‘The people are here for me, and I’m here for them’

EVERY community encounters complications somewhere along the line. But, in the case of Strathroy, there were many who said that the almost-400 house estate would be a ‘disaster’ right from the start.

“When Strathroy was built, it wasn’t like O’Kane Park or any other social housing development in Omagh,” began Mickey Kelly, a resident whose passionate and persevering devotion to the park over the last 50 years has made him something of a local hero.

“People from all over the North moved to Strathroy. That was something completely new for the town. Omagh had always been a place where people from one part of the town would relocate to another. This was the first time you had new families migrating into the town en masse.

“Because of this, there were plenty who thought the whole thing was doomed from before it was began. There were those who cynically predicted that it would become a concrete jungle, with no social infrastructure and no community spirit. Many feared it would be a neighbourless sort of place; a massive settlement full of strangers, where nobody knew anybody.”

Mickey paused for a moment.

“The proudest achievement of my life is being part of the movement that proved them all wrong,” he said, “Strathroy Community Association.”

Mickey moved into the park almost 52 years ago along with his late wife Ann, after the young couple’s Derry Road flat was destroyed by a bomb.

“It wasn’t the nicest reason to have to find a new place to live but that was the way it went. We became some of the very first people to move in. But others weren’t long coming behind us.

“As the place became more and more populated, the absence of civic facilities became increasingly apparent. Realising the necessity of a play park, among other things, we became part of the first residents association.

“If the council didn’t listen at first, it wasn’t long before we had their attention.

“Within a few decades, we went from having nothing to having a playpark, a community centre, a school, a church, and a whole host of social clubs and youth groups,” said Mickey.

COMMUNITY

Before long, Mickey had helped Strathroy become something which the sceptics had doubted it ever would: A community.

“You can’t underestimate the importance of that. It doesn’t matter how big or small your house is, if you belong to a community.

“When my wife Ann died five years ago, I felt that first-hand. Then, when my son Damian died last year, I witnessed the true meaning of community all over again,” said Mickey.

Before finishing, one of Strathroy’s most respected and popular residents said something very profound.

“Until I meet Ann and Damian again, I would ask God to give them strength and keep them safe. In the meantime, my family, friends and neighbours will do the same for me.

“The people of Strathroy will always be there for me, and I will always be there for them.”