'I was born Ita Murphy on 12th of October 1956.'

'I was born Ita Murphy on 12th of October 1956.'

Ita McClelland describes her family and family home in Co Armagh in the 1950s.

Ita McClelland

Trinity College Dublin

1956

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Ita McClelland

Childhood and Early Life

Life Story

Co. Armagh

1950's

I was born Ita Murphy on 12th of October, 1956, in Carleton Maternity House Portadown, Co. Armagh. My parents were Patrick Murphy, from Ballyards, an Insurance Agent and Sheila Kelly, from Lislea, Ballyards, a Linen factory worker in the nearby village of Milford, until the time of her marriage. My grandparents were Patrick Murphy and Alice Kerr and Edward Kelly and Sarah McAleavey. I am the youngest of four children: Aidan Paul (Aidan) b.1952, Patrick Joseph (Patsy) b. 1954, Alice Mary (Eilish) b. 1956, Ita (I think they ran out of names) b.1956. My aunt, my father's sister, lived with us. She remained living in the family home until a few years prior to her death at the age of 92 years. We also had close contact with our mother's sisters Teresa Reilly and Phil Haffey who lived a short distance away at Lislea, where my mother was brought up.My family home which was built by my grandfather, Patrick Murphy around 1920, on his return from Scotland, where he and his brothers had worked for several years, was situated at Ballyards Armagh ' about three miles south of Armagh city on the main Keady road. We had a wonderful view of St. Patrick's R.C. cathedral from the surrounding area.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)