Clanrye Avenue people of old

Anyway, nowhere are the misnumbered addresses more evident than in Clanrye Avenue.

Clanrye Avenue begins as you enter the Meadow Road (such an address does not exist but everyone knows where it is!) opposite the Postal Sorting Office, continues on both sides of that road to include The Bungalows, past The Meadow Shops and on down the short incline opposite the ‘phone box’ and round to the left opposite the first few houses of Orior Road. There are also two houses and a few flats down the loanan to ‘The Hut’ – which doesn’t exist any more. In all that stretch there are only six two-storey houses – the rest are flats (excepting the small old-people’s bungalows at the start of the Meadow Road).

The sixteen houses that presently occupy the old Plaits (and McClelland’s enclosure) are also bungalows primarily for senior citizens. They are called Clanrye Park.

So what’s the numbering sequence above? Well, the first house (O P bungalow) opposite the Sorting Office is numbered 70 and the countdown begins there and continues until you meet the large block flats (where Maurice Kane, and Peter Quinn, for two examples presently live.) These are directly opposite the Swimming Pool (which also has a Clanrye Avenue address though I don’t know what number!) and are numbered rising from Number 22. The smaller numbers below that constitute The (Aluminium) Bungalows which were originally Orlit houses.

The ‘last’ two houses were originally those of the Berrys and the McConvilles, 55 and 56 respectively. 57 is 300 metres back, adjacent to Number 22. Is that all clear now?

Anyway you are more interested in the people than in the houses so here is a list of former residents.

We were unable to detail the residents of Clanrye Avenue at any one period of time, but the following list includes an estimated year of occupancy for each named tenant. 

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I cannot vouch for the total accuracy of the above list but I’d be glad to receive corrections. I am aware that some addresses are missing.

It must be understood that 57-70 (the O P bungalows) were the last to be built. Of course Clanrye Park was later still, but it’s not Clanrye Avenue.

The occupants of The Bungalows are elsewhere listed on this site and you may wish to compare and contrast, from different eras. When we were young many of these were our friends and playmates, for example Paddy, Mickey, Emmett McCambley, the Larkins, Millars, McGraths, Murphys, Clarkes and so on. I think I knew someone from every one of those bungalows. The most celebrated was Councillor Tommy McGrath. That’s his father (Red Robbie) listed at Number 10 in 1968. Peter Mooney I seem to recall, worked in Magowan Printers: at least one son presently works for The Council.

In our time Number 34 was occupied by the O’Loughlin family – who have been on this site before! Today one of the (Derrybeg Drive) McEvoy girls is married and living there. The following block housed the Housing Trust office (where our rent could be paid), Donaghy’s shop, a flat above where the Agnews (one girl a real ‘looker’) lived, and then Crawley‘s grocery shop. The flat at 42, where Alan Whitlock is listed, later housed a Sister Collins who worked in Daisy Hill Hospital.

As well as the flats at each corner, the last U shaped block included (to the river side) 50 where Gerry Quinn lived with his family (Joan was a daughter) and 51 (nearest The Hut) which then was Sidney Nobles (today it’s Johnny Carroll).  50 today is occupied by McAleaveys. Father Oliver Mooney was brought up here, with his younger sister Joan.  To the front was Brian and Maureen Donagheys and the Trundles (Bernie lived there until quite recent years). Round the corner, as I said, were the Berrys (Gerry had a wife Eileen and children Ann (now in Canada), Catherine (Dublin) Nicky, John and twin girls Mary and Margaret): and Frank McConville (porter in DHH) whose children were Paul, Martin (teacher) Cecelia and Anna.

That’s enough for now, surely!