Down Longfield is a vivid and nostalgic memoir of growing up in rural Northern Ireland, just miles from the border, in the turbulent fifties and sixties. Near the small village of Forkhill, the Murphy family – Bridget, Barney and their seven children – weather the day-to-day challenges on their Longfield Road farm under the shadow cast by the IRA’s border campaign and the feared ‘B’ Specials. Through the innocent eyes of childhood, Marie McCartan shares the resilience and warmth of an ever-vigilant community living under curfew beside a patrolled border, where smugglers outwit customs officers and a temporary classroom is in the hall across the street from the RUC barracks.
Much more than an historical record, Down Longfield weaves a lively tapestry of family life in the last century, filled with mischievous children, unruly animals and colourful tales of superstitious neighbours, eccentric relatives and the occasional ‘Yank’ visitor. As Marie, her siblings and friends embrace teenage dances and late-night escapades, they also face the escalating conflict that would change their lives. With humour, affection and a sharp storyteller’s eye, McCartan captures the spirit of a special time and place, honouring the bonds that held both family and community together down the years.