'My father and his brothers all lived in close proximity to their mother, who was a sort of Matriarch'

'My father and his brothers all lived in close proximity to their mother, who was a sort of Matriarch'

Mary remembers growing up in the village of Cloughmills beside her grandmother and her father's brothers' families.

Mary Dynan

Trinity College Dublin

1945

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Mary Dynan

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Cloughmills, Co. Antrim

1940's

My father and his brothers all lived in close proximity to their mother, who was a sort of Matriarch. It was in effect a 'compound' - they shared a lot in common. When I was younger the phone - Cloughmills 246 - was in granny's - the papers were delivered there until my mother rebelled and got her own paper. There were eventually 19 cousins who played and did things together. My cousin Anne who was 9 months my senior was my counterpart. We were often dressed the same. I remember in particular our blue teddy bear coats with matching 'Juliet' caps made by the dress maker Mrs. Mitchell.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)