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Greyabbey
Greyabbey maps
Historic maps of Greyabbey and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Greyabbey maps
Greyabbey area books
Displaying 1 of 5 books about Greyabbey and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Greyabbey
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Greyabbey.
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Days Gone by
My memories of Greyabbey date back to 1940 just after the Blitz when Mum and her 3 sisters plus one sister-in-law with a bunch of kids relocated to Cardy, a small community appox. 3 miles from Greyabbey. I was 8 years of age at the time and immediately fell in love with the countryside and its friendly and generous people. Times were tough then with the worries of war and just barely enough food to feed a full household. The house, which I still visit when I am back, was 2 rooms each with a fireplace, oil lamps and no running water and and an outside toilet that was around the back of the house. Our water had to be carried probably a fourth of a mile but to an 8-year-old carrying water was not fun. The water pump was outside one of Cardy's more prominent people's homes, author Dennis Nash who wrote 'Blast from the Past'. Walking to Greyabbey was a weekly trip we had to make to... Read more
County Down memories
Good Old Days.
I was a boy 8 years of age when my family fled the bombing of Belfast to the small community of Cardy which is approx. 3 miles from Carrowdore on the road to Ballywalter. The year was 1940 and times were tough with worries of the war and little enough food to feed 11 hungry kids to feed. Mum with 3 sisters and 1 sister-in-law with 11 kids were all crammed into a small 2-room thatched cottage without running water, lighting by Aladdin lantern and the toilet was a small one-holer behind the house. During the winter months 'going potty' was only for the very brave or desperate. We had 2 large fireplaces with only the main one could be used since the second room was covered with beds from wall to wall. Our fireplace had the arm that swung over the fire and was the most over-used item in the house except for the potty. My sister June (Canada) brother Frank (California) and myself Joe (North Carolina) all went... Read more
Downs Road, Newcastle
I remember living in Downs Road, Newcastle at about 3 years old (1944). We lived in a house opposite a green and the sea beyond. When my younger sister was only a few months old, for some reason the night before, my mother put her in a different place in the bedroom. It's a good thing she did because that night the ceiling fell in and a huge lump of plaster was in the cot where her head would have been, I remember that incident. I remember starting school. It was a nearby school, I wonder if it is still there.? Also we had friends who lived in Newcastle, we visited one day and our friend had left his keys in his car just outside his house, the road was on a slight hill. I got into the car and set it going. Our friend saw the car going past his front window down the hill and shot out and stopped the car and dragged me out of the... Read more
Home Again
I remember this shot very well. My dad had his fishing boat there, he would take us to Bangor for the day from this spot. To be sure some of you would remember Geordy McFall. My uncle Hammie Loughlin once gave me a beautiful night shot of the castle all lit up from this view, unfortunately apparently too beautiful as the picture was later stolen during a move. It is amazing to me to see this shot - makes me homesick!!!!!
Michelle Feist (McFall).
BELFAST-I.O.M. STEAMER,FENELLA 1897
HOLIDAY TO I.O.M. WITH MUM,DAD & ANN.
ULSTER
My childhood memories go to Ballyclare, Blackhead, Carrickfergus and last but not least, dear Whitehead. My late mother came from Whitehead, and as children, my sister and I often had wonderful holidays with relations, exploring the town and surroundings, especially walking to Blackhead up and around back to Whitehead..one time, many years later, my cousin who lived in Whitehead, said, will you take her for a walk, walk her off her feet.. no such luck boy, I walked you off your feet!! My Nana's sister had a house on the Esplanade, then later moved into town, near the picture theatre... McCaffterty... last time I was in Antrim, stayed at Islandmagee, this was for a weekend in 1996 from memory... would dearly love a return visit.... happy memories, even to the sea water swimming pool on the Esplanade at Whitehead...shall leave more memories to my sister...
The Loom House
The small house in this photo was referred to as the Loom House. It was the childhood home of my great-grandmother, Mary Hamill. Her father, Sam Hamill, was the caretaker of the Causeway in the late 1800s.
