Antrim C4

CASTLE STREET 3094
This is Castle Street in the 80's and as you can see on your right the demolition of the street to make way for the new road which cut across the Antrim Castle grounds. Do you know any of the shops or the people who run them plus the people who lived in the houses, if you do please let me know. Now the second building on the right which is jutting out I have been told is McKendry's pub.

CHURCH STREET 3109
It's Easter Tuesday and here we are in Castle Street and this is the Springfield Band from Belfast leading the Juniors Parade.
As you can see Castle Street was a bustling community back then with plenty of Shops.
The shop on the left is Marion's Snack bar, then Robert Millars the printers and where Matt McCullough had once worked. Next is Sammy Nicholls which is still there today and at that time he was selling Marconi radios.
Then you have a bakery which is run by Betty, next is T.Nutt I do not know what he sells and beyond him are more shops that are unknown to me.

MARGARET COYLE 3152
This is Margaret Coyle from Firfields at 19 years of age and Margaret has not changed one bit, still has that lovely smile and the softness in her eyes.
Now Margaret is well known around the town having lived here for over 40 years, but you all know her as Margaret McTaggart.

CHURCH STREET 3180
Coming out of Pogue's Entry on Monday 29th July 1946 carrying Dr. Alexander Irvine's ashes are his four nephews Thomas Scott, William Scott, Henry Scott and finally Henry Adams. Dr. Alexander Irvine died in America four years previously in 1941. I do not know why it took so long to bring his ashes home, perhaps it could have been because of World War 2 and the were scared of losing them during an Atlantic crossing.

CHURCH STREET 3179
It's 1945 and we are in Church Street just outside Pouges Entry I'm sure you are wondering what the large crowds are doing here with the police keeping control of them.
It's the day that the ashes of Alexander Irvine are being interred in his mother's grave in the graveyard across the road.

THE CUTS 3220
Here we are on the banks of the Sixmilewater river as it flows out into Lough Neagh in early 1900's.
This area is known as The Cutts and the boats on this side of the river bank are used by local fishermen for fishing and also take visitors out for trips.
On the opposite side are a couple of boats which are owned by members of Antrim Boat Club.

DANCING CHAMPIONS 3232
Dancing their hearts out in the Ulster Ballroom Dance Championships of 1936 is Evelyn Carson sadly her dancing partener is Unknown.
The judges decided and Evelyn and her partner won!

FAMILY GATHERING 3234
Here we are in the back yard of Carson's Entry in 1946 with the washing out to dry in the summer sunshinewhich is where the Antrim Library is now sited,
in the background is Railway Street. The chimney you can see was part of the gasworks which was owned by the 'Antrim Light and Power company which later took over this site. To your far right is a stack of timber which look like railway sleepers but are really Telephone poles they were square back then.
Now back to the people on the left holding a puppy is Grandad Fred Rea, then Noreen Bates with Trevor Carson on her lap. Next to her with the blanket wrapped round him is Derek Carson and beside him is his father John Carson holding on to Towser the dog.

EVELYN CARSON 3237
This beautiful portrait photograph of Elveyn Carson was taken for a very good reason during the Second World War. It was for her husband John who worked on building various airfields all over England including Ballykelly here. John carried the photograph in his pocket through the war years.
Now this photograph is not like the original for it was cracked and torn from being in John's pocket.

SAMUEL CAMPBELL 1547
Proudly showing off his Cockrell is Samuel Campbell in 1940.
Samuel is in the back yard of his pub in Market Square and looking at the window someone certainly had green fingers.

CHURCH STREET 668
This aerial view was taken from All Saints Tower in the 1970's and you can see
the demolition of the houses behind the main houses in Church Street. Also to the right you can see the prefabs.

CHURCH STREET 666
It's 3.20pm in this part of Church Street you can see Gracies and Ivan Gillespie's and of course towering above them all is All Saints' Church.
The year is unknown.

SHORTS DANCE 3507
It's 1959 and here we are in the Orpheus Ballroom in Belfast which was huge and loved by thousands like the two couples ejoying themselves at the Short & Harland's dance. The couple on the left are Bertie & Martha McQuillan and the other couple are Ed & Irene Cunningham.

MENIN ROAD 1022
Here we are at the back of her house on Menin Road Antrim in 1940, is Alice Corrigan.
As if Alice didn't have her hands full looking after her sons Frankie and Seamus, she has the two greyhounds as well!

LOUGH NEAGH 2120
It's early morning in the 1930's, this is Lough Neagh and yes these two men are skating on it for it had frozen over completely.
The man on the right is unknown but the man on the left is James Creighton who was the Head Gardener for Lord Massereene of Antrim Castle.

CHURCH STREET 3537
It's 1964 and at 10 o'clock in the morning Church Street is already a hive of activity.
In the foreground on the left is a bread van with the doors open showing the variety of bread they have. I don't know the name of the company but the slogan on the van
says "Save as you spend", if you know the name please let me know. Across the road is another bread van this is 'Inglis's" and the breadman has got out of his van with
his money satchel as his side, perhaps he's going into Jamison's shop, Miss Maggie Ann Jamison who ran the shop sold a varity of groceries, lots of china ware and household goods. Heading down the road is a Hillman with a tractor and a cyclist waiting to get past the coal lorry while on the other side of the road ,two lady cyclists are heading down into High Street which is like today (2020) packed with cars.
Does anyone know what the Bristol signs are for? If you do please let me know.

CHURCH STREET 3538
The year and the month is unknown but it's around 10.30pm going by the shadows being cast here in Church Street.
In the foreground is one of the many Cherry trees that where on this side of the street only which were donated by Dupre Malkin Barton.
Across the road is Jamison's shop, Miss Maggie Ann Jamison who ran the shop sold a varity of groceries, lots of china ware and household goods.

HUNTING 1675
Standing in front a local village and far away from home in the Africian Desert, we have local Antrim Man Billy Christie in 1952. As you can see Billy is well armed with a belt of cartridges around his waist and next to him is a Sheik who is going hunting with him.

CHURCH STREET 33
This photograph was taken in the 1950's from the tower of All Saints Parish Church.
In the bottom left hand corner is Nicholl's shops, as you continue up the road you will come to a gap this is the entrance to the Methodist Church. The next three houses were eventually pulled down to make way for the new road. On the right hand side of the road are a row of Cherry trees which were donated by Dupre Malkin Barton, also there is the old red telephone box.

CASTLE STREET 683
This building on the right in Castle Street after the shop used to be the Police Station until they moved across to the buliding on the left, on the right is the Barbian Gates.

CASTLE STREET 662
Here's a view of Antrim which disappeared in a cloud of rubble over two decades ago. Older readers will recognise it, of course, as Castle Street looking down towards the Barbican Gate. The year was 1970 and the street still boasted a number of bars, a bookie's, a butcher's shop and much more - but in little more than 15 years it was gone in the name of progress to make way for the shopping centre to which it lent its name. When this photograph was taken they had already started to demolish the street behind the photographer.

CASTLE STREET 684
Here you can see The Antrim Arms and next to it is the bookies.
In the foregr ound to your right you can just make out part of a Volkswagen Beetle car.
The year is unknown.

CORONATION DAY 174
This is the day King George V was crowned on 22nd June 1911 and Antrim like many other towns celebrated in style, they had eight decorative arches which spanned the streets.
This photograph was taken from a window in the Market square and shows you Massereene Brass and Reed Band playing to the crowds surrounding them. To give you an idea of where they where, behind them is where Peacocks was, top left hand corner you can see the railings of the Ulster Bank and to the top right of the picture is where the First Trust bank was. In the bottom left hand corner you can see lots of boys with white collars on and holding sheets of music, they were from the Antrim National School in Church Street. Now in all this excitement just above the boys a man has spotted the camera man and has turned around to get his daughter in the photograph.

CORONATION DAY 165
This photograph dates from Tuesday 2nd June 1953, Coronation Day.
On board we have the driver, Harry Gaynor then Norma McCabe, Anna McCabe and Ena Flemming.
Walking beside the horse is Willie Barris and they are on the Lough Road heading towards the field at Firfields.

CORONATION DAY 166
Here we are in High Street celebrating Coronation Day, Tuesday 2nd June 1953.and slightly out of focus.
On board are the driver, Willie Barris then Norma McCabe, Anna Baird and Ena Flemming and they are just turning into Bridge Street. See the studs on the road showing you when to turn.

CORONATION DAY 274
This photograph dates from Tuesday 2nd June 1953, Coronation Day.
Here we have Norma McCabe, Anna McCabe and Ena Flemming who was playing the Queen.
This was taken in a field at Firfields on the Loughshore Road.

CORONATION DAY 275
This photograph dates from Tuesday 2nd June 1953, Coronation Day.
Coming to a stop in a field at Firfields on the Loughshore Road we have the driver, Harry Gaynor then Norma McCabe, Anna McCabe and Ena Flemming.

CHURCH STREET 61
In the background you can see McCabe's shop and down from it is Billy's Cafe where the chips were to die for!
The people in the foreground are from left to right: Mervyn McKittrick, Alvina Carson, Joey McFadden, Billy Adams, Anna McCabe and Professsor Lindsay.Date is Unknown.