As today was
Heritage Open Day when many properties, that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission, offer free access we decided to take adavantage of this yearly freebie and visited
Sentry Hill just outside Glengormley. It was a very informative and enjoyable trip - even for those of us who aren't great into local history. The photo shows the actual camera William used to photograph family, friends and life in general in and around Sentry Hill.
Sentry Hill was the home of the McKinney family, who came to Ireland from Scotland in the early 1700s. Remarkably the contents of the house have survived almost intact. This is largely due to William Fee McKinney who built up a remarkable collection of diaries, family letters and an extensive library of books and pamphlets and was also a
keen photographer. I think if he had lived until today he would have been a very enthusiastic blogger.
A Summer's afternoon in the garden at Sentry Hill, 1898.
William's daughter, Meg, is pouring the tea for two friends.
Two photos I took while visiting Friar's Bush graveyard during the recent Heritage Open Day.
One theory is that it was once a monastery, but it owes the curious name to a holy friar, who was said to have been endowed with some miraculous powers, and it was beside the ancient tree in the centre of the graveyard that he performed his daily devotions, hence the name of "Friar's Bush." The inscription on his tombstone is " This stone Marks Ye Friar's Grave, A.D. 485," so he must have been one of the early disciples of St. Patrick, who had visited this place some time before. LibraryIreland
