FIRST person to be born at Newry’s unique Meadow estate was a bonny wee lass named Marie O’Hare, daughter of singing bus-driver, the late Pat O’Hare from Chapel Street. She married all-round sportsman, Larry Boyle, a native of Mary Street, while her sister, Deborah is the wife of Paddy Maguinness, Deputy Chief Executive of Concern Worldwide.

Incidentally, Marie’s daughter Maria has just graduated from Queen’s University, and has secured a teaching post. Another daughter, Paula, recently completed her education in the Special Needs section of St Mark’s High School at Warrenpoint. She had attended the Special Educational Unit at the Abbey Yard in Newry.

The moving ceremony was attended by a large congregation, including Bro McQuillan, founder of the Special Unit; Sister Tarcicius, former Principal of the Sacred Heart Grammar School; staff of the Special Unit, parents and its pupils, along with Paula’s relatives and friends.

Music during the Mass and Confirmation ceremony was provided by Paula’s sister, Stephanie, who played the violin and tin-whistle, while the singers were Paula’s aunts, Deborah Maguinness and Kathleen Keenan, as well as Louise Bell. During the ceremony, examples of craft work, designed and made by Paula, herself, were borne to the altar.

Larry and Marie Boyle, - active in community and charitable affairs, - had maintained a vigil at their daughter’s bedside for several days, following her six-hour operation in connection with a rare chest disease. Special prayers for the success of the surgery had been requested at all Masses in Newry Cathedral and St Brigid’s Church, prior to the operation.

The versatile Stephanie had come first in her section of the World Country Dancing Championship at Nashville, while her mother was second in the All-Ireland Line-Dancing Championships at Dublin. Stephanie devised her own routines, being trained by Damian and Attracta Brady in the Whitegates complex at the Meadow, graduating from a school of dancing in Liverpool.

Her mother had taken up Line-dancing when she attended the Aine Quinn School of Dancing at Dundalk, along with Barbara Lucas, Danny Doran’s sister, Teresa, and Joe Hughes’ daughter, Bridget.

Meanwhile, Marie’s husband, Larry, had been active in sporting circles. Star forward on the Ballyholland side, which won the Down Junior Championship, he was in the Newry Minor squad, along with John Murphy of 1968 fame, which defeated a Dublin side at Croke Park, as a curtain-raiser to a senior challenge match between Down and Dublin sides.

Larry was requested to play for the soccer team at Ulster Textiles factory, where he was employed. He agreed, along with his brother, Oliver, but they received a six-months’ suspension, and never went back. Playing for Dam-Tex, Newry Celtic, Barcroft and Shamrocks, etc, Larry became leading goal-scorer in the Carnbane League, for five seasons in a row. And he won the “most entertaining dance routine” competition at the Mourne Country Hotel, being also known to `trip the light fantastic` in the Cue Club.

Recalling her early years at Slieve Gullion Road in the Meadow, Mrs Marie Boyle referred to six local busmen, - Arthur Quinn, Larry McVeigh, Sean Hillen, Mickey Cunningham, Alex McKay and her father, Pat O’Hare. There were also three priests, - Fr Oliver Mooney, Fr O’Connell and Fr O’Hare, - as well as a policeman, Dick Bradley, “respected by the law-abiding, but feared by the miscreants.”

Then there was Mrs Caldwell, a classical singer; Eileen Turley, who gave piano lessons and ran a `Money Club`; Paddy Rafferty, who read gas-meters, - always welcome, because he gave a rebate; and Marie McGuigan (Mrs Hughes) played the organ at St Brigid’s Church. And the late Marie Rice, a native of Meigh, was a noted singer, community worker and collector for charity, who sang in St Brigid’s Church choir.

Resident of Slieve Gullion Road and sportsman is Gerald McGuigan, whose son of the same name is proprietor of a public house in Monaghan Street, having been manager of the Cue Club. Gerald (senior) was a native of Damolly, where his brother, Willie, later operated a shop.

Leaving the Abbey Secondary School at the age of 14, he went to work with Armaghdown Creamery, delivering milk by horse and cart, seven days a week. However the winter of 1946, with bitterly cold weather, led him to abandon the outdoors for employment at Damolly Mill. Part of his chores was to collect employees by lorry from various parts of the town.

After a spell in England, he returned to the frontier town, gaining employment at the Pye factory. Marrying Maura Keenan from St Clare’s Avenue, they raised a family of 12. These are Pat, a teacher; Maureen, employed at Savage’s newsagents; Paul, a contract manager; Brian, full-time fireman; Jim, senior social worker; Gerald, a publican; Elaine, (Health Clinic); Fiona, a nurse; Christine is a `home-help`; Karen, a housewife; Ann, married to a son of Paddy Smith (Indo Club); and Mark, a welder in Kilkenny.

Gerald was involved with a various soccer clubs in the Summer League. Competing were Damolly, Celtic, Shamrock Rovers, Young Arsenal and Windmill Stars, as well as Bessbrook’s Green Road, etc. He played with the Pye factory side, along with Derek O’Brien, Dan Hogan and Joe Smith.

Recalling how participants in the massive Civil Rights March after Bloody Sunday, had been offered tea and sandwiches, as well as toilet facilities in local homes, Gerald described how some VIP’s stayed the previous night at the Meadow or Derrybeg estates, in case of a security clamp-down. Brian Toner invited me to photograph his family with Bernadette Devlin MP, and film-star Vanessa Redgrave.

Next Page >