Hallo everybody,
how many out there remember the train journey to Warrenpoint and the boat ride to Omeath?
It was the only outing we ever had as children. Great Uncle Ned, a bachelor always brought us as he was the only one who could afford it. His Brother Barney with his wife Cassey from Pipers Hill, who having no offspring were affluent used to spend the "twelfth week " in a Hotel situated as you got off the boat. Most of the day was spent in Doyles pub and us youngsters were given a few pence and told to enjoy ourselves. Then in the afternoon a trip to Cavalry with the jaunting car and maybe on to Carlingford for a meal of ham sandwiches and tea.
Omeath rock ,Cigarettes, Toblerone, cooked ham and other savouries were purchased and hidden on our person to escape the attention the Customs men who stood waiting on the boats returning to Warrenpoint,then back to Lisburn in the train, tired but happy boys. Walking from Lisburn Station tnrough Wallace park, down the " broad road " to Hilden was the last stage of the outing. Names of the Stations we passed through are still with me. Gorawood, Pontyzpass, Scarva .
Donald

Donald man, you’ve been everywhere. At either Warrenpoint or Omeath, there were fresh cockles and mussels for sale. Worse still, my da, having paid 4d each for them, forced me to swallow an oyster out of its shell. Put me off for life. Irrespective of their current reputation as an aphrodisiac, you wouldn’t get them past my lips, even if they still cost 4d.

dabbler
That cockle stand was in Omeath, outside Doyle,s pub, I remember as a boy you got a bag of " willicks" as we called them plus a pin to pick them out of their shells for a tanner. The men,probably for the reason you mentioned ordered oysters and enjoyed them to their Guinness, six for half a crown. I still eat them myself, though not for this reason, together with a glas of dry sparkling ( cheap, because my scottish ancestery still rears his head ) white wine, while here Guinness and Oysters are hard to find together. Later when I was courting my wife we went to Omeath , ( then in my Mini) I introduced her to oysters and mussels at that same cockle stand and ( no fibbing or leg pulling ) who pulled up in a station wagon, complete with camera team but Charles Witherspoon from UTV. Remember him who rode around Ulster on a small folding bike, or at least left the impression he did and reported on the evening programm after Tommy James played the piano in "Tea time with Tommy ". ( Another topic for the forum sometime? ), packed his folding bike out of the station wagon , rode around the corner as if he had just cycled all the way from Ormeau Ave. in Belfast and wanted to film my fiancee eating oysters for UTV,s evening programm. Phyllis made a beeline for Doyle,s pub and refused to appear on TV. I still pull her leg about it, telling her she missed her chance to be another Gloria Hunningford
Donald

I loved going to Warrenpoint and Omeath, sometimes that boat ride was pretty scary, it always seemed to be cold and rainy too.The highlight of the trip was buying "rock" to break you teeth on.
It was usually our Sunday School outing. Although I think my Aunt and Uncle would take us there too, I remember they would eat those slimey looking mussels, I vowed I would never eat them, and I haven't to this day.
Sylvia.