Monday, January 27th, 2025

Last week we posted a post card of the Glenmore Post Office when it was in Fluskey’s shop. This generated an effort to identify people who worked in the second Glenmore post office. One employee I met in the Hanrahan Post office of Glenmore told me that she worked in Fluskey’s. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking several times to Gaulstown native Eily Durney née Boyle (c. 1937-2011).

Eily worked in Fluskey’s as a postal worker and operated the Glenmore telephone exchange. Eily told me that her mother died when she was an infant and she loved to visit neighbour’s houses. One house she particularly liked to visit as a child was Walsh’s of Davidstown. Mrs. Walsh wore long skirts and Eily was always afraid that Mrs Walsh would fall down her circular iron staircase. Mrs. Walsh always seemed to have sweets waiting for Eily to visit. Today, we are going to feature Eily’s dedicated father, Jim Boyle of Gaulstown.

James Boyle (1888-1958) of Gaulstown, Glenmore

Eily’s father was James Boyle. He was born on 24 April 1888 at Gaulstown to Patrick Boyle (farm labourer) and his wife Ellen Hall. (Civil record records her maiden name as Hawe). His sponsors or godparents were Kyran Mullins and Bridget Mullins.  A bizarre note on James’s baptismal record states that Patrick (sic) Boyle married Ellen Hall (Slieverue) on 19 February 1936. We believe the note should read that James Boyle married Ellen “Nellie” Phelan, of Ballinamona, Slieverue at Slieverue on 19 February 1936 (Munster Express, Fri. 21 Feb. 1936, p. 8).

James Boyle’s Parents & Sibling

Patrick Boyle (c. 1853-1927) and his wife Ellen née Hall/Hulle/ Hawe/Hanly (c. 1849-1937) were married on 17 October 1887 at Glenmore. The parish marriage record provides Ellen’s surname as Hanly.  Both Patrick and Ellen were from Gaulstown. Both said they were 30. Patrick was employed as a laborer, and Ellen was employed as a servant. Per the civil record, Patrick’s father was James Boyle and Ellen’s father was James Hawl.

Given the name Hanly was used in the parish records where the parties were best known we believe that Patrick’s wife was Ellen Boyle née Hanly the daughter of James Hanly and his wife Catherine Walsh. If this is true Ellen was born in 1848 rather than 1857. Given that there were only two children from this union it seems likely that Ellen was older than 30 when she married.

In addition to their son James the couple had a daughter Mary Boyle (1890-1961). Mary Boyle was born 27 September 1890 at Gaulstown and her mother’s maiden name is listed as Halle. Her father, Patrick registered her birth on the 9^th of December and told the authorities Mary was born 3 November 1890.  He obviously wanted to avoid any fines for the late registration, however, her baptismal record reveals she was baptised on the 29^th of September.

Very little could be found about Patrick Boyle in local newspapers except the editor of the Munster Express thought he had talent picking winners or perhaps it was a joke. “Paddy Boyle, anyone wanting a straight tip on a horserace cannot do better than have a chat with Mr. Paddy Boyle of Gaulstown, He will set you straight all right. Take my tip for it” (Munster Express, 15 Sept. 1900).

The 1911 census provides that Patrick Butler was 57 and employed as an agricultural labourer. He and his wife reported being married for 24 years. His wife, Ellen’s age was given as 66 they were residing in Gaulstown with their single, 21 year-old, daughter Mary. Their son James was 23, and he was living and working for their neighbour James Kirwan (farmer) aged 55 of Ballyrahan, Glenmore.

 Patrick Boyle (c.1853-1927) died aged 74 in 1927. His niece Ellen Power, of Robinstown, was present when he died. Ellen Boyle née Hanly(? ) died 9 February 1937 at the age of 77. Her son James Boyle was present when she died.

James Boyle Member of the Old IRA

Although it is not mentioned in his obituary, nor on his headstone, James was an officer in Co. C the Glenmore Company of the 6^th Battalion of the Kilkenny Brigade of the Irish Republican Army.   James or Jim, as he was known, served as the Quarter Master from May 1919 to June 1922.   During his years in the Old IRA Jim was observed at Kirwan’s threshing where the outline of a revolver was observed under his coat (Thomas Walsh (1908-1992) native of Davidstown, Glenmore). Jim was a well liked and respected person.  For further information on Co. C see our list of officers and men.       

After independence Jim joined the Irish Free State Army. It is not clear when he left the army, but per the Co. C. records in 1935 he was back in Gaulstown.  From his obituary we know that James also worked for D.J. Gorey, T.D., of Burnchurch after leaving the National Army. Ultimately, he secured employment at Clover Meats where he stayed until his retirement (Munster Express, Fri. 13 June 1958, p. 8).

James’s son Paddy was interviewed in 1994 and stated that his father was one of three men selected by the manager of Clover Meats when it was being set up and sent the three to Wall’s bacon factory in London to be trained in bacon curing. After his training in London James returned to Clover Meats. In addition to his work at Clover Meats he also butchered pigs for local farmers. He was paid in meat which he often traded for other needed groceries. (Newark Advertiser, Fri. 4 Feb. 1994, p. 90).

