January, 2023
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One Hundred Years Ago: January 1923
January 1923
Glenmore did not feature in any of the local newspapers in January 1923. Although the Civil War continued January was a quieter month. Fewer clashes were reported between the Free State Army and the Irregulars. The worst phase of the war against the railways had passed with only isolated reports of attacks on the lines or rolling stock (New Ross Standard, Fri. 5 Jan. 1923, p. 4).
However, the damage to infrastructure continued to cause misery and even death. During January the bodies of four young men were pulled from the Suir. On Christmas night they drowned at Kilsheelan while attempting to cross the river to the Waterford side in a cot because the bridge at Kilsheelan was destroyed (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 26 Jan. 1923, p. 8). Today, we will present some of the local Civil War activities as recorded in local newspapers as well as some of the economic difficulties faced locally 100 years ago.
Fighting in Waterford
On Saturday the 30th of December at 10:30 p.m. Irregulars were attacking across Waterford City from “Waterford Jail and the North Station to the Workhouse.” The battle commenced when two bombs were lobbed at the Infantry Barracks, Barrack St., resulting in loud explosions but no material damage. At the same time a “determined” attack took place on the jail, the local headquarters of the National troops, the railway station, and other national posts in the city.
Snipers were directing fire on the jail and the guard room at the railway station. Some snipers were on Mount Misery overlooking the city from the Kilkenny side of the river. Windows in the GPO and the shop, Ledlie, Ferguson & Co. (now Shaw’s) on the quay were shattered by stray bullets. Houses in Ballybricken near the jail also suffered broken windows.
The national troops did not return fire until they located the positions of the Irregulars. Machine guns could be heard across the city. The shooting lasted about 30 minutes. Citizens returning home from the cinema ran for cover. Kilkenny residents who were in the city found themselves marooned. When the firing died down, some took the chance and crossed the river. Others did not attempt to leave the city until Sunday morning. There were no casualties reported (Munster Express, Sat. 6 Jan. 1923, p. 3).
New Year’s Eve
It was reported that New Year’s Eve was quiet in Waterford City. The City was devoid of the usual din of ship and rail whistles, sirens, bands etc. Only the church bells rang in the New Year. One young man was shot dead in the city and another was fatally wounded (Munster Express, Sat. 6 Jan. 1923, p. 5).
Murder of Pierce Murphy
Pierce Murphy, a mason, aged 33, of 70 Barrack Street, was shot and killed as he walked home with friends from a New Year’s Eve dance. Three men in National troop uniforms stopped and searched the deceased and his friends. After the men were released and told to go home; deceased was walking toward his home when he was shot in the back and killed. At his inquest a military officer testified that no National Army patrols were operating in the city at that time. All men were accounted for in the barracks, the jail and the railway station.
Killing of Thomas Cullen
The second man that was shot on New Year’s Eve at about 9 p.m. was Thomas Cullen, aged 33, a married, carpenter. Thomas died the 2nd of January 1923 in the County & City Infirmary from his gunshot wound. From the inquest it appears that Thomas was shot by a stray bullet while he walked with a friend on Barrack’s Hill (Munster Express, Sat. 6 Jan. 1923, p. 6).
The New Ross Standard reported that Thomas was a native of Irishtown, New Ross, and was employed at the Convent of the Good Shepherd, Waterford. He had only been married a short time before his death. Thomas was shot in the abdomen. At his funeral in New Ross, the New Ross Total Abstinence Band attended and played the Dead March. Thomas was a member of the Band (New Ross Standard, Fri, 12 January 1923, p. 7).
Activities near Glenmore
On the night of the 1st of January, at about 8:30 p.m., six or eight shots were fired in New Ross. The shots came from across the river and were apparently directed toward the Tholsel where national troops were quartered. A window frame on the house of Mr. Schekby, jeweller, on the Quay was pierced and his plate glass window cracked. People who were on the streets at the time quickly took shelter (New Ross Standard, Fri, 5 January 1923, p. 5).
Mullinavat
Early in the New Year, National troops arrested four Irregulars named Egan, Mackey, Morrissey and Curran who were from the Mile Bush. The arrests took place in Mullinavat, and the men were armed. Egan escaped from Kilkenny Prison last year (Munster Express, Sat. 6 Jan. 1923, p. 6). Mullinavat was also the place where three other Irregulars were captured about the same time. They included: Richard Brennan, a leader of the Irregulars in the Kilkenny area, together with Patrick and James Walshe, of Kilmacow (Waterford News & Star, Fri 5 Jan. 1923, p. 5).
Road Blocked at Tinneranny
On the 2nd of January a trench was dug across the road leading from New Ross to Tullogher at Tinneranny. A few trees were also cut down. On that morning Father Coughlan and Father Greene, C.C. Rosbercon, were traveling by car when they came to the blockade. They filled part of the trench and removed some of the trees to allow the car to pass (New Ross Standard, Fri. 5 Jan. 1923, p. 4).
Mooncoin
A battle took place on 18th of January near Mooncoin between a column of National troops from Kilkenny and about fifty armed men. Fourteen of the armed men were captured and brought to Kilkenny. The following day in the same area a small party of armed men were fired upon. Two were found and arrested in a farmhouse. One had a wound on his hand that appeared to be a bullet wound (New Ross Standard, Fri, 19 January 1923, p. 6).
