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Promoting Unique Heritage Of Slieve Gullion Region


ONE of the proudest people in the Slieve Gullion region, apart from the families of the All-Ireland champions, was Mrs Norah McCoy from Mullabawn, whose pupil was the famous Armagh goalkeeper, Benny Tierney.

Indeed, Benny’s father, Pius Tierney, was deputy to Mrs McCoy as principal of the local school. He later became principal at Forkhill primary school, and finally succeeded Norah as principal of Mullabawn school, where Benny Tierney is now a teacher.

Deeply involving in promoting the Irish language, culture and heritage, Norah McCoy, who spent over 40 years in the teaching profession, operated a local summer school, Colaiste Airt. A co-founder of the Mullabawn Folklore and Historical Society, and unofficial Curator of the Heritage Museum, she is on the board of the Ti Culainn complex.

Incidentally, as the Sam Maguire Cup rests at last in South Armagh, it is topical to recall that another legendary Irish language enthusiast, Padraic MacNamee from Carrickasticken, became not only President of the Gaelic League, but also President of the GAA in the 40’s.

A close friend of the late Cardinal O Fiaich, Norah McCoy was a member of a small group, including Dr Seamus McAteer from Newry, who accompanied the All-Ireland Primate on visits to those European countries, where Irish missionaries had laboured. And she was present on that fateful occasion, when the popular prelate collapsed and died, while leading a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

A founder and long-time member of the Green Cross, established to help alleviate distress among the families of those interned or sentenced, she resigned after the IRA shot dead a post office worker at the Newry sorting office, during the ceasefire.

Norah’s eldest son, Micheal, is manager of the Leader organisation; Seamus is an architect, while Padraig is a driving instructor. Her daughter, Moira, a former civil rights campaigner, and now Honorary Secretary of Warrenpoint Golf Club, is married to Paul Murray, proprietor of the well-known Newry electrical store.

Mrs McCoy’s first post as a teacher was at Leitrim, near Castlewellan. She commenced her duties on the day that the Second World War was declared, in September 1939. She later joined the staff of Loughbrickland primary school.

Moving back home, the young Mullabawn teacher was appointed to the staff, and later principal at the girls’ school in her native village. Then, with the amalgamation of five schools in the district, she was appointed principal, with Pius Tierney as vice-principal, retiring in 1980 and succeeded by Mr Tierney. Norah recalls her former pupil, Benny Tierney, as “a jolly, good-natured youth, very popular with his school-mates and, of course, good at sports.”

The McCoys were a strong republican family, deeply involved in the War of Independence, especially John McCoy, along with Paddy O’Hanlon’s father, as well as John Quinn, Tommy and Charlie Grant, as well as the McKeown brothers. And in the local Cumann na mBan were Minnie McCoy, Bessie O’Hanlon, Mary Anne Muckie and Nan Quinn.

When the Mullabawn Folklore and Historical Society was established in 1969, its aim was to preserve the past, “so that it would not be lost to the present and future generations.” A major project was the conversion of a derelict farmhouse into a heritage museum. Michael Murtagh and his wife had lived in the dwelling, and it was through their son, Frank, that it had come into the possession of the society.

Starting from scratch, the members got a good response from the community, acquiring such objects as a spinning wheel, milk churn, cooking implements, a sewing machine, a large number of farming implements, a millstone for grinding wheat and an old four-poster bed. The roof was also re-thatched.

Fund-raising took many forms, including sponsored walks, as well as social events in the local hall. Finally, in 1973 the heritage museum was officially opened, with Mrs Anne O’Hagan as curator and Mrs Norah McCoy as secretary.

Another red-letter day for Norah came, 20 years ago, with the re-dedication by the late Cardinal O Fiaich of St Mary’s Catholic Church at Mullabawn, with which she has had a long and close association.

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© Fabian Boyle 2001-2008