Matthew, My mother's family came from Rathfriland, County Down, close to Newcastle, but there was a good deal of Apache territory between both. I can't imagine it was any different in the surroundings of Portrush.
Funnily enough, I happened to be staying with my mother's family (playing golf almost every day at RCD or Warrenpoint) when the 1968 riots took place in Londonderry. Can you believe it that I borrowed my aunt's car to drive over to Londonderry to watch the riots, people shooting each other across General Freeeland's line, the Bogside and so on?
As it happened, my mother's family lived two doors away from the police station in Rathfriland. It was a bit of a target for the IRA. They were bombed several times, but a display case of Waterford crystal between two drawing room windows survived a number of bomb attacks when less fragile things were blown to smithereens.
I was most recently in NI for the Walker Cup. It was as if there had never been any troubles. We stayed in a pub in Rathfriland which we could never have done before - it was RC - but what a welcome we got! 'You're Freda's nephew' etc! When they get it right there they get it very right.