Ahead of its official re-opening in the coming weeks, an 87-year-old Derry woman has spoken of her memories of playing and socialising in Brooke Park during the 1940’s and 1950’s.

However, while Lily Hagan (pictured), like many other residents of the Rosemount area, is looking forward to visiting the new look facility, she says she is at a loss as to what happened to the cannons which were such a fixture of the ‘People’s Park’ up to 1960’s.

“It’s an absolute mystery to me, and a lot of other people who spent the years growing up in Brooke Park,.

“We used to love hanging about the cannons after school, making our plans, and it’s such a shame that they’re gone because we would love to have seen them brought back to the new park.

“I’ve asked so many people but no one seems to know what’s happened to them, or where they ended up.”
Lily, who has lived in the Rosemount area all of her life, spoke of her earliest memories of visiting Brooke Park.

“We had a great childhood growing up in Brooke Park in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and I have so much affection for it and that time,” she said.

“We would be sent down there by our parents and they would just say to us not to leave the park until the bells of the Cathedral rang, because that would be six o’clock and we would run back up for our tea.

“That shows you safe it was that we were allowed to go down there on our own to play, it was the safest place for us.”

Lily added she and her friends were never short of things to do.

“We would gather around the cannons to see what we would be doing, then we would be skipping, racing around the pond and all that.”

Thankfully, Lily and her friends were also keen on taking photographs, which has resulted in a rich visual legacy remaining of that era in Derry’s history, many of which have been archived by the Rosemount Historical Society.

Lily said the park also had its fair share of characters, including one Mary Murphy, who would make daily visit to the park to fetch a pail of water.

“There was a water pump in Brooke Park and Mary Murphy, she lived in Baldrick Street and she thought the water to her house was poisoned.

“She would go down to the water pump in the park and fill the bucket, but we would follow her back to the house to see how much of the water would be still in the bucket by the time she got home!”

Lily added: “There was also old Switcher Mooney, you wouldn’t mess with Switcher because he would be up to the house after you, so many great character and people.

“What also sticks in my mind is all the fine old women and elderly gentlemen, sitting in the summer seats, that’s a memory that really sticks with me.”

Lily added despite the missing cannons, she was delighted to see that Brooke Park was being given a new lease of life, particularly after a period where it had been blighted by under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour.

“You know, I remember one day when I was walking down through the park, and I had the most eerie feeling,” she said.

“I looked around me and all I could see was blue bags and broken bottles, and it suddenly dawned on me what was wrong, and it was that I couldn’t hear any wains laughing or the voices of children enjoying themselves,” she said.

“That’s why I’m glad to see that the park will now be a great place again, and I want to see the young people enjoying the park the way we enjoyed it, having the freedom of it the way we had.

“It is beautiful, but I would so love to see the cannons brought back, it would mean so much to me.”
Nevertheless, Lily said that she will be visiting the park when it opens, and maybe call into the café at the new-look Gwyn's Pavilion building.

“I don’t know what the prices are like, so I might just take my flask down with me,” Lily joked.

And it looks like Lily may have to wait a little longer for that cup of tea, as Derry City and Strabane District Council said that the opening of the £5.6m facility has been delayed again due to drainage problems.

“Unfortunately, that process has been delayed because additional drainage to planted areas has to be installed late in the programme,” a council spokesperson said.

“This work is currently being planned.

“Council appreciate the continued cooperation and patience of the public in the delivery of this extensive project which will be a significant addition to life in the city and district when completed.

“The final stage of the project will include the opening of the full park to the public including on site sports and leisure facilities, a children’s play environment and the new Gwyn’s Pavilion building and café.”

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