| Lurgan, like most towns, had its fair
share of characters through the years and they didn't
come much better than the famous 'Dan McCrory' .
Dan was an educated man and it was said that he entered
the priesthood at one stage. A couple of interesting
stories about Dan came to light as remembered some time
ago by Tom Boyle. Tom told about the time Dan went into
O'Hara's public house and asked the landlord if it would
be okay if he had a pint and would it be okay if he
paid for it in stamps. The landlord agreed and Dan got
his pint and when the landlord asked for the stamps
Dan set his pint down and stamped his foot four times
on the ground.
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Dan was well known to the local police as he was often
found about the town having taken 'one too many'. He'd
been in front of the Judge so often that the Judge decided
to send him to jail for a month. So Dan was taken to
Lurgan Railway Station by a local policeman, whose job
it was to see Dan locked up and return home. So when
the policeman asked the ticket officer for one single
and one return, Dan quickly replied, "Are you not coming
Sir?" Anyway when Dan was shown his prison cell he said
to the Prison Warder "Do you know something, I wish
I'd come here a month ago". The Prison Warder assured
Dan that it was no hotel he was coming into and that
his time spent here wouldn't be a holiday. Dan quickly
answered "No, I didn't mean that, it's just that if
I'd been here a month ago I'd be getting out by now!"
Dan did many jobs such as doorman at 'Fosters' Picture
House, and walked the streets of Lurgan with sandwich
boards advertising local traders products.
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Some other characters of note were:
Everybody's friend the little man - Johnie Boyle
, the lady with the pram, Mrs. Annie Green
who lived at the Lough - a well known character who
always passed the time of day with whoever she met.
And 'Mary Lye Out' . Mary was a very tall white
haired woman who wore big black men's boots, as Nellie
McAtasaney remembered. Nellie told us about the time
she was out walking when she observed Mary standing
in a field, stripped off, washing herself in a river.
Can you remember the following characters:
'Old Ginger Beard' , 'Flying Johnie' ,
the man who put wings on and tried to become airborn
in Lurgan Park! Our list includes, 'Rosie Crow' ,
'Anthony Lavery' and 'Herbie Briggs' .
What history about the characters of Lurgan would be
complete without the legendary Benny 'Phil' Lynch
. Phil would walk the streets of Lurgan with his
pram selling things which people had given him. Phil
died only a few years ago, and a stone has been erected
in St. Coleman's cemetery to mark the site where he
was laid to rest. The stone was contributed by the people
of Lurgan to a man who, like Dan McCrory, will live
in our minds for ever.
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The days when "JACK-SHOW-YOUR-LIGHT" was around...
Jack-show-your-light was a common sight on our streets
many many years ago. He got ten shillings (50p) a week
for lighting them! And a common school yard joke at
the time was how much did he get for putting them out?!
Jack-show-your-light always put on the gas lamps for
the first time in the winter season on August 15th.
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Does anyone remember the old man who used to sell delph
from a stall at Market Street where the flower market
is now? He was constantly juggling with plates etc.
to gather a crowd and used to smash a heap of them.
(Possibly they were rejects or cracked ones.)
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Another funny story is about the man who shouted at
the Black and Tans when they were passing, patrolling
in Crossley tenders sitting back to back on a central
bench and protected by wine. He had a few drinks on
him and he was famous for his ballads. He told them
he had enough in his hip pocket to blow the guts out
of them! When they frisked him they found a packet of
Epsom Salts!
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Drunk Buttermilk Man got a lift on a pony...
People say there was nothing like a good mug of buttermilk
with a plate of champ! Does anyone remember the wee
man Kane that came in from the country with his big
crocks? He had the best buttermilk in the town but he
wouldn't have given you any unless you were a customer.
The butter was swimming on top of it. Can anyone remember
these buttermilk men of years ago? Arthur Murray
of Mays Court and Bob McDowell of John Street and a
man called Creaney from Thompsons Court and one called
O'Neill from down there as well? And a man called Stevenson
from Victoria Street?
They must have drunk an awful lot of buttermilk with
their champ around Lurgan. Or did it all go on the griddle?
One buttermilk man had a reputation for spending his
takings on drink. When he got a drop too much and fell
asleep in the trap the 'pow-nee' used to take him home.
One evening it got fed up standing outside the pub and
went home without him.
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