19th Century
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Glenmore Weddings in the late 19th Century
Danny Dowling when he interviewed local people would usually note the date of the interview and often the place, time of day and weather conditions. The following information concerning late 19th century Glenmore weddings was obtained from one of Danny’s favourite interviewees and friend, Nicholas Forristal, (1888-1979) of the Mill, Graiguenakill, Glenmore. Danny interviewed “Nicky the Miller” on 23 October 1964 in Nicky’s home in Graiguenakill; it was a “coolish, showery” evening.
Nicky the Miller said that Dick Phelan (c. 1825-1923), of Shanbogh married Johanna Conry (c. 1827-1911), a niece of Fr. Conry who was then the parish priest of Glenmore. Nicky believed that the marriage took place in the Glenmore Chapel in the 1850’s because his father Paddy “the Miller” Forristal (1849-1931) when a boy saw the cavalcade of the wedding passing by the Mill after the marriage. “Paddy the Miller” was born in 1849. The custom in those days was for the wedding parties and guests to travel to the Glenmore church on horseback. No carriages or drivers were used at that time. “Before the wedding and before either the bride or bridegroom set out for the church,” all the wedding guests first went to the home of the bride or the bridegroom and “drank plenty of whiskey.” What makes this unusual is the fact that the weddings usually took place at 8 a.m.
The bride and bridegroom, from their respective homes, would set off for the church with their guests “in a procession on horseback.” After the ceremony led by the bride and groom all the guests went in a cavalcade to the marriage feast which was usually held in the barn of the bride’s father or family. “Paddy the Miller” told his son that when Dick Phelan and Johanna Conry were married they led the wedding cavalcade riding together on a single horse. She sat before him on the horse.
Nicky the Miller went on to relate that James Phelan, a son of Dick Phelan and Johanna Phelan née Conry, of Shanbogh, married Peggie Forristal, of Ballyverneen, Glenmore around 1896. Nicky attended the wedding and the “wedding feast.” The bride and bridegroom travelled from the Glenmore chapel where they were married to Ballyverneen, where the wedding feast was held, in “a two horse carriage followed by a procession of drivers and horsemen.” About 150 people were in the wedding procession.
The wedding feast took place in the barn. A long table of planks the whole length of the barn was made on stands with seating to match. The meal consisted of “plenty of spuds in their jackets placed in heaps all along the table with large dishes of pig’s heads that had been cooked in a boiler and cabbage etc. placed at short distances all along the long table. Large quantities of milk, whiskey and beer were available.” The whiskey was served in glasses and the beer in mugs. No note was recorded how the milk was served. Two or three meals were provided as the feast lasted until about midnight. Music was supplied by fiddlers. “It was a wonderful day of eating and drinking and merriment.” Nicky remarked that he well remembered that at about midnight old Paddy Forristal, father of the bride stood up and said “Everybody to their own homes now men.” Immediately everyone commenced to get ready to leave.
Contemporary Records
Although a lot of historians once discounted the value of the oral tradition, or the passing of information from one generation to the next through spoken word, people like Nicky the Miller prove the value of the oral tradition. From parish records it was found that Richard Whelan married Johanna Conry, of Robinstown, Glenmore on the 17th of February 1860. Although no further information was provided such as their respective fathers’ names there is a notation of a disposition being granted by Wm. W. Walsh, the P.P. of Rosbercon regarding the banns. Thus, it appears that the groom’s home parish was Rosbercon, and Nicky the Miller’s father was 12 years old when he saw the wedding cavalcade. These records also highlight the difficulty often encountered. Some records record the family name as Phelan and other records record the family name as Whelan. There are similar difficulties with Dowlings, Doolings and Doolans.
The parish records of Rosbercon provide that at least six children were born to the Phelan and Conry union: James Phelan was baptized 15 August 1861 (his Godparents were John Phelan and Bridget Conry); Mary (b. 9 April 1864); John Phelan (b. 8 June 1866); Jeremiah (b. 10 June 1867); and John (b. 12 Dec. 1869). [It is assumed the child born in 1866 died and a younger sibling was also given the name John.]
