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Posted by: glenmore.history | on March 12, 2023

GRAIGUENAKILL, GLENMORE (1961)

Today, we are going to feature information Danny Dowling (1927-2021) recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Graiguenakill, Glenmore, around 1961. From about 1870 until 1963 Glenmore Village did not have a pub. When the Glenmore pub did open in 1963 it was located in Graiguenakill townland.

Background

The Irish for this townland, according to O’Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County of Kilkenny Ireland (1969, p. 116) is Gráig na cille, or hamlet of the church. This ancient church, in ruins, and Tobar Shan Shém, St. James’s well, is in the southern angle on the Kilmakevoge border. The greater portion of Glenmore village is in this townland. Graiguenakill is comprised of 156 acres. O’Kelly concluded the entry for Graiguenakill with “The parish [Glenmore] was noted for its Gaelic football team.”

Tithe Applotment Books 1833

The Applotment Books record the townland as Graignokill (sic), in the Civil Parish of Kilmacanoge (sic). There are seven tenants listed in the 1833 Applotment Book including: [1] John Fitzgerald, 16 acres (notation under quality states “High Road”; [2] James Murray, 15 acres; [3] Richard Aylward, 14 acres; [4] John Barden, 14 acres; [5] Patrick Kelly 6 acres; [6] Sylvester Murphy 5 acres; [7] Rep late Richard Cody, 7 acres. “These lands are held by the present occupiers from Sir John Niford? Yellagor? Gahan as tenants at will.”

Very little was found regarding the landlord Sir John Gahan. It is not clear whether the landlord of Kilmakevoge, Major Gahan, was Sir John Gahan (landlord of Graiguenakill) or were these landlords relatives? A John Gahan Esq. was located in contemporary newspapers and he was the Surveyor General of Munster for Griffeth’s Valuation.

1961 Graiguenakill, Glenmore

In 1961, Danny recorded 11 families or households in the townland of Graiguenakill. 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, 44 people resided in the townland of Griguenakill with the population comprised of 26 males and 18 females. The largest family was the Morrissey family with 7 in the household. There was 1 household recorded with a single person living alone. All information under residents of Graiguenakill not in Danny’s original list has been placed in square brackets[ ].

Recorded Residents

Males= 26
Females= 18

Eldest Recorded Resident

The eldest resident recorded by Danny in 1961 was Mary Kelly (5 Dec. 1875-11 May 1963) née Maher. Mary was born and raised in Rochestown, Glenmore in the family known as Maher’s of the Rock. She was the daughter of Michael Maher (farmer) and Sarah Maher née Murphy.

On 20 July 1911, Mary at the age of 35 married Michael Kelly of Graiguenakill, Glenmore. Michael Kelly was born on 4 May 1873 at Graiguenakill, the son of James Kelly and Margaret Kelly née Irish. Michael Kelly and Mary Kelly née Maher had two daughters Sarah and Maggie. Michael Kelly died 4 March 1946, and Mary died on 11 May 1963. Mary’s obituary has been placed on our K family surname page.

Recorded Work

Glenmore Village 1980's — Jim B’s Cottage, Graiguenakill, Glenmore Village (photo Jan. 1986)

Farmer= 2 (1 male; 1 female)
Creamery Worker= 1 (male)
Council Worker =l (male)
Blacksmith (retired)= l (male)
Mechanic= 1 (male)
Farm Labourers =2 (2 males)
Labourer=2 (2 mles)
Clover Meats Employees= 2 (2 males)
CIE = 1 (1 male)
Domestic=l (1 female)
Shop Assistant=1 (1 female)
Painter= 1 (1 male)
Dressmaker = l (1 female)

Residents of Graiguenakill, Glenmore

[1] KELLY/O’CONNOR

Kelly, Mary (5 Dec. 1875) Farmer, dead [Died aged 87 on 11 May 1963]
O’Connor, Edward (b. 1919) son-in-law, assisting relative
O’Connor, Sarah (2 Dec. 1912) daughter
O’Connor, Patrick, grandson, at school
O’Connor, Mary, granddaughter, at school
O’Connor, Peter, grandson, child

[2] FORRISTAL

Forristal, Nicholas (1 Feb. 1888) Farmer [Nicky the Miller died 17 March 1979]
Forristal, Norea (12 Nov. 1887) wife [Nicky’s second wife]
Forristal, Patrick (17 Aug. 1917) son, assisting father

[3] FORRISTAL

Forristal, Richard (b. 1923) CIE Employee

[4] MORRISSEY

Morrissey, Phillip (b. 1917) Clover Meats Employee
Morrissey, Kitty (b. 1919) wife
Morrissey, Michael, child dead [Child died 23 March 1962, aged 6 of encephalitis]
Morrissey, Edward, son, child
Morrissey, Philip, son, child
Morrissey, Patrick, son, child
Morrissey, Thomas, son, child

[5] O’KEEFFE

Biddy Doolan’s tiny shop restored by the Glenmore Tidy Town Committee & volunteers 2022.

O’Keeffe, Martin (13 May 1907) Council Worker
O’Keeffe, Bridget (b. 1913) wife [Biddy Doolan had the tiny shop next to the Creamery]
O’Keeffe, Alice, daughter, shop assistant
O’Keeffe, Mary, daughter, domestic
O’Keeffe, Edward, son, tech student
O’Keeffe, Ann, daughter, child

[6] RYAN

Ryan, John (b. 1922) Clover Meats Employee
Ryan, Alice (b. 1918) wife [Later became post-mistress of Glenmore]
Ryan, Mary Theresa, daughter, child
Ryan, John Patrick, son, child
Ryan, James Paschal, son, child

[7] HENNESSEY/CUMMINS

Hennessey, John (16 April 1894) Retired Blacksmith [Died 5 June 1981, aged 87]
Cummins, Mairita, daughter, dressmaker
Cummins, Laurence, son-in-law, mechanic

[8] JONES

Jones, Thomas (16 Dec. 1905) Labourer   [Died 2 July 1978, aged 73]
Jones, Ellen (7 Oct. 1916) wife, home duties
Jones, George (b. 1952) son, child   [twin]
Jones, Eamon (b. 1952) son, child   [twin]

“Jim B. sitting on the lap of his father, James Walsh (c. 1875-1946). His mother, Mary Ellen “Lill” (1892-1968) with Jim’s 2 sisters. One sister became Mrs. M. Breen, of New Ross.

[9] WALSH

Walsh, Mary Ellen (1 Aug. 1892) [Ellen “Lill” died 25 Dec. 1968]
Walsh, James (18 Sept. 1918) son, painter [Jim B. died 21 March 1988]

[10] WALSH

Walsh, Mary Ann (4 Jan. 1886) Dead [Died 16 July 1962, aged 80, at Co. Home]
Walsh, Walter (b. 1933) son, labourer at Stafford’s—Gone to New Ross

[11] POWER

Power, Patrick (b. 1929) Creamery Worker
Power, Mary, wife
Power, Patrick (1 April 1959) son, child
Power, _____ , daughter, child
Power, Martina, daughter, child

[Kathleen O’Connor, of Rathinure, Glenmore, was a sister-in-law of Neddy O’Connor. Kathleen related that Sarah O’Connor née Kelly used to prepare dinner (lunch) for the Glenmore gardaí who would travel to Graighnakill, up the Churns (across the New Line) to Kelly’s on the High Road.]

Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland