BY NUALA MCALOON
The 'Way We Were' photographs you see on Page 10 each week can prompt a great stir of nostalgia in many readers who enjoy rekindling memories with a blast from the past.
But, one such image used recently has caused more of a rumpus than most. And, certainly around the areas of Boho, Belcoo and Arney as well as in the Roslea, Corranny and Aughadrumsee directions, this particular photograph has been the subject of some serious scrutiny and light-hearted debate as in recent weeks, many have tried to unravel the mystery behind the identity of the men pictured.
The original image was submitted to the 'Herald' by John Joe Cox from Boho. He had been given the picture by Teresa Carroll who is also from Boho and who had received the picture from her cousin, Mairead McKenzie from Arney. The pictured belonged to Mairead's late father Dessie. Having circulated the picture which shows two men standing in front of two hackney style cars in the 1950s, Mairead, Teresa and John had no success in unveiling the men's identity.
However, since the picture - believed to have been taken in Boho, Arney or the surrounding areas - appeared in the paper on the 1st April, the 'Herald' office has been inundated with phone calls from people who believe they know at least one of the men in the photograph.
But, while there were a number of calls from Boho believing the man pictured on the right to be the late Joe Doherty, the fact that most calls came from the Roslea area threw a spanner in the works.
People from this area believe the men pictured to be Jimmy Courtney and the late Jimmy Flanagan. The confusion posed a new question - how did the image, if taken in Roslea and given the era, end up in Arney?
But this week, John Joe Cox helped shed light on the mystery behind the picture.
"We now have settled on the fact that the two men are the late Jimmy Flanagan (left), and Jimmy Courtney. The ironic thing, however, is the picture ended up in Boho and the man on the right of the picture has a big likeness to the late Joe Doherty. There was also the possibility and speculation that the other man might be an Eddie Gallagher, also from Boho, as he worked in the hackney business, but this was ruled out." Another caller meanwhile, believed the individual on the left to be a Patsy Meehan.
However, after discussions with one of our callers, Brendan Flanagan from Roslea, who is a nephew of Jimmy, the root of the mystery has now been solved. Having spoken to Jimmy Courtney, Brendan confirmed that he owned the car on the right and bought it in 1949. The car on the left meanwhile belonged to the Moane family from Follom.
As for the origins of the photo - and this is a bit of a tongue twister - it is believed that Newtownbutler woman Eileen Donegan has a sister who was married to Dessie Courtney, the late brother of the pictured Jimmy Courtney.
Eileen's husband, Frank was a brother of Annie McKenzie married to Brian who owns The Linnet Inn pub in Boho. And, with such family connections, Eileen would have known Dessie McKenzie (where the pictured was found) most of her life.
"So that's how we believe the photograph ended up in the late Dessie McKenzie's home in Arney. Mairead had then sent the picture to her cousin, Teresa in The Linnet Inn thinking that it was someone from the Boho area. And the funny thing was it bore a unique resemble to the late Joe Doherty."
