From the future to the past, it’s the dateline journey that culminated in the official opening of the Memorabilia Exhibition at New Grosvenor in October 2003. It was a simple post on the Internet that kick-started the idea as Ged Irwin, Chairman of the Lisburn Whites and manager of the Club Shop explained at that time.
He said then; "A few years ago the Lisburn Whites and a few friends of the club became aware of Distillery medals being sold on the Internet and felt that we should purchase these as they were a part of the club history. The three medals belonging to Tom McClatchey were advertised by an antiques dealer on eBay and were from 1895/1896. We clubbed together, bought them and it really started from there. Over the last year or two we have been collecting bits and pieces here and there, small items such as programmes, medals and then shirts and we have now put them together into this exhibition."
The Lisburn Whites Supporters Club have done much to contribute to the Whites on and off the pitch over the last 11 years and there have been spin-offs for them in terms of this latest project as Ged went on to explain – "Some of the items have been easy enough to get and when we started up word got out and things started falling into place through our connections with the 1963 League Championship and the 1971 Irish Cup winning sides but we are always on the look for more material"
On the walls in the club shop are framed shirts spanning a number of decades, framed programmes, medals and other memorabilia. Amongst the more unusual items are items from Dunville's Distillery where the club was founded, Mervyn Law’s club blazer from the European Cup Winners trip to Barcelona and an original minute book dating back to late 1800s, unearthed recently by local journalist Colin McAlpin in a Dublin Road bookshop.
The opening in October 2003 was yet another unique event and another first for the club with a proud tradition and famous history and fittingly in keeping with that they invited a number of former players "home" to mark the occasion.
The exhibition was opened jointly by then Chairman Tommy Anderson and Distillery’s youngest ever chairman, the late Denis Moore. The following players represented the various decades –Tommy Walker (40s), Frankie Watters (50s), Derek Meldrum (60s), Alan McCarroll (70s), Bertie McMinn (80s), Winkie Armstrong (90s) and Chris Coffey (2000 onwards)
It was back to the future though as Ged went on to add "There is a long way to go still, we plan to do things with players shirts, individually and collectively, add more items and then hopefully aim for a combined museum and a hall of fame."
The exhibition is a permanent feature and is situated in the club shop area, it is open to all fans visiting New Grosvenor on first team match-days and of course if you want to donate or lend something to it, then Ged Irwin will be only to happy to hear from you
He said then; "A few years ago the Lisburn Whites and a few friends of the club became aware of Distillery medals being sold on the Internet and felt that we should purchase these as they were a part of the club history. The three medals belonging to Tom McClatchey were advertised by an antiques dealer on eBay and were from 1895/1896. We clubbed together, bought them and it really started from there. Over the last year or two we have been collecting bits and pieces here and there, small items such as programmes, medals and then shirts and we have now put them together into this exhibition."
The Lisburn Whites Supporters Club have done much to contribute to the Whites on and off the pitch over the last 11 years and there have been spin-
On the walls in the club shop are framed shirts spanning a number of decades, framed programmes, medals and other memorabilia. Amongst the more unusual items are items from Dunville's Distillery where the club was founded, Mervyn Law’s club blazer from the European Cup Winners trip to Barcelona and an original minute book dating back to late 1800s, unearthed recently by local journalist Colin McAlpin in a Dublin Road bookshop.
The opening in October 2003 was yet another unique event and another first for the club with a proud tradition and famous history and fittingly in keeping with that they invited a number of former players "home" to mark the occasion.
The exhibition was opened jointly by then Chairman Tommy Anderson and Distillery’s youngest ever chairman, the late Denis Moore. The following players represented the various decades –Tommy Walker (40s), Frankie Watters (50s), Derek Meldrum (60s), Alan McCarroll (70s), Bertie McMinn (80s), Winkie Armstrong (90s) and Chris Coffey (2000 onwards)
It was back to the future though as Ged went on to add "There is a long way to go still, we plan to do things with players shirts, individually and collectively, add more items and then hopefully aim for a combined museum and a hall of fame."
The exhibition is a permanent feature and is situated in the club shop area, it is open to all fans visiting New Grosvenor on first team match-
040109 - Salver added to club’s historic collection
Thanks to Mr and Mrs Docherty, a new item was added to the Lisburn Distillery Memorabilia Display – a silver salver that was presented to Mrs Stevenson Lavery by the club for her work at the “The Great White Coronation Carnival” in 1911.
Like many historical items, the salver was unearthed purely by chance and Mr and Mrs Docherty kindly handed over the salver to the club on Saturday 27th December 2008.
Mrs Docherty said – “I don’t really know an awful lot about the background but Mrs Stevenson Lavery was related to me a long way back. My old aunt who died who died last year (2007), it was her sister who was married to Mrs Lavery’s son.”
“She (Mrs Stevenson Lavery) ran a stall at the Carnival in 1911 and she was presented with this tray for the work that she did at the Carnival” added Mr Docherty.
The Great Coronation Carnival was held by Distillery FC at Grosvenor Park on Thursday 22nd June 1911 – Coronation Day for King George V. It proved a huge success and ran for an extra two days into Monday and Tuesday off the following week – large crowds attended and the carnival ran daily from 3.00 pm to 10.30 pm with admission being six pence.
Billed as “The Greatest Attraction of the Coronation Holidays” the carnival featured; Tofts Hobby Horses, a shooting gallery, hoop-la stalls, sales of work over many stalls, music, dancing, palmistry, weight lifting, bell punching and all the usual confectionary and light refreshment stalls associated with such an event.
The silver salver has been added to the other memorabilia on display at the club and we are always on the look-out for more historical items to add.
We extend our thanks to Mr and Mrs Docherty for their kind donation.
Thanks to Mr and Mrs Docherty, a new item was added to the Lisburn Distillery Memorabilia Display – a silver salver that was presented to Mrs Stevenson Lavery by the club for her work at the “The Great White Coronation Carnival” in 1911.
Like many historical items, the salver was unearthed purely by chance and Mr and Mrs Docherty kindly handed over the salver to the club on Saturday 27th December 2008.
Mrs Docherty said – “I don’t really know an awful lot about the background but Mrs Stevenson Lavery was related to me a long way back. My old aunt who died who died last year (2007), it was her sister who was married to Mrs Lavery’s son.”
“She (Mrs Stevenson Lavery) ran a stall at the Carnival in 1911 and she was presented with this tray for the work that she did at the Carnival” added Mr Docherty.
The Great Coronation Carnival was held by Distillery FC at Grosvenor Park on Thursday 22nd June 1911 – Coronation Day for King George V. It proved a huge success and ran for an extra two days into Monday and Tuesday off the following week – large crowds attended and the carnival ran daily from 3.00 pm to 10.30 pm with admission being six pence.
Billed as “The Greatest Attraction of the Coronation Holidays” the carnival featured; Tofts Hobby Horses, a shooting gallery, hoop-
The silver salver has been added to the other memorabilia on display at the club and we are always on the look-
We extend our thanks to Mr and Mrs Docherty for their kind donation.
Mr and Mrs Docherty present the salver to Lisburn Distillery chairman Jim McGrory
The Memorabilia Display at New Grosvenor