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Old Style Threshing: Aylwardstown, Glenmore 1976
Forty-seven years ago in September 1976, Michael and Kate Fitzgerald, of the Half-way House, Aylwardstown, Glenmore hosted an exhibition of threshing involving a steam engine, drum and pitcher. It was the first time in about twenty-five years that old-style threshing took place in the Glenmore area (New Ross Standard, Fri. 10 Sept. 1976, p. 17).
Michael & Kate Fitzgerald
Michael Fitzgerald (1917-1982) was the son of Richard Fitzgerald (1868-1955) and Mary Fitzgerald née Walsh (1884-1962) of Aylwardstown. Michael’s wife, Kate Fitzgerald née Hoynes (1923-2008) was the daughter of John Hoynes (1888-1956) and Maryanne Hoynes née Rigby (1882-1926) of Aylwardstown. Michael and Kate Fitzgerald had six children: (1) Richard Fitzgerald; (2) Mary Fitzgerald; (3) Ann Fitzgerald; (4) Carmel Fitzgerald (1957-1976); (5) John Fitzgerald and (6) Michael Fitzgerald. Tragically the couple lost their daughter Carmel in May 1976.
Planning the Event
The original date for the threshing was Sunday the 19th of September. The newspapers reported that the summer of 1976 was hot and dry. However, in September a lot of rain fell. The threshing was to take place between 1 and 4 p.m. but had to be abandoned shortly after it commenced on the 19th due to heavy showers (Munster Express, Fri. 24 Sept. 1976, p. 21).
In an interview in the New Ross Standard, Michael Fitzgerald stated that he deliberately held over barley(sic) and wheat because he thought it was a pity to see the old-style threashing disappear altogether. “For anyone over twenty-five years of age it will remind them of the great threshing days that used to be and it will be an education and thrill for the younger generation who never saw the old fashion threshings” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 10 Sept. 1976, p. 17).
Michael Fitzgerald put a lot of planning into this threshing event. To make the event as authentic as possible Michael attempted to secure ling fish for the threshing celebration as it was the local custom to serve ling at the old threshing dinners. Unfortunately, he was not able to secure ling and had to settle for another type of fish (Peter Walsh, of Rathinure, threshing volunteer).
Michael “retained about six acres of oats and wheat for threshing.” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 10 Sept. 1976, p. 17). He harvested the rest of his oats and wheat utilising a combine, that cut and threshed in the same operation (Munster Express, Fri. 1 October 1976, p. 22). Michael cut the six acres using a tractor and binder, then stooked and stacked. For the last step of the traditional saving of the crop he drew the stacked oats and wheat into old fashion ricks.
Binding, Stooking & Stacking
When the binder cut the oats it tied it with a binder twine into a sheaf of oats. The sheafs were stood up, against each other, in a stook, with the seed heads on top. This allowed the sheaves to dry. Later, maybe 5 or 6 stooks were made into a stack. The stack would be about six feet tall with the sheaves at the top being placed with their heads down and the stubble facing upwards. This formed a circle at the top of the stack to preserve it from the weather. The stack was then secured with a sugán or rope twisted from straw. When the crops were in stacks they were considered saved.
The stacks were left in the field until they were brought to the haggard where they were then made into a rick which was substantially larger. The rick was made in the shape of a house with an eve going up to an apex. The size of the rick depended on the size of the crops that year. Each type of crop had its own rick.
The Threshing
The old threshing equipment was supplied by Michael O’Brien, of Ballyknock, Tullogher, and included a steam engine, drum and pitcher. Thirty men from Kilcolumb, Kilmakevogue and Ballygurrim, Glenmore volunteered to help. The newspapers published that RTE was going to be present to film and a modest charge would be collected from spectators to meet incidental costs. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 10 Sept. 1976, p. 17). One of the volunteers said this week that he does not remember RTE being present on either day and no footage could be found in available archives.
In terms of the admission fee, Richard Fitzgerald shared three photos this week from the 1976 threshing. To the right is the photo of May Cashin (1946 -2021) of Aylwardstown collecting at the gate with Michael and John Fitzgerald. One of the side-effects of the old fashion threshing was the fact that “first-class oaten straw” would be available for thatchers. The New Ross Standard published Michael’s phone number for any interested thatchers.
After the threshing was abandoned on the 19th it resumed on the 26th which was a dark, oppressive day, but the rain held off. The grain was collected and stored in the safety of the barn. The threshing attracted a large crowd of spectators concluded with a traditional barn dance and celebration (Kilkenny People, Fri. 24 Sept. 1976, p. 15). This article was published two days before the second day of threshing occurred.
Richard Fitzgerald this week revealed that the steam engine and mill were stored in his father’s barn for a few years after the threshing perhaps reflecting the difficulty of moving the heavy old machinery. Richard said that straw bales would be stacked around and on the stored old machinery.
Photos
The featured photo above was taken by Danny Dowling (1929-2021). Michael Fitzgerald is standing on the right wearing a hat. The man on the left holding up a bottle of beer is Wattie “Ody” Cody (1928-2009) of Ballycroney, Glenmore. It is believed that the boy on the engine (on the left looks like he is reaching for the beer) is Richard Duggan, of the Garage.
Special thanks to Richard Fitzgerald, of Aylwardstown, for sharing the other three photos. Special thanks to my resident expert, Peter Walsh, for patiently explaining stooking, stacking and ricking.
For further information on the 1907 Glenmore threshing agreement see our post of 7 August 2022.
Please send any corrections, additional information, or photos to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The Anglo-Norman Aylward Family of Aylwardstown, Glenmore
Today, as our fourth excerpt from Carrigan’s, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory, v. 4 p. 93-94 (1906) we feature what he published concerning the Aylward family that gave its name to the Glenmore townland of Aylwardstown. In an Inquisition of 1637, Glanseline appears as an alias for Aylwardstown, it was probably, the original name of the townland (Carrigan, vol. 4, p. 94). In Irish, Aylward is sometimes called Eye-lurth, and sometimes El-e-wurth; Aylwardstown is always called Ball-an-Eye-lur-tha (Carrigan, vol. 4, p. 94) .
The Aylwards of Aylwardstown
“They were an Anglo-Norman race and, presumably, a branch of the Aylwards of Faithleg, in the County Waterford.”
“William Aylward of Aylwardstown, gent., was pardoned in 1562 and 1571; was a juror, 20th March 1585; and was pardoned, Nov. 18th, 1602. Piers Aylward, of Aylwardstown, probably son of William, was Constable of the Barony of Ida, in 1608, and appears as a juror, in 1623. He married Ellen, daughter of John Fitzgerald, Esq., of Gurteen, and had a son and heir, Nicholas Aylward, of Aylwardstown, who forfeited the ancestral estate, viz., Knockduff, Aylwardstown, Robbinstown, Ballinerahy and Haggard, under Cromwell, and was transplanted to Connaught in 1653″ (Carrigan, v. 4, p. 93).
“In 1677 the said Nicholas Aylward had a royal confirmation of the lands (911 acres), that had been assigned him at his transplantation, in the Baronies of Clonmacnoen and Longford, in the Co. Galway. By his wife, Ellinor, sister of Thomas Kelly, Esq., Portreeve of Gowran, he had a daughter, Ellice, who married Mr. James Frayne, of Browntown; and a son Piers. Piers Aylward was made a burgess of Inistioge, in 1688, and was outlawed, as of Aylwardstown, in 1690. He married Eliza Butler (daughter of Sir Richard Butler, and sister of Sir Walter Butler, of Paulstown), by whom he acquired the house and estate of Shankill, near Gowran. His son and heir, Nicholas Aylward, of Shankill, born in 1686, conformed to Protestantism in 1711; from him descends the present Aylward family of Shankill castle” (Carrigan, vol. 4, p. 94).
Returned to Aylwardstown, Glenmore
In attempting to find out if any of the Aylwards returned to Aylwardstown post Cromwell, we did locate a Will dated 28 May, 1715. The Will of Piers Power of Carriogorontory, Co. Waterford suggests that an Aylward was back in Aylwardstown. In his Will, Power left his lands of Carrigorontory, Knockandull, and Ballygarren, with £500 due him by several persons, to Michael Head of Dublin and Nicholas Aylward of Aylwardstown, as Trustees (Entry 212, John Ainesworth, “Survey of Documents in Private Keeping: Third Series,” Analecta Hibernia (1967) Irish Manuscripts Commission).
See our post of 5 January 2023 regarding the townland of Aylwardstown and Danny Dowling’s (1927-2021) 1961 list of residents. See our post of 17 September 2023 regarding Rev. Carrigan and the publishing of his four volume work.
See, Burtchaell, Jack. “The south Kilkenny farm villages.” Common Ground: essays on the historical geography of Ireland (1988): 110-23. This interesting article discusses farm villages of South Kilkenny including Glenmore’s Aylwardstown, Rathinure and Weatherstown. The author acknowledged Danny Dowling (1927-2021) at the end of his article.
Aylwards from across the globe gathered in Waterford in late August 2023. The gathering was organised by John Aylward, retired Waterford publican and the grandson of John Aylward (1870-1929) of Rochestown, Glenmore. Julian Walton delivered an informative and entertaining account of various Aylwards. See our post of 9 October 2022 regarding John Aylward (1870-1929) of Rochestown, Glenmore.
Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The photo of Shankill Castle was transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by RHaworth. For a concise description of “a Queen Anne home with a medieval tower house at its heart,” see the Shankill Castle webpage.
The feature photo above is Aylwardstown House taken in 2004 and is courtesy of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Glenmore in the News: October 1923
There were several articles in local newspapers in October 1923 concerning Glenmore people and teams.
Glenmore Junior Hurling and Junior Football
Although by 1923 Glenmore was well known for its Senior Football Teams, having won several county championships in a row, in October 1923 the Glenmore Junior Hurling team and the Glenmore Junior Football team made it to the Southern semi-finals.
On the last Sunday of September, a meeting of the Southern Board of the County GAA met at Knocktopher to fix the remaining ties in the Southern Championship. Four teams, Hugginstown, Ballyhale, Glenmore and Moondharrig still remained in the junior hurling championship. “Ballyhale was fortunate in securing the coveted bye in the second round…” Ballyhale was paired with Hugginstown. Glenmore was to play Moondharrig.
In Junior Football there were five teams remaining. These included: Cotterstown, Nore Rangers, Haristown, Glenmore and Tullogher. Tullogher had a bye in the second round, thus it was determined that Tullogher would play the winner of the Harristown and Glenmore game. The winner that match would then play the winner of the Cotterstown v. Nore Rangers match (New Ross Standard, Fri. 5 Oct. 1923, p. 8).
Glenmore’s schedule at the end of October was as follows:
Junior Hurling Semi-finals—11 Nov. at Mooncoin, Ballyhale vs. Glenmore, referee Mr. Mark MacDonald.
Junior Football Semi-finals—4 Nov. at Slieverue, Glenmore vs. Tullogher; referee Mr. T King (Munster Express, Sat. 27 Oct. 1923, p. 5).
Glenmore vs. T.F. Meagher
Notwithstanding the forthcoming semi-final games, “a permit was granted for a hurling match between Glenmore (Kilkenny) and T.F. Meagher (Waterford) at Waterford on the 14th (Nenagh Guardian, 12 October 1923, p. 1).
On the 14th at the Sportsfield in Waterford “two matches which excited much interest” were decided. The football match between De La Salle and Gracedieu resulted in an easy win for the former, and, “ if they can retain yesterday’s form, they will have to be reckoned with in the forthcoming League competitions.
“The ball was set in motion for the hurling contest between Glenmore and T.F. Meaghers. This match was considered by many too stiff a test for the city representatives, and as it was played in a continuous downpour it was thought that the much heavier Kilkenny team would obtain a runaway victory. The Meagher’s, playing with great determination under such adverse conditions, and only being defeated by such a narrow margin, must be congratulated on their plucky display. A feature of the game was the magnificent defence of both teams, and the general feeling was that a return match would be well worth witnesses. At the final whistle the scores were: Glenmore, 2 goals, 1 point; Meagher’s, 1 goal, 1 point. Mr. T. King (Knockboy) had charge of the whistle” (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 12 Oct. 1923, p. 3).
Letter to the Editor Re: Glenmore vs. T.F. Meagher
Waterford News & Star, Fri. 12 Oct. 1923, p. 11
Dear Sir—As a consistent admirer of Ireland’s national game, I went to the Sportsfield on yesterday (Sunday) to see how Waterford’s young hurlers would behave against the visitors from “Glenmore.” When the respective teams lined up the disparity in size and weight was very obvious, but having seen the T.F. Meagher’s in action in Dungarvan and defeating the County Champions on their own ground, I did not share the pessimism of some outside the railings who predicted that it was all over bar the shouting. When the first quarter of an hour had elapsed it was plain that the lanes which the “Glenmore” men were expected to make through the home team were a long time becoming visible.
I happened to be at the “Glenmore” goal when the two Co. Kilkenny umpires disallowed the goal for Waterford, although it went fully one foot inside the goal posts before being cleared by the inter-county goal keeper. Size for size the T.F. Meagher team are much superior, and had the ground not been sodden and the goal at the city side not been a mass of slippery mud the result would have been different in spite of the fact that the “Glenmore “men included three parishes and some whose names are a household word in inter-county hurling. All honour to the T.F. Meaghers for their splendid performance against stupendous odds (being short two of their best men). They have chosen an appropriate name, as nearly all of them are fellow townsmen of the illustrious patriot and orator. Thanking you in anticipation for insertion of above, Yours Truly, N. McCann (Camán).
According to the Kilkenny GAA Bible 2019 (p. 31) Glenmore won the County Senior Football Championship and the Junior Hurling Championship in 1923, but failed to win the Junior Football Championship title. See our post of 13 August 2023 regarding the 12 Glenmore Senior Football players who played in the Leinster Senior Football Semi-Finals.
Who was Mary Murphy of Glenmore?
A Remarkable Centenarian—The death took place at Glenmore during the week of Mrs. Mary Murphy at the great age of 102 years. An Instance of her remarkable health was that she was able to walk to Mass up to a short time ago, and was moving about up to a few days before her death. Her recollections of the stirring events of the past hundred years were most interesting. Her varied accounts of the famine of ’48 and ’49 would make interesting reading. She was a young woman then and saw many cases of death from slow starvation; it was a common thing for people to supplement their dole of Indian-meal with cabbage and nettles in order to procure a full meal, and she witnessed men employed in the public works then organised, leaving their homes in the mornings with only a pint of thin gruel for their dinner, the gruel being generally boiled in a large pot at some particular farmstead, the meal and pot being supplied by the authorities. There were no National schools then; the master taught his little class in an old house, or beside a hedge, no trains, no motors or bikes, much less flying machines.
She knew men having to go to Dublin to walk the journey to and back because of not having the money to avail of the mail coaches. In her young days when tea was as rare as ten shilling told pieces are now the family able to procure a pound of it for Christmas were considered well off people. She was held in great respect and the funeral was largely attended by the people of the village and district (New Ross Standard, Fri. 26 Oct. 1923, p. 8).
Unfortunately, no newspaper identified where in Glenmore Mrs. Mary lived or who her husband was. Also, no death register could be located for a Mary Murphy who died in October 1923 at the age of 102.
Watching the World Go By
“An old man in Glenmore district who is past his labouring interested himself by counting the number of motor cars and motor lorries that passed his house between Ross and Waterford during one week recently. At the end of the seventh day his list totalled 352. Truly the age of horsepower has vanished” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 26 Oct. 1923, p. 8).
One hundred years later, 352 vehicles must pass over the N25 between New Ross and Waterford in an hour or two. Can anyone identify the Glenmore man who counted vehicles in October 1923?
Glenmore Creamery
Mr. N.J. Murphy secretary of the Farmer’s Union was appointed to organise the locals at Campile for a proposed creamery. “He visited Glenmore and interviewed the manager of the creamery there, as well as the milk suppliers and obtained a lot of useful facts and figures” (New Ross Standard, Fri.19 Oct. 1923, p. 4).
The Campile Creamery was established and during World War II it was bombed by German bombers in August 1940. For a short article on the bombing click here.
Please send any corrections or additional information etc. to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Waslh
Rochestown, Glenmore (1961)
Today, we are going to feature information Danny Dowling (1927-2021) recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Rochestown in 1961. Rochestown is the largest townland in the parish of Glenmore and in some early records it was spelled as Roachestown. Some of the current residents of Rochestown can find their surnames in the earliest records of the townland.
Background
The Irish for this townland, according to O’Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County of Kilkenny Ireland (1969, p. 114) is Baile na cille, place of the church. The townland is comprised of 890 acres. “Ballynakill is now a subdivision; another subdivision is Ballyilogue, i.e. Baile Ui Laodhog, O’Logue’s homestead. The site of Teampall Fhinnin, Finian of Clonard according to the Ordnance Survey Letters, is on the road north of Rochestown village in a field called Garrai Mhichil Dhuibh, black Michael’s garden. The castle site is near the road south of the village and there is also a Rochestown West village or hamlet. There is a hill called Cnoc an roithleain, hill of the wheel (probably a spinning wheel) and open-air Mass was celebrated at a site called Ath an roithleain, ford of the wheel. Other fields are Ban ard; Ban dearg; Carraig mheanach, the middle rock; Culach cisighe, angle land of the improvised road, and Siolfuar (O).” It is believed that Siolfuar is cold seed.
According to Dany Dowling (1927-2021) during the Black Plague some of the people of Rochestown hamlet near Veriker’s Cross (river road from Aylwardstown to Ringville where it intersects with the lane from Rathinure) moved west to Ballylogue. Martin Walsh’s (c. 1918-1996) mother, Ellie Walsh née Gahan (1884-1965) referred to the area around the cross as Shean bhaile (old town) and Ballylogue as new town.
Tithe Applotment Books (1829)
The landlord was Pierce Edmond Forestall, Esq. (the handwriting makes the name look like Pierc C. Forslau). There were 22 tenants recorded on 20 plots of land, but there is no way of knowing the exact number of tenants as the same name appears on different plots. All the acres below are statute acres.
Plot 73 included (1) James Donovan; (2) Tomas Haberlin & (3) Thomas Walsh, with 60 acres; Plot 74 (4) Thomas Walsh, 115 acres; Plot 75 (5) Laurence Forastall, 41 acres; Plot 76 (6) Richard Gahan, 106 acres; Plot 77 (7) John Kelly, 57 acres; Plot 78 (7) John Walsh, 34 acres; Plot 79 (8) Richard Walsh, 2 acres; Plot 80 (9) Thomas Forastall, 20 acres; Plot 81 (10) Patt Gahan, 50 acres; Plot 82 (11) John Forastall, 20 acres; Plot 83 (12) James Forastall, 12 acres; Plot 84 (13) John Vericar, 23 acres; Plot 85 (14) Patt Kelly, 34 acres; Plot 86 (15) James Fitzgerald, 41 acres; Plot 87 (16) Edward Dollard, 36 acres Plot 88 (17) Patt Doyle, 5 acres; Plot 89 (18) Thomas Gahan & (19) Richard Forastall, 7 acres; Plot 90 (20) Martin Denn, 2 acres; Plot 91 (21) Patt Neill, 1 acres; Plot 92 held by the landlord, 19 acres and Plot 93 (22) Laurence Ennis, 37 acres.
See our post of 6 November 2022 regarding the killing of Catherine Hanrahan née Power of Rochestown in July 1822.
Griffith’s Valuation (1847-1864)
The landlord for Rochestown was primarily Benjamin Conn, Esq. Other landlords included Edmund Forstall, Esq. and Miss Julia Sweetman. There are 34 plots recorded for Rochestown. This list provides a fascinating account of how tenancies were often shingled with the landowner leasing or renting to one person who in turn sub-let or rented part of the holding to others. The following tenants are listed and an effort was made in the record to distinguish the various tenants with same or similar names.
- Thomas Walsh (Tom) 41 acres and on this land were Ann Ryan who had a house & small garden (free) house worth 5s; John Ryan who rented from Thomas Walsh (Tom) a house worth 7s. and (3) John Terry who had a house and office free worth 6s.
- Thomas Walsh (Tom) also rented 14 acres from Miss Julia Sweetman and sublet a house and garden to George Young. Young’s house was valued at 2 s.
- Joseph Gahan and John Gahan, Jr. each held 22 acres belonging to Benjamin Conn, Esq. Joseph’s house was valued at 6s. and John Jr. house was valued at 4 s.
- John Gahan, Jr. and Joseph Gahan also rented 56 acres from Miss Sweetman. Sub-tenants for John Gahan Jr. included John Haberlin who had a house valued at 5s.; James Kirby, Sr. who also had a house valued at 5s. and Peter Kirby who had a house valued at 2s. Joseph Gahan leased a house to George Young valued at 5s.
- James Walsh leased 102 acres, a house and offices from Conn. His house was valued at £7. Walsh sub-let to Thomas Neill a house valued at 5s. and to Michael Henneberry a house valued at 8s.
- James Walsh leased 11 acres from Miss Sweetman.
- James Walsh and John Dollard leased 8 acres from Conn.
- John Dollard leased a house, offices, and 34 acres from Conn. The buildings were valued at £3 15s.
- Ellen Kelly leased a house, offices and 44 acres from Conn. Her house was valued at £2. John Haberlin had a forge on plot 9 that he leased from James Walsh. It was valued at 6s.
- John Forrestal (Poer) leased a house, office and 40 acres from Conn. The buildings were valued at £4 15s.
- John Gahan (Waria) and Patrick Gahan leased a house, offices and 43 acres from Conn. They sublet a house and office to Paul Landrigan valued at £1.
- Patrick Gahan and partners leased 2 acres of wasteland from Conn. The land had no recorded value.
- Patrick Henneberry leased a house and 1 acre of land from James Walsh.
- Bridget Forrestal leased 6 acres from Conn.
- Bridget Forrestal leased a house, offices and 14 acres of land from Edmund Forstall, Esq. Her house was valued at £1 15s. Edmund Holden also leased from Forstall a house & garden valued at 9s. and Mary Cashin had a house leased from Forstall valued at 5s.
- Edmund Forstall, Esq. owned plot 16 which consisted of a house, offices and 146 acres of land. His buildings were valued at £20. On plot 16 Forstall leased a house and gardens worth 12s.. to James Forrestal (Dick). He also had another house with offices worth £3 that was vacant. Forstall owned a salmon weir valued at £10 and leased to Richard Malone a house and gardens valued at £1 13s.
- Forstall rented a couple of acres to Thomas Aylward.
- Thomas Aylward leased a house, offices and 24 acres from Forstall. His house was worth £2 10s. James Aylward leased a house worth 8s. from Forstall. Patrick Kelly leased a house and small garden from Thomas Aylward valued at 10s.
- James Forstall, Jr. leased from Edmund Forstall, Esq. a house, offices and 18 acres. The house was valued at £2 10s. Thomas Greene rented a house from James Forstall, Jr. valued at 8s.
- James Forrestal, Jr. leased from Conn 3 acres
- John Vereker leased from Forstall a house, offices and 20 acres. The house was valued at £2 10s.
- John Vereker leased 3 acres from Conn.
- Denis Magrath had a house, offices, and 68 acres. His landlord was Conn. The house was valued at £2.
- Edmund Ryan rented 1 acre from Forstall.
- John Forrestal, Jr. leased a house, offices and 2 acres from Forstall. The house was valued at £1 10s.
- John Fitzgerald rented a house and 2 acres from James Walsh. The house was valued at £1. Michael Kirby rented a house and garden from Forstall valued at 14s.
- Conn held 37 acres in this plot. Richard Walsh leased a house and offices (valued at £2 10s.) Catherine Manion and Mary Donovan leased houses from Conn each were valued at 5s.
- Thomas Walsh (Jack) rented from Conn a house, offices and 29 acres. James Kirby, Jr. rented a house and garden from Joseph Gahan valued at 15s.
- James Costello leased a house, offices and 1 acre. The house was valued at £1.
- Morgan Denn leased a house, office, 2 acres and a salmon weir from Forstall. The house and the weir were valued at £1 1os. each.
- Thomas Gahan leased 3 acres from Joseph and John Gahan, Jr.
- Thomas Gahan rented from Miss Sweetman a house, offices and 6 acres. The house was valued at £1 15s.
- James Duggan rented a house with 1 acre from Miss Sweetman. The house was valued at 10s.
- John Doyle leased a house, office and 5 acres from Miss Sweetman. The house was valued at £1 12s.
For further information on Pierce Edmond Forstall Esq. and the Conn family see, Martin Forristal (2019) “Mount Ida.” See also our post of 7 October 2023, “An Old Anglo-Norman Glenmore Family: The Forrestalls.”
ROCHESTOWN (1961)
In 1961, Danny recorded 16 families or households in the townland of Rochestown. Birth dates 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.
Danny’s recorded information reveals that in 1961, 62 people resided in the townland of Rochestown with the population comprised of 33 males and 29 females. The largest household was the Heffernan family with 8 persons in their household. There were 2 households recorded with a single person living alone in each house. Information under residents of Rochestown not in Danny’s original list has been placed in square brackets [ ].
Recorded Rochestown, Glenmore Residents (1961)
Males= 33
Females= 29
Eldest Recorded Resident
The eldest resident recorded by Danny in Rochestown, Glenmore was Alice Walsh née Doherty (1875-1962) who was 86 in 1961. Alice was the daughter of Richard Doherty and his wife Mary Merigan of Milltown, Glenmore. Alice was baptised the 3rd of February 1875, yet her birth cert provides that her birthdate was the 15th of April. Her father registered her birth on the 5th of May and obviously gave her birthdate in April to avoid being fined for the late registration. James and Alice were married on 23 August 1904 in Trinity Without, Ballybricken, Waterford. James was living on Morris Road and Alice was resident on Presentation Row. James was the son of James Walsh and his wife Mary Power of Rochestown. Their witnesses were Martin Walsh and Johanna Doherty.
Recorded Work
Farmers= 7 (6 Males; 1 Female)
Farm Workers = 8 ( 8 Males; 0 Females)
Clover Meats 8 = ( 6 Males; 2 Females)
Secondary School Teacher = 1 (0 Males; 1 Female)
Retired Labourer= 1 (1 Male; 0 Females)
Fisherman= 1 (1 Males; 0 Females)
Rochestown, Glenmore Residents 1961
[1] FORRISTAL
Forristal, William (21 Dec. 1915, Clover Meats [Billy Forristal was the first Glenmore person I met in October 1991. He was a fountain of information and for years wrote the Glenmore column for local newspapers.]
Forristal, Bridget (b. 1921) wife
Forristal, Alice, daughter, secondary school teacher
Forristal, John, son
[2] WALSH
Walsh, James (27 July 1877) Farmer dead [died 7 April 1963 in Waterford]
Walsh, Alice [née Doherty] (1 Feb. 1875) wife, died 5 August 1962 [death register reveals her granddaughter Alice Walsh née Wash of Scartnamore, Glenmore was with her]
Walsh, James Patrick, grandson, assisting relative
Walsh, Rosaleen, granddaughter
[3] FORRISTAL
Forristal, John (b. 17 March 1887) Farmer
Forristal, Ellen (b. 1 April 1883) sister
Forristal, Mary (b. 3 April 1881) sister
Ennett, John (b. 1911) nephew-in-law, assisting relative
Ennett, Bridget (b. 1921) niece [née Walsh]
Walsh, Mary (May) (b. 1919) niece
[4] WALSH
Walsh, Ellen (17 Oct. 1883-1965) Farmer
Walsh, Joseph (b. 1914) son, assisting relative
Walsh, Kathleen (b. 1916) daughter
Walsh, Martin [25 Dec. 1918-6 Jan. 1996] son, assisting relative
[5] CONNOLLY
Connolly, Philip (b. 13 Oct. 1891)
Connolly, Edward (b. 14 April 1908) brother, Clover Meats
[These brothers were the last to live in their family home in Ballylogue, Rochestown, Glenmore.] The featured photo above was taken in 2021 when vegetation was removed from around the long house.]
[6] DELAHUNTY
Delahunty, Patrick, (b. 21 June 1911), Farm Labourer
[7] MAGUIRE
Maguire, Catherine (b. 20 April 1890) dead
Maguire, Elizabeth (b. 1925) daughter
Maguire, Patrick, grandson
[8] AYWARD
Aylward, James [Sonny] (4 June 1900-23 April 1962) Farmer
Aylward, Bridget (b. 1902)
Harney, Michael, son-in-law
Harney, Ellen, daughter
[9] DILLON
Dillon, Catherine (b. 28 Oct. 1896)
Dillon, Patrick (b. 1916) son, Clover Meats
Haberlin, Richard, grandson, scholar
[See our post of 27 March 2021 regarding daughter Ciss Dillon (1919-1997) and her WWII work .]
[10] RYAN
Ryan, Philip (b. 17 Oct. 1886) Farm Labourer
[11] KIRWAN
Kirwan, Thomas (b. 7 July 1898) Farm Labourer
Kirwan, Ellen (b. 5 Sept. 1898) wife
Kirwan, William, son, Clover Meats
Kirwan, Alice, daughter, Clover Meats
[12] GRAHAM
Graham, John (b. 1901) Clover Meats
Graham, Mary Ann (b. 1916) wife
Graham, Thomas, son, child
[13] HEFFERNAN
Heffernan, Patrick (b. 1924) Farmer
Heffernan, Anastatia, wife
Heffernan, Mary C., daughter
Heffernan, Catherine, daughter
Heffernan, William, son
Heffernan, Edward, son
Heffernan, Maria Bernadette, daughter
Finn, Patrick, farm labourer
[14] AYLWARD
Aylward, James (b. 1929) Farmer
Aylward, Mary, wife
Aylward, Margaret (b. 1900) mother
Aylward, Mary, sister
Aylward Eileen, sister, Clover Meats
[15] KEOGH
Keogh, John (b. 1916) Farmer
Keogh, Margaret, wife
Keogh, Martin, son
Keogh, Sean, son
Keogh, Eamonn, son
Keogh, Bridget, daughter
Keogh, Margaret, sister
[16] FORRISTAL
Forristal, Michael, Retired Labourer
Forristal, Peter, son, fisherman
Forristal, Michael, son, Clover Meats
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Please send any corrections, further information or photos to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
From Danny’s Files : Christmas Baking 1922
Danny Dowling (1927-2021) the Glenmore Village Historian, in addition to interviewing people also spent a substantial amount of time reading and researching in old newspapers. Before local libraries were equipped to provide copies of old newspaper articles Danny often wrote out the articles in one of his notebooks. Sometimes, he just took down notes concerning the prices of produce at fairs etc. he found in a newspaper. Today, we are going to feature recipes that appeared in the New Ross Standard in 1922 (15 Dec. 1922, p. 3). Danny recorded the recipe for Brandy Butter on a piece of paper that he stuck into one of his notebooks with a notation citing where he found it.
In Danny’s voluminous book collection there were several cook books including some very old cookbooks. Danny was interested in how people lived in the past and although he never mentioned cooking or baking himself to me, he did tell me one December that his brother Pat Dowling (1941-2023) of Cappagh, Glenmore enjoyed making Christmas puddings. Pat started his puddings early and gave most of them away to family and friends. We shall check with Danny’s son Pat, to see if he can shed some light on the Brandy Butter recipe that Danny recorded.
In looking up the original Brandy Butter recipe, from Danny’s notation, we found several other Christmas recipes published with it. It is interesting to see how recipes have evolved over the past 100 years. In 1922 the measurements, when provided, are Imperial measurements. Reference is made to kitchen paper which today must mean greaseproof baking paper. The recipes also employ raw eggs that would not be considered safe today due to salmonella concerns. The Christmas Pudding recipe is called “Grannie’s” and if true must have been in use pre-1900. It is not known how many Glenmore households had stoves or cookers in 1922, but it is believed that most households were still cooking over open fires in large kitchen fireplaces.
A Good Christmas Cake
One and half pounds of flour, one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of currants, one pound of sultanas, half a pound of mixed peel, small teaspoon of mixed spices, a saltspoonful of salt, a tablespoon of golden syrup, two ounces of chopped almonds and eight eggs.
Beat the sugar and butter together until it creams, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one well. When four eggs have been beaten, add a little of the flour, then beat the other four, gradually adding the remainder of the flour. Put the golden syrup into half a teaspoon of milk and add to the mixture, then the salt, spice, fruit, and peel. The fruit should be cleaned, but not washed, and the peel chopped finely.
The fruit is best cleaned by placing on a wire sieve, sprinkled with flour, and rubbed with the palm of the hand. A wineglassful of brandy improves the flavour of the cake. When all the ingredients are well mixed, butter some kitchen paper and line a cake tin, putting a double layer at the bottom.
Bake from five to six hours in a slow oven. Leave in the tin when baked tlll cold.
Icing for Cake
Almond Icing
Two pounds of icing sugar, one pound of ground almonds, three eggs. Mix the sugar and almonds together, well beat the eggs, mix into a stiff paste. When the cake is quite cold, level the top and spread with the paste. [Warning this recipe uses uncooked eggs!]
Sugar Icing
To every pound and half of icing sugar add the whites of three eggs and the juice of a lemon. Beat or whisk the whites of eggs, add the sugar and lemon juice, stirring all the time till becomes stiff, spread over the almond icing, using a clean knife, which should be dipped in cold water. If required more ornamental pipes may be used. {Warning this recipe uses uncooked egg whites!]
Christmas Pudding (Grannie’s Recipe)
1 ½ pounds raisins, 1 ½ pounds currants, 1 ½ pounds sultanas, 1 ½ pounds suet (beef), 1 ½ pounds sugar, 1 ½ pounds mixed peel, 2 teaspoonsful mixed spice, 1 large nutmeg, crumbs of one small loaf, 1½ pounds of self-raising flour, 3 new laid eggs, 2 tablespoonsful of treacle, spoonful of salt, 1 lemon, 3 ounces almonds (ground), 1 medium sized carrot, old ale to mix.
Clean and pick the fruit, chop the suet, and peel finely, grate the nutmeg, rub the loaf into fine crumbs, beat the eggs with the treacle, adding the lemon juice slowly, grate the carrot. When all the dry ingredients are well mixed add the eggs, treacle and lemon juice with sufficient old ale to make a fairly stiff mixture. It should drop from the spoon, which should be a wooden one. This quantity will make several good-sized puddings. Butter some pudding basins, fill them, tie down with floured cloths or kitchen paper, steam for twelve hours. When required, reheat and serve with brandy butter.
Brandy Butter
Two ounces of butter, two ounces of sugar, beat well together, then add gradually a tablespoon of brandy. Serve in a sauce boat. If preferred wine sauce makes a good addition to this pudding.
Wine Sauce
One wine glass of sherry, one of water, a teaspoonful of cornflour, one of sugar. Mix the cornflour with the wine and water; add the sugar, put into a saucepan and stir over the fire until it boils.
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The featured photo of the Christmas pudding is an 1897 postcard. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. “X-mas pudding.” New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed November 26, 2023. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-f516-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
Are any of these recipes close to your family favourites? Did your Glenmore parents/grandparents/great-grandparents in 1922 have a cooker/cooking stove? Danny recorded the earliest motor cars, bicycles, tractors etc. in Glenmore but did not record the earliest cooker/cooking stove or milk machine etc.
Please comment below and send any additional information or corrections to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Three Ancient Glenmore Churches
As our third instalment of Chapter 4, of volume 4 of Fr. Carrigan’s History & Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (1906) (p. 91-93) three ancient Glenmore Churches will be discussed including; Kilcoan (Weatherstown); Kilbride and Kilmakevoge (also called Kilivory). For all three of these ancient churches Carrigan provided not only the dimensions of the churches, important stones he found in the ruins and nearby Holy Wells. While reading the rest of this fascinating volume in the Mullinavat chapter we came across Big Wood Church which we have also included below because it was supported by nearby Glenmore people.
Kilcoan
“Irish speakers call it Kil-choo-ann, that is, the Church of St. Cuan (pronounced Coo-ann, accent on second syllable). Kilcoan church was a rectangle, 18 feet wide internally, and about 37 feet long, the walls being 2 ½ feet thick. The foundations alone now remain. From the amount of very large rough stones lying on and around the site, it must be concluded that the church was rudely built and was of great antiquity. A graveyard of about two acres is believed to have surrounded it in ancient times; but, at present, all appearances of a burial ground have been obliterated, and the site of the church itself is merely a small patch of unprotected commonage beside the public road. About 150 yards to the south, in the wall of a lane-way, is a great, rugged stone, with a basin-shaped artificial hollow, 12 inches in diameter and 3 inches in depth, cut on the surface” (Carrigan, p. 91).
“St. Cuan’s holy well, called Thubber-chooann, is about a quarter of a mile from the site of the church, in the townland of Flemingstown. Beside it is another holy well, enclosed by a wall and called Thubber-Wizzha (Tobar Muire), or the Blessed Virgin’s Well. Both wells are still frequented for devotional purposes by the people” (Carrigan, p. 91).
Previous to the Reformation the parish and church of Kilcoan belonged to the Priory of Inistioge, as appears from the Red Book of Ossory (Carrigan, p. 91)”
[According to Danny Dowling (1927-2021) the site of this ancient church was in the hamlet of Weathertown in a common at the side of the junction of two lanes. Danny recorded that he spoke with Larry Doyle (c. 1933-2021) of Weathertown regarding some stones Larry uncovered on or near the common in Weatherstown. Larry said that he was working for old “Billy Fitz” (Bill Fitzgerald, c. 1905-1983) of Weatherstown in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s. Larry was clearing an area and came across what appeared to be paving stones. From their description and the location Danny concluded that they may have been part of a floor or yard connected to the ancient church of Kilcoan.]
Kilbride
“In Irish, Kyle-vzheedha (Iold Irish Script that looks like, Cill Drugue) or St. Bridget’s Church. The Church was a rectangle, 43 feet long, internally, and 18 ½ feet wide; but the walls, which were 2 feet, 5 inches thick, are now all fallen to a height of one yard from the ground. The entrance door was in the north wall, near the west gable. The graveyard is very large, with portion of a deep fosse at the south-west end. At the east end of the church is an uninscribed head-stone chamfered on both sides, in front, and having carved on it, in relief, an ancient cross patee, [head] inscribed in a circle; it is now deeply sunk in the ground (Carrrigan, p. 91).
“The baptismal font lies in the fosse at the south-west end of the churchyard; it is square on the outside, and quite rough; the basin is 1 foot 7 inches by 1 foot 5 inches; and is 7 inches deep. A holy water stoup, near the west gable of the church, has a round bowl, like a basin, 11 inches in diameter, and 4 ½ inches deep. Another holy water stoup, much resembling this, was taken away out of the churchyard about 1878. A stone, or rather rock, weighing some tons, in the field under the churchyard, has a basin-shaped cavity on the surface, 1 foot in diameter and 6 inches in depth. Besides this rock is a well, supplied with water by a drain from a holy well about 30 or 40 perches distant, called, Thubbervzheedha or St. Bridget’s Well. The drain was made, and the holy well destroyed in the year 1842″ (Carrigan, p. 91).
Kilbride church and parish belonged to the Augustinian Canons of the Congregation of St. Victor, St. Catherine’s Priory, Waterford” (Carrigan, p. 91).
[For further photos of Kilbride ruins and graveyard taken in 2020 click here]
Kilmokevoge
“The church of Kilmokevoge was originally dedicated to St. Mochaevog, or Pulcherius, abbot and patron of Liath-Mochavog, in the Co. Tipperary; but, after the Norman Invasion, it was placed under the patronage of St. James the Apostle (July 25). In Irish it is called Kill—mo-chac-voogue, that is, the Church of St. Mochaemhog or Mochaevog. In English it is often called Kilivory, from a popular notion that mochaemhog means ivory; but this, writes O’Donovan, ‘is truly ridiculous and in every way incorrect’ (O’Donovan’s Ordinance Survey Letters)” (Carrigan, p. 92).
“Kilmokevoge church is rectangular, and, though long a ruin, is still substantially perfect. Internally it measures 42 feet by 18 12 feet. In the west gable, 12 or 14 feet from the ground, are two narrow loops, somewhat damaged and widely apart, each having at top a round arch cut out of a single stone. There is a door in the north side-wall, 3 feet wide below, but all the upper part of the framework is broken away. The wall here 3 feet 2 inches thick. There is a broken window in the same wall, near the east gable, and another window, also ruined, opposite this, in the south side wall. The east window is blocked up by a mural monument of the Stranges of Aylwardstown. There are corbels in the west end for the support of a gallery; and a broken locker in the north side wall, near the east end. Some very large stones may be observed here and there in the walls” (Carrigan, p. 92).
“The church is undoubtedly ancient, but, as its distinguishing features are either entirely destroyed or seriously injured, its age cannot be fixed. Most probably it is older than the middle of the 12th century. In the south east corner beside where the altar stood, rests the Very Rev. Dr. Lower, P.P., on whose monument may be read:
‘Erected by the Revd. Thos. Malley. Doctor of the
Sacred and White Facility of Bordeaux in memory
of the Rev. Stephen Lower, Bachelor of Lovain,
Doctor of Rome, Prothonotary Apostolic, Archdeacon &
Vicar General of Ossory & Parish Priest of Ida,
Who depd. This life the 9th of Janry, 1800, aged 73 years,
Requiescat in pace. Amen.’
Dr. Lower’s grave is hollowed out to a considerable depth by people taking away the clay therefrom, in the firm belief that it possesses virtue to heal their bodily ailments(Carrigan p. 93). Carrigan later in the volume describes Fr. Lower as “one of the grandest characters that figure in the ecclesiastical history of our Diocese. (Carrigan, p. 210).”
“The Strange monument, besides Dr. Lower’s, commemorates Peter Strange of Aylwardstown, who died Dec. 22nd, 1872, aged 67 years; his father Lawrence; his grandfather, Peter, who died at Aylwardstown, Sept. 1824, aged 89 years; and Thomas F. Strange, who was born, May 11th, 1812 and died Feb. 2nd 1897.”
“In the graveyard, at the end of the church, is an altar tomb marking the burial place of the Forrestalls of Rochestown; it has the family arms, and is inscribed to the memory of Mr. Edmund Forrestall, of Rochestown, who died in 1797, aged 45 years” (Carrigan, p. 93).
“A little to the north of the church is St. James holy well, called, in Irish, Thubber San Seeum, or Well of St. James. The church and parish of Kilmokevoge were appropriated by the Nunnery of Kilkilliheen, probably by David fitz Milo, about the year 1240” (Carrigan, p. 93).
[For further information on Fr. Lower, the saviour of Slieverue in 1798, see our post of 11 November 2020.]
[For photos and headstone inscriptions in Kilivory (Kilmakevoge) churchyard click here.]
Bigwood
“The present chapel of Bigwood was built in 1824, by the contributions of the people of the neighbouring townlands in the parishes of Mullinavat, Kilmacow, Slieverue and Glenmore; and to the present day the inhabitants of these same townlands, no matter to which of the four parishes they may belong, look on Bigwood chapel as their own, pay their share of its expenses, and contribute to all parochial collections held here. The old chapel of Bigwood, erected some time after 1787 and discontinued in 1824, stood at the extreme end of the present chapel yard” (Carrigan, p. 179).
[Since Carrigan’s work was published Bigwood has built a newer church in the 1960’s.]
Please send any corrections, further information or photos to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh