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Pat Smyth, a civil servant with the National Assistance Board in West Tyrone from the 1930's to the 1950's, recalls his memories, experiences and the larger than life personalities he encountered on the way.
When I was posted to Omagh in 1943, I had already reached an understanding with my fiancée, Ethna Flaming, but our engagement had not been announced. Eventually we decided to do so and Paddy Bogues, who had a knowledge of the jewellery trade, introduced me to the Omagh jeweller, Willis Sheffield as a man to be trusted in choosing diamonds.
Ethna came to Omagh one Saturday morning by train bringing her bicycle with her and I met her at the station, also on a bicycle and escorted her to Sheffields'. The choice made, we went for a run to Gortin glen, then to the Dolphin for a celebratory lunch by 'command' of Cissie Tierney one of the most motherly, kindest hearted women imaginable, and then we caught a train for Lisburn.
Early marriage looked out of the question with food, clothing, furniture, petrol and other essentials rationed and the country experiencing a most acute housing shortage, officially admitted at over 100,000.
I continued to commute at weekends and ranged far and wide on a bike with Ethna around Lough Neagh's banks and Stoneyford Dam, a most picturesque spot from which we were able to freewheel all the way back to Ethna's Lisburn home.
My problems got many an airing in the digs and Frank McLaughlin who was Frank O'Kane's golfing partner, and also one of his best customers, eventually persuaded me to talk to Frank about Tommy Ruttledge's place.
This I learnt was Frank's former private home over the bar at High Street. He had moved to a big house at Sedan Avenge and let his apartments furnished at High Street to Tommy. There was no word of Tommy moving out but McLaughlin urged me to ask Frank O'Kane to let me have the apartment if or when they became vacant. I duly obeyed and O'Kane readily agreed.
No one was more surprised than I was when Tommy, whom I had got to know well, told me early in 1945 that he was moving to Dublin Road soon. He did so and Frank O'Kane promptly offered me the key. The accommodation was ideal in every way, hence I promptly accepted. Only a verbal agreement was asked for, not even a deposit. O'Kane provided heat and light.
I had no experience of self-catering and I was under stress in the office, so I had to look to the kindly Mrs.Wilson, who had opened a prestigious restaurant, the 'Carlisle' nearby, for main meals, and an excellent service I got. Mrs. Tierney helped me with shopping for groceries, as she knew all the shortcuts during the years of rationing.
Developments at the Omagh end impelled Ethna and I to make wedding arrangements earlier than anticipated, and by mid-August 1945, V.J. Day, we were off to Dublin and Glengariff on our honeymoon.
The wedding reception had had to be Spartan due to rationing and the need to rely on taxi services, but once south of the border we were clear of those restraints. Civil servants got two days special leave with pay to celebrate the victory over the Japanese but alas since I was already on special marriage leave I lost out. I protested, but a colleague at Head Office, James McNeill, told me it served me right for capitulating on the same day as Hirohito!
James McNeill was an Omagh man whose father had an egg-packing business at Campsie. James was a motoring enthusiast who owned a fine sports car pre-war and belonged to the Omagh Motor club. He acted as a steward at the T.T. races. He and I served with the Board's Finance Branch during the early years of the war where we built up a lasting friendship.
With war over the B.B.C. ran out of other news and included details of our wedding in a bulletin as an example of how one public official had celebrated. An irate listener sent a broadside to one of the morning newspapers and when we returned from our honeymoon some of the family presented us with the newspaper cutting.
Pat Smyth, 2001
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