New history society to be formed in Cullybackey

Mention Cullybackey and people often think of Arthur Cottage, ancestral home of Chester Alan Arthur, twenty-first president of the United States of America, or the Cuningham Memorial Presbyterian Church, two of the landmarks in the village. Have you ever wondered about the origins of these or some of the other buildings, or about the events that helped to shape the lives of the people who once lived there?

The village of Cullybackey and the surrounding townlands has a long, rich and diverse history. Like many other villages it has changed and expanded over the last fifty years, but sadly it has also lost some of its character and many of its industries that helped to shape the lives of its citizens. With all the changes that have taken place it is important not to lose sight of what was once there and to research and record this for future generations. Under the Cullybackey Development Agency it is hoped to set up an historical society to try and preserve as much of this history as possible.

Many people may not be aware of why the local primary school is called the Buick Memorial, how the Cuningham Memorial Presbyterian Church got its name, who owned and managed the Maine Works which now houses the local Spar supermarket or how much the coming of the railway in 1865 to Cullybackey would have helped both the Maine Works and Frazer and Haughton’s in Hillmount to expand their linen business.

Everyone in Ireland is aware of the famine from 1845-49 that ravaged the country but may not have been aware how a small place like Cullybackey could have been affected by such a national event. Cullybackey is one of only a few places in Ireland which has a “Famine Plot”, where those who died working on the famine relief schemes or making their way to the famine relief kitchens in Cullybackey were buried. Oral history sources maintain that these people were laid to rest uncoffined and covered with lime in a plot in the graveyard at Craigs Parish Church, known locally as “God’s Acre”.

Other national events which affected the citizens of the village was the two world wars and many brave young men left Cullybackey and went off to fight for king and country. All these should be remembered and the lives of those who made the supreme sacrifice are recorded in the local churches. Some of these brave men from the village were decorated for their services.

For many people around the village taking up a sport might be a relatively new pastime but in the early 1900’s Cullybackey was able to play host to two golf clubs, a tennis club, bowling green, and table tennis and football teams. Other social activities included a branch of the YMCA established in 1887, which had a club room in the centre of the village and included a library and reading room.

From the “Auld School at the Pun” to the large and modern Buick Memorial, the Parochial School and the National School in the Craigs and other small National Schools in the surrounding area, education and literacy have always been of great importance in Cullybackey and the surrounding area.

Tullygrawley School was made famous by its headmaster R.L. Russell and his book “The Child and his Pencil”. Academic achievement was further enhanced with the opening of Cullybackey High School in 1968.

Over the years Cullybackey and district has had its share of academic and literary figures. With much of their poetry being influenced by their surroundings we have published material from the Given brothers (John, Patrick, Samuel Fee and Thomas), James Loughridge and Adam Lynn. Mr W. J. Paul was not only a poet but a journalist and musician and the Rev Dr Buick, a gifted minister, poet and eminent antiquary. W.J. Knowles, born at the Fenagh was a noted geologist, botanist and archaeologist who made many contributions to the literature of these subjects.

In more modern times we have literary works by Ian Cochrane, golf tournaments won by Drew Cochrane (Ian’s brother) and Sam Smith, both blind golfers and paintings exhibited by artist Wilfred Haughton. Jessica Kurten (nee Chesney), 108th in the Rolex World Rankings and Irelands number seven, has won many national and international show jumping events, and to help give us tasty treats, Jenny Bristow our own celebrity cook. John Moore an artist of some repute and on the sporting scene we have Steve Davis who plays for Rangers Football Club and also for Northern Ireland and Colin Hutchinson who is the leading Northern Ireland hockey umpire and who has been chosen to umpire at the 2012 London Olympics.

This is just a brief glimpse into what is an area rich with social, economic and industrial history and with the help of the people of Cullybackey and the surrounding district a greater, more detailed look can be taken down through the scenes of time.