photos/images/video – Page 2 – Kilbirnie, Local History and Cultural Things

Co-op and School at the Den (Barkip)

The Den was a hamlet on the main road between Beith and Dalry – it had it’s own school, bank and shops, Episcopal church etc and was demolished in the 1900s. You can see the pictures above of the Co-op and School which was known as Kersland Barony.

The Den (Barkip) was largely replaced with the Lambert which became known as the Lambar, then langbar and subsequently “corrected” to Longbar by the council. It is easy to see how that could have happened with the number of Northern Irish accents around at that time.

By the way – I’ve moved this site to a now host, corrected the broken links and moved in existing subscribers. If you see any problems, let me know.

Glengarnock Steel Works Melting Shop 1926

The Old Bakehouse (Bakery)

This was the old bakehouse at the bottom of Montgomery Street (the street was known locally as the Gom)

ِDennyholm Street, Kilbirnie (again)

I have attached some photos. On one you can see Dennyholm street houses ( they look like chalets). “The Dennyholm” (street) ran parallel to Newton Street but was on a level at the back and beneath the street. (next to number 836 on the map). The street itself ran all the way into the mill complex.

The others show: the entrance to the mill complex and the demolished site before they built the new housing estate.

The North Ayrshire Directories of that time describes them as “a long row of houses prone to flooding.” The census of 1921 shows them as having only 2 rooms each.

Here is my colourised version:

Glengarnock Steel War Memorials

The metal one is still there on the side of a building by the Steel Works. The inscriptions are here

Maggie McTaggart, Kilbirnie 1920

I have this death certificate for Maggie McTaggart who died at Dennyholm, Kilbirnie on April 27th 1920. She was the sister of my Great Grandfather.

It is interesting to see the other people listed here, definitely Kilbirnie names and sad deaths from 1920. Thomas Kane and Patrick Bannon both died in 1920.

Townhead, Kilbirnie

Here is an old and a new picture of Townhead Street. The long white building which is demolished where the trees are in the new picture was Martin’s Shed, a local meeting place. Gospel Hall meetings took place there before the Gospel Hall was built in 1897.