Welcome to Old Carrick Hill
with Joe Graham
I was actually born in the original old "Scotch Quarters" tenements which stood where the new flats marked X are today, the vacant en-railed ground I am pointing at was the former site of Jacob's Biscuit factory which was taken over as a base for the American Army during World War 11. I can't really claim to be a Carrick Hill man though as I only lived there for about a year.
This is perhaps the oldest Photo of Carrick Hill taken in the late 1800's, showing RIC men with rifles and bayonets at the ready, these were days of serious sectarian unrest, doesn't that sound familiar ?. The area suffered for generations through sectarian attack, the Arnon Street Massacre of the 1920's springs to mind.
Carrick Hill 1920, Peter's Hill in background
Corpus Christie day in old Carrick Hill, looking toward Peter's Hill.
Looking toward Clifton Street.
Carrick Hill Murders 1920's....An R.I.C Informant related the following as to what happened next....
“Constable Gordon entered the Barrack Room, seized a sledge hammer( probably the one used in the McMahon murder), called for volunteers for reprisals, and this was objected to by one man whose name I fail to remember, Nixon, Gordon and the remainder of the gang accompanied by a number of “B” Specials, rushed into Arnon Street with an armoured Lancia, riddled the nationalist houses, beating and kicking women and children, and murdered seven persons. Some were shot, others had their brains dashed out with the sledge hammer; one man was in bed with a baby one year old, was battered to death and the baby was shot beside him. This was the most dastardly ‘reprisal’ ever carried out by Nixon, and in this particular locality (Carrick Hill), he made the lives of the people unbearable by permitting the men in the Barracks to snipe at the residents on their way to work”
“The military,(Norfolk Regt) , who were stationed on picket duty, were thoroughly cowered by this gang who, on several occasions, shot at and threw bombs at the soldiers, with the intention of getting them to run amoke and shoot up the area.”
The man beat to death as he lay in his bed was ex-soldier Joseph Walsh his son Michael was also shot dead 14 year old Frank later died of his wounds. 40 year old Joseph MacRory was shot at 15 Stanhope Street, Bernard McKenna was shot dead at 26 Park Street, 70 year old William Spallin was shot dead in his bed at 16 Arnon Street, he had that day just buried his wife. Ironically Nixon had to order the shooting of a policeman to justify this orgy of death.. and the policeman was a Protestant !. Many other Carrick Hill residents were murdered in the 1920 troubles. All this in no backwoods region of the world, for remember here in Belfast at that time they were turning out the biggest ships afloat, had the biggest Linen and Rope industry in the world. (From, "In The Name Of Carsonia" By Joe Graham).
Available From Rushlight Now Tel. 028 90626631 Price £3.
The second man from the left, in this wedding party, is perhaps the greatest man who ever lived in Carrick Hill. And in these days when money is being lashed out to re-write history and have statues erected to the 'great and the good', it is no wonder this man's name has never been put forward for some sort of public recognition. But as usual, people have short memories, which well suits the 'divide and conquer' merchants...you want his name ??? it is Tommy Geehan, "The Carrick Hill Tribune". Watch this site for the story on the great man, a story that has never been fully told . Tommy was probably the greatest republican socialist that Belfast has ever known. Others waffled , Tommy led from the front, others threatened, Tommy acted.
Some members of the Brown family
1910. Mill workers Strike, military turned out and mill girl shot dead. Tragedy in Belfast Lough, the Glasgow steamer, “Copeland” collides with Lagan Dredger.No4, five men killed. Two more cinemas open . Mill girls go on strike, girl shot dead, riots break out, James Connolly address‘s crowd from “Pepper Hill Steps” (Above) ..From History of Belfast By Joe Graham.
Skin Burns, Gerry McCrudden, RIP, and ? ?, early 1960's. Gerry went on to join the famous Grenadier Showband
The Park Darts Club
Back Row L-R: Seamus Maguire, George Lidster, Peter Sullivan, Tony McCann, Paddy Leonard, S. O'Hare , Paddy Dolan. Front Row L-R: Patsy Robb, John Sullivan, Willie Delaney, Charlie Morgan, Tommy Kelly, ( standing back} P. Dolan Gerry Begley, Jackie McCallum and Tom Gaskin(Thanks to Sean Morris for getting the names & photo)
The Trinity Street Ghost
By Joe Graham .. (From Rushlight The Belfast Magazine. Est.1972)
Perhaps the most repeated ghost story concerning Belfast is that of the Trinity Street ghost, (street above) which first appeared which first appeared in Belfast newspapers back in the winter of 1931, and Rushlight must take credit for keeping this little bit of lore in focus for nothing was written again of the incident until i included in in a little book of Belfast Ghost stories in 1974.
Reports of the incident at the time gave many points of views which mostly led to confusion as to what really happened, or what dark evil apparition was seen, a headless man ?, a banshee like figure?, all agreed that ornaments and furniture had been hurled around the house by an unseen figure. This describes the actions of an Irish Dollaghan, an angry ghost, a poltergeist, which is said to latch onto a feeble old lady or an innocent child through which it could act. It did seem the ‘ghost’ had a bit of an identity problem, but let’s start at the beginning.
In October 1931 a family rented a house in Trinity Street, just off Clifton Street, shortly afterwards they ‘sub-let’ rooms in the house to other tenants and before long the house became quite over crowded. It was about then that the strange goings on began, doors opened and were banged with out any one being near them, windows opened of their own accord and crashed closed again morning or night. This eeriness increased when many tenants began to hear loud pitiful moans and groans coming from a coal shed, an outbuilding, at the rear of the house.
Then some spoke of having seen the ghostly figure of, “ a young man surrounded by a bright light” in different parts of the house, the stairs, landing and bedrooms. Most described him as ‘a black figure dressed in a cape and hat ‘. others said he wore no cape or hat, some tenants even tied their room doors closed at night, only to find the cord broke and the door wide open, swinging freely as though in a gentle mocking fashion, some of the them moved out.
Word began to get out and about of the strange goings on and before long crowds of people began to assemble outside the house at night, gaping at the windows hoping to catch a glimpse of the now much talked about mysterious figure,
Apparently a medium was even called in to try and put the noisy ghost to rest all this activity even caught the attention of the newspapers across the water who promptly sent journalists over to investigate the ghost story. The sightseeing crowds increased until eventually regular peelers were posted on duty to keep the crowds in line, interestingly one of the peelers in charge was the well known ’Head’ McKenzie. One ‘expert’ alleged that at some time a young man by the name of Edward or Edward’s had been murdered in the house and his body buried under the coal house floor. It was further alleged that requests had been made of the landlord to did up the floor to check out if or not a body was buried there and he stubbornly refused.
Finally the whole thing came to a sudden end on Sunday night 17th January 1932, the tenants apparently had had enough and they all moved out leaving the house to the ‘ghost’. before long the whole thing quietened down and there were no more reporting of ghostly sightings at the house, not even when the house was later occupied by different people.
There were many rumours at the time concerning the whole event, some said the landlord was behind goings on, somehow he staged the noises and ‘sightings’ to frighten his unwanted tenants out of his property whom he resented sub-letting his property and denying him extra that income. But that was only one story that was put out by those who tried to explain away a good ghost story, true or staged the fact is the Trinity Street ghost has been spoken of now for many decades.
Brothers Dennis and Pat Brown to name two. Dennis Brown, (right in Picture) RIP, was a close friend of mine and a more loyal and trusting friend a man could ever have.
The Legendary and much loved, the late Fr.Bradley of St. Patrick's, a people's Priest, not too many like him around these days.
The Flying Column famous for their "Four Green Fields", with Husband and Wife, the late Eamon Largey and Kathleen, Eamon was a Carrick Hill man, not merely a musical group , but patriotic. They kept the spirits of a besieged people up in the darkest days of 'The Troubles'... that Fourth Green Field is still in Bondage..Poor Mother Ireland.
Tom Jordan & Pal In Trinity Street 1960's
