Newry News and Irish Fun
As I write this story, my best friend is taking a flight over Newry on board a microlight. You know, one of those tiny airplanes. And it’s on that account I recall the story of Paddy and Biddy Rice’s flight some eighty years ago over
In those days at Annamar School, my older brother Petie was a real scamp! If there was devilment, it was he who was at the centre of it. There was a house of the road that doubled as a local shop – there were lots of those in them days!
Ballinlare Gardens, in 1960, was the home of our readers Mark Byrne, Peter Cunningham and Brian Fitzpatrick (and I hope, other readers) … and they will especially enjoy reminiscing on the following list of their good neighbours of a former time.
Ballinlare Gardens 1960
1 James Turley
3 Patrick Rafferty
5 Peter Kenny
7 Thomas Teggart
9 Ernest Shaw
11 John Kerrin
13 Thompson Brown
15 Sarah McComb
17 Hugh Mathers
19 James Treanor
21 Bartholemew Toal
23 Bridget O’Hare
25 James Campbell
27 William Campbell
29 John Byrne
31 Patrick Campbell
33 John Hillen
35 William Bittles
37 Robert McCormick
39a James Maguire
39b Josephine Loughran
39c Hilda Chapman
39d John Murray
41 Luke Quinn
43 Kevin Byrne
45 Patrick Kavanagh
47 John Mairs
21 William McCracken
4 David Graham
6 Laurence Hands
8 Thomas Mullan
10a James McCavitt
10b Peter Hollywood
10c Patrick McDonald
10d William Gribben
12 Brendan Byrne
14 Patrick Fitzpatrick
16 Michael Cunningham
18 Eugene Clancy
The Ateing House was the only establishment of old where a farmer could get a ‘good feed’ like he was used to at home!
Of course this was in the days before there were fancy ‘restaurants’ and ‘caf
If truth be told, m’ own granny ran such an establishment in
But I do hope it was NOT granny’s Ateing House that featured in the following story!
Tam Dunne of Dromantee used to tell the story of the Newry Ateing House! The woman of the house prepared and served dinners on Fair Days (she may have done it every day, but Tam was there only on Fair Days).
The hungry farmer could get a slap-up feed consisting of fried steak and onions, with a mug of strong tea, for a reasonable sum. Sometimes there were potatoes too, boiled in their jackets, and lashings of buttered bread.
The woman asked Tam if he wanted the steak plain, or ‘gobbled’.
He asked what the difference was, and she replied,
‘The gobbled steak is a penny dearer.’
‘Ah, well, so’, says he, ‘I’ll have it gobbled’.
When it was set on the plate, the woman began to ‘gobble’ or munch on his steak!
He cried out!
‘I’ll have it plain! I’ll have it plain.’
I suppose today’s equivalent is to request your steak ‘tenderised’!
The sudden appearance of Old Felix at the corner of the house, his cloth cap pulled down over his eyes, startled me out of my reverie. He cut a sorry figure, the pockets of his ancient coat sagging from years of carrying stone sinkers, floats and fish hooks.
Dear only knows what the Cup was for, but that’s Eva Connell holding it up proudly.
The first two ladies on the back row are Doris O’Hagan and Kathleen Fagan. The third is Maisie McCaul, Paschal McCaul’s mother and so grandmother of our contributor, John.
Alice McKeown and Mary Rogan complete the back row.
Left front is unknown: then it’s Maggie O’Hagan holding the cat: and finally Sarah McKay, Bernadette’s aunt completes the line-up.
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We went to the shop down the road, played Hide and Seek in the park, Hopscotch, Donkey, skipping, handstands, stuck in the mud, football with an old can:
I asked Dickie Rodgers – winner of our Reminiscence Competition – about his working life.
One of the primary functions of this website is to stir fond memories of childhood.
What better way than to reflect on the words of that perennial favourite ballad “The Old House” ?