Glenmore parish records provide that James Phelan and Margaret Forestall were married 12 June 1895. Nicky the Miller 68 years later was able to provide the approximate year of the wedding as “around 1896.” The bridegroom, James Phelan, was a farmer and the son Richard Phelan of Shanbogh and the bride was the daughter of Pat Forrestal, of Ballyverneen, Glenmore, a farmer. The best man was Jerimiah Phelan, and the maid of honour Mary Forrestal. A review of the 1901 census provides that James Phelan and his wife Margaret Phelan née Forristal were living in Shanbogh Upper with his parents. Per the 1901 census Margaret was born about 1861. Parish records provide that a Margaret Forristal was born on 4 July 1858 the daughter of Patrick Forristal and Ellen Forristal née Kennedy. Although it is not in the interview notes it appears that Margaret Forristal was Nicky the Miller’s aunt. It does not appear that James and Margaret Phelan had any children.
One of the most surprising aspects of this research is the longevity found at a time before antibiotics, through the Great Famine, later when TB was rampant and in the 20th century when the Spanish flu killed millions, some of the above mentioned people lived very long lives. Richard Whelan, of Shanbogh, died on 20 April 1923 at the age of 98. Johanna Phelan née Conry died at the age of 84 on 29 January 1911. Margaret Phelan née Forristal of Shanbogh, a widow died 28 March 1940 at Ballyverneen, Glenmore at the age of 81. Her nephew Laurence Forristal was present at her death. Paddy the Miller Forristal died at the age of 82 in 1931 and Nicky the Miller died at the age of 91 in 1979.
Other Glenmore Weddings
Nicky the Miller also stated that in the late 19th century, in Glenmore, the wedding of the more well to do farmers were held in the mornings, but the weddings of the poor were held in the evenings near nightfall. About 70 years ago prior to his interview Nicky the Miller stated he saw two men without overcoats and two women in shawls (bride, bridegroom, bestman and girl) walking past the Mill at dusk to Glenmore Chapel to get married. They were from Forristalstown. All the poorer people walked to the ceremony. They married with no festivities “and possibly only the ordinary daily meal as the wedding breakfast as we call it now.”
No stories told before the fire on a coolish, wet night would be complete without a ghost story. Before the interview ended that night in October 1964, Nicky the Miller related the following. Dan Doolan, of the Pink, Shanbogh, often told Nicky that when he got married to Anty Mullally, of Forristalstown, both of them walked to Glenmore Chapel at night to be married. Whilst walking back after the ceremony, from the Churns down the New Line, the bride and bridegroom walked with their bestman and woman. All four noticed that a fifth man was walking with them. They recognised that the man who had joined them was Neddy Doolan, of Busherstown, who was dead. He was killed jumping on a horse in Rosbercon one evening after a fair some time previously. He was to have been best man at the wedding and he told Dan that he would be at his wedding dead or alive. It appears that he kept his word.
Although we cannot vouch for what the wedding party saw, a review of Glenmore parish records provides that Daniel Dooling, of Shanbogh, a 26 year old farmer married Anastatia Mulally on 30 August 1886. At the time of her wedding the bride was 28 and her father was Thomas Mulally (farmer) of Forristalstown. Daniel’s father was Edward Dooling, of Shanbogh. A year prior to this on 26 August 1885, Edward Dooling, of Busherstown, Glenmore, a 26 unmarried farmer’s son, died of a “fractured brain” that he sustained 3 days earlier. His sister Maggie Dooling was present when he died at Busherstown.
For information concerning other Glenmore weddings that have been featured in blog posts please see the 1937 wedding of Etta Walsh posted 22 December 2020 or the 1917 prosecution of Glenmore wedding guests from our post of 27 September 2020. For a practical example of a long successful marriage see Enduring Love posted 14 February 2021.
The featured photo is a print of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. “The penny wedding” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1848. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/50f9c000-8cb8-0134-43b3-00505686a51c
Please send any corrections or any ideas for future articles to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Old Rural Recreation: Faction Fighting
Danny Dowling interviewed and recorded some interesting information from elderly residents of Glenmore concerning some of the other business transacted during and after fairs and markets–faction fights. To try to put this information in context some general information on faction fighting is first provided.
Faction Fighting
Faction fighting was where large groups of rural men, and sometimes women, would meet to engage in fighting. The faction could be comprised of extended or allied families or persons from the same parish or townland. It is commonly understood that the practice continued until shortly before the Famine when reforms to the police and judicial systems and Father Theobald Matthew’s temperance crusade impacted on it. This pacification movement was also endorsed by Daniel O’Connell and the Catholic Association (Owens, p. 537). Expressions of concern over faction fighting at this time usually had more to do with the image projected than with injuries or deaths resulting from the fights. As long as the Irish could be portrayed as drunken barbarians bashing each other for fun all economic or political hardships could be blamed on the Irish character. However, “even at its worst the level of violence in Ireland was less than that of England” (Conly, p. 67).
Notwithstanding the efforts to stop faction fighting it re-surged after the Famine. Nineteenth century fiction and materials in the folklore archives at UCD suggest that faction fighting was an immensely popular and violent pastime (Thuente, p. 136) and its legend lived on in oral histories recorded in the twentieth century. Faction fighting was often viewed as a sort of release valve that prevented less controlled kinds of violence, and there were not many actual deaths relative to the enormous number of participants (Thuente, p. 137).
Carolyn Conley conducted a study based upon a Return of Outrages prepared by the R.I.C which listed the 1,932 reported homicides between 1866 and 1892 (occurring outside of the metropolitan area of Dublin), newspaper accounts of the killings and court documents. The author concluded that there was tolerance for recreational violence as displayed in faction fights among judges, jurors, police and journalists, witnesses and even victims. Recreational violence was not a form of misplaced resistance by an oppressed rural population, but a form of sport (Conley, p. 60). After the famine with more prosperity more assaults took place. “It was in the most prosperous areas of the countryside that the violent traditions were longest lived” (Conley, p. 58). The goal was not to injure or kill but to participate in a mutual display of skill and strength. Forty-one percent of all Irish homicides (outside of Dublin) between 1866 and 1892 were recreational in origin (Conley, p. 59).
“A formal faction fight, which might involve hundreds of men on each side, usually began with the ritual of wheeling which included chants, stylized gestures and insults. The traditional wheel included the name of the person(s) issuing the challenge as well as the intended opponent” (Conley, p. 60). There were two recognised acts that signified consent to the fight. The wheel and the removal of one’s coat (Conley, p. 61). While wheels might include insults or references to past grievances, a challenge to see who was the better man would suffice for consent. Women who engaged in “the sport” took the same pride in their prowess as their men (Conley, p. 62).
“In keeping with the recreational aspect of fighting there were rules. Though supporting one’s comrades was expected, in most cases justice required roughly even sides…ganging up was not acceptable…nor was continuing to pummel a defeated opponent” (Conley, p. 61). Due to the fact that the participants had to consent to engage in the fight there were numerous instances where onlookers and witnesses expressed to the authorities that they were not in fear when a faction fight commenced, thus making a conviction for riot impossible. Acceptable weapons included: fists, feet, teeth, stones and sticks. Two and a half percent of the homicide victims in Conley’s study died from kicks and five from infected bites (Conley, p. 62).
The most popular venues for recreational fighting were fairs, markets, and races. “One hundred people died as a result of brawls in these settings, but only a third of the killers served any jail time and only nine served more than two years” (Conley, p. 65). “Brawls were such an integral part of wakes” that even deaths did not make the incidents serious to authorities. Not one person was convicted in any of the fourteen homicides that occurred at wakes and funerals (p. 65). Even in twenty-one cases in which innocent bystanders were killed, deaths from brawls were considered regrettable but not serious. Twenty-six children were killed from injuries sustained in brawls. Only seven of the killers served any jail time at all. Only four people were sentenced to more than two years for the death of a bystander. The brawling tradition began so early in life that a quarter of the children less than sixteen years of age (killed by non-relatives) were killed by another child under the age of sixteen.
Danny Dowling Interviews
On the 22nd of May 1964 Danny Dowling interviewed Nicholas Forristal (1888-1979) of Graiguenakill, Glenmore. Nicky the Miller recalled hearing that the fair or market held at Nash in Wexford had two families that were great faction fighters, the Gunnups and Quigleys. In one of the factions was a family with eleven brothers and one sister. On one of the fair days the sister said—“There is twelve o’clock and not a stroke struck yet. She had a stone in her stocking and she started the melee by striking one of the opposition.” Nicky informed Danny that a stone in the stocking was a dangerous weapon.
Nicky stated that there were various Glenmore factions during nineteenth century at about the time his father was born in 1849 “Grants had upper side of parish, and Paddy Merrigan of Milltown, was the leader of another from the Jamestown side.” A member of the Merrigan faction was Paddy “the Weaver” Walsh from Glenmore Village. Paddy “the Weaver” Walsh cut, prepared, and seasoned the sticks used as weapons by the Merrigan faction.
“On a certain occasion in Glenmore Village before the pubs were out of it, there was a wake in Hanrahan’s house in the Village (alongside Fluskey’s). As the pub was closing members of the rival factions started drifting into the wake. It was a lovely night. Paddy the Weaver was at the wake and someone said to him it was a fine night and he replied, ‘It is a fine night but I think it will be a bloody morning.’ He was anticipating a big row.” Danny Dowling noted that the Glenmore parish priest in about 1870 caused the three Glenmore pubs to close and Glenmore parish remained dry for nearly 100 years making it a very unique Village. Hanrahan’s house in the Village where the wake was being held was the house where Danny Dowling was born in 1927.
Nicky said people were very crude and backward then, and when they got a few pints they deliberately set out to create rows. “The order of the day then was to return home from fairs and hooleys with blood all over you. That was held to be a sign that you were a good man.” Nicky stated that “Watt Power, of Jamestown, was an awful man for rising rows.” He always believed in having blood on him before returning home. He and his wife had a shebeen for awhile where Dick Whelan was living in 1964. “Watt used tell sometime that he had been fighting with Phil Dyháwdin from around Ross. Phil DyhAwdin was renowned as a fierce fighter. Watt, of course, never had anything to do with him.”
James McDonald, of Ballyfacey, Glenmore was interviewed by Danny Dowling on the 11th of June 1970. James reported that Big Jack Ryan of Knockhouse, Kilmacow, was the first of the Ryans to come to Guilcogh, Tullogher to where Richie Ryan was located in 1970. It was due to faction fighting that Big Jack Ryan went to Guilcogh. The Norris family, of Guiclogh, “were the leaders of a great faction fighting team and always won their combats. As they were getting on a bit, they felt that they could not last much longer at the top. Jack Ryan was a great big man and was a renowned faction fighter, so Norris said that if he could get Ryan, he would continue to win the faction fights. Norris therefore got Ryan, brought him to Guilcogh and got him married to his daughter. Ryan had three sons with this Norris girl. She died on the birth of the fourth child. After Ryan joined the Norris faction team it continued to win fights for a long period.
James McDonald stated that after his first wife died Ryan married a girl named Long and had more children. Ryan was said to have divided the farm to each of his four children from his first wife. Each of the four children received ten acres of land. The land allocated to each was too small to support a family. The four children asked their father to give them each four pounds in order for them all to go to America. Ryan gave the four children the money. The four children emigrated to America. The land reverted to Ryan and he divided it among the children he had by his second wife. Unfortunately, in reviewing early parish records the only marriage that could be located between a Ryan and Norris was in 1860 where Thomas Ryan married Margaret Norris in Guilcogh on 12 June 1860.
On the 16th of January 1956, Walter Power (c. 1888-1961) of Jamestown, Glenmore shared with Danny Dowling a poem that the elderly residents of Glenmore recited when he was a lad. It alleges that the first faction fight in Old Ireland was “all on account of St. Patrick’s Day.”
Some fought for the eighth, For the ninth some would die, And whoever said wrong, They would blacken his eye, Until Father Mulcahy, he told them their sin, He said boys don’t be fighting but sometimes combine, Don’t be always disputing about 8 and 9, Combine 8 and 9, 17 is the mark, And let that be his birthday, Amen said the Clerk.
Ironically, the last known faction fight involving Glenmore participants, that Danny Dowling identified, was reported in the New Ross Standard, just a day after St. Patrick’s day in 1893. Fourteen persons, including a woman, were arrested for the faction fight that occurred in Rosbercon after the New Ross fair. According to the newspaper account the court was packed with spectators for the trial of the faction fighters.
If anyone has any corrections or additional information please send it to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
[Additional information from Peter Walsh of Rathinure, Glenmore 20 May 2021–Maths and Irish Teacher, at Good Counsel College of New Ross, Mr. Toby Kavanagh, collected Irish folklore and told his students in 1969/1970 that the shillelagh black thorn sticks used in faction fights were coated in goose greese and put up the chimney for the smoke to harden them.]
The featured drawing is entitled “The Kilkenny Election,” published in the Graphic on 17 Dec. 1890 (p. 723) and depicts a scene at Castlecomer where Parnell was present when “a regular good old fashion faction fight began.” (c) The British Library Board.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Carolyn Conley (1999) “The Agreeable Recreation of Fighting,” 33(1) Journal of Social History 57-72.
Gary Owens, (1997) “A Moral Insurrection: Faction Fighters, Public Demonstrations and the O’Connellite Campaign, 1828” 30(12) Irish Historical Studies 513-541.
Mary Helen Thuente (1985) “Violence in Pre-Famine Ireland: The Testimony of Irish Folklore and Fiction Author(s),” 15(2) Irish University Review 129-147.
Fairs & Markets of New Ross c. 1900
Danny Dowling interviewed Nicholas Forristal, of the Mill, Graiguenakill, Glenmore several times in 1964. Today, we are going to feature Danny’s interview of Friday the 13th of March of that year where Nicky provided information about the New Ross fairs and markets of his youth. “Nicky the Miller” was born on 1 February 1888 and was blessed in that his father, Patrick Forristal (c. 1849-1931) and grandfather lived long lives and shared their knowledge of events and the area with Nicky. Where possible the actual words recorded by Danny of Nicky during the interview are used and marked by quotation marks.
For anyone not familiar with the Parish of Glenmore, Kilkenny lies half way between the City of Waterford, Co. Waterford and the Town of New Ross, Co. Wexford. Until the twentieth century the only market town in Kilkenny close to Glenmore was Thomastown which was further away than both New Ross and Waterford. For information and maps regarding the early main road between New Ross and Waterford see the previous blog post of 14 December 2019. Prior to the earliest bridges being built at New Ross and Waterford people from Kilkenny had to make use of ferries to take their produce to New Ross and Waterford. After bridges spanned the River Barrow at Ross and the River Suir at Waterford tolls were a cost for our Glenmore ancestors when they sought to purchase or sell items in Waterford or New Ross or sought employment in the city or town.
Ancient Fairs and Markets of New Ross
Although the words fairs and markets have come to mean the same thing at one time they were considered distinct occurrences. Generally speaking, market days were set days when sellers and buyers gathered for the buying and selling of a specific commodity e.g. butter, corn etc. The prices agreed in the haggle between the buyers and sellers became the market price. Fairs originally did not occur on a regular basis and were often associated with religious days, where there might be entertainment and a variety of trading e.g. horse and employment fairs. Fairs and markets were vital to the economy of towns and cities and residents relied on food from the countryside. New Ross was no different and several of the early New Ross Corporation books survive and reflect the importance attached to the fairs and markets. The County Wexford Archive has placed some of the surviving books on line with transcriptions.
A fragment from the New Ross Corporation Minute Books for 1634-5 is held in Carlow library. It provides an interesting glimpse into the turbulent 17th century in Ireland. “Most of the entries…concern day-to-day life—keeping the streets clean, securing the water supply, renting out property, protecting the markets and keeping citizens safe.” Control of hucksters at markets was a great concern. (Gráinne Doran & Linda Doran (2020) “A Light on Early Town Governance in New Ross,” 28(1) History Ireland 8-9.) On 17 October 1662 “the toll and customes of the markets and faires of Ross sett and let unto Mr. Barnard White for the ensueing yeare for twenty pound sterling” (New Ross Corporation Minute Book, 1658-1685, vol. 1). In other words, Barnard White for the huge sum in 1662 of £20 became essentially the landlord of the New Ross markets and fairs for a year, and he could set and charge the people engaged in markets and fairs.
