Cornmarket in the mid 1890’s

12Belfast’s Local History Magazine

Old Belfast Nicknamesand Characters

The History of

Donegall Street

DECAPITATION, JOYRIDING AND

RUNAWAY SWEETHEARTS!Life in Belfast in March 1955 AND MUCH MORETitanic’s Forgotten Sister

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Glenravel Local History Project

There is perhaps no more fruitful for of education than toarouse the interest of a people in their own surroundings

These words were written by Richard Livingstone and appeared in a bookby Alfred Moore called Old Belfast over fifty years ago. Looking back itshard to imagine that they are as true today as they were way back then. Moreand more people are becoming interested in the history of Belfast and it wasout of this that the Glenravel Local History Project were born in May 1991.Many could be forgiven for assuming that this name derived from thefamous Glens in Co. Antrim and they would be right but in a roundaboutway. Glenravel Street was situated directly behind in the old Poorhouse onNorth Queen Street and contained quite a few beautiful and historicbuildings. One of these buildings was situated at its junction with CliftonStreet and although it was officially known as the Ulster Ear, Eye and ThroatHospital it was known to most people as the Benn Hospital. This was dueto the fact that it was built by Edward Benn (brother of the famousVictorian Belfast historian George). Mr Benn lived in the Glens of Antrimwhere Glenravel is situated. Although Glenravel Street contained all thishistory the street itself was totally obliterated to clear the way for themodern Westlink motorway system leaving us to question schemes such ashistorical areas of importance as well as buildings.The Glenravel Project was established by local historians Joe Baker andMichael Liggett and has now went on to become the main local historicalgroup in the whole of Belfast. Over three hundred publications have beenpublished by the group as well and several web sites, DVDs and countlessnewspaper and magazine articles. The Project also conducts severalwalking tours ranging from the Belfast Blitz right through to a walkingtour of the historic Cavehill area. One of these tours is also around thehistoric Clifton Street Burying Ground which is also situated behind theold Poorhouse and which was opened by them in the mid 1790s. Althoughour original aim was the historical promotion of this site we have now wenton to cover the whole of Belfast as well as assist numerous local historicalschemes far beyond our city’s boundaries. This magazine is now ourmain focus for the local and factual history of Belfast and we welcome allarticles of interest relating to the history of our city. And our aim:-

To secure a future for our past

5 Churchill Street,Belfast. BT15 2BP

028 9020 2100028 9074 2255

028 9035 1326

www.glenravel.com

glenravel@ashtoncentre.com

COVER PICTURE

The upper end of Donegall Street looking

toward the Poor House. 1783

BELOW - The same view today. The old

Poorhouse (today’s Clifton House) is in

behind the trees!

Mr James Elliott, a member of the Belfast

AFS photographed with his fiancee, Miss

Rosemary Flynn, sister of the Belfast

born film star Errol Flynn. 1940

More 1940 pictures on pages 34 and 35

33333

DECAPITATION, JOYRIDING

AND RUNAWAY SWEETHEARTS!M arch 1955 began with a

sensational incident when

an 18 year old youth Arthur

Leonard of Claudymore in Co

Armagh was shot dead by the

RUC as he gave his sisters and

friends a lift home along the

Keady Road when he failed to

stop at a checkpoint. Mr Leonard

had not seen the red light and as

he passed the patrol fired on the

vehicle and Leonard died of

gunshot wounds, his sister

sustained a minor injury and his

friend who was in the back was

seriously injured.

The same evening a "B" special

was seriously injured when he

was driving along the Clogher

Valley when he came under fire

from an IRA sniper. Security

measures in the area were

strengthened with more guards

put in place at the Belfast prison

and naval, military and air

establishments throughout Ulster

under high alert. Additional

supplies of firearms, including

sten guns, were issued to the

RUC, including those on special

duty at the prisons. A naval

helicopter was used in the general

security plan to watch for cars

while flying low over border

areas.

A 57 year old man, Edward

Wightman, of no fixed abode, was

found on the railway line near

Dunmurry. His decapitated body

was spotted by the driver of the

6.50am train from Belfast several

hundred yards beyond Dunmurry

station, 75 yards from the Meeting

House level crossing.

The gate lodge at the Shore Road

end of Fortwilliam Park was

demolished but there was no

proposal to get rid of the

ornamental gateways at each end

of the Park. The city surveyor

issued a statement after there were

public concerns issued, "These

gateways are picturesque and in

no way interfere with traffic", he

said. The Shore Road gate lodge

on the Mount Vernon estate, on

which over 200 houses had been

built, was demolished because it

was in a dangerous condition.

The gate lodge at the Antrim Road

end of the park was protected as

it was on private land and is still

there today, having recently been

restored. The gateways were

erected in 1864 by William

Valentine and were restored in the

21st century after being damaged

during a road accident.

How’s this for an unusual school – inside the stand at Casement

Park! This picture shows a group of kids happy to be going home

in March 1955

44444

Four men and one woman were

charged after they were

discovered with a large amount of

linens stolen from their

employers, Faulkner &

Thompson Ltd. They were

alleged to have removed from

their place of work over 1000

tablecloths and almost 50 shirts.

A 20 year old youth was jailed for

four months after he was found

guilty of stealing money and

clothing from a flat at Cliftonpark

Avenue in Belfast. The youth of

no fixed abode stole over £14 in

cash and a gabardine coat valued

at £3, gloves valued at £2 and a

scarf worth 5s. The man had been

let into the house by a lady on the

ground floor when he told her that

he was to fix a vacuum cleaner

for the man who lived in the flat.

She allowed him in when he told

the name of the cat upstairs.

Mr D G Kennedy from Short

Brothers & Harland Ltd gave a

lecture on rocket propulsion

systems to the local branch of the

Royal Aeronautical Society. He

told the meeting that decades of

research and development would

have to be carried out before space

travel and in particular trips to the

moon could be carried out. He

explained that the harnessing of

nuclear energy as a possible fuel

for rocket motors would open up

new and vast fields of exploration.

What’s interesting was how

wrong he was as only a few years

later the Soviet Union began

space exploration.

Today we often think that so

called joy riding is a modern thing

but we are wrong. For example

Removing the old tram lines in Donegall Place in March 1955

in this month two men were jailed

for one month for taking a car and

driving it away. The two men had

been drinking in Carrickfergus

and had stolen the car when they

could get no more drink in

Carrickfergus. They decided in

their mildly drunken state that

they would take a car and drive

to Belfast to buy more drink.

Their actions were completely out

of character and the men did not

normally drink together but on

this one occasion it appeared that

they had egged each other on to

carry out this stupid act.

55555

We also think that 24 hour

opening is new but while most

people in Belfast were in bed Mr

Charles Connolly, a grocer in Joy

Street was opening up for

business. The sign in his window

read "These premises open at 12-

5am. No extra charge for early

morning service". In 1955 the

shops legislation stated that shops

in Belfast had an 8pm closing

hour on Monday, Tuesday,

Thursday and Friday with a 1pm

closing on a Wednesday and 9pm

on a Saturday. Mr Connolly

claimed that the legislation did not

state what time a shop could open

and despite being warned that he

was in breach of the legislation he

pledged to remain open through

the night. Most customers were

buying cigarettes, bread, eggs,

bacon and butter.

When we look at telephone

technology today is is hard to

believe that this story actually

made the headlines! Users of the

Malone telephone exchange heard

a new ring tone introduced by the

Post Office at a cost of £500. The

new ring tone of "burr-burr, burr-

burr" was of a higher pitch than

before and was slowly introduced

through the country. The idea

behind the change was to facilitate

long distance callers who had

difficulty in hearing the old low

frequency tone. The next

exchange to be given the new type

sound was Larne.

260 cases per week of measles

were reported in Ulster compared

with four cases per week in 1954.

One child died in February 1955

and the Public Health Department

asked the public not to panic but

that parents should take every

precaution. Dr Hayes urged

parents to be vigilant and not

leave it too long to get medical

help when they spotted symptoms

as complication of measles such

as bronchial pneumonia, heart

damage and ear and eye damage

would be caused if medical help

was not sought as soon as

symptoms were spotted. If this

were today God knows what the

reaction would be.

Finally we’ll finish with a love

story when in March 1955 two

sweethearts, both from Belfast

and only still at school were found

in Liverpool after they had run

away from home to be together.

They were staying in a boarding

house in Wallasey and had fallen

"head over heels" in love and

could not bear to be apart. They

were reunited and placed back

into the care of their families.

Advertisement for the Ritz, March 1955

66666

77777

European War fought between

two Kings in Ireland Bobby Cosgrove

The battle of the Boyne was the first and the

only major battle ever to be fought in Ireland

that involved International sponsors and armies from

all over Europe, they where fighting for the English

throne on Irish soil. It was the last major battle in

the war sometimes called "The Glorious

Revolution" it was a war not only about religion

but also about securing religious and civil liberties

for all the people of Europe. Many people all over

Europe had suffered great oppression and hardships

at the hands of their Church and State, in France,

Holland and Belgium many Protestants were put to

death for their faith. These were called the

"Huguenots" and many left their homelands or were

expelled, many of these arrived with their skills in

Ireland during the plantation years, with skills in

the Linen Trade.

The Two Kings at the Helm

King James the 2nd of England (1633-1701)

He was born the eldest son of Charles 1st of England

he took up the sword in sympathy with Louis 14th

Throughout Europe the Huguenots were put to

death for their faith

of France to promote the Catholic faith; he was

expelled from England after the birth of his son as

it threatened the Protestant succession. He took

refuge first in Paris and then in Ireland. He raised

an army in Ireland and with the help of the French

he decided to claim back the throne of England he

was supported in this venture by Louis the 14th ofFACING PAGE

Advertisements from the Belfast Street Directory for 1878

88888

France. Louis was the most hated King in Europe

as he was an oppressor and a person who wished to

impose his will over others. James by allowing

himself to be a linked with the Frenchman found

himself an enemy not only a hated man in England

and Ireland but also through out Europe.

King William 3rd King of England "Elect"

Prince William was born on November 4th 1650;

he was the eldest son of Princess Mary and he

married the oldest Daughter of King Charles 1st of

England.

His Grandfather on his Fathers side was a very

famous person during this period in European

history. He was the leading Huguenot (European

Protestants) and he had his head cut off and thrown

into a Paris street as a signal to the masses to start

what later became "Black Bartholomew’s Day" the

massacre of thousands of Protestants across France

and other parts of Europe, this event was ordered

by Louis 14th.

It later life this single act is what led and inspired

William, in later life, both as a soldier and a

Monarch.

William was an ill man most of his life and although

in great pain most of the time he made up for it with

his leadership and bravery on the battlefield.

Blood and Marriage Ties.

Both men were blood relatives, they where full

cousins as Charles 1st was their paternal

Grandfather, the link did not stop there as William

married his first cousin Mary sister of James and so

as well as being cousins they where also Brother in

Law. This practice of Royals inter marrying was

common in Europe as they where short in candidates

with blue blood, the only people and families they

were allowed to marry into.

The Grand Alliance

Many leaders in Europe did not like King Louis of

France (below) as he posed a threat to the peace of

the Continent; he also was seen as a danger to the

Church of Rome.

The Dutch, Belgium’s, English and the Austrians/

Germans who along with Pope Innocent decided to

finance a war, with first of all King James, because

if he took control of Britain and Ireland then there

would be a threat to the well being of tens of

thousands of other Europeans and their rights

endangered and threatend.

William was asked to lead the Confederate forces.

99999

The Glorious Revolution was set to begin

The Siege of Derry. (1688)

While William and his Commanders were preparing

to travel to Ireland James started to attack the

Protestant and Royalist strongholds in the North East

of Ireland (Ulster) as he made his preparations to

take back England’s throne. Louis who had provided

James with French Generals and men, and also the

funds to help him in this quest.

The major city he had to take was Londonderry/

Derry and as he approached the gates of the city a

party of business people, led by Mayor Lundy came

out to greet them and said they would surrender the

city without violence provided James’s forces and

supporters did not fire on or set fire to the city. When

this was agreed Lundy returned to the city and told

the people to open the gates as he had surrendered

the City to James, as he was telling the citizens of

this many thousands of people from outside the city

were arriving from other parts of Ulster and where

asking to have protection from the forces of James.

As the hour approached for James to take the city

13 apprentices ran forward and closed the city gates,

the people in the city supported this and so began

the longest siege in history at that time. The siege

of the city lasted 105 days and 8,000 died during

this time, most from starvation and diseases, James’s

artillery and large guns pounded the city daily. The

defenders of the city also had a couple of large

cannon the most famous being "Roaring Meg" still

mounted on the walls over 300 years later. They

give the Jacobite Army a hell of a pounding too.

William’s ship the Mountjoy and his forces broke

through the boom on the River Foyle to relieve the

City; it was at this point James retreated south.

William Arrives in England.

On the 5th November 1688 King William landed at

Torbay with his European Army, he was greeted with

great enthusiasm and made his way to London

where the English Parliament asked William to take

the throne of England. William accepted on the

principle that to do so he would have to defeat his

Brother in Law in Ireland as James had exiled

himself there and had mustered an army of Scots

and Irish Catholics to fight along side the French

cavalry that Louis had provided for James.

The European Army Arrives in Ireland

William’s army under the command of Duke

Schonberg had landed at Groomsport in early June

1690. This was with the main artillery, heavy

cannon, and large guns. At the time this was the

largest fleet ever to be assembled and consisted of

500 ships. The army along with thousands of horses

and hundreds of artillery pieces were landed.

Schomberg then marched his forces on into Belfast

to link up with the arrival of the King, on his way

into Belfast Scombergs men and guns had to pass

over the newly opened Long Bridge. The weight of

the guns and the carts proved too much and part of

the bridge cracked and within a couple years part

The Duke of Schonberg’s forces crossing the Long Bridge in Belfast

1010101010

of it collapsed. It was also said that the army bands

were ordered not to play their drums going over the

bridge and the solders were ordered to march in

single file.

William makes his Battle Plans

Prince William landed at Carrickfergus on the 14th

June 1690 and went to Belfast by Whitehouse. He

was greeted with great excitement in the town

of Belfast and after being given the freedom

of the town he made it a law for

all ministers of the protestant

faith to be awarded a yearly

Members of the Belfast Coporation address King William in the town

sum off 10 guineas.

He then took part in a thanksgiving service in the

Parish Church of Belfast St George's in High Street

(below) and then made his way south by the Malone

Ridge and on into Lisburn. It was while he rested at

Hillsborough that he received word that his army

while encamped at Faugha outside Newry had come

1111111111

down with fever and a number of men had to be

returned to the Infirmary at Fredrick Street in

Belfast. It was believed that over one thousand men

died, however after a short delay the army pressed

on as James had stopped and encamped on the hill

at the Boyne valley. William as he made his battle

plans went in amongst his troops and listened to

what they had to say. His army was very professional

and he though that he held the upper hand

James Army had a rag a muffin army of Celtic foot

solders, with about 10,000 French professionals as

its main body. The Irishmen in James army had a

great leader in Patrick Sarsfield and even William

praised the fighting and skill of Sarsfield.

William and the Skins

On the eve of the battle Prince William went around

his camp and prayed with all his regiments, when

he reached the Irish Regiment of the "Enniskillen’s"

sometimes called the "Derry’s"

He rewarded them for their heroism at the siege of

Derry by asking them to be his personal guard on

the battlefield a great honour. They have fought in

every major battle since and won many battle

honours they are the Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers.

It was while he was going round his men that a

marksman on James side fired shots at him the first

bullet hit the holster of Prince George of Hesse at

this William called out ah the poor Prince is dead,

as he spoke a second shot rang out and it tore

Williams coat and grazed him drawing blood. As

he slumped over on his horse most of those around

him through him fatally wounded, they were

relieved when he spoke saying, " There is no harm

done but the bullet came close enough"

1st July 1690

The battle began at 4am when William ordered his

infantry on his right hand side under Scombergs son

Meinhart to march to the bridge at Slane and take it

and cross so as to come in behind James troops, he

took up the same position on the left, leaving

Scomberg to take the centre and lead the main thrust.

James and Sarsfield anticipated the move to take

the bridge and they deployed Sir Neil O’Neill and

his regiment of Dragoons to hold the bride and cover

the right flank. O’Neill was killed on his way to the

bridge, on seeing him lying dead the Irish Dragons

deserted, left their arms and returned home, this left

the way clear for the Willamette forces to take the

1212121212

bridge and take the right flank. One of James French

Generals feared that the enemy could take them from

the rear. Lauzen mustered his French Cavalry and

infantry and counter attacked on the right to retake

the bridge and change the course of the battle.

This left only Irish soldiers to defend the centre

and stop the main push by Scomberg and his Dutch

and Belgium blues. When this push came the Irish

Regiment of the line retreated and fled from the

battlefield. Whole regiments of Irish threw their

arms down and just ran away. Richard Hamilton

put himself at the head of the French and led a

counter attack on the Danish Brigade "Solmes

Blues". He had some early successes and he

managed to drive the Huguenots back towards the

river, Scomberg who was watching these events

from the northern bank decided to lead his men into

battle himself. As he led his men he called out to

his men "Come on men these are your persecutors"

as he did so he was surrounded by Frenchmen and

bludgeoned to death, at the same time the Rev

George Walker hero of the siege fell on the field.

King James flees the Battlefield

With the Battle all but lost James decided to return

to Dublin and he took 200 of his personal guard

with him. As he entered Dublin he was given a

heroes welcome as a rumour had spread that he had

won the battle. The mood soon changed when it

was discovered that the battle was lost and the

casualties were heavy.

On his arrival at Dublin Castle (below) he was

greeted by Lady Tryconnell who asked of the King

what happened, his reply was "Your countrymen

can run well Madam" to which she replied " Not

quite as well as your Majesty as I see you have won

the race"

James left Dublin in shame and the only lasting

gift he gives to Ireland was to order his troops not

to burn Dublin or Limerick as he retreated to live in

France, his claim to fame was that he was the only

man to lose three kingdoms in one battle.

William claims the Crown

Two days after the Boyne William paraded his

troops into Dublin and claimed Ireland as part of

his Kingdom. He then returned to London to be

crowned and left his generals to clean up resistance

that was still taking place and on the 12th July 1691

the last battle of the Willamette War took place at

Augrim when the forces of James led by Sarsfield

lost.

