Barney,

Billy & Issac lived in Grand St. in the Low Rd, a family of first-class plasterers & bricklayers. I met Billy's son, from England, in the Premier Inn a few years ago, he was over to see his father & mother, (she was a Gilliland from Haslem's Lane )who lived somewere in Lisburn, in a bungalow Billy Snr. had built.

The Low Rd Keery's were great pigeon men, iived across the road from my Grannies, we used to watch them calling the birds home.

I remember the names Geordie, Sammy, Issac, Robert, Billy the youngest, all boys in the family, their mother was a nice homely woman & his uncle Rabbie Fleming, who lived with them, was a character, noted for his down to earth sayings.

Rabbie said when a Hilden Mill girl, who went to London, visited & passed the house, dressed in a fur coat.

"There's the lights of London away past"


Pat

Pat

Billy Keery is my uncle. He married my aunt Ruby who has just recently gone into a Nursing Home. She came from Bradbury Buildings and was the youngest girl in the family. They had seven or eight children, two of whom are now deceased. I wonder which of my cousins you talked to when he visited?

Liz,

I don't know which cousin it was, only that he lived in England. Apparently at the time of his marriage to an English girl, the family disagreed but later became reconciled. Tick any boxes?

I always thought Billy was married to, (as I remember her) a small girl called Gilliland, but I was young then & have probably got the name wrong. I know they had a big family & regularly visited their grandmother in Grand St. Mrs Keery, who was a good neighbour of my grandmother, was very fond of her daughter-in-law.

PAT

Hi Pat

You are right she was Ruby Gilliland, my mother's youngest sister,my mum being Nan Gilliland. She was small, so was my mum and so am I!

A few of my cousins went to live in England, I have lost track over the years.

Liz,

Your cousin we met was very nice, we were sitting outside in the sun, he having a smoke, us having coffee at the adjacent table & we got talking.

When he heard I was originally from the Low Rd the reminiscences started about his visits to his grandmother there. His wife died some years ago he said & he was devastated, but his family are good to him & arranged his visit to Lisburn as a present.


Small world indeed. Pat