Welcome to the Shankill Road
WILLIAM STOAT
In a mean abode on the Shankill Road,
Lived a man named William Stoat,
And he had a wife, the curse of his life,
Who continually got his goat
So one day with her nightdress on
He cut her skinny throat.
With a razor Gash he settled her hash
Oh never was crime so Quick,
But the steady drip on the pillow slip
Of her life blood made him sick,
And the pool of gore on the bedroom floor
Grew clooted cold and thick.
Still, he was glad he had done what he had
As his wife lay cold and still,
When a sudden awe of the angry law
Filled his soul with a dreadful chill
And to end the fun so soon begun
He took a sheet from his wife’s cold feet,
And he knotted it into a rope
And he hanged himself from the Pantry shelf
‘Twas an easy end, let’s hope
With his final breath in the jaws of death,
he solemnly cursed the Pope
But the strangest turn of the whole concern
Is only just beginnin’
He went to hell and his wife got well
And is still alive and sinnin’,
For the razor blade was Free State made,
And the sheet was Ulster Linen,
Tommy Armour, “The Shankill Bombshell”
Tommy ‘The Shankill Bombshell” Armour had 176 fights in a career that spanned 15 years.. 136 Wins... 36 loses,.. 4 Draws and won by 38 Knockouts, is that some kind of record or what. Totime greats 1.hat he mmy was said to be the hardest puncher ever in Irish boxing. The old knocked out were Jack Casey, Dave Mason, Sam Sloan, Sam Lee, Pastor (ilover, Kid Farlo, Al Summers, Tommy Cullen, Nipper Kendall, Jock McCusker, who later stayed the distance with Tommy, Dan Canning, Chuck Flannigan, Vic Philpot, Jack “Shadow” Walsh, who he knocked out in the 3rd round for the NJ Welterweight Title in 1939, then, Cyril Johnson, Paddy Hamill , Jim Devlin, Ron Hatton, Angus McGregor, ah, the list is endless.. but the real big Knockout of his life was at Cliftonville Park in July 1943... he knocked out Eric Boon the British Title holder in the 5th round and Jack Soloman’s, Boon’s manager never forgave him as he later said, “For knocking out the best fighter I ever managed”. The fight was a non-title bout and of course Soloman’s being the shrewd business man saw to it that Tommy never got another crack at Boon for a chance of taking the title, Tommy Armour and Patsy Quinn another hard puncher met four times and each time the crowds came from all over Belfast to see this local “Derby” between the Shankill Warrior and the Sailortown Terrier., they knew they were in for a hard sloggin’ match and that neither man would lie down and true to form each man gave his best and at the first fight in June 1939, Tommy won in the 10th round... then in front of a packed house they met again In May 1943 and this time Patsy took the decision after 10 rounds.. and it wasn’t over yet... in November 1943.. they met again., this time Tommy took the 10 round decision... and finally they met again in a 15 round bout Patsy Quinn took the decision, four times they met, each winning twice.. an evenly matched pair...and two great Belfast fighters, and it goes without saying that either man should have got a crack at Boon’s Title. The boxers in those days were hard workers , they had to be for there was little money in the game, within four weeks, June to July 1947 Tommy had FOUR fights, he fought Jackie Wilson THREE times and then Willie White.. he won all four of the fights on points. Sadly as Tommy’s career was coming to an end he got the chance of an eliminator fight with H. Hall for the British Welter Title and he lost on points in the 12 round fight, this was August 1948. In April 1951 Tommy was still beating the best, he took the N.l. Welter Title from the great Billy O’Neill after a hard fought 10 rounds by O’Neill. He still went on to fight for nearly two years, still winning well but after his fight with Johnny Barker in which the towel was thrown in during the 3rd round, the great Tommy Armour retired, it was December 1952.
Tommy’s name goes down with the greatest.. Warnock.. McStravick.. Smyth.. Kelly.. Doran... Monaghan... logIc... Quinn.. Caldwell.. Gilroy...
Old Agnes Street Bar popular in 1960's for its Music Lounge
“Enfield House” also loaned its name to a local street, this was the 6 acre home of a man called James Carlisle, not to be confused with the Carlisle whom Carlisle Circus took its name from, he was an English aristocrat. “Emerson Street” and “Tennant Street” were named after the Tennant family who had their 16 acre home at Rushpark, Whitehouse.
Shankill Cemetery Burials
MINGLEAnges Mingle died 28th Sept. 1921 aged 1 year and 4 months.
MINNIS
Erected by friends in memory of Samuel Minnis aged 12 years. son of West Minnis of Belfast. Also West, his infant son.
MISKIMIN
Erected by William Miskimin in memory of his four children who died in infancy. Also the above William Miskimin who died 7 Oct. 1905 aged 72 years.
MISKIMMON
Erected by Mary Ann Miskimmon in memory of her beloved father Jonathen
Miskimmon who departed this life 27th Feb. 1864 aged 66 years. Also her mother
Jane MISKIMMON who died 25th May 1853 aged 60 years. And her brother
Robert who died 26th June 1848 aged 17 years.
