Mosney Camp is marked on the 1900ish OSI 25" map as an open field. The Cassini map from the 30s shows buildings in a similar layout to today, Butlins opened there in 1948, now a centre for asylum seekers. Streetview stops at the gates.

Posted: 09.02.2024

I once was there (4 yr old), it's where I decided that carousel horses were, well, just evil. there is one in my "Americana" album - even there, the New England sires look twisted

Posted: 09.02.2024

DannyM8

FCA - Free Clothes Association

Posted: 09.02.2024

ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

Flickr is sometimes amazing! 1960s (?) via [https://www.flickr.com/photos/november_song/] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/november_song/51687919746/]

Posted: 09.02.2024

it's like many building sites, two do all the work and three more look on to comment on the size of the hole

Posted: 09.02.2024

I was at Butlins in 1965, and emerged triumphant in the Bonny Baby contest. My mother hides behind my fat head in mortification:

Posted: 09.02.2024

The Annual Military Sports of the Royal Meath Regiment (5th Leinsters) was held at Mosney Camp on Saturday 13th June 1914, and reported in the Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal a week later. The events were:

- Boot Race - High Jump - Maxim Gun Competition - 100 Yards - Tent Pitching - Sack Race - Tug o' War - Physical Training. see NPA WWR2 - looks like the same day - "to many the most interesting item on the programme. " - Marching Order Race - Each competitor had to run 400 yards with full kit and rifle, five rounds blank ammunition - Hop, Step and Jump - Putting the Shot

If anything, today's photo shows the maxim gun competition, although a google search shows most (but not all) have much smaller wheels than the one pictured, and I can't see any sign of an actual gun. Perhaps they used a cart and pretended it was a gun. Anyway, the competition was won by Sergt J. Quigley's 'A' team, who beat the 'B' team under Sergt. J. Reilly. Most of the newspaper report is a list of names of the 'elite of Meath and Louth' who attended. A good time was had by all:

With such surroundings , capital sport, splendid music, and lavish hospitality—dispensed by Col Farrell and the officers at Mooney House, and by Sergeant-Major Bermingham and the Sergeants of the Regiment at their mess—the veriest curmudgeon could hardly go away without being satisfied in some particular, while the general opinion was freely expressed that the event was one of the most enjoyable provided by the Royal Meaths since the inception of the fixture.

Posted: 09.02.2024

CASSIDY PHOTOGRAPHY

Same machine gun is here- freerangeamerican.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/HiramMaxi... freerangeamerican.us/hiram-maxim-gun-history/

Posted: 09.02.2024

I wondered what a Boot Race was, and found this description of a village sports day in Northumberland in 1915 (I think)

The boot race for youths provided some good running, the competitors getting off their marks smartly, only to find trouble in store for them at the lower part of the Greens, where “Tucker” saw it that the boots were well mixed. Manuel was an easy winner, walking home as he liked. Several who followed were disqualified for not having their boots properly laced.

So I guess you had to start in stockinged feet, run a distance, find your boots, lace them, put them on and tie them, then continue to the finish. www.northumberlandarchives.com/tag/berwick-upon-tweed/

Posted: 09.02.2024

@30369211@N00/ Known to us all henceforth as Niall "Bonny Baby" McAuley! 😀

Posted: 09.02.2024

would the wheel be part of an artillery piece or ammunition carriage rather than the smaller type needed for a Maxim

Posted: 09.02.2024

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] In fairness, you can see that the runners-up were only trotting after me in the bonniness department.

Posted: 09.02.2024

oh i found this masterpiece of Butlins memorabilia ... i am the smaller one www.flickr.com/photos/foxglove/38472250885/in/album-293043/

Posted: 09.02.2024

@30369211@N00/ You left them in the dust, right enough!

Posted: 09.02.2024

@37107521@N00/ Any idea on the year?

Posted: 09.02.2024

I think its 1964 (yes I'm that old!) but I look like I could be younger (3?)

Posted: 09.02.2024

thanks ! is my father's picture of me now part of the National Catalogue :-) edit: he would be so proud :-) thanks

Posted: 09.02.2024

@37107521@N00/ It is indeed!

Posted: 09.02.2024

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley] The only mention I can find of a Bonny Baby contest at Mosney in 1965 was on 21st August in the Drogheda Independent, when the winner was "happy little fellow" Ronald Quaile. He was awarded a cup and a certificate and the text says his victory was particularly noteworthy "because he carried off the laurels in the face of stiff opposition, having competed with babies of all nationalities".

Posted: 09.02.2024

The maxim gun in the photo of HMS Talbot's gun crew on this website would fit the bill canadaatwarblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/24/the-maxim-machin... edit: and this one www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/boer/maximmachinegun_e.html

Posted: 09.02.2024

Older children (I assume) had a chance in the "lovely kiddies" competition, won at Mosney by David Scullion in September 1965 (reported in the Ballymena Weekly Telegraph - Tuesday 21 December 1965 in a review of the years' highlights)

Posted: 09.02.2024

Billy Butlin opened his first camp outside the UK in 1948 at Mosney. The story goes that because of post war currency restrictions on exporting Sterling that he brought the money over to Ireland in cash in his suitcase. I suppose that in those days continental holidays were only for the rich, but the later advent of cheap package holidays to Spain spelt the end of the holiday camp era. Mosney even had its own railway halt which was much used by both Dubliners and Northerners who could avail of the Enterprise service.

Posted: 09.02.2024

Strange to think there were 51 years between the Annual Military Sports of the Royal Meath Regiment and my baby pic above, and 59 between that baby pic and now!!

Posted: 09.02.2024

neilsimpson537

And I bet you your mammy knit that Beezer jumper she was wearing!

Posted: 09.02.2024

“The Royal Meaths It may be interesting to remark that the Leinsters, at the Battle of the Aisne, faced the enemy for the first time. They came into line on September 16, 1914, with the 6th Division. The Old 100-Foot was first recruited in Canada and was known as the Royal Canadian Regiment. The 5th Battalion is the County Meath Regiment, and Mullingar is now the Headquarters. The Old Headquarters of the “Royal Meath’s” was Navan. The annual training was at Stackallen. The Headquarters were subsequently transferred to Drogheda and the Battalion trained annually at Mosney. Lieut-Col. Farrell, now in command, succeeded Col. Sir N. T. Everard a few years ago.” www.navanhistory.ie/index.php?page=horneck-roll-of-honour

Posted: 09.02.2024

“The regiment raised two service battalions (6th and 7th Battalions), which served at Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine. Its three Reserve battalions (3rd, 4th and 5th) remained at home in a reinforcement role.” So looks like our lot didn’t see active service www.nam.ac.uk/explore/prince-waless-leinster-regiment-roy...

Posted: 09.02.2024