The Mill Row was a row of houses that housed the families of workers of the flax mill. Poaching was a way of life for many families in the Mill Row, both before and after WW2, until that generation died out.

They did it to feed their families and it wasn't only the McConvilles who were at it, most families in the Mill Row had a father or son who did it. By all accounts, the McConvilles were experts at the poaching. One story goes that Adam McConville wheeled a barrow of sand past the Police Station and even stopped and asked the duty police for a light of a cigarette and went on his way. The sand in the barrow was hiding fish underneath. Another time Adam had caught a bag full of fish and the police were tailing him. He was given the tip-off by his look-out. He knew they would come to search so he put the bag of fish beside Grannie McConville (Sarah McMoran). The police DID raid the house but never found any salmon.

The poachers in Tandragee were well ahead of the police or the water bailiffs. When there was a good run of salmon in the river, the poachers had decoys set out from the police station to the river bank, where they were fishing. The first decoy was outside the pub opposite the police station. If anyone left the station he would walk across the road and alert the next man who would do the same. The lads poaching could be anything up to 4 or 5 miles from the station but they would soon know the law was on the move. Poaching was a way of life to these men.

My Grandfather, Mark Mcconville, had been poaching shortly before he died. He was being tailed by the police and had to wade into a river and stay there until it was safe to move. That night he called at Ron's Grannie's house to dry out. Mark took ill after that and shortly after that night he died from the effects of the cold and wet.

My Grandfather Mark McConville (died 1932)

Adam made his living by poaching and working for farmers during the harvesting. He would go from farm to farm when they needed men on the thrashing mills or scutch mills, gathering potatoes and hay making. He was a free spirit in many ways. Adam was in the pub most of the day, the day he died. He was going home and for some reason he went into Reed's field, not far from the Mill Row, lay down and fell asleep. It was a very frosty night and he must have died from the cold.

Adam McConville seated (died 1964) taken with a friend ? Quiley

A scutch mill was a place where flax was prepared for the linen mill. It was not a nice place to work. The health and safety of today would have closed them down, as safety was nil. Wages were the same, it was bordering on slavery, so life was not easy for the people who had to work there. You could well understand their need to find other means of feeding the family. There was a lot of honour among the people of the Mill Row. They looked after each other and there was never a dull moment.