Five months ago, in early November 2020, I decided to look more at the British government’s excellent 1876 publication: Owners of land of One Acre and Upward, Ireland Return. This publication documented, on the island of Ireland, all those owners of farms of over one acre. The returns were collected across Ireland between February 1873 and November 1875. The final report was published in...
My father, Richard Mulholland, died some years ago. In recent years, two of his siblings have also passed on. There is now only one left. Sammy Mulholland, who lives at the top of Portglenone, with wife Matsy, turned 90 years old at the end of January 2021. He spent his career working as a salesman, for Craigs meal company in Kilrea. I don’t believe that I have ever encountered a...
It will be 57 years ago this forthcoming weekend since the awful events in Dealey Plaza. My parents said they were at a guest-tea (correct spelling?) in Innisrush Church Hall, on Friday 22nd November 1963. Kennedy was shot just after mid-day, at 12.30pm Texas time, which would have been 6.30pm in Ireland. They said that someone came into the hall, from the village, with the news that the...
When it comes to tracing old family names in a region, it’s always nice to find a new unexpected source of information. A few months ago, while perusing old newspapers, I discovered this specially arranged school sports day in Portglenone held on Saturday 19th September 1925. This was a special one-off event, involving many schools in the area. Perhaps some of the names may be of interest...
Here’s an old wartime photograph, of Innisrush Primary School, during the 1940-1941 academic year. This took a fair bit of work in photoshop. STUDENT NAMES For the purposes of google and the other search engines, here are the names of the pupils. Back Row: Brian Nesbitt, John Moore, Tom Robinson, Desmond Robinson, Fred Kyle, Etta Kyle, Betty Murdoch, Evelyn Mulholland, Meta Ogle, Renee...
Innisrush Foot Bridge was built around 1900 or shortly there after. It was first proposed at a Magherafelt Rural District Council meeting on 28th July 1899.
Innisrush Primary School photo for the 1951-52 year. Mrs Crockett was the Headmistress at the time.
Innisrush Public Elementary School circa 1933
Innisrush Public Elementary School students 1956
My parents were very friendly with Colm Lynn (who lived near the Waterwall bar, and not far from St Mary’s Primary School). Indeed somewhere, on a mid to late 1970s audio tape, I have Colm in our house (quietly in the background) coaxing my father to sing the old Irish ballad, Noreen Bawn. [su_quote cite=”Noreen Bawn”]There’s a spot in old Tirconnell. There’s a wee...
List of the rectors at Tamlaght O'Crilly Lower church, in Innisrush, from the early 1800s.
Poem, The Clady River, written by Harry Armstrong of Eden near Portglenone.