Puddle Alley residents remember Eunan MacIntyre

PUDDLE ALLEY residents from years gone by came together at the weekend for a night of reminiscences and craic and to remember a late Strabane man, one year after his tragic passing.

Eunan MacIntyre, one of the first residents of Puddle Alley who later moved to Chelmsford in England, was honoured by his family and friends on Saturday night at a charity event in the Fir Trees Hotel, organised by his sister Celine.

Celine remembers her brother with great love, remarking, “Our family was one of the first to move into Puddle Alley. There were eight of us and we just had the loveliest childhood there; everyone had a familial connection in some way and it was a very homely place to live. We moved across the river to Ballycolman in 1971 but, if anyone asked, we always said we were from Puddle Alley.

“Eunan moved to Omagh to become a nurse and eventually made his way to Chelmsford where he and his wife Lorraine raised two fine sons. Even in England, Eunan never forgot his roots; every time he came home he still talked about Puddle Alley, eventually becoming an admin on the ‘Old Strabane and its Memories’ group on Facebook. He was the life and soul of every party, a huge personality.”

Celine says she hit upon the idea for a memorial last year when the family reunited for Eunan’s months mind.

“I live in Coventry and we were all together for his month’s mind last June. Everyone was having a drink in the Fir Trees after and I mentioned the idea of a memorial. Johnny Kelly, a cousin of ours, immediately offered a room in the hotel and food for the occasion.”

She added, “It was a fantastic night, full of friends, family, fun and photos, including a slideshow of old photos from Strabane years ago and of Eunan himself. Music was provided by local group The Three Fivers and the family were presented with a beautiful portrait of Eunan done by Terry Boyle which really captured the cheekiness in Eunan. All of Eunan’s family and a few friends made the trip over from Chelmsford as well as original Puddle Alley resident Pat and Tommy Morris, Tommy Blee and Joan Ferguson.”

The night also took on a charitable side with Knockavoe School, The Koram Centre and Strabane Grotto each benefitting from an equal share of the £3,250 raised throughout the evening.