Ruby Murray's Family Home at 84 Moltke Street

[Billy Dickson]

Ruby lived at number 49 Benburb Street, but her house had been demolished under redevelopment some years ago. Benburb Street has long been associated with the Murray family but many people don't know that the family first lived at 84 Moltke Street. We would like to see the house saved from being demolished and turned into a 'community house / museum' We would ask for your support.

Blackstaff Community Development Association members are to discuss their proposal to turn the childhood home of Ruby Murray into a 'community house / museum' . The house however at 84 Moltke Street comes under the Village Redevelopment Area and could be demolished. The association believes that if more people became aware of the fact that Ruby's home is still standing, that they would support its retention and that it should stay as a tribute to her. If you support this view then please do what you can to prevent the demolition of the 'Ruby Murray House'.
The National Trust looks after two suburban houses in Merseyside, 20 Forthlin Road and Mendips. These unassuming houses are the childhood homes of two Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Visiting the Beatles houses in Liverpool is an absolute must for fans of the band of any ages. The tours provide a real insight in to Lennon and McCartney's humble beginnings. Beatles tours are available from February to November and get booked up quickly.
In the most recent issue of the South Belfast Community Telegraph some residents who said they knew Ruby very well said she never lived in Moltke Street. However the Belfast Street Directory dated 1940 lists Murray D., porter as living at 84 Moltke Street. Many of the older residents including Miss Bowman who is was born in 110 Moltke Street said Ruby defiantly lived in Moltke Street. One report states that the family moved to 49 Benburb Street when Ruby was about 7 years of age. Again the Belfast Street Directory of 1950 lists, Murray D., storeman as living at 49 Benburb Street.
We would be interested to hear the views of others and to confirm or otherwise that Ruby lived at 84 Moltke Street up to the age of 6 or 7.
Hope you can help.
Billy Dickson,
Chairman, Blackstaff Community Development Association.

[Timmer]

Welcome! Glad to see you finally made it in!

[Bernie Burgess]

Hello Mr. Dickson,

I am Ruby's ex husband, my name is Bernie Burgess. I have just hastily read your email and I am hurriedly sending you a reply. When other members read the message I am quite sure they will be as keenly interested as I am.

I can confirm that Ruby did indeed live in Moltke Street and later moved to Benburb Street. I am delighted to hear that you are actively involved in trying to make sure of the preservation of the house. You can be sure that the whole of the Ruby Murray Website will be whole heartedly behind you in your endeavour. Other members will possibly contact you on this subject when they become aware of the situation.

Please keep us informed on any of your achievements - Good Luck!

Kindest regards. Bernie Burgess.

[Gerald Lawrence]

May I draw the attention of visitors to this thread to an article which I wrote in 2006 after a visit to Belfast in 2005. It is stored in our library under Documents, but here is a direct link to it
http://www.rubymurray.org/uploads/lib374.doc
In it you will see that I have taken a photograph of 84 Moltke Street and confirm that Ruby was born there and lived there until she was 7 years old.
I fully support the idea of in some way retaining this house as a memorial to Ruby.

[MARTIN FOSTER]

Hi friends,

Hello Mr Dickson,

Welcome to our website. What a great idea, preserving Ruby's childhood home. I take it it would be preserved in the style of the 1930s when Ruby was born? At any rate I wish you good luck and every success in your project as I am sure everybody else on this site does.

Best wishes.

Martin

[Billy Dickson]

Many thanks for the replies confirming that Ruby lived at 84 Moltke Street. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive fully intend to demolish Moltke Street in the near future. It will not be an easy job to save the Ruby Murray house. 86 and 88 Moltke Street are already blocked up. We must make a firm proposal soon and gather support for the proposal especially from the local community. The proposal could include keeping 84 as the Ruby Murray House and developing 86 and 88 as community museum / exhibition area. Any views expressed on the Ruby Murray site will be put into our 'think tank'.

[Bernie Burgess]

Hello Billy,

I sincerely hope that you can drum up enough local support to help you succeed in your task. - We are with you all the way Billy.

Good Luck. Kindest regards.

Adios Amigo. Bernie.

[Teddy O'Neil]

The Ruby Murray homestead - what a wonderful idea. I've been to the Bernard Shaw house in Dublin and found it most interesting. While Ruby hailed from more humble origins, I am sure this could be a real tourist attraction with the interior re-created in 1930's style and with some RM memorabilia.

I was amused by the pronunciation of Moltke Street by the locals as MOLTICK Street. There are several other streets in Belfast where the locals have their own unique versions of the street names. eg. Cambrai Street is known as Camber-aye-a Street
Disraeli Street is known as Disreyella Street
Cregagh Road is known as Craigy
and the Stormont Parliament Building is known as STORMOUNT !

Good luck with the project.

Cheers, Teddy O'Neil

[Billy Dickson]

Update on Ruby Murray's House. We are now at the eleventh hour: Ruby Murray's house at 84 Moltke Street, South Belfast is to be demolished along with over 500 other houses to make way for new housing. It had been suggested that the house should become a small community museum but the idea has received very little response from the community. I don't know what to suggest but we must come up with some ideas very soon. We can't wait until the house is no longer there. Perhaps the members could think of some ideas and present them to the Community Design Team which represents the views of the community. Would there be a few members who would form a deputation to meet the Design Team? I would stress however that the deputation from the members would have to have some firm ideas to discuss with the Design Team.
Regards,
Billy

[Bernie Burgess]

Hello Billy

I have read your posting and I will chat to others about it. My first reaction is that it is a very difficult situation to provide meaningful answers to. As an immediate suggestion why don't you contact the Director of the recent documentary 'Ruby and the Duke' He is a Belfast man and has a lot of good contacts locally. His name is
Michael Beattie and he runs his own production company. I don't know whether it would help but you could tell him that I suggested that you should contact him. As far as the fans and the website are concerned, apart from photos, video and audio clips in the Library section I think there would be little that we all can provide apart from enthusiasm and pride.

If you do get in contact with Michael please let me know, in the meantime I will gladly confer with other members of the website to see if they have anything to suggest.
I will look up Michael's details and email them to you direct.

Kindest regards

Adios Amigo

[Bernie Burgess]

Hello Billy,

The thought occurred to me that you could try to contact the Councillor who was the force behind getting a commemorative plaque installed on the facia of The Ulster Hall. From Memory his name and title was Councillor Wallace Brown. He was a Ruby Murray fan and held the position as Lord Mayor at the time of the unveiling. He obviously has connections within the Belfast City Council. Since the time of the unveiling I THINK he entered the House of Lords so his title will have changed.

Kindest regards. Bernie

[Gerald Lawrence]

I think that is a good idea Bernie - it can do no harm to get on our side the person who did so much for remembering Ruby before. It may also be worth mentioning to the people in charge of the decision to demolish the house that there exists also the wall murial made up of mozaic pictures in the Donegal Road area, and also that the City Hall has some references to Ruby's achievements in a section dealing with famous Belfast residents. All of this must help towards the tourist industry for Belfast.

[MARTIN FOSTER]

Hi guys,

They can't demolish it, it's an outrage!

Billy, please let us know how you get on!

Martin

[Bernie Burgess]

Message for Billy Dickson.

Have you got an email address that I can contact, I will attempt to plead with them to avoid demolition. It might be worth a try.

Kindest regards. Bernie.

[Billy Dickson]

Hello Bernie,
I am a member of the Village and Monarch Community Design Team and our next meeting should be held on the first week in June. If you wish to get it on the agenda then please send an email to the chairperson, Michael Hegarty at michael@placeni.org
I could get it put on the agenda but it would be better coming from you.
With all good wishes,
Billy