1313131313

The face of Europe changes

After the fall of James all of Europe celebrated

except for France and Louis 14th. The French at

first did have street parties as word arrived in Paris

that William had be killed. When the truth was

learned that William was alive and was being

crowned in London the French rejected James and

Louis attempts to impose their terror upon them.

The battle of the Boyne was the last time kings led

their Armies into battle. It was the only time in

British history the throne of England was fought

for on Irish soil

James lost almost 1,500 men mostly French as the

Irish in the main did not fight

William loses where 500 dead.

It was also the only battle in Ireland to involve

international armies from across Europe.

Europe went into a period of peace and prosperity

and was granted civil and religious liberties, from

this point in time Europe moved on but as we see in

our streets today sadly Ireland has not.

The Orange Order connection with King William

and the Boyne did not come until over 100 years

later, when after a skirmish at the Diamond, Orange

Societies where formed. These Societies were

formed into groups later called Lodges; they took

their name from the orange regiments of the

Willamette Army and also the house of Orange in

Holland. I hope that you may now see that the Battle

of the Boyne was not fought just between Catholic

and Protestant Kings and Armies, but for wider

international reasons, and a better Europe for its

entire people regardless of creed or colour.

The History of the Battle of the Boyne

A Dutchman called Prince William

And an Englishman King James

Fell out and started feuding

And called each other names.

It was for the throne of England

But for reasons not quite clear

They came across to Ireland

To do they’re fighting here

They had Sarsfield

They had Schomberg

They had horses and big guns

And they landed up at Carrick

With a thousand Lambeg drums

They had lots of Dutch and Frenchmen

And battalions and platoons

Of Russians and of Prussians

and Bulgarian Dragoons

And they politely asked the Irish

If they’d kindly like to join

And the whole affair was settled

At the Battle of the Boyne

Then William went to London

And James went of to France

Without a backward glance

And the poor abandoned Irish

Said goodbye to King and Prince

And they went on with their fighting

And they’ve been at it ever since.

Written by the late James Young comedian and Actor 1972The old statue to King William in Dublin

1414141414

GRIM CASE OF MURDERED BABY

In December 1933 Michael

McSorley aged 29 was

brought to trial on the

shocking charge of the murder of

his nine day old baby daughter,

Mary Elizabeth Trainor. The trial

at the Belfast Winter Assizes

gripped the nation, the evidence

of the child’s mother against her

lover and McSorleys sensitive

demeanour throughout the trial

enthralled the court spectators.

Michael McSorley was a trapper

who worked for the Northern

Ministry of Agriculture, living in

a small hut near Rostrevor, Co

Down. His lover of three years

was Lily Trainor, a domestic

servant and the mother of his only

child, Mary Elizabeth Trainor

who was born at Newry Hospital

on September 14th.

Within less than two weeks the

Mary Elizabeth would be dead

whilst in the care of her mother

and father. It was not until late

October of the same year that the

police came to call with Lily

Trainor to find out what had

happened to her daughter, as no

one had seen the child for many

weeks.

It was at this time that untruths

and lies were told by both Michael

and Lily, each of their accounts

would contradict the other until it

was not long before Michael was

arrested by the police, charged

with the murder of his new born

baby.

On the morning of the 23rd

September McSorley called at the

hospital in his motor car and took

Lily and the child back to his hut

near Rostrevor. They arrived

there in the early evening and Lily

fed the baby. She made up

another bottle, and left her lovers’

hut around 10pm. She swore in

court that when she left her baby

was still alive and it was the last

time she saw Mary Elizabeth.

According to Lily Trainor, as she

gave evidence in court, shortly

after arriving at the hut Michael

told her that his sister in Scotland

could look after the baby, and Lily

claimed that she had received

letters from Michael’s sister

telling her that the child was doing

well. In mid October Lily told

Michael that she wanted to send

money to his sister for looking

after the child but he did not give

her his sister’s address.

A couple of days later Michael

finally told her that the baby was

dead, but that she was not to worry

and a priest would come and talk

to her. Three days later Lily was

visited by the police and when she

told Michael that the police were

investigating the missing baby he

got into a terrible state,

threatening to shoot himself. Lily

stated that Michael then confessed

to her that he had smothered the

baby in September, the night Lily

had left the baby in the hut with

him. He told her he had buried

the child in the wood and he then

went to the police and told them

where they could find Mary

Elizabeth’s body.

At this point in the trial Sergeant

Duffy was called and he described

how he had questioned Michael

who eventually took him to the

child’s body buried in a shallow

grave at the top of a mountain, the

grave marked by a stick. There

they found Mary Elizabeth

wrapped only in a shawl, there

was no box.

The accused, Michael McSorley,

was finally called to the stand. He

began his evidence by describing

how when he had picked up Lily

and the baby from the hospital

that Lily had told him there was

something wrong with the baby.

He claimed that Lily had been

hysterical, crying and wailing

about the disgrace of her giving

birth out of wedlock. When he

realised that the baby was dead he

did not know what had happened

as he believed that the child was

fine when it left the hospital. He

had asked Lily if he could have

hurt the child when he was

holding it; an accident - he

thought he might have smothered

it but Lily had told him that he

had done nothing wrong. He

realised that he would have to do

Three days later Lily was visited by the police

and when she told Michael that the police were

investigating the missing baby he got into a

terrible state, threatening to shoot himself.

1515151515

something with the baby so he

took the baby’s milk bottle,

poured out the milk and put the

teat in his wallet for

remembrance. He buried the

child after he walked Lily home

and both he and Lily agreed that

they would say that his sister had

come across from Glasgow, took

the child, as was going to care for

it as her own.

Michael claimed that Lily had

asked to meet him a couple of

days later and it was Lily who had

urged him to write to his sister and

tell her that if anyone asked about

a child that she was to say that her

own child Norah was in fact Mary

Elizabeth. It was Lily, claimed

Michael , who had wanted to hide

the death, who had known that

something was wrong with the

child. She had deceived him,

telling him that she had met

someone else; there was no room

in her life for him or a baby. It

was Lily who lied, who was

prepared to let Michael face the

death sentence rather than admit

that the child had died in her arms,

she would let her lover die rather

than face the disgrace.

The medical evidence produced in

court was inconclusive, no doctor

could state with conviction how

Mary Elizabeth had died so the

case came down to motive; both

McSorley and Lily were feeling

the disgrace of the birth. The

motive was the unwanted child,

but who did the jury believe, did

the child die when Lily brought

her to McSorleys’ hut or was the

child killed after Lily had left.

The jury took a short time to

decide that McSorley had

murdered his only child and Lord

Justice Best pronounced the death

sentence just 12 hours after the

trial had begun. The verdict was

unanimous. Throughout the trial

McSorley had maintained a

composure which was unchanged

when the verdict was announced.

Asked whether he had anything

to say, McSorley replied "Not

guilty", and the execution was set

for the 5th January. McSorley

escaped the hangman on appeal

when his sentenced was reduced

to penal servitude.

Junction of Royal Avenue and North Street in 1895 looking towards the Central Library

1616161616

Exploring Belfast’s Old StreetsRaymond O’Regan

DONEGALL STREETPart 1

P robably dating back

to the early 1750’s and not as

some have claimed part of "the

Four Corners" which is made up

of Waring Street, Bridge Street,

Rosemary Street and North Street;

a street that was formerly known

as Goose Lane as it lead up to

the North Gate were the geese

were released out into the

countryside. The gate was part of

the Ramparts installed to protect

the English and Scottish Planters

of Belfast during the Irish

Uprising of 1641.

The street runs all the way up to

Carrick Hill/North Queen Street

from Waring Street. Its original

name was "Linenhall Street" as it

contained a linen hall, on the site

of the present day St. Anne’s

Cathedral. By the year 1819 it

was known as Donegal Street.

We start the journey from the

Waring Street end, right hand

side.

Number 1 is the new Premier Inn

Hotel opened by the First

Minister, Peter Robinson in

October 2008.The façade of the

original 19th century building has

been incorporated into the new

hotel. On the ground floor of the

hotel is the Four Corners

Restaurant (the hotel is entitled to

use this name in its title as the

main entrance to the hotel is in

Waring Street.) At one time in the

early 1800’s it was the home of

the Belfast Bank which later

became the Belfast Banking

Company moving across the road

in 1845 to the old Exchange and

Assembly building and would

in the 1920s become part of the

Midland Banking Group and be

known as the Northern Bank up

until its closure in 2002.

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Four Corners Restaurant which is part of Premier Inn

Number 3 – Formerly Office

Supplies In 1824 on this site a Mr.

Cochran, a watch and clockmaker

ran his business.

Next door the former Easons

Building dating back to the

1950’s. Easons had been on this

site dating back to the mid 1890s.

The building in 2008 was

refurbished.

Numbers 19-21 – Is an 1881

building refurbished in 1991 and

is presently used by Cunningham

Coates Ltd.

The former Eason building

Cunningham & Coates Ltd

Number 23 – A building dating

back to 1881 and it is presently

used by Belfast Exposed,

Northern Visions TV and the

Belfast Film Festival.

Number 25 – c1790 – This is an

historic building restored by the

former Laganside Development

Corporation. On the ground floor

was Open Window Productions,

home of Anto the well known

Belfast sculptor (recently moved

up the street) and on the upper

floors Safe House Arts providing

a platform for the many budding

artists to show of their work.

Back in the 1790’s Martha

McTier, as part of a ladies

committee who were setting up in

this building a Lying-in- hospital

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(maternity hospital) for

"respectable" working class

women to have their babies.

Martha writes to her brother, the

famous patriot Dr. William

Drennan who is in practice in

Dublin. She was looking for

medical advice on setting up the

hospital. He wrote back to her

with advice adding that the most

important piece of advice he could

offer was "Wash hands

thoroughly". He advised her that

this sign was to be positioned

above the ward. Dr. Drennan was

way ahead of his time as even

today this is still a major problem

in modern hospitals. He never got

the credit for this medical advice

that accolade went in the mid

1800s to Oliver Wendel Holmes

from America and Semmelweiss

of Vienna

The Lying - in - hospital, with

only six beds, would move to a

purpose built hospital on ground

donated by the Belfast Charitable

Society in Clifton Street in 1830,

then to Townsend Street and

finally to its present home at the

Royal Victoria Hospital site.

(Note re the RVH it is the second

largest hospital in the UK

covering over 70 acres the largest

is "St. Jimmys" in Leeds.

Here is Exchange Place (an

existing 18th Century entry

leading to Hill Street).

Number 27 - Late 18th. Century

building. It was here, on the

ground floor, the Morning News

and Weekly Examiner was

published in 1890.

Numbers 29-31 - MacFarlane and

Smyth (c1895) – estate agents

Number33 - Printers Cafe

Numbers 35-37 – Modern

building on a site used by Thomas

Grey in the early 1800’s

Today offices of Martin & Dunlop

Estate Agents

Number 39 –World Choice travel

agency

Number 41 Offices

Numbers 45-47 - Resource

Centre. Advice centre for the

unemployed and owners of the

next door John Hewit pub.

Here is Donegall Street Place.

Look down the passageway to see

the James Larkin sculpture by

Anto Brennan. Also look to the

right to see some former private

Georgian houses.

1919191919

X

Belfast map of 1685 showing the area on which Donegall Street was later built. The x marks the

site of the present St Anne’s

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The resource centre

The John Hewitt Pub (below) A

popular meeting place of writers,

musicians etc. Just opposite in

1972 was the first car bomb

explosion in Belfast – 6 dead and

over 100 injured.

Numbers 55-59 Willis Insurance

Brokers – Former premises of the

Belfast Newsletter (c.1872)

founded at the "Sign of the

Peacock" in Bridge Street by

Francis Joy in September 1737

and is reputed to be the oldest

provincial newspaper still in

production worldwide. It was at

one time printed in Joy’s Entry

just off High street which lead to

people wrongly believing that

this is where it was first published.

Numbers 49-59 Offices

Numbers 61-67 - Church of

Ireland House including The

Good Book Shop

Here is Talbot Street.

Numbers 69 - 71. Within the

present St.Anne’s church grounds

was the site of a 1789 house used

by the Vicar but today it is a car

park.

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St. Anne’s Cathedral 1898-2007

– The magnificent St. Anne’s

Cathedral is built on the site of

two former buildings. One was a

Brown linen hall which was

replaced by St. Anne’s Church.

(named after the Earl of

Donegall’s wife and was

originally to be called St.Marys).

It was opened in 1776 and was

designed by the English architect

Francis Hiorne*, assisted by

Roger Mulholland. It was paid

for by Lord Donegall, although an

absentee landlord he took a great

interest in Belfast’s development.

The Cathedral was begun in 1898

with the tower being removed

from the old church where

services continued until 1903.

The first architect to work on St.

Anne’s Cathederal was Sir

Thomas Drew, one of eight

architects to work on this

magnificent building.The

magnificent Celtic Cross on the

north side of the building was

completed in 1980 and after the

installation of the modern style

steeple in 2007 the Cathedral can

now be said to be complete.

(When you look at the complete

destruction of the nearby

buildings in the 1941 Blitz it is a

miracle that St.Annes is still here

today.)

*(Francis Hiorne assisted Roger

Mullholland in the elyptical

seating arrangement of the1783

First Presbyterian Church in

Rosemary Street)

Here is Academy Street.

Number 77 – Was the original site

of the Academy founded in 1785

by the Rev. Dr. Crombie, Minister

of Ist. Presbyterian Church

Rosemary Street. The Academy

St Anne’s Church

The cathedral was

built around this

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The morning after the German blitz on Belfast showing the site

where the present park is built. In the background St Anne’s can

be seen. BELOW - the site after it was cleared

moved to it’s present site on the

Cliftonville Road in 1878 and is

known today as Belfast Royal

Academy. On the present day site

of the school on the Cliftonville

Road is the "Crombie Building"

in remembrance of its founder.

Numbers 79-93 – Present day

Public Park featuring the "The

Three Buoys" it backs unto the

excellently refurbished University

of Ulster, Art College. That well

known architectural practice

Barry Todd Architects of Hill

Street carried out this work. This

practice was also responsible for

the magnificent children’s

hospital at the RVH.

This section of Donegall Street

housed various buildings

including the International Bar at

the corner with York Street, which

was destroyed in the Blitz of May

1941. One of the former buildings

on this site dates back to the

famous Barney Hughes the baker

in the 19th century. His shop was

here during the Great Irish Famine

of 1845-51 and was attacked by

mobs of starving people looking

for bread.

The International at the

junction of Donegall Street and

York Street in flames following

the Luftwaffe air raid in 1941

Corner of York Street/Donegall

Street

Numbers 95-101 – McConnell

Martin, Post war building called

the "Metropole Building" present

tenants the solicitors Dornan and

Company. It retains the name of

the hotel that was lost in the Blitz

of 1941, i.e. The "Grand

Metropole Hotel" (facing page)

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Junction of York Street and Donegall Street in 1906

Donegal Street Congregational

Church – Still one of the many

churches in Belfast city centre that

holds services on Sundays. The

site goes back to the early 1800’s.

In 1831 the "Institute for the Deaf

and Dumb and Blind" was

founded here. They moved to a

site on the Lisburn Road in the

1840’s (present day Queens

Medical Biology Centre).The

present church has been rebuilt

and altered many times and at one

time extended much further out

into the street. It was also partly

destroyed during the Belfast Blitz.

Not normally opened except on

Sundays but arrangements can be

made to look around the church.

Donegall Street Congregational

Church after the German blitz

Numbers 103-105 – Charles

House, modern office block

Numbers 113-117 – The Irish

News, c1905. It was built on the

site of a 19th century building

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belonging to John McCracken

(part of the famous McCracken

dynasty).

Number 177 – On the ground

floor is the Emporium Furniture

store, but of more interest above

is the famous "Clark School of

Dancing". Cecil Clark died some

years back. Eileen is retired but

the business is flourishing as their

son Alan and his wife Heather

carry on the business today. At

one time in this small block of

buildings stretching to Donegall

Lane there were three dance

studios.

Numbers 179-191 – NTN

Signs,Terry Enright Foundation,

Kennedy Florists,Pauls Café,

shop, Computer Connections

Here is Donegal Lane

Numbers 193-195 – 1828, two

former schools – Christian

Brothers (Boys) and National

School (Boys and Girls) – built

in the gothic style. These

buildings were almost lost in a

fire. The flames also spread to St.

Patrick’s Church next door which

was fortunately saved from

complete destruction by the Fire

Service. Both buildings are still

in use today.

St. Patrick’s Church – The present

magnificent building in gothic

style dates back to 1874-77. The

original church consecrated in

1815 (a fine stain glass window

showing this much smaller church

can be found on the right hand

side just inside the entrance).

This was the second Catholic

Church to be re-established in the

town of Belfast the first was built

in Crooked Lane in 1783 and

opened in 1784. Crooked Lane’s

name was changed shortly

afterwards to Chapel Lane.

Another fascinating fact is that

members of the Protestant

community in Belfast contributed

to the building of both these

churches. Capt. Waddell

Cunningham and the First

Company of Volunteers, all

Protestants, provided a guard of

honour for the official opening of

St. Marys in Chapel Lane and on

the day collected a further £89

towards the building costs as well

as attending the service.

The present St.Patricks church

contains a famous painting, "The

Madonna of the Lakes" by Sir

John Lavery. He was born just

off North Queen Street (there was

a plaque placed on the local

primary school commemorating

his birth, but the school has

recently being demolished and

replaced by new housing).

Because of this connection to the

area it was his wife Helen who

suggested donating this painting

to the church. Helen Lavery, her

daughter and step-daughter sat for

the painting. Helen was the

Madonna and the two daughters

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represent St. Patrick and St.

Brigid. This famous painting can

be found on the left hand side of

the church . Incidentally John

Lavery got the idea for the

painting from the Madonna of the

Lakes a statue in Killarney. Helen

Lavery is the lady who appeared

on Irish currency notes as

Cathleen Na Houlihan. Also in the

church to the left of the altar is

the walled tomb of Bishop

Dorrian, Bishop of Down and

Connor in the 19th. Century.If you

look to the lower right hand side

of the church you will see on the

stain glass window a

representation of the first church

on this site - the 1815 church.

Above the entrance to the church

is a statue of St. Patrick which was

sculpted by Patrick Pearse’s

father. An Englishman, who was

an ecclesiastical sculptor working

in Ireland at the time.

Number 199 – St. Patrick’s

Presbytery. Built in 1820 with a

magnificent brass door showing

the scars of a huge bomb that

destroyed a building across the

road during the recent troubles. It

was originally the Bishop of

Down and Connor’s Palace.

Numbers 201-205 – The

remainder of a block of beautiful

Georgian houses dating back to

1820 (site goes back to 1790’s).

We have to thank the "Hearth

Housing Association" for the

restoration of Nos. 201-205 which

have been rented out. No. 201 is

used by St. Patrick’s Church.

We have lost numbers 207-215 to

a road widening scheme in 1990.

Number 215 were Belfast High

School had its beginnings and was

originally known as "Mercantile

College". It moved to Glenravel

Street and eventually became

known as Belfast High School

and can now be found in

Greenisland just past the entrance

to the University of Ulster campus

at Jordanstown.

St Patrick’s in 1900

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Old Belfast Nicknames and CharactersI t doesn’t matter what part of Belfast you come

from at sometime in your life you will have

encountered someone either being given, or being

called by a nickname. Some people in today’s

modern world might think this to be offensive, but

I can assure you that over the years many people

only answered to their nickname and not their other

names. These slang names where in almost all cases

given as a remark was made in passing, or given by

friends about their friends. The Queens Island men

were notorious for nicknames and also winding up

as were those in the building trade, most pubs and

clubs patriots had their own nicknames for their

friends.

Many of these names refer to not only one person,

but many people being called by the same slang

name over the years for example "Nail in the boot"

many people who walked with a limp where given

this name.

Most of these names where given with affection and

I know of some people who invented their own

nickname as they felt out of place without one. A

lot of these names are also a one off and I will show

this later.

The Queen’s Island men were notorious for nicknames (Picture from Images of Belfast)

We in this city are a witty and funny people I think

this came about because of the hardships and

adversities that we have met over the years of living

in conflict, and the best way that was found was to

approach it from a lighter view and I think the late

great James Young proved that.

First Nicknames

The first time most of us had an encounter with a

nickname was at school or on the playground and

my memories of these are names taken from the

movies or comics so of these where.

"Tarzan" was a lad who if given the opportunity

would rather have swung his way about instead of

walking.

"Corky" was from the comic cat in the Dandy

"Legs Eleven" was taken from the comic Hotspur

and their most famous footballer, anyone with long

legs fitted into this name.

"Roy Rodgers" was another name I have heard off,

this was a lad who had seen every Cowboy film

Bobby Cosgrove

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ever made and it was alleged he lived his life in the

saddle and on a horse. He had his arse red raw as he

beat it to go faster but the brush shaft "his horse"

between his legs slowed him up!

In our Teens

Some of the tricks and names that where given or

done to people when they started work where

hilarious and it was unbelievable to see someone

go and ask for a bucket of "Tartan Paint" or a bucket

of "Blue Steam" another one was a 6ft long yard

stick.

One that almost all fell for was "The Long Wait"

this was when a person was sent to the stores mainly

for this item and had to stand for hours in some

cases before being told they had waited long enough.

Another one was to go and get "Sky Hooks"

Many of the names given to men over the years

where inherited by their sons and many did not like

it others through it great. One with the nickname of

"Stoker" was a fireman in the navy and when asked

how he got his name he replied he was the coal

heaver on a "Submarine".

Street Characters

Some of the best known street characters from

across the city all had nicknames such as Buck Alex

Robinson (right) from York Street who kept a lion

for a pet and he used to walk it on a lead through

the city.

Almost all the hard men had slang names men like

Stormy Weatherall from the Shankill Road, Silver

McKee from the Markets, and Joker Andrews from

the Shankill.

We had many others who were well known people

like Pastor Joe Glover East Belfast and Dougie Big

Eyes Bell Sandy Row but it was not only the hard

men and drinkers had these names. A lot of the

church preachers also had names such as Roaring

Hanna and The Sky Pilot W J Cunningham.

However most of these nicknames were given to

men in the workplace and here is a few of them but

before I move away from the street characters you

will notice I have only talked about men. Women

are few and far between in this subject but one I

must mention and she put the fear of God into you

was "Old Corky" she came from the Old Lodge

Road and had a leg made from cork. Just a glance

at her and she give you the most frightening verbal

abuse you ever seen. Needless to say she was a lady

of the night you had to be a brave man to tackle old

corky in any shape or form.

I know that each one reading this will have their

own favourite character from their own streets and

times but it is sad that many of these type of men

and women are disappearing and not being replaced.

Some Other Nicknames

"Yankee Beggs" he was a bricklayer who went to

America to his brothers wedding and came back

with a New Jersey accent that he had for the rest of

his life.

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"Oliver" kept asking for more of everything he got

his hands on.

"Whistle in the Dark" he had a gap in his teeth and

when he talked it came out as a whistle.

"Al Jolson" worked at the coal quay as coal bag

filler and never washed from one Sunday to the next.

"Taste of Shillings" I worked with this man in the

old Corporation and when he wanted to borrow

some money he would say would you have you a

taste of shillings until Thursday "pay day" you

always got it back.

"Billy Three Lumps" he was a man who was bald

and had three bumps or large boils on his head.

"Blowie up Robinson" a shipyard man from East

Belfast got his name because of the amount of cheap

blowie up wine he drank. He was the best crier you

ever meet he once cried over my dead budgie for

months.

"Swifty" He was a tall thin man with red hair and

was called after a box of matches called swift

matches.

"Esmeralda" He kept hearing Bells ringing got name

from the film the Hunchback of Notrodam

"Notrodamus" Kept making the wrong predictions

"Pony that Walks" looked like a Red Indian.

"Billy the Drip Hanna" Billy was a bricklayer and

had a continuous running from his nose he smoked

a pipe and could not keep it lit because of the drip

from his nose.

Some more Characters

Davy Jones was Shipyard Joiner and many stories

are and have been told of this man. Most joiners

and carpenters carried their tools around in a box or

a carpet bag but not Davy he carried his on a belt

tied around his waist and another one like a

bandoleer over his shoulder. He carried hammers,

saws, chisels and plains.

He also at one time rode a bike and had two feet

wing mirrors fitted on the handle bars. An Italian

Ice Cream seller once asked Davy to build him a

cart to fit an ice box into - Davy built the cart in the

back yard of his home in Shamrock Street.

When he had finished the cart he discovered that he

could not get it out of the back door because of its

width. He then proceeded to take part of the yard

wall away so as to get the cart out but it was only

then that he discovered the back entry was to narrow

to get the cart out onto the street.

His answer to this problem was to rap the doors of

the six neighbours that their backs would have led

out to street and asked them if he could take their

back wall down so as to get his cart out of course he

would have had the walls rebuilt - you can guess

the answer he got from his neighbours.

On another occasion he was seen standing at a bus

stop with a 12 foot long plank he waited for over 6

hours before he realised that the bus drivers were

driving by and not stopping for him.

Some of the names given to people I think brilliant

but again I have a weird sense of humour and I

myself have names for most people I know. These

are names given with affection and for no other

reason.

More Nicknames

"Sitting Bull" he got his name because his face was

like a Totem Pole carved out off wood.

"Itchy Coo" he worked in Shorts and his head moved

in and out like a pigeon when he talked.

There was a Christian who worked in Shorts who

got caught out telling a lie and was given the name

"The Crooked Disciple"

Another one of the great names I think was given to

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the lazy foreman he was called "Wounded Buffalo"

"Five Star" was a name given to a night shift

foreman because he through he was a General

"Stinky" he was given this name because he wore

to much aftershave.

"Rug Head" he had a square piece of hair on another

wise baldy head.

"Ballet Dancer" so called because of his funny walk

and stance.

"The Jailer" name that was given to the night shift

foreman as he locked the doors more to keep people

out that keep them in.

"Wooden Weld" this name was given to a welder

who tried to weld wood to steel on a ship both were

painted grey and looked very alike he spent a

number of hours and a large number of rods before

he discovered his mistake. By the way he was a

well known Irish League and International

Footballer who to this day still takes a ribbing over

that incident.

"Meals on Wheels" this gentleman went round the

canteen after everyone had finished their lunch, he

then gather up what wasn’t eat and give the left over

food to the nightshift.

"Bring it on" every time he was asked a question all

he would say is bring it on.

"Air Raid" every time the factory horn went off he

jumped under the table or bench shouting here

comes them Nazi b******s again.

"Apple Ernie"

Now this man was a well known character right

across the city and in the 1940s, 50s and the 60s he

worked in the Gas Works breaking up the old stoves

and meters. His diet consisted mainly of apples he

was a very fit man and stood over six feet tall but

was a gentle giant. He pushed a bicycle from

somewhere up the Castlereagh Hills every day to

the Gas Works on the Ormeau and every Saturday

he could be seen pushing his bike to wherever his

beloved Linfield were playing which included the

games against Derry City and Coleraine. He also

went by bicycle to Dublin. As he passed through

the various towns and village people would greet

him and feed him he went to these matches in all

weathers with his blue scarf and his "Corncrake" a

wooden rattle used by football fans. You could hear

him before you seen him and many folk who lived

on the route of his journeys would supply him with

food and drinks. His favourite he once said was

The old Belfast Gas Works where Apple Ernie worked

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In the Belfast Shipyard there were thousands of nicknames

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Dungiven on route to the Derry game.

At holiday times like Halloween he would dress up

as a Hawaiian in a grass skirt and do a tour of the

streets in his grass skirt and flower garland. Sadly

one night some young men much the worst for drink

set fire to the skirt for a joke. Some joke - Ernie

received serious burns and never really recovered

and died a short time later.

To those people who had the honour of meeting or

just seeing Apple Ernie on his travels the memory

will be of a fun loving man who harmed no one be

give pleasure to many in his life.

The Boat Factory

The Belfast Shipyards workers give many a man a

slang name and some of these where class and very

funny. Most related to the work they done and others

to the person themselves. Because of the numbers

in the yards I can only give a sample as there are far

too many.

"Washing Soda" he was the guy who ran the first

aid room and treated everybody and injury with

washing soda - rough when you had an eye injury.

"Hard Wrought" so called because he did nothing

but made it look like he was worked of his feet.

"Wire Nail" he was given this name because he was

a tall thin man who wore a flat cap his mate was

called "Donald Duck" and the story goes that one

night at finishing time as they walked up the Queens

Road where another wee man like a midget caught

up with them and asked could he walk up the road

with them. Wire nail answered him saying "No you

can not people will think there is a circus in town".

"Tired Hands" this is one of my favourite names

given to a man who every time he was asked to do

something said I cant my hands are tired.

"The Barking Dog" he was one of the best known

of all the characters in the yard the story is that if he

liked you he talked to you if he did not like you and

that was most men he barked like a dog at you, but

would never hurt anyone.

"Lemonade Walker" lemonade was employed by

H&W for over 30 years and spent the most of it

running a shop giving tic to men so as they could

get fags. He also sold crisps and other tuck shop

goods and got the name because he was a whiskey

and lemonade man very rare in those days to have

someone drink lemonade with a Black Bush.

"Bits and Pieces" a fitter who wrecked more than

he fixed.

"The Mandarin" He was a man with a toe missing

and when was walking his feet turned out he had a

moustache and was very yellow in appearance hence

the name.

"Dread the Winter" he had a hole in his boot and

always said he dreaded the winter coming.

"Bungalow" He was a man who had plenty

downstairs but nothing upstairs.

"Forty Watts" he was not too bright.

"One Run Dick" he was a foreman and he would

only pay you for one run on plate if the plate was

wide you needed two runs but he would still insist

on paying bonus on one run to save the company

money.

"Desperation Dick" another foreman who would

come up to you and say, leave that job and come

with me "I am in desperation"

"Fowl Pest" he insisted on feeding the seagulls and

gannets. He also fed the rats and the wild cats - now

these cats where scary.

"Buckets McGaughey" Now buckets was an old

boxer and street fighter who fought in the Chapel

Fields and the booths at York Street. He got his name

because no one could knock him out and the only

way sometimes to stop him was to hit him over the

head with the ringside bucket.

Famous Island Men

"Tommy Patton OBE.

Tommy was a yard man all his life he started serving

his time in 1928 as a "Riveter" and worked on many

ships over the years he was a trade union shop

steward and an active community worker

He entered politics as a Unionist councillor for the

Victoria Ward and in 1984 was elected the Lord

Mayor of Belfast the first and only worker from the

Shipyards to achieve this honour.

One of the great things about Tommy was that he

never forgot his roots and he also said things as he

saw them. At one time during a debate in the council

chamber on putting "Gongalies" on the water in

Victoria Park. When the cost was given for to buy

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eight of them Tommy responded with the classic

comment

"Why cant we buy a male and a female one and

breed them ourselves" that was Tommy an honest

man.

"Blaze Away” McLaughin OBE.

This man worked as a burner and would have

knocked you out of the way so he could work. He

was on the staging before the starting horn went

and also at lunch time so he could get started right

away. He worked in the yard for 35 years and never

had a day off ill in that time and he was rewarded

for his service with an 0BE from the Queen for his

services to the ship building Industry. Sadly he was

laid off in the 1990s and as a result he could not

live without his work and also the Shipyard that

night he took his own life. Many of the men who

spent their lives in the yard really could not adjust

to life without it.

"Bob Cosgrove" some times called Paddy

He is last one I want to talk about and it is to him

that I delicate this story. He started in H&W in 1912

to serve his time as a riveter he was told that their

was no future in riveting and he would be lucky to

finish his time as an apprentice. Fifty one years later

he retired still employed as a riveter. He was, I was

told by many of his workmates, one of the best the

yard had produced quite a complement, he also held

a record that can not now ever be beaten.

At his Funeral a couple of older men were standing

crying I asked who they where only to be told that

one "Wee Geordie" was his heater boy and the other

"Davy" was his holder up they had worked together

for 36 years as a riveting squad.

He was a member of what was called the

"Millionaires Club" this was the name given to the

riveters because they earned good money on peace

work (Bonus).

Before I move on I must tell you that I am very

proud to have had Bob as my Grandfather and this

story is to him an Island Man through and through

he broke his leg when he fell down the hold on a

boat when he was in his 60s. He refused to take a

claim because it might make H&W go bust.

I could fill another book with the stories of the

Island men and the men on the Main Yard and East

Yards not forgetting the Musgrave Yards.

The Victoria Works and the Engine Works are a story

on their own as are the Three Graving Docks and

the Minutes. Never know I might get round to it

someday.

3434343434

Advertisement for Bernard Hughes Baker 1940

AFS exercises at Benvista Terrace, Antrim Road 1940

Collection of aluminium for the war effort at

Shaftesbury Square 1940

Children being evacuated from the Belfast Hospital

for Sick Children to Lisburn 1940

Advertisements for Belfast picture houses 1940

ARP exercise at Park Lodge 1940

3535353535

First day of the evacuation - children arriving at the GNR

Station to travel to Irvinestown and Castlederg 1940

A deal in fruit at the Belfast Markets 1940

Enjoying her ‘elevenses’ at the Belfast Variety

Market 1940

Advertisement for a collection for the RVH 1940

Members of the ARP giving a demonstration in anti

gas measures at the Corporation Yard at Queen’s

Bridge 1940

Collecting tin foil for the war effort at the Ulster

Hospital for Children and Women, Templemore

Avenue. This was to be destroyed in the German

Blitz the following year. 1940

3636363636

TITANIC’S FORGOTTEN SISTER

The BritannicHMHS Britannic was the third and largest Olympic-class ocean liner of the White Star Line. It was

the sister ship of RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, and was intended to enter service as a transatlantic

passenger liner. She was launched just before the start of the First World War and was quickly put

to use as a hospital ship. In that role she struck a mine off the Greek island of Kea on the 21st of

November 1916, and sank with the loss of 30 lives.

F ollowing the loss of the

Titanic and the subsequent

inquiries, several design changes

were made to the remaining

Olympic-class liners. With

Britannic, these changes were

made before launching (Olympic

was refitted on her return to

Harland and Wolff). The main

changes included the introduction

of a double hull along the engine

and boiler rooms and raising six

out of the 15 watertight bulkheads

up to 'B' Deck. A more obvious

external change was the fitting of

large crane-like davits, each

capable of holding six lifeboats.

Additional lifeboats could be

stored within reach of the davits

on the deckhouse roof, and in an

emergency the davits could even

reach lifeboats on the other side

of the vessel. The aim of this

design was to enable all the

lifeboats to be launched, even if

the ship developed a list that

would normally prevent lifeboats

being launched on the side

opposite to the list. These davits

were not fitted to Olympic.

Britannic's hull was also 2 feet

(0.61 m) wider than her

predecessors due to the redesign

after the loss of Titanic. To keep

to a 21 knots (39 km/h) service

speed, the shipyard installed a

larger turbine rated for 18,000

horsepower (13,000 kW)—versus

Olympic's and Titanic's 16,000

horsepower (12,000 kW)—to

compensate for the vessel's extra

width.

Although the White Star Line

always denied it, most sources say

that the ship was supposed to be

named RMS Gigantic.

Construction

Britannic was launched on the

26th of February 1914 at the

Harland and Wolff shipyard in

Belfast and fitting out began. She

had been constructed in the same

gantry slip used to build RMS

Olympic. So by reusing Olympic's

space saved the shipyard time and

money in clearing out a third like

size slip as had been used for

Olympic and Titanic. In August

1914, before Britannic could

commence transatlantic service

between New York and

Southampton, World War I began.

Immediately, all shipyards with

Admiralty contracts were given

top priority to use available raw

materials. All civil contracts

(including the Britannic) were

slowed down. The military

authorities requisitioned a large

number of ships as armed

merchant cruisers or for troop

transport. The Admiralty was

paying the companies for the use

of their vessels but the risk of

losing a ship during military

operations was high. However,

the big ocean liners were not

taken for military use, as smaller

vessels were much easier to

operate. The White Star decided

to withdraw RMS Olympic from

3737373737

service until the danger had

passed. RMS Olympic returned to

Belfast on 3 November 1914,

while work on her sister continued

slowly. All this would change in

1915.

Requisitioning

The need for increased tonnage

grew critical as military

operations extended to the Eastern

Mediterranean. In May 1915,

Britannic completed mooring

trials of her engines, and was

prepared for emergency entrance

into service with as little as four

weeks notice. The same month

also saw the first major loss of a

civilian ocean vessel when the

Cunard liner RMS Lusitania was

torpedoed near the Irish coast by

SM U-20.

The following month, the British

Admiralty decided to use recently

requisitioned passenger liners as

troop transports during the

Gallipoli campaign (also called

the Dardanelles service). The first

to sail were Cunard's RMS

Mauretania and RMS Aquitania.

As the Gallipoli landings proved

to be disastrous and the casualties

mounted, the need for large

hospital ships for treatment and

evacuation of wounded became

evident. RMS Aquitania was

diverted to hospital ship duties in

August (her place as a troop

transport would be taken by the

RMS Olympic in September) and

on the 13th of November 1915,

Britannic was requisitioned as a

hospital ship from her storage

location at Belfast. Repainted

white with large red crosses and

a horizontal green stripe, she was

Launch of the Britannic

This was how the Britannic’s cabin smoking room was to look

renamed HMHS (His Majesty's

Hospital Ship) Britannic and

placed under the command of

Captain Charles A. Bartlett

(1868–1945).

Last voyage

After completing five successful

voyages to the Middle Eastern

theatre and back to the United

Kingdom transporting the sick

and wounded, Britannic departed

Southampton for Lemnos at 14:23

on the 12th of November 1916,

her sixth voyage to the

Mediterranean Sea. The Britannic

passed Gibraltar around midnight

on the 15th of November and

arrived at Naples on the morning

of 17th November for her usual

coaling and water refuelling stop,

completing the first stage of her

mission.

A storm kept the ship at Naples

until Sunday afternoon, when

Captain Bartlett decided to take

advantage of a brief break in the

weather and continue on. The seas

rose once again just as Britannic

left the port but by next morning

the storms died and the ship

passed the Strait of Messina

without problems. Cape Matapan

was rounded during the first hours

3838383838

of Tuesday, 21st November. By

the morning Britannic was

steaming at full speed into the Kea

Channel, between Cape Sounion

(the southernmost point of Attica,

the prefecture that includes

Athens) and the island of Kea.

Explosion

At 08:12 on the 21st of November

1916, a loud explosion shook the

ship. The cause, whether it was a

torpedo from an enemy

submarine or a mine, was not

apparent. The reaction in the

dining room was immediate;

doctors and nurses left instantly

for their posts. Not everybody

reacted the same way, as further

aft the power of the explosion was

less felt and many thought the

ship had hit a smaller boat.

Captain Bartlett and Chief Officer

Hume were on the bridge at the

time, and the gravity of the

situation was soon evident. The

first reports were frightening. The

explosion had taken place on the

starboard side between holds two

and three, but the force of the

explosion had damaged the

watertight bulkhead between hold

one and the forepeak. That meant

that the first four watertight

compartments were filling rapidly

with water. To make things worse,

the firemen's tunnel connecting

the firemen's quarters in the bow

with boiler room six had also been

seriously damaged and water was

flowing into that boiler room.

Bartlett ordered the watertight

doors closed, sent a distress signal

and ordered the crew to prepare

the lifeboats. Unfortunately,

another surprise was waiting.

Along with the damaged

watertight door of the firemen's

tunnel, the watertight door

between boiler rooms six and five

also failed to close properly for

an unknown reason. Now water

was flowing further aft into boiler

room five. The Britannic had

reached her flooding limit. She

could stay afloat (motionless)

with her first six watertight

compartments flooded and had

five watertight bulkheads rising

all the way up to B-deck. Those

measures were taken after the

Titanic disaster (Titanic could

float with her first four

compartments flooded but the

bulkheads only rose as high as E-

deck). Luckily, the next crucial

bulkhead between boiler rooms

five and four and its door were

undamaged and should have

guaranteed the survival of the

ship. However, there was

something else that probably

sealed Britannic's fate: the open

portholes of the lower decks. The

nurses had opened most of those

portholes to ventilate the wards.

As the ship's list increased, water

reached this level and began to

enter aft from the bulkhead

between boiler rooms five and

four. With more than six

compartments flooded, the

Britannic could not stay afloat.

Evacuation

On the bridge, Captain Bartlett

was trying to save his vessel. Only

two minutes after the blast, boiler

rooms five and six had to be

evacuated. In about ten minutes

the Britannic was roughly in the

same condition the Titanic was

one hour after the collision with

the iceberg. Fifteen minutes after

the ship was struck the open

portholes on E-deck were

underwater. Water also entered

the ship's aft section from the

bulkhead between boiler rooms

five and four. The Britannic

3939393939

quickly developed a serious list to

starboard. To his right Bartlett saw

the shores of Kea, about three

miles away. He decided to make

a last desperate effort to beach the

ship. This was not an easy task

because of the combined effect of

the list and the weight of the

rudder. The steering gear was

unable to respond properly but by

using the propeller (giving more

power to the port shaft) Britannic

slowly started to turn right.

Simultaneously, on the boat deck

the crewmembers were preparing

the lifeboats. Some of the boats

were immediately rushed by a

group of stewards and some

sailors, who had started to panic.

An unknown officer kept his

nerve and persuaded his sailors to

get out and stand by their

positions near the boat stations.

He decided to leave the stewards

on the lifeboats as they were

responsible for starting the panic

and he did not want them in his

way during the evacuation.

However, he left one of the crew

with them in order to take charge

of the lifeboat after leaving the

ship. After this episode, all the

sailors under his command

remained at their posts until the

last moment. As no RAMC

personnel were near this boat

station at that time, the Officer

started to lower the boats, but

when he saw that the ship's

engines were still running, he

stopped them within six feet (2 m)

of the water and waited for orders

from the bridge. The occupants of

the lifeboats did not take this

decision very well and started

cursing. Shortly after this, orders

finally arrived: no lifeboats

should be launched, as the

Captain had decided to beach the

Britannic.

Assistant Commander Harry

William Dyke was making the

arrangements for the lowering of

the lifeboats from the aft davits

of the starboard boat deck when

he spotted a group of firemen who

had taken a lifeboat from the poop

deck without authorisation and

had not filled it to maximum

capacity. Dyke ordered them to

pick up some of the men who had

already jumped into the water.

At 08:30, two lifeboats from the

boat station assigned to Third

Officer David Laws were lowered

without his knowledge through

the use of the automatic release

gear. Those two lifeboats dropped

some 6 feet into the water and hit

the water violently. The two

lifeboats soon drifted into the still-

turning propellers, which were

almost out of the water by now.

As the first one reached the

turning blades, both lifeboats,

together with their occupants,

were torn to pieces. By then the

word of the massacre arrived on

the bridge. Captain Bartlett,

seeing that water was entering

more rapidly as Britannic was

moving and that there was a risk

of more victims, gave the order

to stop the engines. The propellers

stopped turning the moment a

third lifeboat was about to be

reduced to splinters. RAMC

occupants of this boat pushed

against the blades and got away

from them safely.

Final moments

The Captain officially ordered the

crew to lower the boats and at

08:35, he gave the order to

abandon ship. The forward set of

port side davits soon became

useless. The unknown officer had

already launched his two lifeboats

and managed to launch rapidly

one more boat from the after set

of portside davits. He then started

to prepare the motor launch when

First Officer Oliver came with

orders from the Captain. Bartlett

had ordered Oliver to get in the

motor launch and use its speed to

pick up survivors from the

smashed lifeboats. Then he was

to take charge of the small fleet

of lifeboats formed around the

sinking Britannic. After launching

the motor launch with Oliver, the

unknown officer filled another

lifeboat with seventy-five men

and launched it with great

difficulty because the port side

was now very high from the

surface due to the list to starboard.

By 08:45, the list to starboard was

so great that no davits were

operable. The unknown officer

with six sailors decided to move

to mid-ship on the boat deck to

throw overboard-collapsible rafts

and deck chairs from the starboard

side. About thirty RAMC

personnel who were still left on

the ship followed them. As he was

about to order these men to jump

then give his final report to the

Captain, the unknown officer

spotted Sixth officer Welch and a

few sailors near one of the smaller

lifeboats on the starboard side.

They were trying to lift the boat

but they had not enough men.

Quickly, the unknown officer

ordered his group of forty men to

assist the Sixth officer. Together

they managed to lift it, load it with

men, then launch it safely.

At 09:00, Bartlett sounded one

last blast on the whistle then just

walked into the water, which had

already reached the bridge. He

swam to a collapsible boat and

began to co-ordinate the rescue

operations. The whistle blow was

the final signal for the ship's

engineers (commanded by Chief

Engineer Robert Fleming) who,

like their heroic colleagues on the

Titanic, had remained at their

posts until the last possible

moment. They escaped via the

staircase into funnel #4, which

ventilated the engine room.

The Britannic rolled over onto her

starboard side and the funnels

began collapsing. Violet Jessop

(who was also one of the

survivors of Britannic's sister-

ship Titanic, as well as the third

sister, Olympic, when she collided

with the HMS Hawke), described

the last seconds: "She dipped her

head a little, then a little lower and

still lower. All the deck machinery

fell into the sea like a child's toys.

Then she took a fearful plunge,

her stern rearing hundreds of feet

into the air until with a final roar,

she disappeared into the depths,

the noise of her going resounding

though the water with undreamt-

of violence...." It was 09:07, only

fifty-five minutes after the

explosion. The Britannic was the

largest ship lost during World War

One.

Rescue

The first to arrive on the scene

were the Greek fishermen from

Kea on their Caïque, who picked

up many men from the water. One

of them, Francesco Psilas, was

later paid £4 by the Admiralty for

his services. At 10:00, HMS

Scourge sighted the first lifeboats

and ten minutes later stopped and

picked up 339 survivors. HMS

Heroic had arrived some minutes

earlier and picked up 494. Some

150 had made it to Korissia (a

community on Kea), where

surviving doctors and nurses from

the Britannic were trying to save

the horribly mutilated men, using

aprons and pieces of lifebelts to

make dressings. A little barren

quayside served as their operating

room. Although the motor

launches were quick to transport

the wounded to Korissia, the first

lifeboat arrived there some two

hours later due to the strong

current and their heavy load. It

was the lifeboat of Sixth Officer

Welch and the unknown Officer.

The latter was able to speak some

French and managed to talk with

one of the local villagers,

obtaining some bottles of brandy

and some bread for the injured.

The inhabitants of Korissia were

deeply moved by the suffering of

the wounded. They offered all

possible assistance to the

survivors and hosted many of

them in their houses while waiting

for the rescue ships. Violet Jessop

approached one of the wounded.

"An elderly man, in an RAMC

uniform with a row of ribbons on

his breast, lay motionless on the

ground. Part of his thigh was gone

and one foot missing; the grey-

green hue of his face contrasted

with his fine physique. I took his

hand and looked at him. After a

long time, he opened his eyes and

said: 'I'm dying'. There seemed

nothing to disprove him yet I

involuntarily replied: 'No, you are

not going to die, because I've just

been praying for you to live'. He

gave me a beautiful smile . . . That

man lived and sang jolly songs for

us on Christmas Day."

The Scourge and Heroic had no

deck space for more survivors and

they left for Pireaus signalling the

presence of those left at Korissia.

Luckily, HMS Foxhound arrived

at 11:45 and, after sweeping the

area, anchored in the small port

at 13:00 to offer medical

assistance and take onboard the

remaining survivors. At 14:00

arrived the light cruiser HMS

Foresight. The Foxhound

departed for Pireaus at 14:15

while the Foresight remained to

arrange the burial on Kea of

Sergeant W. Sharpe, who had died

of his injuries. Another two men

died on the Heroic and one on the

French tug Goliath. The three

were buried with military honours

in the British cemetery at Pireaus.

The last fatality was G.

Honeycott, who died at the

Russian Hospital at Pireaus

shortly after the funerals.

1,036 people were saved. Thirty

men lost their lives in the disaster

but only five were buried. The

others were left in the water and

their memory is honoured in

memorials in Thessaloniki and

London. Another twenty-four men

were injured. The ship carried no

patients. The survivors were hosted

in the warships that were anchored

at the port of Pireaus. However, the

nurses and the officers were hosted

in separate hotels at Phaleron.

Many Greek citizens and officials

attended the funerals. One

survivor, nurse Violet Jessop was

notable as having also survived the

sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912,

and had also been on board RMS

Olympic, when it collided with the

HMS Hawke in 1911.

Wreck

The wreck of HMHS Britannic is

at 37∞42_05_N 24∞17_02_E in

about 400 ft (120 m) of water. It

was first discovered and explored

by Jacques Cousteau in 1975. The

giant liner lies on her starboard

side hiding the zone of impact with

the mine. There is a huge hole just

beneath the forward well deck. The

bow is attached to the rest of the

hull only by some pieces of the B-

deck. This is the result of the

massive explosion that destroyed

the entire part of the keel between

bulkheads two and three and of the

force of impact with the seabed.

The bow is heavily deformed as

the ship hit the seabed before the

total length of the 882 feet 9 inches

(269 m) liner was completely

submerged, as she sank in a depth

of only 400 feet of water. Despite

this, the crew's quarters in the

forecastle were found to be in good

shape with many details still

visible. The holds were found

empty. The forecastle machinery

and the two cargo cranes in the

forward well deck are still there

and are well preserved. The

foremast is bent and lies on the sea

floor near the wreck with the

crow's nest still attached on it. The

bell was not found. Funnel #1 was

found a few metres from the Boat

Deck. The other three funnels were

found in the debris field (located

off the stern). The wreck lies in

shallow enough water that scuba

divers trained in technical diving

can explore it, but it is listed as a

British war grave and any

expedition must be approved by

both the British and Greek

governments.

4242424242

In mid-1995, during an expedition

filmed by NOVA, Dr. Robert

Ballard visited the wreck, using

advanced side-scan sonar. Images

were obtained from remotely

controlled vehicles, but the wreck

was not penetrated. Ballard

succeeded in locating all the ship's

funnels, which proved to be in

surprisingly good condition.

Attempts to find mine anchors

failed.

In August 1996, the wreck of the

HMHS Britannic became

available for sale and was bought

by maritime historian Simon

Mills who has written two books

about the ship: Britannic - The

Last Titan, and Hostage To

Fortune. When Simon Mills was

asked if he had all the money and

support needed, what would his

ideal vision be for the wreck of

Britannic be, he replied: "That's

simple - to leave it as it is!"

In November 1997, an

international team of divers lead

by Kevin Gurr used open circuit

Trimix diving techniques to visit

and film the wreck in the newly

available Digital Video format

(mini-DV). Kevin Gurr, Alan

Wright, John Thornton, Dan

Burton, Uffe Eriksson, Ingemar

Lundgren, Richard Lundgren,

Dave Thompson, Alexander

Sotiriou, Kirk Kavalaris, Kevin

Denlay, Tristan Cope, Miria

Denlay, Gary Sharp, Ian Fuller,

Manthos Sotiriou participated in

the project. Vangelis Sotiriou

provided general support.

In 1999, GUE, divers typically

acclimated to cave diving and

Ocean Discovery led the first dive

expedition to include extensive

penetration into the Britannic.

Video of the expedition was

broadcast by National

Geographic, BBC, History

Channel, and the Discovery

Channel.

In 2003, an expedition led by Carl

Spencer used advanced diving

technology to send scuba divers

into the wreck. Their most

significant finding was that

several watertight doors were

open. It has been suggested that

this was because the mine strike

coincided with the change of

watches. Alternatively, the

explosion may have distorted the

4343434343

doorframes. A number of mine

anchors were located, confirming

the German records of U-73 that

Britannic was sunk by a single

mine and the damage was

compounded by open portholes

and watertight doors.

In 2006, an expedition, funded

and filmed by the History

Channel, brought together

thirteen of the world's best wreck

divers to help determine what

caused the quick sinking of the

Britannic. Setting sail on the 17th

of September in a diving boat,

converted from a fishing boat for

this mission, the crew dived and

explored the sunken ship. After

days of preparation, the wreck

was explored by divers John

Chatterton and Richie Kohler.

However, time was cut short

when silt was kicked-up, causing

zero visibility conditions, and the

two divers narrowly escaped with

their lives. John Chatterton's

rebreather famously failed whilst

he was still deep inside the wreck.

One last dive was to be attempted

on Britannic's boiler room, but it

was discovered that

photographing this far inside the

wreck would lead to breaking the

rules of a permit issued by the

Ephorate of Underwater

Antiquities, a department within

the Greek Ministry of Culture.

Due partly to a barrier in

languages, a last minute plea was

turned down by the department.

The expedition was unable to

determine the cause of the rapid

sinking, but hours of footage were

filmed and important data was

documented. Underwater

Antiquities later recognized the

importance of this mission and

has since extended an invitation

to revisit the wreck under less

stringent rules.

During this expedition, Chatterton

and Kohler found a bulb shape in

her expansion joint. This proved

that her design was changed

following the loss of Titanic.

On the 24th of May 2009, a diver,

Carl Spencer, 37, died in Greece

from a suspected case of

decompression sickness,

commonly known as the bends,

which is caused by surfacing too

quickly from a dive, while filming

the wreck of HMHS Britannic for

National Geographic. He is

reported to have "begun

convulsing" at depth which is a

symptom of oxygen poisoning.

He was diving with an Ouroboros

rebreather. Carl Spencer, from

Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire,

was part of a 17-member crew.

Spencer, father-of-two, was an

experienced mixed gas and closed

circuit rebreather diver who had

been on three previous missions

to film the Britannic. He was in

the team during the exploration of

the Titanic wreckage as part of a

Discovery Channel expedition led

by filmmaker James Cameron,

who directed the blockbuster

Titanic.

ISSN 1757-7284

Old Belfast is published

by the Glenravel Local

History Project as part

of our Belfast History

Project scheme

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