Monday, December 23rd, 2024

Danny Dowling (1927-2021) copied a large number of newspaper articles into small notebooks. Today we are going to feature an article Danny copied regarding property claims heard in December 1924 involving two Glenmore residents and a New Ross man who tracked his stolen automobile to Glenmore.

The Damage to Property (Compensation) Act 1923

The Damage to Property (Compensation) Act 1923 applied to “injuries” to  property committed on or before the 11th day of July 1921. Section 8 excluded Railway companies from applying for compensation. This was probably due to the extensive damage inflicted on the railways during the War of Independence and subsequent Civil War.

Section 7 excluded losses for (i) watches, jewellery or articles of personal ornament kept by the owner otherwise than as part of his stock in trade; (ii) Coins, bank or Government notes or currency of any country; (iii) postage or other adhesive stamps and (iv) postal orders or post office money orders. In other words the things of value most often stolen were not covered.

Section 9 excluded applicants who “connived, assisted in or actively facilitated” the injury. Section 9 also excluded applicants who associated or “were in league” with the person(s) who committed the injury or the applicant was “a member or helper of or active sympathiser with any organisation engaged in armed opposition to the late Provisional Government of Ireland or the Government of Saorstát Eireann.

The Glenmore Related Claims

The Kilkenny People (6 Dec. 1924, p. 9) published a long list of claims heard in Kilkenny by Judge Scally or Sealy. The name is spelled differently in each article. The actual wording of the article is in italics.

Claim by Patrick Hanrahan of Robinstown, Glenmore

Patrick Hanrahan, Glenmore, claimed £36  5s for goods taken. Capt. W.A. Redmond, BL, T.D. (instructed by Mr. Kelly, solicitor, New Ross), for applicant. James Hanrahan, brother of the applicant, gave evidence as to the goods being taken by armed Irregulars. Judge Scally reported for £24 6s. Captain William Archer Redmond (1886-1932) was the only son of John Redmond (1856-1918).

Claim by Thomas Mullins of Flemingstown, Glenmore

Thomas Mullins claimed £7 17s. 6d. for clothes taken. Same counsel was engaged. Applicant Mullins stated the clothes were taken by armed Irregulars. Judge Scaly said he would report for £5.

Claim by Charles Kavanagh of New Ross

Charles Kavanagh, New Ross, claimed £608 for a motor car. Mr. Matheson, BL (instructed by Mr. Kelly, solicitor) for the applicant. Applicant’s motor driver stated he drove the car with passengers to Kilkenny Feis in 1921. When he went to the yard where he left the car, it was gone and a note was left saying, “Taken by the I.R.A.” The Kilkenny Feis of 1921 was held on Sunday the 9^th of October( New Ross Standard, Fri. 7 Oct. 1921, 4). We could not locate any newspaper article regarding the car being taken in Kilkenny in October 1921. 

 Witness got to know that the car was in Glenmore and he went there and saw the car with the I.R.A. He asked for the return of the car but this was refused.

Applicant stated that the motor car was used by the I.R.A. to drive around a commandant named McDonald, who afterwards became an Irregular. Witness had not got back the car. The Judge reported for £50 for the car; £5 for two overcoats; and £2 for a rug taken away with the car.

There was no McDonald listed in the volunteers of the Glenmore Old IRA see our list including ranks and dates of service.

Appeals

The Kilkenny People (at. 27 Dec. 1924, p. 5) reported that the state appealed two of Judge Sealy’s (sic) judgments at the recent special sitting of the criminal injury to property. The State was relying on Section 9 of the Act which barred people who gave active assistance to the enemies of the duly constituted Government from any right to compensation to which they would otherwise be entitled. None of the cases above were reported as appealed.

The newspaper concluded with “it is only fair to say that Mr. Justice Sealy patiently investigated the circumstances of the cases, and his judgments in both cases seemed to be models of fairness, common sense and judicial impartiality.”

The Glenmore Claimants

Patrick Hanrahan (1886-1957) was the eldest child of Michael Hanrahan (1848 -1898) (farmer) of Powerswood, Thomastown and his wife, Hanoria Mullins (1854-1902) of Gaulstown, Glenmore. Patrick was born in Gaulestown, Glenmore. The family moved to Waterford City where they ran a business. Tragedy struck when the parents both died leaving their young sons orphaned. For information on the orphaned Hanrahan Brothers see our post of 6 Dec. 2020.

Patrick Hanrahan (1886-1957) (shop keeper) of Robintown, Glenmore married Mary Duggan of Flemingtown, Glenmore on 12 February 1924. Thus the couple were married 10 month before his claim was heard. For further information on Pat Hanrahan during the War of Independence see our post of 20 June 2021.

Thomas Mullins (1873-1936) of Flemingstown was the son of John Mullins and Mary Mullins née McDonald. Thomas Mullins married Mary Mullins née Walsh (1873 -1948) of Davidstown on 2 March 1897. Mary was the daughter of Patrick Walsh and his wife Margaret “Peggy” Walsh née Kennedy. Thomas Mullin’s funeral in 1936 was the last horse drawn funeral in Glenmore according to Danny Dowling. An inquest was held on 22 August 1936 where his death from a gunshot was ruled an accident.

Charles Kavanagh (b. 1890) of New Ross

There were two men named Charles Kavanagh living in New Ross in 1924 per a newspaper search. One was a Civil Guard and the other was a publican/undertaker. We do not believe that the claimant was a Civil Guard.

On the 15^th of September 1922, Charles J. Kavanagh of Cross Lane, New Ross, applied to have a liquor license transferred from Mary Anne Kavanagh to himself (New Ross Standard, Fri. 29 Sept. 1922, p. 1). The 1911 Census shows only one Charles Kavanagh in New Ross. He is 21 and a grocer’s assistant living with his 48 year old widowed mother, Mary Anne Kavanagh, publican and grocer. Interestingly, a boarder in the house is Austin A. Butler, aged 22, a newspaper reporter.

In 1913 Charles Kavanagh began an undertaking business at “Kelly’s (old posting establishment) Cross Lane, New Ross” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 27 June 1913, p. 7). In searching for a birth record we found a Charles Kavanagh, born 25 March 1890 at Balynamcont (?), Wexford to James Kavanagh (farmer) and his wife Marianne Butler.

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Please send any corrections, additional information or photos to glenmore.history@gmail.com .

The photo of Capt. W.A. Redmond (1886-1932) is courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, part of the First World War Portrait Collection, Catalogue number: HU 124788. The featured photo above is the Kilkenny Courthouse.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh