Once heard, never forgotten. The ups and downs of the McCooey family were followed closely by thousands of listeners across Northern Ireland for just over 7 years.

"A mysterious package arrives....." Original drawing by Brian Willis. First broadcast on 13th May 1949, 'The McCooeys' series was based on the life of an ordinary working-class Belfast family. Each week people switched on their radios to find out the latest goings on. Some took it very seriously indeed! When the McCooey family redecorated their parlour listeners phoned in worried that the family had failed to fix a price for the work beforehand and others wrote in to offer advice on what a fair rate should be.

	"The McCooeys" Written by Joseph Tomelty

In this archive clip a parcel, bearing an American stamp, has arrived for Grandpa McCooey. Click on the speaker to listen...

Do you have a favourite McCooeys story? Who was your favourite character? There were some great catch phrases in the series. "You're a comeejan" and "shloup with vegabittles" were two popular ones - can you remember any? Were you ever lucky enough to attend one of the recordings?

David McGinnity would like to know if one of the characters was called "Cedric McClatchie" (or something similar) who sold encyclopedias by "Mathusky"? Can anyone help him? If you're a McCooey's fan and know the answer to this, then I'm sure David would love to hear from you. Either click on 'Discuss this Article' at the bottom of the page or e-mail ypam-online@bbc.co.uk .

YOUR RESPONSES

Christopher Peake - July '08
The post made by David B McGinnity in Apr '07 surprised me. Did Stephen Boyd (birth name Billy Miller) not come from Glengormley which is in North Belfast?

Eric McCooey - Dec '07
From Grampa (Eric) McCooey and Sally McCooey in Canada.
Great to hear the clip. Can we get hold of more?

bob rice - Oct '07
Hi, found this site,brught back a lot of memories of belfast in the 40s and 50s. Have lived in australia since59. I worked as an office boy in the bbc ormeau ave1950-51. Met allthe mc cooeys, james yound , dj devlin,joseph tomelty etc. have all their autographs including many of the radio stars of the day-no tv then. saw some of the shows including some of james youngs shows. Alot of very pleasent memories

David B McGinnity - Apr '07
In the "McCooeys" Stephen Boyd; who's real mname was Billy Miller, and came from East Belfast. He was the co-star with Charlton Heston, in "Ben Hur". He stared in The Bravados" with Gregory Peck and "The Oscar". with Tony Bennett. His first British film was in "The Man who Never Was". The Cooeys was written by the great Joseph Tomelty (father of actress Frances Tomelty). In "Mrs Lally's Lodgers" there was a maid called Mrs Mc Taggart, who's catch phrase was, when she walked in and caught The Major and sometimes Oliver Stoops , trying to seduce Mrs Lally. "It's none of my business Mrs Lally, but is there something wrong". I would love to hear the McCooeys and Mrs lally Lodgers again.

Tom Dougan - Nov '06
I remember a friend of the family had a part in the McCooeys, I was too young to know his character or if it was just a one of part, would anyone know. the persons name was Jimmy McCrudden I remember him as a very funny person.

Larry Brown - Aug '06
Everyone remembers Derek the Window Cleaner. In one episode he told Mrs McCooey that he was using some deodorant to make him smell nice!

The McCooeys was uniquely Belfast and a gentleman,Norman Kerr,has listed 'Local Dialect' on the net and many of the words and phrases have been part and parcel of the McCooeys. However,he did miss a few like:Geek:Beelie:Oxter:Speelie:Mitch:Klute:Smicks:Jammy:A Knick:Gurn and more....(are some puzzled!?)

For a time James Young lived next door to us on the Newtownards Road-we were in No293 and he lived next door, above the Butchers shop-next to that shop was the New Princess Cinema. Facing the butchers shop was Brown's Funeral Parlour (no relation) and a little further up the road, Desano's Ice Cream Parlour.

I think the "McCooey" times were good times when people actually cared about each other and although there were differences there was tolerance and peace. A time when children played outside till it got dark and when they could,if thirsty,knock on the nearest door and ask "Missus,can I have a drink of water please" and the response often was 'Certainly my child-but I might be able to manage a glass of lemonade" They indeed were good times sadly now lost.

Grace Bryant - Aug '06
My mum played the part of Letitia McCoubrey, Bella's daughter from the stoney mountain, and I would love to know if their are any existing recordings.

Christopher Peake - June '06
There was a programme called Mrs Lally's Lodgers David. I think that programme was the sequel to The McCooeys.

Des Walker - Mar 06
I seem to remember a young actor (Stephen Boyd) on the Mc Cooeys, who went to the USA, and was actually a co-star in the Hollywood epic film "Ben Hur" with Charlton Heston. Stephen Boyd was the one In The Chariot Race who gets killed. I also think he really died, on a Golf course in California, just as he was becoming a major star.

Gary French, Canada - January '06
Hello,
My name is Gary French and I live in Canada, just outside of Toronto. My father grew up in Belfast in the 30's, 40's and early 50's and spoke of The McCooey's radio program and I had often hoped that I could find some archived recording(s).
Although, I had heard from an Irish radio personality here that the tapes had been destroyed, one of the forum discussions from your site mentioned something about having at least one episode of the McCooeys'.
I would be grateful to know if there are any recordings available anywhere, that someone might know of.

Message from YPAM editor - We hope to put one of the few remaining episodes of the McCooeys up on this site, but we need to check the copyright position on the archives tapes. (and that the tapes actually exist ) So watch this space.....

Peter Black - Sept '05
An elderly lady told me recently that she recalled the famous actor Stephen Boyd being in 'The McCooeys', as a regular character - the local RUC man - whose catchphrase was: 'I'm just makin' one or two inquiries.' Does anyone else remember that?

Carole Trimble - June '05
You're absolutely right, David. There was indeed a programme called Mrs Lally's Lodgers, and it was the character Oliver Stoops who coined the catchphrase Is the tea not near ready yet, I'm starvin' The programme was broadcast early on Saturday evenings on the Northern Ireland edition of the Home Service, as I think Radio Ulster was then called. I don't see any mention in any of these articles about 'The Young Idea' which was an earlier series of broadcasts by James Young. The only thing I really remember about that was the catchphrase Oh Cissy,Cissy, ma Da'll kill me!

David Craig - April '05
Hi David from another David. Reference the query about Cedric McClatchie. I was listening to this episode last night on a recording I took from a broadcast some time ago for a charitable event. The name of the bookseller was never mentioned however he was referred to as "MATHUSKY" by the McCooeys when a someone else knocked at the door.

A query I have had for some time is this. Was there ever a program in a similar vein as the McCooeys entitled Mrs Lally's Lodgers? I remember a character by the name of Oliver Stoops whose catchphrase was "Is the tay not ready yet Im starvin'. I have had this question for many years but was always told it was the McCooeys that I had heard it on but I am not so shure. I lived in Londonderry from 1953 until 1957 and then paid many visits to the city to visit grandparents so possibly this program may have been on Athlone as it was in those days.

Share YOUR McCooey memories and stories by either e-mailing us at ypam-online@bbc.co.uk or using the form below.