Bangor nurse Margaret McAllister organised the reunion, with the help of friends, based on a photo of some 45 nurses who started nursing together in Belfast in 1974. "It was absolutely brilliant," she told the News Letter. "The noise, the chatter, the smiles on everybody's faces, people recognizing each other that hadn't seen each other for maybe 47 years.
Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Belfast News Letter, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. "Because once they finished training, they went off and did their own speciality. "So they were also probably living out of nurses homes across Northern Ireland and lost contact with each other.
" The reunion took place in Robinson's Bar bistro on Monday night in Belfast city centre. "It was amazing. I was getting phone calls at midnight after the dinner.
The party was still going on, but I'm afraid I was too tired to continue the party." Advertisement Advertisement The most surprising thing for her was that everyone still recognised each other. "Once you recognize the name, you recognize the face.
You took 50 years off that face that was looking at you, and you could see the young person again." "Most of them have retired but some are still working." "Some came from Newry , Derry, Portglenone to attend - and one nurse came from Rathlin - she retired to the very day 50 years ago, just the day.