Antrim M3

MACKEAN MEMORIAL ACCORDION BAND 1029
Here we have the Mackeam Memorial Accordion Band from Antrim in 1951.
At the back are Sammy McQuillan, Tommy McQuillan, Ken Rodgers, Norman McCaig and Jim Carson. In the middle row we have Bob Nicholl, George Bell, Dan McGrubb, Billy Gaynor, Bobby McGrubb, Albert Hemming, Tommy McCreight, Bobby McVeigh, Jim McCaig, Freddie McCreight, Davy Bell, Adam McFadden, Eddie Davis, Dennis Hunter and Freddie McNeil. At the front are Hugh Wright, Ella Bamber, Elsie Boyd, Margaret McCaig, Ria Clarke, Agnes Dewart and Robert Bell. The two boys are Jim Caig (junior) and Ruben Reid.

MARKET SQUARE 712
Not very often you get a photograph of Market Square with nobody or vehicles in it. You can just make out in front of the Court House the water pump where people got their water for the house. To the left you can see Antrim Castle wall, it is not real but has been added by the photographer. It could be a Sunday, the year is unknown.

MARKET SQUARE 711
Market Square with the Court House and the shop to the right is S. Campbell's.
On the left is an old road sign meaning bends ahead because the road winds round the Court House. Looking at the cars and the distinct absence of the German Field gun the photograph must have been taken in the late 1940's.

MARKET SQUARE 710
Thursday and it's market day in the Market Square in 1932.
On the left is Hall's Hotel sign saying it is The Motor House so obviously the car is making a big impact. One of the car's registration is IW 1603, the van's is XI 106. Now over to the right behind the man in the grey suit is an icecream cart owned by A Cavanann the building is the Ulster Bank. The shop on the left of the bank is S. Campbell's. In front of the Courthouse at the 3rd arch from the left can be seen the captured German Artillery gun that was given to Antrim after the First World War.

MAY DAY 1788
On 'Dan Murfy's' float on May Day going down Castle Street these Irish dancers are showing off not only their skills but also their silverware.
From the left is Geraldine Lavery, Unknown, the middle two are the Bradley sisters (christians unknown), then Pauline Lavery and finally Unknown.

MUCKAMORE TENNIS CLUB 2302
Here we are at Muckamore Tennis Club and this unknown gentleman is receiving his prize from Sally Bell.
Looking on is her husband John Bell headmaster of Antrim Technical School.

MUCKAMORE ABBEY HOUSE 529
When people mention the name Muckamore Abbey, most think of the 'modern' hospital block but this isn't the case. This postcard photograph of Muckamore Abbey House itself was taken in 1932 when the lady of the house was Mrs ML Thompson. She sent the card to Mrs McQuillken, of Summerhill in Muckamore, and it read: 'Many grateful thanks for the charming gifts you sent for the sale. I hope to see you soon'.

MOYLENA FOOTBALL TEAM 2367
Some of the players of Moylena Football team who played in the Saturday morning League holding their silverware in the 1980'sFrom the left we have Unknown, Jimmy Watson, Denny Clark, Alfie Beresford, John Quinn, Bernie Hogg and Bobby Carlisle.

MUCKAMORE ABBEY HOSPITAL 833
Here we have some of the staff of Muckamore Abbey Hospital in 1949 showing off their cooking talents, only two people known in the group are on the left in back row, Rose McLaughlin and in front of her is Edith Craig.

MUCKAMORE RAILWAY BRIDGE 197
The bridge was built in 1847, photograph was taken before 1935, what the two pieces of timber nailed either side of the bridge walls were there for I do not know.
Opposite the two young men sitting on the other bridge wall looks like a gate so perhaps there was a toe path here. Opposite the two men standing is a lane that lead to cottages.

Mr. BAIN 773
This handsome looking lad with dark brown eyes is Jock Bain. Jock was a Lance Corpral in the R.A.F. and was 20 when this was taken in 1925.

MUCKAMORE BRIDGE 555
This is Muckamore Bridge in 1905. In the background you can see the railway embankment.
Perhaps that was the photographer's friends posing on the bridge.

MOYLENA BEETLING MILL 389
The mill was owned by the York Street Flax Spinning Co.Ltd and was a Beetling Mill, it hammered the linen to bring up the finish. Here you can see the huge Waterwheel which provided the power for the mill. In 1961 they went into liquidation and the village at Bog Head which was for the workers was demolished, only the mill was left standing. This photograph was taken in the 1969.

MUCKAMORE CRICKET XI 2251
This is the Muckamore Cricket XI in the 1930's coming out to play against Woodvale on the Ballygomartin Road.
Coming out to bowl and field are W Reid, Jack Cook, C. J Webb, Dr. Crawford, N.C Entwistle, Paddy McCormick, Tom McFaddenand George Pinkerton. The rest of the players are unknown but if you can name them plus where they are in the photograph as well as the others I would be most grateful.

MOYLENA BEETLING MILL 558
This is a drawing of the Beetling Mill in Moylena not far from Bog Head Village. The houses to the left were for some of the mill workers.

MOYLENA BEETLING MILL 390
Here you can see the Beetling Mill in the 1969 in the distance, in the foreground to the left is the pathway for the workers. To the left of the path is the sixmilewater river and to the right you can see the mill race which fed water to the waterwheel which
powered the whole mill. Apparently when the mill was in production you could hear the noise of it all the way up the valley.

MOYLENA BEETLING MILL 563
This machine hammers the linen to give it the sheen its famous for.
The noise was so loud you could hear it a mile away and that is one of the reasons the workers went deaf. The man here seated is checking the quailty of the linen as it comes off the machine. No Health and Safety back then as you can see from the belts and wheels with no guards. The year is unknown.

MOYLENA WELL 457
This rare photograph, taken in 1969, shows the small bridge that spanned the Mill race so that the workers who lived in the village at Bog Head could get to the spring well, which was their only source of water. After the houses were demolished the bridge quickly fell into disrepair but the watering hole took on a new life as a wishing well! Many hardy souls over the years have negotiated their way across the timbers to make a wish, and many naughty children were quick to retrace their steps to claim the cash!

MOYLENA BANKS 1162
This is Moylena Banks and the cottages that used to be next to the "Shaky Bridge" are sadly no longer there as well as well as the Shakey Bridge took down by Antrim Council. Please can anyone tell me what the building behind the cottages was used for? The year is unknown.

MOYLENA BRIDGE 139
The cottages are no longer there and sadly so is the bridge as Antrim Borough Council took it away to put a new bridge there. There was nothing wrong with bridge it just needed new foundations and the money spent on them would have been much less than it cost to put the new bridge here.
The bridge was built by William Wilson and Company, Engineers, Lilybank Works Glasgow so that the mill workers could cross to the mill and also their houses at Bog Head. These were all pulled down when the mill closed in the 1960's.

MOYLENA BANKS MILL HOUSES 141
This photograph was taken in 1915 and was owned by the York Street Flax Spinning Company by the 1950's it housed four families the McCombe's, the Steele's, the Campbell's and the Tuff's some of which worked for the company. On the path are two boys,further back is a girl and a small child most likely posing for the cameraman. The house was a few hundred yards downstream from the weir. There was a mill race which led off from the weir, running parallel to the river but at a higher level, this was to feed the waterwheel at the Beetling engine in the mill which was used to finish off the linen cloth. When the mill was in operation you could hear the noise of it all along Moylena. Date is Unknown.

MOYLENA 579
This view of the Sixmilewater was taken before the Shakey Bridge at Moylena.
You can see the sluice gate which provided water for the mill whose chimney you can see in the background. The photograph has been hand coloured. The year is unknown.

MOYLENA BANKS 1049
These cottages where just off the Oldstone Road at Muckamore in 1934. They where next to the bridge (Shakey) which the workers used to cross the Sixmileriver to the Beetling mill just further down the river.

MOYLENA 1037
Pictured sitting outside a Beetling Mill in 1952 at Moylena we have the Reade family enjoying the good weather. On the left is Margaret, then Evelyn, Mum (Ester), on her knee is Bessie, next siting on dad's (Tom) knee we have Lena and Ester.

MUCKAMORE CRICKET CLUB 2250
Being photographed in front of Muckamore Cricket Club in 1940 we have the Ladies cricket team.
Standing we have E Mulholland (umpire), Rosina McMeekin, Unknown, Essie Graham, Nell McIlroy, Evelyn Doole and Elsie McMeekin.
Seated are Jean Graham, Mina Craig, Violet Hamill, Betty Jackson and Molly Doole.

MOYLENA BEETLING MILL 337
This is one of three Beetling mills which were owned by the York Street Flax Spinning Co. Ltd. at Moylena in Antrim. When it ceased production it was
converted into a private residence and became a two-storey house. Sadly little remains of the town's rich textile history. The year the is unknown.

