’
Here is the list of electors from Helen’s Terrace of a few years earlier! Ownership of a number of houses altered in the meantime.
|
1 |
Sarah Clarke |
|
1 |
Susan Clarke |
|
2 |
Joseph McGuigan |
|
2 |
Bridget McGuigan |
|
3 |
Mary Doyle |
|
3 |
John Doyle |
|
4 |
Mary T Fadden |
|
4 |
John Fadden |
|
4 |
Thomas Fadden |
|
5 |
Annie McClelland |
|
5 |
George McClelland |
|
5 |
Matilda McClelland |
|
5 |
John J McClelland |
|
6 |
Cyril Bodel |
|
6 |
Kenneth Bodel |
|
6 |
William Bodel |
|
6 |
Elizabeth Bodel |
|
6 |
Harold G Ramsden |
|
7 |
Robert Moorhead |
|
7 |
Amelia Moorhead |
|
7 |
Alexander Moorhead |
|
7 |
Elizabeth Moorhead |
… more …