Marriage & Tragedy

In 1936, after all his adventures, Jim got married at the age of 48. John Kirwan was his best man. He married Ellen “Nellie” Phelan (c. 1906 -1938) of Ballinamona at Slieverue.   

An article in the Munster Express in addition to providing details of the wedding noted that “the bridegroom is a popular member of the staff of Waterford Meat Factory since its inception, and was the recipient of a valuable presentation from his colleagues on the auspicious occasion. He has been also frequently seen on the concert stage with the Slieverue Dramatic Class of which he is a popular member. Their numerous friends wish Jim and his bride many years of connubial bliss” (Fri. 21 Feb. 1936, p. 8).

The couple had Eileen or Eily in 1937 and Patrick or Paddy in 1938. A short time later tragedy struck. On 6 July 1938 Nellie died from influenza and a pulmonary embolism.  Jim was in disbelief as he had believed that God would save his wife (Thomas Walsh (1908-1992) native of Davidstown, Glenmore).

Jim had two infants to care for on his own. His parents were both dead, and his sister Mary was in Waterford working. The neighbours helped, and Mary came back to live in Gaulstown and opened a small shop in their Gaulstown cottage. Somewhere along the line the Boyle cottage also became a polling place where locals cast their ballots. The Boyle cottage continued to be a polling place until at least 1977 (Peter Walsh of Rathinure, Glenmore).

 Brushes With the Law

By all accounts Jim was a dedicated father and worked at the factory and after work on local farms. However, Jim had a couple of minor brushes with the law that ended up in the newspapers.

Jim Boyle was convicted in 1944 of cycling without due care and attention, at Rocklands, on the way from his work at Clover Meats Factory. Jim was fined 2/6. “The prosecution resulted from a collision between the defendant and a motor car driven by Dr. Myles Shelly, Waterford. Dr. Shelly said that although he pulled up the car, Boyle struck the headlamp which was smashed, and went spinning off his bicycle, turning practically a compete somersault on the green margin.”

Boyle was represented by Mr. F.H. Hutchinson, solr. In the course of the statement Garda Sergeant Dalton, said that just before the accident Jim was holding onto a companion’s shoulder, as Jim’s brakes were not good (Munster Express, Fri. 26 May 1944, p. 4.) Jim was 55 years of age when he went spinning off his faulty bicycle.

Five years’ later, Jim, was summoned for being in possession of a single barrelled shotgun and one 12 bore cartridge on 5 February1949, without having a firearms certificate. Jim admitted the charge, and explained there was a fox covert at the back of his place. A few times he hung up a lantern at night to frighten away the fox. This failed, so he got the gun from a man named Kirwan, for whom he had worked from the year 1904 until 1921, and for whom he used to do any kind of work in Spring or the Summer time.

“Supt. Slavin, Thomastown, who prosecuted, said the defendant was a most excellently well conducted man. The Judge said he would mark the case P.O.A. Supt. Slavin intimated that he did not want any order in respect of the gun” (Munster Express, Fri. 4 March 1949, p. 8).

The End of Boyle’s in Gaulstown, Glenmore

James Boyle (1888-1958) died on 5 June 1958, his son Paddy was with him when he died at home. Paddy was 20 when his father died and his sister Eily was 21. Three years later Jim’s sister Mary died on 10 November 1961, aged 71 years.

Patrick “Paddy” Boyle (1938-2014)

Jim’s son Paddy at the age of 16 signed up for the building construction course at the technical college in Slieverue. “They got the pupils to build an extension to the college—we cut out the roof timbers and did some of the bricklaying”. After successfully completing the four year course, Paddy found there were no building jobs. Through his father’s connections, Paddy got a job at Clover Meat (Newark Advertiser, Friday 4 Feb. 1994, p. 90).

After a few years Paddy took the boat from Rosslare on a cold January evening in 1961. He said he carried two empty suitcases. Later that year his Aunt Mary Boyle died. Paddy with the help of a friend of his father obtained a construction job. For 3 years he worked all over London and the South East of England. Then in 1965 he attended an Irish dance in London and met his future wife Breda also a native of Ireland. By 1994 the couple were running Boyle Construction for over 3 decades and had two raised married daughters. (Newark Advertiser, Friday 4 Feb. 1994, p. 90). We believe Paddy died in 2014.

Eileen “Eily” Durney née Boyle (c. 1937-2011)

Eily appears to have been the last of the Boyles to reside in Gaulstown. From  the newspaper account of her wedding we know that Eily worked four years in the Glenmore post office and afterwards two years in the Graiguenamanagh post office. Eily married Tim Durney in September 1962 at Glenmore. She was given away by her brother Paddy. Tim Durney was a farmer from Jamestown, Piltown and that is where they lived and raised their family. (Kilkenny People, Fri. 21 Sept. 1962, p. 7).

Although in 1962 Eily had to give up work she later returned to the post office and in her later years filled in for people on holidays etc. Eily was involved in the Irish Countrywomen’s Association and held county and national offices.

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

The featured photo above is Clover Meats Factory in 1941. (Irish Independent, Fri. 24 Jan. 1941, p. 8)

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh