Beersbridge Road. East Belfast

[Christopher]

There must be a little bit of history attached to this area of the city. I thought there was a large mill on the Beersbridge, the Owen O Cork Mills?  I have a 1987 Belfast and Northern Ireland directory and the place is not mentioned. The name Dobson appears... Importers and Exporters of children's confectionery. Was there not a Dobson's Dairies. I met a Dobson who owned a confectionery / gift shop in Portrush in the 1970s who I think was connected to the Belfast Dairy people. Alex Devon, paint and wallpaper merchants, had a shop on the Beersbridge. I think they were like Christies and had several branches in Belfast. Mr Christie was a Lord Mayor of Belfast.   

[naumai]

the owen o cork mill on the beersbridge was between steens row and east bread st .my wife worked there as a screen printer in the late fiftes,but even then it was not a mill anymore rather a lot of small enterprises.last time I was in belfast ten years ago it was still there. and dobsons dairies was of the creagh rd montgomery rd I think t was.

[olelad]

i remember lord st and leadly hall. a gang from the the beersbridge called themselfs the leadly !!

[Christopher]

I've been having a look at the 1987 Directory of Belfast. Where do cafe owners get such interesting names .. take some on the Beersbridge for instance .. The Hub of the Wheel Cafe and the Igloo. 

naumai the Owen O Cork Mill must have been at 288 Beersbridge Road. There were a lot of business there in 1987. The directory lists eleven of them including a couple of textile places. I noticed a garage .. Hills Service Station between East Bread Street and Greeenville Avenue. There was a guy in that garage in the mid sixties who was married to a fashion model. Sorry I can't remember her surname.

[EllCee]

"Sorry I can't remember her surname."

Grace Emmanuel?  Noreen Mallon?

[Christopher]

Definitely not Grace and I do not think it was Noreen. I'll get the old brain box ticking over
It's at times like this I wish I had kept a diary. It would save wear and tear on the grey matter
Her name may have been Susan but no idea of the surname. Possibly Hill
I think Betty Staff the Dance teacher was also an agent for models.

[EllCee]

Grace Emmanuel's father was a dentist or a GP. They lived in the Earlswood Road area.

Noreen Mallon drove a white Triumph Spitfire, and owns/ed the Balloo Inn at Killinchy.

[Christopher]

Now there's a thing Les. When did Noreen own the Balloo House? It belonged to the McConnell family for years. Jenny (surname gone temporarily) married James McConnell. She had been a girl friend of Brian Steenson at one time. Jenny died very tragically at her home in Crossgar a couple of years ago. McConnells sold to the Johnson Bros .. distributors of Irel coffee. The Johnsons were all keen motorists. The two lads, Michael and Paddy, were at Rockport. Their dad Dermot completed the Circuit of Ireland .. in the days when the Easter Rally actually did go round Ireland .. in an Allard. Did Noreen own the Balloo after Johnsons?

I knew Grace Emmanuel when I was a wee lad in short pants. Her dad was a handsome big man... a doctor by profession. I think the Emmanuel family came from one of the African countries.

[EllCee]

I think Grace's father was black and her mum white.  From memory, Grace wasn't very dark.  My cousin had a dalliance for a while.

SFAIK, Noreen Mallon still runs Balloo, probably with her husband, who could be a Johnson. I don't know her married name.  Certainly she was involved a few years ago.  She may have been interviewed on TV.

[craigyroo]

its it true the conn o'neil bridge was the oldest in Belfast hence the connswater river, or the connsy as locals refer to it as?

[ulsterstan]

Yea Dr. Emmanuel  ,remember him well ,his office was at the  end of Ravenscroft Ave .  near the Arches.   

[Christopher]

Hiya Stan, are you a Sloan I knew an Adele and Melvyn Sloan from East Belfast. 

[ulsterstan]

Right , Stanley Sloan it is,my  brother  is David Sloan  and I have Sloan kin in E. Belfast but don't recall the names mentioned  .

[Christopher]

How about Sloan Bros (Contractors), Ltd, builders and quarry owners

[ulsterstan]

 No , no relation .