Archive (138 life histories found)

My main memory of my childhood was that it was happy. I was the eldest in the family and I had one brother and two sisters. There was only six years between my youngest sister, Breidge and myself. I believe that, because we were born so close…

My father and his brothers all lived in close proximity to their mother, who was a sort of Matriarch. It was in effect a 'compound' - they shared a lot in common. When I was younger the phone - Cloughmills 246 - was in granny's - the papers were…

My family name is McGuckian. That is not one of the names which figure in the early history of North Antrim but they have been there a long time. John McGuckin, a Harvard scholar, who has done a lot of work on this says that the family originated in…

It was a turbulent time and a great time. Learning to adjust to someone and especially with a new baby and illness. However, it passed quickly and both of us were delighted with the new baby.Within distance of my parents and brothers and sisters…

My nieces and nephew got married so now I have three grandnephew and nieces; Lauren, Shannon and Shane. I enjoyed seeing them grow up. I think they look on me as an older grandmother. The two youngest were born in England so I went over to care for…

I remember as a boy some other boys in The Boys Brigade. They wore little pillbox hats and navy like jerseys with matching socks. I couldn't join because my parents couldn't afford to buy me a uniform. I also remember the little girls going to…

I am now in residential care in Corkey House. At 80 years of age I look back over the years when in the early years of our marriage, Ann and I had our ups and downs with regard to our health. Things were going well and we had a son called…

Nathan and Shelly were brother and sister. He was just 2 years of age and Shelley was 4 when we moved to Taughmonagh. They were our next door neighbours. It wasn't long till both of them made themselves at home in our house where Ann, my Wife,…

It was my fourteenth birthday and Mr. Mitchell the head forester offered me a job right away working with the foresters on the mountains. This gave me a wonderful outlook on the works of nature for the rest of my life. I appreciate more every day…

Because of the blitz in 1941 our house at 82 Medway Street was wrecked by the German Luftwaffe. As our house was nearby the shipyard the blast from a German bomb damaged our house so badly we had to be evacuated to Killowen the next day.My Aunt…