Memories of Newry Urban District Council

John Murphy

I started work with Newry Urban District Council in 1967, and then transferred to the finance department of Newry and Mourne District Council in 1973, and I have been there ever since.

The period 1967 – 1973 was traumatic due to the outbreak of the ‘Troubles’. My early recollection of that time was the ‘rent and rates’ strike, when Nationalist politicians encouraged people to refrain from paying, as a form of protest against what was taking place at Stormont. It got to a stage where Newry U. D. Council was suspended and replaced with Commissioners, who were senior Civil Servants from Stormont.

The Council was based in the Town Hall in Newry. In the Town Clerk’s Office there was Gerald Cronin, the Clerk, and Joseph Morgan, the Assistant Clerk, whose duties also included finance, and I worked closely with him. There were three ladies, two full-time and one part-time, who looked after the administration and minutes of Council meetings and agendas. There was also a Rent Office, a Rates Office and a Town Surveyor’s department.

The Council Yard was in Francis Street, where the staff who maintained the roads, street lighting, refuse and street cleaning, water and sewerage were based.

party and Official Unionists and a few Independents. The Councillors were people from all walks of life. All meetings took place in the evening as most Councillors worked during the day. Councillors gave their time on a voluntary basis, and were not reimbursed. There were some great characters in Council, including Councillor Tommy Markey, who led the Newry Labour Party and Councillor Tommy McGrath who was chief spokesman for the Irish Labour Party. The latter was also a member of the Gas Committee. These two men were keen political adversaries.

The Council had responsibility for the Gas Works, as well as the Market. I remember the Market as very vibrant in those days, with a lot of stallholders, but the ‘Troubles’ affected trade, and over the years the Market became less busy.

Council also managed the swimming pool in Clanrye Avenue, but in those days recreation was a low priority. It was only later in the Newry and Mourne District Council era that recreation became more important, due to the grants available from Stormont. The new Council employed a Recreation Officer, Raymond Turley, and today, the district is dotted with playing fields, sport facilities and community centres that in many ways helped the community through the dark days of the ‘Troubles’.

Council meetings took place in the Boardroom of the Town Hall. There were about 22 Councillors, comprising the Newry Labour Party, Irish Labour

A front view of Newry Gasworks

The Gasworks closed in 1987 after 165 years of operation. Originally in private ownership, it was later owned by the Town Commissioners and then Newry Urban District Council. It was phased out by Newry and Mourne District Council due to decreasing demand from local consumers.

Newry and Mourne Museum Collection