Brendan Bird

Brendan lived in No. 41 Lr. Mayor Street. He was born in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital. His family were originally from the area known as the Glouster Diamond. They lived in Graham’s Court back then.

Brendan is the eldest of four children. He has one brother and two sisters. Both of his sisters Maura and Jeanette have taken part in the project. His eldest brother died when he was three years old from Diphtheria, prior to the immunisation programs set up by the government.

The house he lived in was owned by the B&I Company and was next door to a salt factory. The house on the other side of the salt factory was also owned by the B&I and was inhabited by a family called the Flynn’s. Both houses were owned by the B&I.

Three generations of his family served in the B&I and between his grandfather, father and himself they served for more than one hundred years. His father worked there between 1922 to when he retired in 1974.

The family moved from Sheriff Street in 1974 when his father retired from the B&I.

In 1968 he married the lovely Phyllis and moved into their first home.

Brendan joined the B&I as a junior engineer on the MV Leinster. By about 1969, he was the chief engineer on the Leinster on her last sailing to Liverpool and finally to Birkenhead. From there the MV Leinster was sold to the middle East where she continued to work as a passenger ship bringing pilgrims to Mecca.

Brendan has extremely happy memories of growing up and living in Mayor St. He recalls the area as a lovely happy community. When he sailed abroad, he would park his motorbike outside of his house in Mayor St and on his return the motorbike was exactly where he had left it outside of his house. It was an incredibly safe area where everyone had an open-door policy and people’s belongings were safe.

Brendan has a huge interest in maritime and local history.