Looking back... Mary sets trend at Millbrook

Mary O’Boyle was one of the few female fabricators in the Millbrook Engineering plant and indeed across Northern Ireland at the time.

The 20-year-old had been with the company since 1978.

She said that she liked her job and worked happily with her male colleagues.

The firm employed 20 workers in March 1980, but hoped to expand its workforce to 80 within the next three years.

Mr Bennett, the factory manager, said he thought it was unusual for girls to take up trades such as apprentice fabricators, but said he was glad that girls from Larne had shown an interest.