MOYLENA 271
This was taken at Moylena on the banks of the Sixmilewater river.
First on the left in the back row is Anna Baird and in the centre front row is Jeannie McKee.The other ladies are all unknown at the moment.

ANTRIM CASTLE MOTTE 196
This photograph of the Motte in the early 1900's shows how well it was kept then with the neatly trimmed hedges beside the footpath
taking you to the top.

ARM IN ARM 2657
Out for a walk throught the fields in March we have on the left Ida Mullan, Ester Mullan, Eileen Mullan and Billy Templeton.
The dog's name by the way was Rodger.

MUCKAMORE NATIONAL SCHOOL 2661
We are in the early 1900's at Muckamore National School for the annual school photograph.
As you can see they have turned out in their finest and the girls have out-done themselves.
In the back are R McMillan, N Scott, J Steele, M Johnston, J Hay, J McNeilly and Mrs Clung.
Middle row has E Mullholand, J Rea, E Judge, G Steele, Unknown, J King, Unknown, W Graham, John Steele and S Close.
The front row has G McDowell, Unknown, S McDowell, L Livingstone, R McKelvey and U Forsythe.

ANTRIM CASTLE MOTTE 714
This photograph of the Motte taken in1922 shows who well it was kept then with the neatly trimmed hedges beside the footpathtaking you to the top. Over to the right you can see part of Antrim Castle and also what looks like a greenhouse.

MOYLENA BRIDGE 2090
This is the old Moylena Bridge with the cottages next to it with their neatly tended gardens. In the background the house is on the Oldstone Road at Muckamore. Sadly the local council replaced it with an eyesore. The year is unknown.

MILLTOWN 1110
In the back garden at Milltown in June 1950 we have looking all shy Josephine Woods, next and giving us a big smile is Elvina Keith, not so sure of the camera is Maurice Woods, then with cutest face ever is Audrey Keith, finally Josephine's sister who's first name is unknown.

MOTHERS UNION 451
This photograph taken in the Castle grounds before going on a day's outing the year was 1940.
F.Row: Unknown, Mrs.Taylor, Mrs.Taylor, Primrose Taylor, Unknown, Mrs.McIlrea, Mrs.L.Mckeen, Roberta Allen, Mrs.Wallace, Mrs.Spears, Philip Baxter and Mrs.Anderson.
M.Row: Unknown,Unknown, Mrs.C.Mitchell, Mrs.M.McGrath, Mrs.Collis, Mrs.McCreigton and Mrs.Baxter,
B.Row: Unknown, Unknown, Mrs.Collins, Mrs.McIlwaine,Mrs.Kissick, Unknown, Mrs.Allen, Mrs.Greer,Mrs.Carson, Unknown, Mrs.Kissick, Mrs.Morrison, Mrs.Wallace, Mrs.Cooper, Mrs.Quigley and Mrs.Kissick.

MOTHERS UNION 1265
This is the Mothers Union and they have got together to be photographed in Antrim Parish Church Hall in 1984.
The seemingly tall ladies at the back are Betty Brown Sadie Jenkins, Irene Gates, Ester Elliott, Jennifer Campbell, Mrs Hall, Lena Patterson, Mrs Browne, Jean Bates, Nora O'Neill and Mrs Fullerton. In front of them we have Daphne Bates, Ena Maguire, Peggy Robinson, Margaret Long, Mrs Molloy, Mrs Buckley, Shelia Steenson, Holly Totton, Mrs McFaddan, Clara McKinney, Marie Rainey, Meta Ayre, Meta Montgomery, Madeline McNamee and Pamela Millar. Last but not least seated are Caroline Stewart, Mary Myles, Mrs McCabe, Isobel Kelly, Mary Clarke, Mrs Forsythe (Vicar's wife), Mrs Wallace, Sylvia Byres, Pamela Surpliss, Nora Wilson and Mrs Heffron.

MAGOWAN CHILDREN 1404
Taken in their back yard in 1947 we have Elizabeth, Norman Magown and the dog. Elizabeth was born in Lisburn but soon after they came to live in Antrim. When Elizabeth grew up she became a Music teacher and then married John Steele.

MOYLENA BEETLING MILL 561
This photograph was taken in 1975 showing the sad ruins of a bygone age. Antrim council decided it was dangerous and pulled it down as they have with a lot of Antrim's heritage. When you look at how thick the walls were it wouldn't have fallen down and could have been a tourist attraction.