April, 2025

On the 17th of March, to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the death of Glenmore historian, Danny Dowling (1927-2021), Glenmore Tidy Towns and glenmore-history.com placed a historical sign at the site where Gaffney’s Mill once stood. This is the first of several planned signs to be posted in the parish. If you stop to look at the sign please look at the stone beneath it. The stone had a date inscribed in it (1810), but the stone when re-used for the pier was placed upside down. Another Glenmore mystery.

Apologies for my tardy posting, but a couple days later my better half and I were off on a cruise to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.

Information Provided: Gaffney’s Mill

This mural, painted by artist Graham Carew, represents Gaffney’s Mill that stood behind this wall. Gaffney’s Mill was one of 3 mills shown in Glenmore Parish on the historical survey map of the 1830’s. The mills included: Grace’s Mill in Mullinahone, Forristal’s Mill in Graiguenakill and Gaffney’s Mill here in the Village. The Gaffney family operated the mill until around 1900. The mill had a water wheel which was powered from a supply of water in a mill pond which was located behind the mill. This water was sourced from the stream that flows through the village, partly diverted at Mullinahone into a mill race.  A man-made canal ran parallel to what’s known as the Mill Road. The water was released on demand and flowed back to the stream via an underground duct. In addition to a corn mill a linen mill was also operated on this site utilizing flax grown in Ballyverneen.

It is not clear when Gaffney’s Mill began operating, but it was in operation in 1798. The local leader of the United Irishman was William Gaffney (c.1763-1798) of Gaffney’s Mill. He was captured by British soldiers and hanged on the 5^th of June 1798. His remains were discovered in an unmarked grave in Rosbercon over a century later with the building of the rail link between New Ross and Waterford. William Gaffney’s remains are now buried in Kilivory Cemetery, Kilmakevoge, Glenmore.

At the bottom of the sign are two GRC codes to direct readers to posts containing further information on glenmore-history.com including local events during 1798 and the discovery of William Gaffney’s remains.

Attendees

Future Glenmore Signs

Plans are underway to post signs marking the carriage house; the Ballyverneen brick pits; the Glenmore Barracks; and the the site of the first St. James’s Church. Please send on any suggestions for additional historical signs to glenmore.history@gmail.com or contact Glenmore Tidy Towns via its facebook page.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh