1860’s

In searching for information on one subject in local newspapers it is quite common to come across interesting articles relating to Glenmore or its people. The following articles were recently discovered concerning events in Glenmore in the 1860’s. Although it is generally known that there were several local murders of landlords in the 19^th century Danny Dowling stated this week that he was not aware of the manslaughter of John Kelly of Graiguenakill by his friend Thomas Forrestal in 1862. The majority of incidents in the articles below occurred after a Waterford fair and we previously highlighted that it was in early 1867 that ice took down the New Ross Bridge. For an account of the 1867 bridge collapse see our post of 14 December 2019.

Manslaughter of John Kelly of Graiguenakill, Glenmore–1862

In the Penny Despatch and Irish Weekly Newspaper on Saturday the 25^th of October 1862 it received a report dated the 18th from Kilkenny that a quarrel took place in Kilkenny between John Kelly, a farmer’s son, residing at Graiguenakill, and Thomas Forrestal. The two men were returning from the fair of Waterford, on the 6th of October, when Forrestal drew a knife and stabbed Kelly in the breast, penetrating the right lung. Kelly lingered until the 15th of October when he died from his wound. Previous to Kelly’s death Walter Sweetman, Esq., J.P., attempted to take his dying declaration, but Kelly refused to give the name of the party who stabbed him. An inquest was held on the I6th of October, at which an unnamed witness testified that Kelly told him he was stabbed by Forrestal. The jury indicted Forrestal for manslaughter. Forrestal absconded. The newspaper article concludes by reporting that both Kelly and Forrestal were under the influence of liquor at the time of the “unfortunate occurrence.”

The Trial of Thomas Forrestal–1863

 The Saunder’s News-Letter of Wednesday the 29^th of July 1863 reported on the trial of Thomas Forrestal for the manslaughter of John Kelly during the Kilkenny Summer Assizes on the 28^th of July 1863. The defendant, Thomas Forrestal is described as a respectable farmer and he was defended by Mr. P. White. From the article it appears that Thomas Forrestal on the 21^st of October 1862 surrendered to the police and was jailed for nine months as he awaited his trial. The case was prosecuted by Sergeant Armstrong, Messrs. Wall, Q.C., and Curtis. The principal witness for the Crown was Philip Walsh.

Philip Walsh testified that on the 6th of October 1862 he was at the fair in Waterford, with Forrestal and the deceased Kelly. They had ridden into Waterford, and on the way home in the evening, Kelly appeared have fallen upon the road, for his clothes were covered with dust. Forrestal suggested to Kelly to get into a creel, but Kelly said he would walk. [For our international readers a creel, was made when slated wooden sides were added to a horse’s cart to form a sort of cage to convey pigs or a calf to market. The creel sides would slot into the cart and add between two or three feet to the four sides of the cart.]

The three men “proceeded accordingly” on the road as far as the house of a man named Donovan. It was surmised by Danny that this may have been Donovan of the Mill at Ballyrowrah as this was near the junction of the old Waterford to New Ross post road (today known as the High Road) and the New Line (today the N. 25). [Regarding these two roads, see, Glenmore: Between Waterford and New Ross, posted 14 Dec. 2019]  The three men remained for some time at Donovan’s. Kelly at first refused to leave the place with Forrestal. The witness Walsh testified that Kelly wished to court a girl who was there.

Eventually, the witness Walsh, with Forrestal and Kelly, proceeded from Donovan’s, and Forrestal was angry with Kelly for delaying. The witness stated that he said to the defendant Forrestal, “Tom, have sense.” The witness Walsh then left Kelly and Forrestal and crossed the field for a short cut, leaving the others on the public highway. Walsh heard some altercation in the distance, and a voice he considered to be Kelly’s saying first, “Keep out of that,” and afterwards, “That is the worst turn that ever you done.”

