My father John was the son of John and Esther Corscadden of Carnsampson, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.
He was born at a time when Ireland was just recovering from the potato famine and then along came WW1. Life was a continuous struggle and keeping a roof over your head and feeding a family was a constant battle.
My parents, John and Margaret were married in Dunluce Parish Church, Bushmills and together they had 10 children. I am the youngest of the children and this is my memories of my father.
John Corscadden McLean was a man of many talents who was self-taught and could "turn his hand" to almost any task that needed to be done. His limited education never held him back, he would look at the problem and ponder for a while and the solution would come to him.
He was a certified "Dealer" and was proud of his tie with its special "Dealers Knot" that he wore when out bartering and trading goods.
As a metal worker he could take the tin cans and turn the lip to make a smooth edge and the lid would be shaped and moulded to make a handle so we had cups for ourselves and extra to sell.
These were the days of donkey and cart and my father could not only build a cart and decorate it with paintings and scrolls but also make the wheels and spokes.
When it was time to go to the fields and gather the potatoes (schools closed for children to join parents in the fields) my father would have the baskets to carry the spuds in, ready for sale.
Having gone on his bicycle out to the "hanging bush" he cut down the branches, tied them in bundles and brought them home. I often sat on the floor at his feet cleaning the rods and sorting them into sizes and watched as he weaved the baskets of all shapes with and without handles.
With winter approaching and chimney sweeps in great need, he would have me sit down and write by hand what we today call business cards. He would spend days riding his bicycle near and far delivering the notes and the people would come to our door to hire him for the job.
All of these things he did as extra jobs to keep food on the table and pay the bills. His regular job was working at Bushmills Distillery which is the oldest licensed distillery in the world and is still the main source of employment for the village today.
Football was his greatest joy and he was Captain of the Bushmills team which won the Cup in the late 1930's. I remember watching as the football team carried him around the town singing and praising him for his skill with the ball.
My father was a quiet man who spent his whole life working to keep his family and always doing his best. He passed away just a matter of weeks after my mother.
Thank you very much for visiting this memorial and leaving a token for my father.
He was born at a time when Ireland was just recovering from the potato famine and then along came WW1. Life was a continuous struggle and keeping a roof over your head and feeding a family was a constant battle.
My parents, John and Margaret were married in Dunluce Parish Church, Bushmills and together they had 10 children. I am the youngest of the children and this is my memories of my father.
John Corscadden McLean was a man of many talents who was self-taught and could "turn his hand" to almost any task that needed to be done. His limited education never held him back, he would look at the problem and ponder for a while and the solution would come to him.
He was a certified "Dealer" and was proud of his tie with its special "Dealers Knot" that he wore when out bartering and trading goods.
As a metal worker he could take the tin cans and turn the lip to make a smooth edge and the lid would be shaped and moulded to make a handle so we had cups for ourselves and extra to sell.
These were the days of donkey and cart and my father could not only build a cart and decorate it with paintings and scrolls but also make the wheels and spokes.
When it was time to go to the fields and gather the potatoes (schools closed for children to join parents in the fields) my father would have the baskets to carry the spuds in, ready for sale.
Having gone on his bicycle out to the "hanging bush" he cut down the branches, tied them in bundles and brought them home. I often sat on the floor at his feet cleaning the rods and sorting them into sizes and watched as he weaved the baskets of all shapes with and without handles.
With winter approaching and chimney sweeps in great need, he would have me sit down and write by hand what we today call business cards. He would spend days riding his bicycle near and far delivering the notes and the people would come to our door to hire him for the job.
All of these things he did as extra jobs to keep food on the table and pay the bills. His regular job was working at Bushmills Distillery which is the oldest licensed distillery in the world and is still the main source of employment for the village today.
Football was his greatest joy and he was Captain of the Bushmills team which won the Cup in the late 1930's. I remember watching as the football team carried him around the town singing and praising him for his skill with the ball.
My father was a quiet man who spent his whole life working to keep his family and always doing his best. He passed away just a matter of weeks after my mother.
Thank you very much for visiting this memorial and leaving a token for my father.
