Clarity in the Dark

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It is evening …

Fews Glossary: S 6

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Dialect ‘S’ 6 of 7

Staff :  stick

Stagger : attempt, ‘he staggered it anyhow’

Start : ‘you gave me a start’, scared me; commence, ‘start the game’

The Old Age Pension

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The night of Sunday 6 January-Monday 7 January 1839 is remembered now, only in folklore as The Night of the Big Wind that battered all of Ireland. Indeed it became a milestone in Irish history against which other events were measured.

Bad Driving

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Have I become paranoiac or are they really out to get me?

I’m talking about boy-racers constantly nudging at my rear bumper now impatiently veering to the left, now to the right, in a desperate effort to negotiate this exasperating road obstruction. And I’m already close to the maximum speed limit!

Meadow Memories: Part 1

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THE MEADOW : Early Days Reminiscence of the first generation

 

Work began on the building of The Meadow housing estate in 1947.  


Box of Memories

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It was old, carved and made of wood

For years at the foot of her bed it stood

We never ever thought to look inside ..

Christy Roe

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Christy Roe was one on Newrys characters.  He was a man of simple pleasures – a flutter on the horses and a pint were his pastimes in later life.

School stories

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Annamar Public Elementary School was terrific – but mainly because Mr and Mrs Norris were wonderful teachers. AND each of them had to teach a class of pupils who were at the same time at three or four different grade levels!

Newpoint Cleans Up!

Newry Journal is delighted to commend Newpoint Players on their great victory last night in the Amateur Drama Festival in their home town. The celebrations continued well into the wee small hours – and after, in a local hostelry that will remain nameless!

 

Local Hero

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Beehives and ponytails, skirts below the knees

High collars, low necks, designed for all to see


Human Chain: Seamus Heaney

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I have to confess a deep-felt preference for rhyming over blank verse (and remain much-amused by Hewitt’s sonnet on the subject) and regret that Seamus Heaney – in his latest anthology Human Chain – continues to forsake the former in favour of the latter.  

The School Run

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Dear Agnes,

My grand-daughter’s usual childminder will be unavailable for two weeks from Monday next (winter Caribbean holiday, apparently, with her fancy-man – or whatever name they put nowadays to these reprobates!) and I have been designated to ferry young Penelope to and from school.
 

Cassie’s Wedding

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The occasion of celebration was the marriage, exactly a half century ago, of Cassie McLoughlin to Anthony Fitzpatrick. Cassie was the youngest daughter of Addy McLoughlin, of whom we have a number of stories to follow!