The next witness called was James Hanrahan who testified that the morning after this occurrence he went to Forrestal’s house, and informed him that the police were coming. Forrestal and Hanrahan left Forrestal’s house before the police arrived. Constable Powell testified that Kelly was wounded on his left side by a knife, which cut through his shirt. Kelly died on the 15th of October, and on the 21st Forrestal surrendered to the police. When Forrestal surrendered he told Constable Powell “that there was a bad case against him.” [Constable Powell when he retired from the RIC became the first postmaster of Glenmore, see, The Glenmore Post Office: Its Rise and Demise posted 24 Nov. 2019]           

Forrestal’s counsel submitted that there was not sufficient proof that the voice heard on the road was that of Kelly, and that in any event the accused might have been defending himself from the attack of an excited drunken man. The dying declaration of Kelly was given in evidence, in which he said he did not know who wounded him and he had himself to blame for what occurred. The article concludes that Forrestal received the highest character reference, was found guilty, and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Given that Forrestal had spent nine months in jail awaiting his trial the three months’ sentence gave him a total period of incarceration of 12 months for the manslaughter. Unfortunately the townlands of the defendant Forrestal and the witnesses were not provided nor any of the ages of the victim, defendant or witnesses making it difficult to identify these persons.

Another Assault after the Waterford Fair—1864

The Waterford Mail on Monday the 16^th of May 1864 reported the following: “Ferocious Assault—Mr. John Costello, a respectable farmer from the vicinity of Glenmore, while returning from the Waterford May fair on the 4th, was met near the Glenmore Police-station, by James Irish at the head of party. Irish knocked Costello out of the car with a blow of a stick, and while on the ground struck him several times on the head with a large stone. A man named Delany came to the assistance of Costello, and Irish fled. Costello reached the barrack in an exhausted state. His assailant has absconded.”

Killed on the Way to a Funeral–1864

The Waterford Mirror & Tramore Visitor on Wednesday the 12^th of October 1864 reported that on Tuesday a man was killed when he fell from his horse while attending the funeral of a man named Irish. Irish had been killed on Monday evening when he too fell from his horse. “It was stated that the melancholy occurrence [on Tuesday] took place near Carriganurra, on the road leading to Glenmore, the destination of the [Irish] funeral.” The article concludes that this was the third death which took place in this “melancholy” manner within the past week.

Killed from Fall Off Horse Coming Home from Waterford Fair–1866

It was reported in the Waterford Mirror & Tramore Visitor on Wednesday the 21^st of November 1866 that an inquest was held at Parkstown, near Glenmore, by T. Izod. Esq., Coroner on the body of Patrick Murphy, a labourer. Murphy fell from a young horse on the 1^st of November when he was returning from the fair of Waterford. Murphy lingered until the 5^th of November when he died. “A verdict was returned that deceased died from paralisis (sic), caused by injury to the spine from the effects of the fall.”

Police Raids at Cat’s Rock–1867

In the Waterford Mirror & Tramore Visitor of Wednesday the 24^th of April 1867 it was reported that the police of Kilmacow, Mullinavat and Glenmore Police Stations, under Constables Warde and Powell, have been to Cat’s Rock, in the Glenmore District,, and searched several house for concealed arms or other “contraband of war” but without success. No further information was supplied regarding why the inhabitants were suspected of having arms or other “contraband of war” and no further articles were found on the subject.

The featured drawing above is from 1849 found in the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. “Appearance Of Ye Crymynyal Courte Dvryng An “Interestyng” Tryal For Mvrder.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-0cbd-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh

Blog update—we are pleased to announce that two guest articles from Brian Forristal were published earlier in the week on our guest author page. These articles are stories recorded by Brian as told to him by Tommy “of the river” Connolly (1907-1987) concerning Tommy’s experiences as a boy in Aylwardstown, Glenmore during the War of Independence.

Grave Inscriptions—We have completed a survey of the headstones in the churchyard adjacent to St. James the Glenmore parish church, and we are in the process of placing all the inscriptions in a searchable file. The searchable file we hope to put on the blog (technology permitting) and the photos of the markers are being also submitted to Find a Grave to allow descendants around the world to view the headstones.