MITCHELL
Erected by George Mitchell in memory of ... Elizabeth Mitchell aged 27 years died
12th Sept. 1842. Also his beloved wife Elizabeth Mitchell who died 4th Oct. 1861.
Also the above named George Mitchell, husband of Catherine Mitchell, who
departed. this life 8th April 1874.
MITCHELL
Erected by Mary Mitchell to the memory of her son Benjamin who departed this life the 14th of October 1847 aged 26 years. Also Joseph Mitchell who died the 7th of April 1849 aged 34 years. Also 2 of his children.
MITCHELL
(Erected by) Jane (Mitchell) in memory of her husband John Mitchell who died 26 Dec. 1861 aged 40 years.
MITCHELL
1862. In memoriam James Mitchell, late of Athlone, who died 15th April 1862 aged 72 years. Also Elizabeth, the beloved wife of the above James Mitchell, who died 23rd Oct. 1877 aged 54 years.
MITCHELL
1870. Burying place of Samuel Mitchell.
MITCHELL
Erected to the memory of our dearly beloved daughter Eliza Jane Mitchell who died 8th January 1922. Also our dearly beloved sons: Walter Mitchell who died 24th June 1925, Robert Mitchell who died 28th January 1930. Also their dearly beloved father William Mitchell who died 12th July 1937. Also their beloved mother Elizabeth Mitchell who died 2nd January 1949.
MITCHELL
See (‘IIAI
II
MOFFET
See FAULKNER
MOLYNEUX
Erected by Margaret O’NEILL in memory of her father John Molyneux who died 5th May 1870. Also her mother Jane Molyneux who died 2nd April 1911. Also her brother William Molyneux who died 9th March 1915.
MOODY
Erected by Maria Moody in memory of her beloved husband Thomas Moody who departed this life 11th May 187C) aged 56 years. Also their son John Moody (James) Williams ... . Maria Moody who departed this life ... April 1893 aged 83 years. Also their son Thomas Moody 23rd March 1890 aged 52 years.
MOOR
[ Erected by Robert Moor in memory of his father John Moor who died 9th March 1801 aged 64 years.
MOORCROFT
Erected by William Moorcroft, Belfast, to the memory of his father, mother, and five children, viz. His father Hugh, Feb. 17 1827 AL 60 years. His mother Sarah, Dec. 16 1828 AL 5. (years). His brother Joseph Jan. 20 1825 ... . His son William Jan. 20 18(3) ... [ of stone badly weathered].
MOORE
Erected by Robert Moore ... 1832.
MOORE
Erected by John Moore, Belfast, in memory of his son Joseph who died 30th Jan. 1837 aged 7 years.
MOORE
Erected by William Moore in memory of his beloved wife Rebecca Moore who departed this life the 21st May 1837 aged 38 years. Also his son John who died 11th December 1840 aged 18 years.
MOORE
[ Tablet fixed to the graveyard wall.] Hugh Moore’s family burial place, of Belfast, 1853.
MOORE
Erected by Mathew Moore in memory of his daughter Margaret who died 16th June 1859 aged 19 years.
MOORE
Erected by Benjamin Moore, Belfast, in memory of son Benjamin, died 20 Sept.
I 8 62 aged 34 years. Also his daughter Elizabeth, died 4 Nov. 1866 aged 25 years.
A1so the above Benjamin Moore who died 22 Feb. 1874 aged 73 years. Also his
His wife Jane Moore. I %7 aged 79 years.
Is your child
’s friend a ghost?It is quite common to hear a couple speak of their child
’s imaginary friend but one Shankill Road child’s story on closer examination unearthed a startling tale. It was in the late 1940’s, a young family had recently moved into a house in Canmore Street, off the Shankill Road, and before long their five year old daughter was often heard as though she speaking to someone in different parts of the house, her parents knew no-one but herself was present. The parents chuckled and remarked that the child had “made up” an imaginary friend. Later when they began to discuss the matter with the child they were very surprised to hear the girl describe her friend as “an old man like my grand-dad ... and he has had very bad leg ... he limps”. They expected their daughter to describe a little boy or girl of her own age “ach well”, they thought, “it’s just innocent fun ... a child’s imagination”. The child soon began telling her parents stories of “Old Tom”, her friend, “You know his wife died and his son was killed in the war”. The parents just didn’t know what to make of all this and became a bit worried, but the biggest shock of all came when the father was having a pint in a local bar and was telling a long term resident of his street about his daughter and her “imaginary friend”. The neighbour looked concerned and related that indeed the old man, by the name of Tom, had formerly lived in the young family’s house ... his son was killed in the recent world war and his wife had also died. The old man had lived a very sad life for a few years and neighbours were awoken to the fact one day that he had hanged himself in the back room. So it appeared that their little girl’s friend was anything but imaginary and when they learned that the old man had a limp ... well! RUSHLIGHT MAGAZINEBELFAST HISTORY, PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIDEO ARCHIVES
Contact JoeGraham Rushlight123@hotmail.com
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