My father John was the son of John and Esther Corscadden of Carnsampson, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.
He was born at a time when Ireland was just recovering from the potato famine and then along came WW1. Life was a continuous struggle and keeping a roof over your head and feeding a family was a constant battle.
My parents, John and Margaret were married in Dunluce Parish Church, Bushmills and together they had 10 children. I am the youngest of the children and this is my memories of my father.
John Corscadden McLean was a man of many talents who was self-taught and could "turn his hand" to almost any task that needed to be done. His limited education never held him back, he would look at the problem and ponder for a while and the solution would come to him.
He was a certified "Dealer" and was proud of his tie with its special "Dealers Knot" that he wore when out bartering and trading goods.
As a metal worker he could take the tin cans and turn the lip to make a smooth edge and the lid would be shaped and moulded to make a handle so we had cups for ourselves and extra to sell.
These were the days of donkey and cart and my father could not only build a cart and decorate it with paintings and scrolls but also make the wheels and spokes.
When it was time to go to the fields and gather the potatoes (schools closed for children to join parents in the fields) my father would have the baskets to carry the spuds in, ready for sale.
Having gone on his bicycle out to the "hanging bush" he cut down the branches, tied them in bundles and brought them home. I often sat on the floor at his feet cleaning the rods and sorting them into sizes and watched as he weaved the baskets of all shapes with and without handles.
With winter approaching and chimney sweeps in great need, he would have me sit down and write by hand what we today call business cards. He would spend days riding his bicycle near and far delivering the notes and the people would come to our door to hire him for the job.
All of these things he did as extra jobs to keep food on the table and pay the bills. His regular job was working at Bushmills Distillery which is the oldest licensed distillery in the world and is still the main source of employment for the village today.
Football was his greatest joy and he was Captain of the Bushmills team which won the Cup in the late 1930's. I remember watching as the football team carried him around the town singing and praising him for his skill with the ball.
My father was a quiet man who spent his whole life working to keep his family and always doing his best. He passed away just a matter of weeks after my mother.
Thank you very much for visiting this memorial and leaving a token for my father.
He was born at a time when Ireland was just recovering from the potato famine and then along came WW1. Life was a continuous struggle and keeping a roof over your head and feeding a family was a constant battle.
My parents, John and Margaret were married in Dunluce Parish Church, Bushmills and together they had 10 children. I am the youngest of the children and this is my memories of my father.
John Corscadden McLean was a man of many talents who was self-taught and could "turn his hand" to almost any task that needed to be done. His limited education never held him back, he would look at the problem and ponder for a while and the solution would come to him.
He was a certified "Dealer" and was proud of his tie with its special "Dealers Knot" that he wore when out bartering and trading goods.
As a metal worker he could take the tin cans and turn the lip to make a smooth edge and the lid would be shaped and moulded to make a handle so we had cups for ourselves and extra to sell.
These were the days of donkey and cart and my father could not only build a cart and decorate it with paintings and scrolls but also make the wheels and spokes.
When it was time to go to the fields and gather the potatoes (schools closed for children to join parents in the fields) my father would have the baskets to carry the spuds in, ready for sale.
Having gone on his bicycle out to the "hanging bush" he cut down the branches, tied them in bundles and brought them home. I often sat on the floor at his feet cleaning the rods and sorting them into sizes and watched as he weaved the baskets of all shapes with and without handles.
With winter approaching and chimney sweeps in great need, he would have me sit down and write by hand what we today call business cards. He would spend days riding his bicycle near and far delivering the notes and the people would come to our door to hire him for the job.
All of these things he did as extra jobs to keep food on the table and pay the bills. His regular job was working at Bushmills Distillery which is the oldest licensed distillery in the world and is still the main source of employment for the village today.
Football was his greatest joy and he was Captain of the Bushmills team which won the Cup in the late 1930's. I remember watching as the football team carried him around the town singing and praising him for his skill with the ball.
My father was a quiet man who spent his whole life working to keep his family and always doing his best. He passed away just a matter of weeks after my mother.
Thank you very much for visiting this memorial and leaving a token for my father.
