The poetess and her Olympic glory

It’s often thought that Strabane’s only claim to Olympic fame is the street named after Dublin runner Ronnie Delaney. But how many people know that a Strabane woman has an Olympic medal for singing?

Yes, it’s true, there exists in our wee town an Olympic medal (gold no less) for the art of crooning, belonging to singer, artist and poetess Pauline Norry. Winning the medal is just one of the many accolades Pauline has won for her voice over the years but is undoubtedly her proudest.

But, back to the start; how did she get to that point?

“I came from a musical family in Newtonkennedy Street,” Pauline said. “My father was a great singer and sung in the operas which took place in St Pat’s Hall and that talent travelled down to us kids. My sister Nita was a brilliant singer and was very well known on the circuit; she was very good friends with the late Joe Dolan and I sang in the Féis from a very young age.”

Recalling her first taste of the stage, Pauline added, “It was a variety show in St Pat’s Hall and I was four years old. I wanted to go up and sing so I was lifted up on the stage. I remember being stood on a chair because, even at its lowest, the mic was too high. I sang a song my father always loved called ‘Come Home My Darling’ and, to my surprise, I won! The prize was a beautiful doll wearing a bonnet and a long pink dress; I was delighted with it.”

As she got older, Pauline entered different competitions, taking part in and winning competitions up and down the country, gaining her own level of fame alongside bands of the time including fellow Strabanites the Clipper Carlton – which brings us back to the Olympic medal.

“It was a singing competition in Donegal. The priest judging the competition had a gold medal given to him by a German skier who won it at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics. He didn’t say why it was given to him and, to be honest, I never asked. Anyway, I went into the competition and was shocked when I won and the priest presented me with the gold medal. I still have it safe in the house.”

News spread fast of Pauline’s Olympic triumph and it was featured in the local papers. Soon the nationals called.

She recalls, “The national newspapers wanted to speak to me about the medal. I didn’t know what to do and my father took me to one side. He said, ‘Pauline, it’s up to you whether you speak to them but just remember: This man may not have told anyone he gave the medal away and, if it appears in the papers, he might end up embarrassed, so bear that in mind.’ That made my mind up; I turned the nationals down and never spoke of it again till this interview.”

Outside of Ireland, Pauline’s journey took her to the bright lights of London, spending her working life in retail in the prestigious Selfridges and Harrods stores as a personal shopper to their upmarket clients. Retail assistant by day, singer by night, Pauline played in clubs all over London, rubbing shoulders with local bands and enjoying the life.

Pauline put her London life away at age 60, retiring back to Strabane after her father died. Closing one chapter in her life opened up opportunities for new ones in the areas of art and poetry.

Pauline says, “I used to draw when I was younger, I can remember the first thing I drew was a picture of a bunk bed. I never learnt to draw professionally but was always fond of sketching. After I retired, I took up a class taught by the woman who helped design the Tinnies. One day, she looked at a painting of flowers I worked on telling me, ‘Pauline that’s brilliant, you should keep that and get it framed’ and encouraged me to go to Joe’s Frames in Eden Terrace to get it done. I went down to him, I was scared of showing it to be honest and he said ‘let me see it’ before adding, ‘I don’t know what you’re scared about, its’ one of the best paintings I’ve ever seen’ and he duly framed it for me; it still has pride of place in the house.”

Pauline’s love of painting has led to, so far, two exhibitions in the Alley Theatre, the most recent being ‘Through The Years’ last month, attended by Mayor Lillian Seenoi-Barr who was enraptured so much by Pauline’s art she bought a piece to hang in the mayoral office.

Speaking of the purchase, Pauline said, “The piece bought by the Mayor took me two years to complete, using elements of silk thread. She absolutely raved about it and I’m honoured that it now hangs in the Mayor’s office.”

At the grand age of 84, you’d think Pauline would be looking for a quiet life yet she’s still going, now turning her hand to poetry.

Again delving back in time, Pauline remarked, “During my Harrods days, I would often write down wee lines on anything I could get my hands on. After retiring I kept doing the same thing and one day, a grandniece saw them and suggested I publish them. I was reluctant but she insisted, saying ‘leave it to me’. A few weeks later, she phoned me full of excitement. I couldn’t believe it when she said ‘Auntie Pauline, Amazon have accepted your poems and are currently turning it into a book!’ You could have knocked me over with a feather!”

The book, ‘An Irish Collection’, is now out in the world with a possible launch in the offing.

Having conquered singing, poetry, art (and the Olympics) is there anything else she’d like to try her hand at?

Pauline laughs, “No I think at my age I’ve done more than enough!”