Slieverue
On the morning of the 11th the Slieverue sub-post office was visited by armed men who demanded the old age pension money. Not getting the money, they threatened the postmistress and intimated that they were about to damage the premises. The only money they secured was a solitary sixpence, which they contemptuously threw back at the postmistress. Also raided was the Kilmeaden post office where stamps and cash with a value of £25 was stolen and the Kill where £12 was stolen (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 12 Jan. 1923, p. 4). [Any readers know the name of the Slieverue postmistress?]
[Update–6 Feb. 2023–Eilish Sommers immediately identified Statia Aylward as the plucky postmistress. To verify we turned to the 1911 Census and found an Aylward family in Kilmurry, Rathpatrick. Statia Aylward was 42 and the asst. postmistress. She lived with her sister Catherine Aylward who was 50 and listed as a farmer & postmistress. Their brother James Aylward, aged 48 was also in the household. Additionally two servants were present: Eliz. Henneby (aged 40) and Richard Moore (aged 60) was the farm servant.]
Executions in Kilkenny City
Two men were executed in Kilkenny on Friday morning the 5th of January. John Phelan, Thomastown, and John Murphy, of Bishopslough, Co. Kilkenny were arrested on the 13th of December. They were charged with possession of arms and ammunition. They were also charged with raiding Sheastown House, where £180 worth of property was stolen. Both were found guilty of the charges in a military tribunal and sentenced to death Munster Express, Sat. 6 Jan. 1923, p. 3).
The total number of executions by the Free State Government to the 19th of January 1923 was 29 (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 19 Jan. 1923, p. 3).
Economic Difficulties
Unpaid Rates
The Wexford County Council reported that the chaotic state of the country meant the finances of the county were “far from encouraging.” The county required £26,000 to meet commitments, yet £90,000 rates were outstanding. Amazingly knowing that produce prices were quite low, that violence, blocked roads and destroyed bridges made it difficult to sell farm produce, the County Council blamed Wexford farmers for the hole in the County finances. It claimed many farmers did not pay their annuities to the Land Commission, “availing of the condition of the country as an excuse to evade their responsibilities.” This resulted in the Government retaining grant money meant for the county until the farmers redeemed their liabilities (New Ross Standard, Fri. 12 Jan. 1923, p. 4).
Labour Unrest
January 1923 was a time of labour unrest. The grain mill workers were threatening to strike because the mill owners sought to reduce the wages of the workforce. Printers in Kilkenny went on strike the 1st of January to protest against a proposed cut of 5/- a week in their wages. The cut was to take effect the 6th of January. The strike involved the three Kilkenny newspapers (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 5 Jan. 1923, p. 5). The Kilkenny Moderator and the Kilkenny People were not published in January 1923.
It was also reported that Irish publishers in Dublin were operating at a loss. The only profitable book printing was for text books (New Ross Standard, Fri, 5 January 1923, p. 4).
Why Beer is Dear
Toward the end of January as Civil War activities lessened the Munster Express published an interesting article entitled, “Why beer is dear.” In 1913, the British public consumed 36,000,000 barrels of beer, and the combined profits of nine of the most important breweries amounted to £2,200,000. In 1922, the consumption of beer fell to 18,000,000 barrels, but the profits of the nine breweries were £5,280,000 more than double the 1913 figure.
It was explained that while the price of beer remained high the costs of production fell enormously. One of the driving forces behind the high price of beer was the “absurd tax” that made it impossible to lower the price of beer without making a loss. However, the Brewer’s Society themselves benefited from the arrangement, so there was no lobby to alter the tax (Munster Express, Sat. 20 Jan. 1923, p. 4).
Long French Roots
The French Ministry of Agriculture sought to reward families who cultivated the same land for over 100 years. This inquiry led to the discovery that one family had been in continuity of tenure for 800 years. A deed bearing the date 1074 referred to a dispute regarding a right of way, and both the families mentioned in the dispute were still present at the same location in 1922 (New Ross Standard, Fri, 5 January 1923, p. 4).
New Political Party
A new political party formed named Cumann na nGaedheal by pro-treaty supporters to support the Free State Government (New Ross Standard, Fri, 12 January 1923, p. 4). This party was the forerunner of Fine Gael.
The feature photo above is the filling in of a ditch dug across a roadway to stop traffic. Please send any corrections or further information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Special thanks to Eilish Sommers for identifying the Slieverue postmistress in January 1923 as Statia Aylward.
For December 1922 see our post of 31 December 2022.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
A Glenmore History Share
We are always happy to find and share local historical posts. Andrew Doherty, of Waterford Harbour Tides and Tales, posted this morning “The Gladiator Mystery” concerning the appearance of a ship in New Ross harbour in 1898. The rumours the arrival of the ship generated 125 years ago were preserved in a New Ross Standard article. Glenmore even gets a mention. Click here for the link.
From Danny’s Files: Animal Antics
Today, we are going present some of the newspaper clippings that Danny Dowling (1927-2021) collected while conducting research on Glenmore. Although the clippings do not involve Glenmore people they were found in the Munster Express and undoubtedly became the topic of conversation around the parish wherever people met.
Visiting Bovines
The first clipping printed in 1910 involves a cow in Belfast. Following it the Munster Express added a Waterford bull story. Everyone who has ever had the pleasure of working with bovines knows that they are curious animals.
“Cow Walks Upstairs—On Wednesday a cow, while being driven through Chichester street, Belfast, suddenly bolted into the offices of the rent agency of Mr. Manderson. Much to the amusement of the spectators, it made its way up the steep stairway, and calmly laid down before the office door on the first landing. Quite a crowd gathered to watch the efforts to evict the intruder, and no easy task it proved. Eventually she was obliged to descend, and on reaching the street was greeted with an enthusiastic cheer.”
“It is only the other day that a bull was being led along one of the principal thoroughfares in Waterford, when he suddenly took it into his head to walk into a chemist’s shop, which he did despite the persuasions of his custodian. Having sniffed round the emporium and scrutinised the many coloured phials, Master Taurus was coaxed back without further adventure to the open world again. He was evidently not looking for medicine” (Munster Express, Sat. 4 June 1910, p. 8).
Profitable Piggies
Prior to the middle of the twentieth century nearly every Glenmore household kept a pig or two. For the people breeding pigs, many a night was spent holding vigil awaiting a sow having bonhams. For our international readers bonhams are piglets. Large litters were widely discussed. The following article from 1962 reflects that details regarding large litters were still found in mainstream newspapers.
Record for Bonhams—During the course of a programme sponsored by Messrs. Whelans of Finglass, Dublin, from Radio Eireann during the weekend it was stated that a sow with a litter of 28 bonhams (25 of which survived), was considered an Irish record. This the Munster Express disputed. Paddy Phelan, of Ballykeohan, Kilmacow, had a sow that gave birth to 31 bonhams last August. A total of 29 of the bonhams survived (Munster Express, Fri. 13 April 1962, p. 14).
Horse Takes a Horse Less Carriage
With the advent of the motor car the newspapers were full of mishaps between the new motor cars and horse drawn vehicles. The Munster Express in 1903 published the following snippet concerning a young French horse who hitched a ride in a motor car.
In Rheims, a young horse was startled by a passing motor car. In a panic he ran toward another car and leaped into the tonneau. [I’m certain that word caused head scratching amongst local readers.] Fortunately, no one was occupying the passenger compartment. However, in leaping into the vehicle the horse’s forelegs struck the driver and thew the driver into the road. The horse was now the sole passenger of the motor car, but he did not seem to like it. He made several attempts to jump down, but appeared afraid. The vehicle was traveling at a fair speed along a broad, straight road. “Finally, the car, overtaxed by the weight of its unwanted occupant, came to a halt at a bit of steep hill. The horse scrambled out…” unhurt (Munster Express, Sat. 11 July 1903, p. 7).
Novel Bullfight
It wasn’t long before farmers recognised the benefit of the new motor cars. In the newspaper clipping below a farmer had a 10 hp Pick car in 1903 which may have been able to achieve 25 to 35 miles per hour. The Pick Motor Company of Stamford, Lincolnshire was a British motor vehicle manufacturer that operated from 1899-1925.
Mr. John Phillips, a modern Essex farmer, had several farms spread across a considerable distance. He decided that a motor car was the “most practicable means of doing his day’s work in a day. He invested in a ten horse Pick car” and learned to drive it. He began to use it to make his rounds. One morning on the road near one of his farms, “he met a vicious bull…described as a record bull, having killed two men and injured others.” The bull had broken out of his enclosure “and was stalking sullenly along in search of adventure…” When John Phillips tooted his horn the bull became enraged. “Down went the great head as he charged. There was no escaping the encounter, so the farmer likewise put on speed. The two met with a crash. The bull went down. He got to his feet and returned to the attack.” This time John Phillips turned suddenly and struck the bull in the rear. The bull went down again, but when he stumbled to his feet he decided that he had had enough. He fled bellowing, the motor car pursuing him until he was driven into a corner and captured. After this encounter it was reported that all the fight was taken out of the bull thanks to “meeting with an adversary he never bargained for” (Munster Express, Sat. 11 July 1903, p. 7).
How Much?
It is not known whether the small clipping below involved the local meat factory, Clover Meats. During its long existence Clover Meats provided much needed local employment. Below is the cutting published in the Munster Express in 1939.
An old farmer took a very decrepit looking cow into the factory yard. The foreman looked at the old cow. The foreman asked the farmer, “How much do you want for the old frame.” The farmer responded, “Here, have the frame, handlebars and all for fifty bob.” Munster Express, Fri. 11 August 1939, p. 2).
[In old money a bob was 1 shilling. There were 20 shillings in a £ (pound). Thus 50 bob represents £2.5 (pounds).]
Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
For previous posts regarding newspaper clippings see our post of 28 July 2021 regarding 19th century Glenmore newspaper articles or our post of 3 June 2020.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
BALLYNARAHA, GLENMORE (1961) [Update]
Today, we are going to feature information that Danny Dowling (1927-2021) recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Ballynaraha, Glenmore around 1961. Over the years various spellings of this townland have been used, but the two most popular are Ballynaraha or Ballinaraha. The Irish for this townland, according to O’Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County of Ireland (1969, p. 115) is Baile na ratha, or place of the rath. The townland is in the old civil parish of Kilmkevogue and is comprised of 290 acres. The townland is named from the rath and fields are bán riach, a grey bawn; bantá sceachán, the whitethorn bawns.
Tithe Applotment Books 1833
According to the 1833 Applotment Books, the owner of the townland was the Earl of Bessborough. There is a notation in the Applotment Book that Mr. John Walsh “as middle man has let to these tenants, he having the original lease from the Earl of Bessborough.” There were eleven tenants listed including [1] Patrick Sutton, 2 acres; [2] Martin Sutton, 13 acres; [3] John Power, 12 acres; [4] Michael Irish, 31 acres; [5] Patrick Kelly, 17 acres; [6] Thomas Reddy, 17 acres; [7] Patrick Forristal, 17 acres; [8] James Dughan, 8 acres; [9] Richard Dughan, 18 acres; and [10] Fitzgerald & [11] Dooling? 18 acres. [No first names were provided for Fitzgerald and Dooling.
1961
In 1961, Danny recorded 5 families or households in Ballynaraha. Birthdates or birth years are provided for some of the older residents gleaned from available public records. For some time after drafting his notebook, Danny recorded the dates of death or simply recorded that a resident had died or left the townland. The recorded information reveals that in 1961, 12 people resided in Ballynaraha with the population comprised of 6 males and 6 females. The largest family was the Forristal family with 5 in the household. There is one household recorded with a person living alone which was Edward Roche (b. 1905). All information regarding residents of Ballynaraha, not in Danny’s original list, has been placed in brackets[ ].
Recorded Residents
Males= 6
Females= 6
Eldest Recorded Resident
The eldest resident recorded in the townland was Bridget Forristal née Reddy (1884-1969) who was 78 in 1961. Bridget was a native of Gaulestown, Glenmore, the daughter of James Reddy (farmer) and his wife, Johanna Grant. The birth register records Bridget’s birth at Ballinaraha (sic).
On 11 February 1918 Bridget married John Forristal (farmer) of Ballynaraha and her place of residence was listed as Gaulestown, Glenmore. John Forristal (1879-1961) was the son of Patrick Forristal and his wife Mary Phelan. John died, aged 81 on 29 January 1961, and his unmarried brother Edmund died on the 23rd of November 1960, aged 78.
Recorded Work
Farmer = 4 (3 males; 1 female)
Farm labourer = 1 (1 male)
Council Worker = 1 (1 male)
Garage Storeman= 1 (1 male)
BALLYNARAHA RESIDENTS
[1] AYLWARD
Aylward, James (10 April 1904) Farmer
Aylward, Mary (20 April 1909) wife (née Grant)
[2] KNOX
Knox, Patrick (11 March 1913) Farmer
Knox, Margaret (12 April 1896) wife
[3] FORRISTAL
Forristal, Bridget (27 April 1884) Farmer [died 19 Nov. 1969]
Forristal, Patrick, son, assisting relative
Forristal, Mary, daughter
Forristal, Kate, daughter
Forristal, Bridget, daughter
[4] BROPHY
Brophy, James, Council Worker
Brophy, Edward, brother, garage storeman
[5] ROCHE
Roche, Edward (1 June 1905) Farmer
See our blog post of 18 April 2020 regarding Ballynarha native Laurence Duggan (1832-1905) who returned to visit Glenmore decades after emigratig to the US. On his holiday Laurence was tragically drowned in Waterford City.
[Update–One helpful reader stated that a person from the Forristal Ballyranaha family was due to sail on the Titanic in April 1912, but for whatever reason did not. The 1911 Census shows that there were 5 in the Forristal household. Mary Forristal was 68; John Forristal was 32; Patrick Forristal was 31; Edmund Forristal was 28 and James Forristal was 24. This information was once common knowledge in the parish and discussed for years.]
Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmorehstory@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Glenmore and the United Irish League’s Rosbercon Rally 1908
The land question was the political issue that dominated Glenmore and other rural areas of Ireland from before the Great Famine until shortly before the Easter Uprising in 1916. As an oversimplification, under British rule land in Ireland was owned by English landlords and the Irish people working the land were impoverished and faced the constant threat of eviction. After the famine, there was less of a need for Irish farmers and farm labourers because farming moved from tillage to grazing. This led to more clearances and evictions. Between 1851 and 1911 arable land in Ireland halved from 1.8 million hectares to 0.9 million. Live cattle exports to Britain increased from 200,000 animals in the 1840’s to 400,000 animals in the 1860’s. In the 1890’s this increased to 800,000 animals (Kevin Whelan (1997) “The Modern Landscape from Plantation to Present” in Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape, p. 67).
Reforms
There were some efforts to reform land laws such as the establishment of the Encumbered Estates Court in 1848. The landlords most heavily in debt were weeded out and more enterprising landlords replaced them. In the 1860’s other land legislation followed, but tenancy continued to be based on contract and not on tenure. The insecurity of tenure, and the actions of the new landlords caused political and social unrest which helped give birth to the Fenian movement. The Land Act (1870) is cited as the first real effort to deal with the grievances of the Irish tenant. However, the Act was inadequate particularly after the bad harvests starting in 1877. (C.F. Bastable (1903) “The Irish Land Purchase Act of 1903,” The 18(1) Quarterly Journal of Economics (Nov. 1903) p. 3-4). During bad harvests even reasonable rents were often difficult to pay.
The Land League
In October 1879 Michael Davitt, the son of an evicted farmer founded the Land League. Charles Stewart Parnell, leader of the Irish Home Rule Party, presided over the League and linked the land reform movement with his home rule political party. Glenmore formed a Branch of the Land League in 1880. The Irish Land Committee in November 1880 published a document entitled, The Land Question, Ireland: Confiscation or Contract? It was apparent that change was going to happen. The only question was whether the Government would force the landlords to sell their lands.
Fierce agitation by the Land League led to Gladstone’s Land Act of 1881 which accepted the three F’s: (1) Fixity of tenure; (2) Fair rent; and (3) the right of Free sale of the tenant of his interest. In essence the 1881 Act fixed rents. The fixing of rents did not stop evictions. For example, in August 1885 people from across the area rushed to Ballyfacey, Glenmore and successfully stopped the eviction of several families. (See our post of 14 June 2020 for further details regarding the Ballyfacey evictions). Notwithstanding the shortcomings of the 1881 Act it was viewed as a victory for the Land League.
United Irish League
The momentum gained by the Land League was lost in 1891 when Parnell became embroiled in a public scandal because of his long association with a married woman. The Glenmore Branch of the Land League split as did the national group. Parnell died later that year. (For further information on the splitting of the Glenmore Branch of the Land League see our post of 27 March 2020 and our post 29 March 2020).
In 1898 the United Irish League was established by William O’Brien with the help of Michael Davitt and others. The League was comprised primarily of the divided Parnell and anti-Parnellite factions. By 1903 the main political parties in Britain were in agreement that Irish tenants should be allowed to purchase their holdings. However, the question remained whether the transfer of land would be voluntary or whether it would be compulsory on the landlords.
The Land Act (1903), also known as the Wyndham Act, was the long awaited land purchase Act. However, not everyone agreed with the provisions of the Act and the United Irish League did not remain united. In 1908 the land question raised its head locally when there were calls for dividing the “grass ranch” of the Boyd estate. (For an interesting article on the 1903 Act, see, Patrick John Cosgrove (2008) The Wyndham Act, 1903; The Final Solution to the Irish Land Question? (PhD Thesis, National University of Ireland, Maynooth).
The Boyd Estate
On the 9th of August 1908, the clergy and people of Glenmore travelled to Rosbercon to attend a “monster” demonstration. The purpose of the demonstration was to agitate for the division of the Boyd estate. The Shanbogh landlord Thomas Boyd died in 1904.
Thomas Boyd (1818-1904) of Chilcomb House, Rosbercon, in addition to being the landlord of Shanbogh, was also the Crown Solicitor for Tipperary. He also owned land in Tipperary. Thomas bought Shanbogh around 1870. His land was described as running from his residence in Rosbercon for two miles to the river. A decade after he purchased Shanbogh, Thomas, his two sons and nephew were ambushed. His son Charles died from his injuries. Although several local people were arrested for the murder of Charles Boyd (c. 1859-1880) no one was convicted. (For further information on the ambush see our post of 7 Nov. 2021).
Thomas survived both of his sons and left his estate to his grandson Thomas Crawford Boyd (1886-1967). Thomas Crawford Boyd was the son of John Thomas Evans Boyd (1855-1900) and his wife Emily Martha Crawford (1863-1934). Thomas Crawford Boyd was in the British army in 1908.
The 1908 Meeting of the United Irish League at Rosbercon
The New Ross Standard (Fri. 14 August 1908, p. 13) covered the meeting and started its coverage with “Just across the river from New Ross, at a little distance above the village of Rosbercon, on a well known South Kilkenny Gaelic battle ground, on Sunday afternoon an exceptionally well attended, enthusiastic and determined public demonstration was held, under the auspices of the United Irish League. The object of the demonstration was the breaking up the ranch land of the Boyd estate.” It was also mentioned that a special train from Waterford brought a contingent of about 200 including the Barrack Street Brass and Reed Band. The Kilkenny People (Sat. 15 Aug.1908, p. 3) also carried similar coverage of the meeting.
Glenmore Clergy & Evicted Tenants
The meeting was “largely attended by farmers, labourers and artisans.” A long list of the men on the platform was provided in local news accounts. There were clergymen such as the Very Rev. Canon Holohan, P.P., Rosbercon; Glenmore’s Very Rev. Thomas Phelan, P.P.; and Glenmore’s Curate, Rev. Martin Crotty. Politicians from all over the South East of Ireland were also well represented on the platform. Evicted Tenants made up the remainder of the persons on the platform. The newspapers linked the parishes of Glenmore and Sliverue when listing the evicted tenants on the platform. The evicted tenants included: James Forrestal (Rosbercon); R. Egan (Tullogher, restored); P. Cody (Tullogher); Ed Harte (Listerlin); Frank Ryan (Glenmore & Slieverue), Daniel and John Doolan (Glenmore & Slieverue); P. Doherty (Glenmore & Slieverue) and R. Grace (Glenmore & Slieverue).
Canon Holohan’s Speech
The Very Rev. Canon Holohan, P.P., Rosbercon, chaired the meeting. Below is an extract of his speech.
