Archive (31 life histories found)

My main memory of my childhood was that it was happy. I was the eldest in the family and I had one brother and two sisters. There was only six years between my youngest sister, Breidge and myself. I believe that, because we were born so close…

It was the day before the end of the school holidays in 1948. I was to return to Kilkeel the next day to begin my second year there. I was actually looking forward to getting back and meeting my friends after the long holiday.My mother's London…

Tommy was serving his time as a shipwright and they lived with granny Duncan in Avon Street and came down to Rostrevor at the weekends and Tommy and I sometimes went to Newry by bus and went to the pictures: Savoy, Frontier and another I can't…

We mostly played football in a field on the Highfield estate till it was dark and my chum Jim McFarlane would go to the oval to watch the cock and hens as Glentoran are still known. At the age of sixteen I worked in James Mackies leaving to work a…

My best friend in those days lived across the road from us, his name was Aloysius Kennedy, nicknamed Alo. We spent all our free time together playing games and roaming the neighbourhood. At a late stage in our friendship, just before we left primary…

A few years after the death of my husband and mother I happened to meet an old friend in the bus. His name was Eric Greddis,he was a divorced man. We had played badminton as 17 year olds at Fenaghy Community Centre. Eric was to become a lifelong…

My first job was a Clerical Officer in the Antrim County Court House,Crumlin Road,Belfast. I was paid Σ8 a month. I had to give my wages into the running of the house. My mother gave me 2/6 per week pocket money.My friends from work…