Antrim D2

DRAWING OFFICE 3288
It's 1960 and here at AEI, Larne in the Turbine Drawing Office and taking a break from their work are on the right Tony Donegan and his mentor Sam Barr.

DEVLINS 3461
On the steps of the old airport at Nutts Corner in1957 we have on the left Mrs.Devlin, Mrs S Marilynn Devlin, Mr Sam Devlin & Mr Jimmy Devlin.
Sam is their son and he had brought his wife Marilynn with him from Guelph Ontairo Canada to meet his mother and father who lived on the Carmavey Road.

DEERPARK HOTEL 3654
This as many will know is the Deerpark Hotel we had our Reception there, sadly it failed and was closed down. This photograph was take in 2000 but now it is no longer there as it was vandilised, used by squatters and finally set on fire and nothing of it is left.
Now one interesting fact about the Deerpark that very few people know and that is the long wooden cupboard that was in the reception and housed all their plates and tablecloths came from a very famous building and that was Antrim Castle!. It was saved from the fire along with a ton of stuff and stored over at market in stalls which they thought was for saftey until the next morning when they came back and found a lot of the stuff had gone including the long cuboard which did the rounds of Antrim before ending in the Deerpark and ironically being burned.

SAMUEL DAVIDSON 3656
This is Samuel Davidson who came from Larne were he worked in the family business and was taught by his Grandfather to become a plasterer. But Samuel didn't stay working in Larne as he headed off to America in 1928 where he got married and had a family.

PICNIC TIME 3720
These people back in the 1940's are doing what we couldn't do today and that is to have a picnic in a field next to a proper haystack.
The only person known in the crowd is Dorban and he is 4th from the right with his head down in the back row. Boy, are they well organised, with all the food and goodies in boxes, drinking tea out of china cups along with two teapots and a kettle, hope they lift that cup in front of them. What I want to know is where did they get the hot water from?

SAMMY DUNLOP 113
This young man standing outside his House in Antrim had no idea what lay ahead for him.
He became very famous around Antrim and went on to become Lord Mayor of Antrim. This is our very own Sammy Dunlop!

DONEGORE CHURCH 3542
The photographer in the early 1900's had some trek to take this photograph but it paid off for it was turned into a postcard.
This is Donegore Church with it's graveyard and a couple cows in the field while in the background is the Moat.
It was posted at Muckamore Post office on Monday 24th February at 12.45pm 1915.
On the back was written "With love Jennie" and it was sent to a ' Miss Jessie Black, Bridge View, Tullyard, Tullyhogue, Co. Tyrone.

GEOFF DUKE 215
This is Geoff Duke at the Roy Hesketh Circuit in South Africa during his 1957 tour. Geoff became No.1 in the world at Motorbike racing.

GEOFF DUKE 1579
The motorbike rider is Geoff Duke and he is getting the bike checked by the Norton tuner, manager Joe Craig from Ballymena in 1951.
Where they are is at the end of Quakers Town Road on the Seven Mile Straight. This is where many race teams came to tune the bikes and test them. Now the roads were not closed for them to test the bikes and this is the reason for the registration number plate, this allowed them to go on the public roads. The man looking on intently on the right is Harry McDowell from the Seven Mile Straight, beside him is the local Blacksmith Billy Porter. The man behind Geoff Duke is supposed to be Hall Coleman who lived on Quakers Town Road.

FATHER DAVEY 415
Father Vincent Davey the Parish Priest of Antrim. Apparently he was quite a character, one man was telling me when him and his mates were cyling along Castle Street, Father Davey shot past them on his bike and shouted at them " Are you boys not going to let your brakes off ".
On a serious note Father Davey would help anyone and everyone in Antrim, sadly he died in 1970.

FANCY DRESS PARADE 393
This is Mary Deany who lived in Pogue's Entry and was going to the Fancy Dress Parade. What she is dressed as I don't know, all I can say is that she looks to be covered in Whitewash, has a hat on and wearing jacket with trousers and carrying a bucket. Apparently Mary always won a prize, the reason? she kicked up a stink if she didn't! In the background you can see the roof of Massereene Hospital. The date along with the boys and the girl's names are unknown but the first boy on the right is giving Mary the thumbs up!

DUNGONNELL BAND 2412
This is Dungonnell band out in a field practicing their tunes and routines.
Here are some of the band members names, from the left Jimmy Nickson, Jim McCord, Bertie Bates, Frankie Biggerstaff, Charlie Biggerstaff, Tommy Williamson Jnr, Tommy Williamson Snr, Lesley Steele, Billy Williamson, Jean Armstrong, Charlotte -, Emily Gilmore, Sammy Taylor, Sammy Dillenger and Billy Smith.

DAVID REA & Co. 1841
It's the late 1950's and here astride her beloved Vespa scooter at David Rea & co. where she worked is Mary McClenaghan.
Sitting happily next to her is the owner's son Caven Rea, behind them is one of their new products the Trellis fencing.

DUBLIN ROAD GANG 1287
Here we have the boys of the Dublin Road Gang back in 1969.
They are Stanley McDowell, James Nelson, Michael McLoughlin, Stephen Overend, John Nelson, Stephen Chestnutt, Gordon McCrea, Robert Nelson and Kenneth McCrea.

DAVID REA & Co. 1843
Here Mary McClenaghan at the back in the 1950's is allowing her friends Isa Kidd and Helen Parker to try her Vespa scooter. This was during their lunch hour where they worked at David Rea & Co.