Publication delves into past with tales from yesteryear

Publication delves into past with tales from yesteryear

13 December 2023

THE Inverbrena Local History Group is delighted to announce the launch of Memories From Inverbrena: Strangford 2023.

This year’s informative and colourful edition once again features a selection of memories, stories, histories and photographs of people and places within our locality, preserved for future generations. 

Eamon McMullan, from Newcastle, has contributed ‘The Life of Molly’, which is a work of ‘faction’ — a mixture of fact and imagination in the author’s mind — written very much with tongue in cheek. The names and characters are plucked from the air although Eamon has used common local names where he felt that they would add to the story.

Also included in this year’s edition is a poem written by Eamon, entitled ‘My Village’, in which he fondly reflects on his childhood memories of living in Strangford, nostalgically recalling some of the people of that period.

In his article entitled ‘John McConville 1908-1961’, Michael McConville chronicles the life and the achievements of his uncle, who was born in Lanark, Scotland, in 1908. The family returned to Strangford in 1917 and in 1926 John signed up with the Royal Navy, serving until 1938.

As always, Michael includes a wide selection of historical photographs, this time from his Uncle John’s album, which complement the well-researched and extensive information provided.

Michael McConville has also written ‘The Crib In Strangford Church’, another informative article which provides some historical background regarding the Strangford crib in addition to details of the work involved by parishioners in setting up the crib each year.

A further article by Michael is entitled ‘The Autograph Album’, in which he shares some extracts from an album once belonging to Isobel Hynes.

Isobel (Bella) Hynes was born in Strangford on March 13, 1903, in Strangford. After leaving school she trained as a nurse and went on to work in various hospitals in England.

Isobel kept an autograph album when she was working on night duty at Heathfield in Ipswich in the 1930s. The album contains over 60 entries the majority of which are from members of the night staff working at Heathfield between 1932 and 1939.

Also by Michael McConville is ‘Hens and Pigs’, an article which takes a nostalgic look at a period when many people kept hens and reared pigs to supplement their diet and their income.

Jonathan Brownlee has shared some memories of his father, Captain Nathaniel Brownlee.

Nathaniel (Thanny) was born in 1924, his maternal grandfather being Richard (Dick) Farrow while his uncle was Fred Farrow, both of whom lived in Quay Lane in Strangford.

As a lad Nathaniel was frequently on the boats in Strangford, a natural progression as Dick and Fred Farrow were both harbourmasters for the de Ros family.

Young Nathaniel joined the Merchant Navy in December 1940, aged 16 and over the following years he worked and studied for his examinations, eventually being promoted to captain in 1958.

There’s a fascinating article on Portaferry man Desmond Rodgers, who reflects on his naval career and his experience of delivering men and supplies to lightships, before eventually being employed by Irish Lights as a lighthouse attendant with responsibility for some local lighthouses.

His duties included regular visits to each lighthouse to perform a series of checks to ensure that everything was in working order, as well as responding to call-outs if anything went amiss.

Joan Magee has contributed several articles, one of which is about a historic house, Rosebank, Quarry Hill, Strangford, and its maritime link to Strangford Coast Guards in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

There’s also the story of a Catholic Emancipation centenary badge, once owned by a local man, Malachy Magee.

The story delvers into the reasons behind the production of this badge and includes tranions from newspapers of the period to give a flavour of the commemorative events which took place in 1929.

The Inverbrena Local History Group would be delighted to welcome new members, as well as people who may wish to contribute articles or photographs for future publications.

Copies of Memories From Inverbrena: Strangford 2023 are available from Kevin Og’s shop in Strangford, priced £12, or by contacting members directly.