Dr Glenny

Written by Adrian Murdock

Wednesday, 31 January 2007

Among a box of old photos sent to Suzanne Ballard from Manitoba, Canada, a photo of the late Dr Glenny of Clonallon, Co.Down, N.Ireland was found. Suzanne was eager to return the photo to the Glenny family, so she asked Adrian Murdock to try and locate descendants.  Adrian approached local female Glennys, but now interest was shown. Finally he e-mailed the photo to the "Newry Democrat" and they placed an advert in their paper, if anyone knew of descendants of Dr Glenny and if they were interested in the photo. Many months passed and when Marjorie Harshaw Robie went to the "Newry Democrat" office, she was handed a letter from a Mrs S D McCardle, from Kent, England, a Great Granddaughter of Dr Glenny.   As Marjorie was about to return home to U.S.A., she gave the letter to Adrian and he rang Mrs McCardle and she was delighted to hear about the photo, as a friend in Warrenpoint had sent her the newspaper cutting. She had been at Clonallon for her late parent's funeral, where they were laid to rest in the family plot, alongside Dr Glenny.  She only knew about Clonallon and was delighted to hear about the ancestral home at "Glenvale", Newry and that descendants still lived locally. The family still had the large portrait of Dr Glenny, but as she had two brothers, she was keen to receive the small photo for herself.  One brother lives in France and has sons, so the name Glenny continues far from the original homeland. Adrian contacted Suzanne and she sent him the photo, which he was able to forward to a grateful Glenny descendant.  The photo surely had a long journey from Ireland to Canada, back to Ireland and then to England.