“Fellow countrymen, and men and women of Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, and Waterford—I am delighted to see you assembled here today in such vast numbers. Your presence here today gives me an assurance that your breasts are filled with the same feelings of patriotism and bravery which animated the breasts of your forefathers who fought at the battle of New Ross (applause)—that you are still filled with the same enthusiasm that characterised meetings of twenty-five or thirty years ago (applause).”
“You are also prepared to support an agitation today on the same lines as you formerly did when the Land League was started by Michael Davitt (applause).” At this point a man called out, “And the great Parnell.” Fr. Holohan carried on with his speech. He outlined that the gathered men would be asked to adopt a number of resolutions concerning the question of Home Rule. He stated that “without which Ireland can never exist or be happy, prosperous or contented (cheers). This resolution concerning Home Rule occupies the first place. The question of the evicted holds a prominent place in the programme of today, and in like manner the distribution of untenanted lands amongst the sons and representatives of the evicted tenants and amongst the landless of the district (applause)…”
“We all deplore the evils of emigration, but we all know and feel there is no place in the world for Irishmen like their native land. Nowhere do they feel as happy and contented as at home amongst their own friends. They may go to foreign lands and pick up some gold, but they are never happy out of Ireland (applause)…”
Canon Holohan went on to state that his old friend, Mr. Meagher, the Member of Parliament for North Kilkenny, had secured in north Kilkenny possession of seven or eight ranches of untenanted land for distribution. ..”I had the pleasure of meeting him 28 years ago in the days of the Land League, when we stood shoulder to shoulder on many a platform, when the prospect was not so bright as it is today, when the people with the priests agitated. They persevered and keep pegging away, and they have obtained many redresses of their grievances. They have obtained a reduction of rent, the land purchase Clauses, the various Land Bills for the last 30 years. They have obtained the Town Tenants Acts and the Labourers Acts. Those are the various Bills obtained and improvements made through the agitation of the Irish Parliamentary Party. We can get something from time to time. We cannot get all that we are entitled to, but by agitating we will get something from time to time.”
“Many tell us that Home Rule is almost within sight. If we had it, it would embrace everything, and it is not sops and straws we would be getting. Let us keep agitating and by the assistance of the Irish Parliamentary Party and a good strong agitation we are assured that Home Rule is in sight (applause). We have the sympathy of all Nationalists, not only in England, Scotland, Australia and America, but wherever the Irish race is spread all over the world. Englishmen who come over here to govern us after a little experience of the country find that nothing can be done without Home Rule. We are all Home Rulers…”
The Sought Resolutions
[1] That we, the Nationalists of South Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, and Waterford, reiterate the National demand for a native Parliament sitting in College Green, with full powers to make laws for the government of the Irish nation.
[2] We earnestly call upon the Government to hasten the reinstatement of the evicted tenants and to supply the necessary funds for this purpose.
[3] We demand the distribution of the untenanted lands of South Kilkenny among the evicted tenants, the wounded soldier of the land war, or their representative, and among the adjoining small farmers and landless people, to enable them to live in the land of their birth and to prevent their emigration.
[4] We strongly protest again the rejection of the large number of labourers’ cottages, especially on the large areas.
Speech of Michael Meagher, MP for North Kilkenny
The political speech delivered by Michael Meagher had several interesting facts presented. According to Meagher people were leaving Ireland at the rate of 44,000 a year, while there were 68,000 acres of gazing land to be broken up. He noted that forty years previously the lands were cleared of human beings and “handed over to bullocks.” Through the Estates Commission “ranches” in the north of the county were being split up. He gave the example of the Scully ranch where 39 families comprised of 357 human beings were evicted—not for non-payment of rent but to turn the land to grazing. This land was in 1908 being made available for supported purchase by evicted tenants, small farmers and the landless.
Rev. Thomas Phelan of Glenmore
Fr. Thomas Phelan (Glenmore) declared the vote of thanks to Canon Holohan and recited:
Ill fares the land
To hastening ills a prey,
Where bullocks thrive
And men decay.
Canon Holohan (Rosbercon) concluded the meeting with
“We’ll have the land that bore us,
The land shall be our chorus,
We’ll have it yet, tho’ tis hard to get,
With the green flag flying o’er us.”
It is interesting the simplistic approach taken that splitting up large “ranch” holdings would stop emigration without any discussion of birth rates or available alternative employment. Unless the people purchasing the untenanted land provided for each of their children by dividing their land the project would not stop emigration. However, dividing the purchased holding would result in the pre-Famine subsistence farming on smaller and smaller holdings and also would not stop emigration after a generation or two.
See our post of 14 June 2020 regarding creative boycotting in the late 19th century.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
AYLWARDSTOWN, GLENMORE (1961)
Today, we are going to feature information that Danny Dowling (1927-2021) recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Aylwardstown, Glenmore, around 1961. The Irish for this townland, according to O’Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County Kilkenny Ireland (1969, p. 115) is Baile Aighleirt, which translates as Aylward’s homestead. The townland is comprised of 557 acres and is found in the Civil Parish of Kilmakevoge.
A Brief History
O’Kelly cites Carrigan as stating that Gleann silin, the cherry glen or valley, may have been the ancient name for the area. Aylwardstown House built in 1609 has the date chiselled on the blue limestone, Roman-arched doorway with Celtic design floreated, and the original timbers in the “offices houses” were still in place in 1969. Mr. [James] Kelly, the owner in 1969, stated that his grandfather bought the house and lands from the Strange family.
O’Kelly relates that the Half-way House at the cross-roads was a public house until 1836 when the new New Ross/Waterford main road was opened to traffic. [Locally the new portion of the new road was called the “New Line.”] the Half-way House located on the High Road was by-passed. Until 1836 it was a halting place for the stage coaches. For more information concerning the “New Line,” and “High Road” see our post of 14 December 2019. Fields in Aylwardstown include: Cnoc; Cnoc na gcaor, hill of the berries; Garrai; Gort an leachta, field of the monument; Pairc bheag and Pairc mhor.
The last sentence of O’Kelly’s entry for Aylwardstown states that “Leacht Ui Dheaghdha, the monument of O’Dea is by the main roadway.” According to a snippet inserted by Danny Dowling in the Souvenir Programme in 1981 “…the burial place of the legendary Celtic chieftain O’Dea who gave his name to the Barony of Ida…is opposite this half-way house.” The burial mound survived into the 20th century but no trace of the site now remains. (Glenmore Hurling & Football Club’s, Souvenir Programme (14 May 1981) p. 37 marking the official opening of the club grounds).
Aylwardstown Tenants in 1833
In the 1833 Tithe Applotment Books, the townland of Aylwardstown is found in the civil parish of Kilmacanoge (sic). The townland, along with others, was held by lease by Mr. Strange from the Earl of Bessborough. Laurence Strange was the landlord of the townland although he was not the owner of the land. There are 17 tenants listed in the 1833 Applotment Records including: Laurence Strange Esq., 63 acres; Patrick Murphy, 26 acres; John Heffernan, 26 acres; Edmond Henebry, 26 acres; Pat Delahunty, 13 acres; Dennis Ryan, 19 acres; Thomas Hines, 1 acre; David Kehoe, 2 acres; Thomas Haberlin, 2 acres; Richard Fitzgerald, 25 acres; Pat Fitzgerald, 12 acres; Thomas Kehoe, 9 acres; James Irish, 29 acres; Widow Doherty, 19 acres; James Ryan, 17 acres; and James Morrissey, 26 acres.
Danny’s List
In 1961, Danny recorded 19 families or households in Aylwardstown. Birthdates or birth years are provided for some of the older residents gleaned from available public records. For some time after drafting his notebook, Danny recorded the dates of death or simply recorded that a resident had died or left the townland. The recorded information reveals that in 1961, 96 people resided in Aylwardstown with the population comprised of 50 males and 46 females. The largest family was the Aylward family with 11 in the household. There was 1 household recorded with a person living alone (James Fitzgerald known locally as Jim Bryant). All information under residents of Aylwardstown not in Danny’s original list has been placed in square brackets[ ].
Recorded Residents
Males= 50
Females= 46
Eldest Recorded Resident
The eldest resident recorded in the townland was Alice Harrison née Morrissey (2 April 1874) who was 86 years of age in 1961. Alice died on 16 June 1962 at Aylwardstown, Glenmore, at the age of 87. Alice was a widow and her niece Mrs. Mary Aylward née Morrissey, was present when Alice died. Alice was the daughter of Patrick Morrissey and his wife Mary Kehoe, of Aylwardstown. Alice’s brother Thomas (b. 3 July 1871) was Mary Aylward née Morrissey’s father. Alice was married first to a man named Kennedy and as a widow married John Harrison on 30 April 1911 in Waterford. At the time of her marriage Alice was a publican in Ballybricken and John was an engineer.
Recorded Work
Farmer= 10 (10 males; 0 females)
Farm Worker= 10 (10 males; 0 females)
Creamery Worker= 1 (1 male; 0 females)
Post Office=1 (1 male; 0 females)
Factory Worker= 1 (1 male; 0 females)
Clover Meats= 3 (2 males; 1 female)
Railway Employees=3 (1 male; 2 females)
Fisherman= 1 (1 male; 0 females)
Blacksmith (retired)= 1 (1 male; 0 females)
Electrician = 1 (1 male; 0 females)
ESB labourer=1 (1 male; 0 females)
Domestic= 3 (0 males; 3 females)
Shop Assistant= 1 (0 males; 1 female)
Trainer= 1 (1 male; 0 females)
Lorry Driver= 1 (1 male; 0 females)
Secretary (garage)= 1 (0 males; 1 female)
Aylwardstown Residents
[1] CASHIN
Cashin, Mary Anne (22 March 1883) DEAD [no date recorded]
Cashin, Anastatia, daughter
Cashin, Alice, daughter, domestic
Cashin, Maryann “May” [1946-2021] granddaughter
[2] CONNOLLY
Connolly, Thomas (11 Nov. 1907) Fisherman
Connolly, Mary (18 Nov. 1898) wife
Connolly, Martin, son, electrician married [moved to New Ross]
[3] HALLIGAN
Halligan, John (6 June 1908) Farm Labourer
Halligan, Mary (14 May 1908) wife
Halligan, Michael, son, creamery worker
Halligan, Mary, daughter, Clover Meats married [moved to Waterford]
Halligan, John, son, at school
[4] HEFFERNAN
Heffernan, Andrew (23 June 1893) Farmer
Heffernan, Bridget (26 June 1896) wife
Heffernan, John, son, assisting father
Heffernan, Alice, daughter-in-law
[5] DELAHUNTY
Delahunty, Patrick (12 Nov. 1910) Farmer
Delahunty, Mary, wife
Delahunty, Richard, son
Delahunty, Eileen, daughter
Delahunty, Ellen (10 May 1888) mother
Delahunty, James (c. 1916) brother, assisting relative
Delahunty, Edward, brother, assisting relative
Delahunty, Nora, sister
[6] HANNON
Hannon, Peter (21 Aug. 1907) CIE Ganger Gone to England, January 1964
Hannon, Margaret (24 Dec. 1909) wife, haltkeeper
Hannon, Ceclia, daughter
[7] KELLY
Kelly, James G (1 Jan. 1916) Farmer
Kelly, Maura (3 May 1928) wife
Kelly, Nicholas J. (12 June 1954) son
Kelly, Thomas G. (17 Nov. 1955) son
Kelly, Catherine Grace, daughter
Kelly, JoAnn M., daughter
[8] CASS
Cass, Martin, Post Office Worker
Cass, Alice, wife, Haltkeeper CIE
[9] FITZGERALD
Fitzgerald, James (6 June 1897) Farmer
[10] FORAN
Foran, James (15 May 1905) Farmer [last of the Glenmore thatchers]
Foran, Anastasia, wife
Foran, John, son
Foran, Thomas, son
Foran, Patrick, son
Hynes, Mary (28 May 1917) sister-in-law
[11] HABERLIN
Haberlin, John (6 June 1885) Retired Blacksmith
Haberlin, Edmund, son, farm labourer
Power, Stephen, Trainer
[12] ROCHE/FITZGERALD
Roche, William (12 Nov. 1913) Farmer
Roche, Margaret, wife
Fitzgerald, Ellen, sister-in-law, Clover Meats
Fitzgerald, Mary (8 Jan. 1913) mother-in-law
[13] POWER
Power, John (6 Feb. 1906) Farmer
Power, Eily (1 April 1908) wife
Power, Kathleen, daughter
[14] KENNEDY
Kennedy, Richard (15 March 1885) Farmer (died 5 Jan. 1964)
Kennedy, Patrick, son, assisting father
Kennedy, Richard, son, lorry driver (moved to Carriganurra)
Kennedy, Ellen, daughter (gone to England)
[15]] IRISH/PHELAN
Irish, Catherine (26 Oct. 1901) Farmer
Irish, James (10 July 1902) Brother-in-law, assisting relative
Phelan, Mary, daughter
Phelan, James, son-in-law, farm worker
Phelan, (child) [Assumed to be Michael Phelan]
[16] FITZGERALD
Fitzgerald, Michael (23 March 1917) Farmer
Fitzgerald, Catherine, wife
Fitzgerald, Mary, daughter
Fitzgerald, Ann, daughter
Fitzgerald, Carmel, daughter
Fitzgerald, Richard, son
Fitzgerald, John, son
Moore, Joseph, farm labourer [Joe Moore was also listed in Ballinlammy. See our post of 23 Dec. 2020 regarding Joe Moore.
[17] AYLWARD
Aylward, Patrick (17 March 1912) Farmer
Aylward, Mary (5 July 1910) wife
Aylward, Mary, daughter, secretary garage
Aylward, Michael, son, assisting father
Aylward, Ellen, daughter
Aylward, Catherine, daughter, shop assistant
Aylward, Alice, daughter
Aylward, John, son
Aylward, Patrick, son
Aylward, Richard, son
Harrison, Alice (3 April 1882) aunt, retired
[18] DORAN
Doran, Peter (10 June 1910) Factory Worker
Doran, Margaret (10 April 1908) wife
Doran, Kathleen, daughter, domestic
Doran, Margaret, daughter, domestic
Doran, Ann, daughter
Doran, Peter, son
O’Connor, Philip, step-son, Clover Meats
[19] KEHOE/BOYLE
Kehoe, Stephen (2 April 1918) Farm Labourer
Kehoe, Mary (20 Oct. 1919) wife
Kehoe, John, son
Kehoe, Stephen Noel, son
Kehoe, Mary, daughter
Kehoe, Michael, son
Boyle, John, Brother-in-law, Labourer ESB (moved to Rathinure)
Boyle, Margaret, sister-in-law
Boyle, James, nephew
For further information concerning the Half-Way House see our post of 24 July 2022
For further information on the Aylwardstown, Glenmore railway station see our post of 16 Oct. 2021, and for information on the New Ross to Waterford railway line that ran through Glenmore see our post of 2 Feb. 2020.
Did you know that the first plane that landed in Glenmore landed in Aylwardstown? See our post of 10 Dec. 2020 that contains old newspapers clippings.
Special thanks to Jackie Walsh for the photo of the Aylwardstown lodge house where her grandfather was reared. Special thanks to John Kirwan for sharing his father’s Glenmore Hurling & Football Club, Souvenire Programme (14 May 1981). Special thanks to Brian Forristal for the photo of Tommy Connolly, of the River.
Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh