Lowroader,Fraser,Donald and Dabbler,

Do any of you remember a man called Billy Abernethy who met his death at the Point. I must have been about 9 or 10 at the time. Billy was a "Well Sinker" and an old drinking buddy of my dad.The story that was told to me was, that Billy carried detonators etc. in an old Army napsack when riding his bike along the towpath. This paticular day he fell off his bike at the Point and blew himself up. Does the story ring any bells?. I do remember as kids we were morbid enough to go looking for body parts in the dam behind the point.

Beano

Hi there Beano,glad to have you back again,after reading your story I recall I had an uncle Jimmy Becket in Maghebery who was a well sinker,he worked with a man called Abernethey who carried caps in his pocket,one night in the early fifties,while going home from work Abernethey ( after a couple of pints?) put his pipe in the wrong pocet and blew himself up, my uncle was blinded from that day on.I always remember going to visit him at his house,his wife never moved any furniture since before the accident and therefore he was able to walk around the house as a normal seeing person.PS the Lagan did claim a lot of people intentional and otherwise.Ken.

Beano,
I cannot recall any memories of the incident you describe, but my memory seems to play tricks on me but I do remember a story of a man cycling into the Lagan from the towpath when I was well into my teens(mid to late fifties). Whether these are connected events or not I would not know.
As regards Ken's point about people drowning in the Lagan, you are so right Ken and unfortunately the memories of one of those instances will never grow dim for me.
LR

Hi
The story is true about Billy Aberneathy, he was walking home from Lisburn and had some explosives in his inside pocket, wanted to light a cigarette and put his coat up to shield the match from the wind and lit the dynamite. The mill workers found him or what was left of him the next morning. He was married to a very house proud lady called Tischi McNeice, she was a sweeper in Nr3 Winding Hilden Mill and they moved into nr 2 Lockview after my Grandfather moved out to Mill Street Hilden.
Lowroader, the row of houses at the locks towards McConnels hill was called Lagan Terrace
Donald

Hi
Addation to my last message.
Beano,
I think it must have been middle / late fifties that happened with Billy Aberneathy because we had moved to Hilden.


Lowroader,
the incident with the man riding into the Lagan and drowning could have been someone from Tullynacross, my Uncle Tommy told me he was collecting shoes and boots from around the area and taking them to a cobbler in Lisburn to be mended strung along the bike handlebars and they caught in the wheel and tipped him into the Lagan at McConnel,s hill, a very tragic accident
Donald