Some very ancient customs surround fairs such as the symbol of the glove. In 1710 an order was made in New Ross that no arrests would be made before and after the fair held on the 10th of August. This was not an attempt to encourage or allow criminals to engage in trade. At that time if a person was unable to pay his or her debts that person could be sent to debtor’s prison. Thus, to ensure the success of fairs a sort of safe passage developed. An entry on the 6th of October 1726 ordered that a glove be set up two days before each “faire” day and remain up for two days after the “faire.” The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (30 June 1901, p. 179) in reviewing the entries published extracts of two publications explaining the glove symbol.
“An annual fair is held on Trinity Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Southhampton. It is opened by the Mayor and bailiffs with much ceremony on the proceeding Saturday afternoon. The Mayor erects a pole with a large glove fixed to the top of it, near the miller’s house, and the bailiff then takes possession of the fair as chief magistrate in its precinct during the fair, and invites the Mayor and his suite to a collation in his tent…during the fair no person can be arrested for debt within its precincts. On Wednesday at noon the Mayor dissolves the fair by taking down the pole and glove, or rather ordering that it be taken down” (Sir H. Englefield (1805) Wald Through Southhampton, p. 75). At Exeter a similar custom prevailed:–The charter for Exeter Lammas Fair [Aug. 1] is perpetuated by a glove of immense size, stuffed and carried through the city …It is afterwards placed on the top of the Guild hall and then the fair commences (Hone, Every Day Book, ii, 1059).”
As early as 1662, during the reign of Charles II, legislation was enacted that standardised a firkin of butter as weighing 64 pounds comprised of at least 56 pounds of butter and up to 8 pounds for the barrel. Over a century later, the New Ross Corporation books reflect that in 1783 a clerk of the market was appointed at a salary of £10 per year to ensure proper weight and measures were used and to prevent butchers and bakers from committing frauds. As early as 1747 there were complaints that butter and salmon were being sold at the gates and roads leading to New Ross to the detriment of the town’s people and merchants. In an attempt to control and regulate trading a corn market was built in Robert Street in 1818 just twenty years after the 1798 Rebellion. According to Linda Doran the corn market was not altogether successful. Ten years after it was built all tradesmen were required to weigh and sell their corn at the market. In 1832 markets which were deemed street obstructions in New Ross were removed to the corn market. In 1864 a meeting was called to investigate the possibility to free the bridge from tolls (Linda Doran (2011) “Capturing the Quotidian: New Ross Corporation Books,” 1685-1900,” in 19(5) History Ireland 22-25.)
Fairs & Markets of New Ross at the Turn of the 20th Century
Accoring to Nicky “the Miller” Forristal, up until about 1899 New Ross fairs were held on different dates. In about 1899 the second Tuesday of the month was introduced as the fair day of Ross. When he was a boy Nicky recalled fairs being held on Easter Monday, the 10th of February, and on the 3rd of May—the hiring fair. On the hiring fairs the men and women seeking work “used present themselves with a spancil round their wrists so as to indicate their calling. Those spancils were called booracs and búltáins. Used hire for the quarter. The settlement between the parties was made on the fair. The agreement in most cases was adhered to because if not, the labourer was not paid if he left.”
For non-farmers a spancil is a short length of rope used to hobble an animal. The animal could graze but could not wonder off too far. Well into the twentieth century spancils also were used to keep cows from kicking while being milked. It appears that from what Nicky said that different types of spancils were used to indicate the type of work that the prospective employee was able or willing to perform. The employee would work for 3 months before being paid and if the employee left before the end of the 3 months he would not be paid anything. According to Danny Dowling the agreement included wages, room and board and additionally there might be an agreement on the type and amount of ‘grub’ that would be provided to the employee.
“The fat pig market at Ross was always held on the day before the general fair. Small pigs were sold on the general fair. The people used drive the pigs into Ross on a Sunday evening and put them in some of the yards in the Irishtown. Brewer’s, Teehan’s (where Shea’s were) and Campbell’s yards etc. When the pigs were sold they had to be driven to the boat (Ida etc.) early as it left for Waterford at 9 o’clock in the morning. Hence the reason for the very early start of the fairs.”
Nicky recalled that he drove pigs to Kough’s Bacon Factory on the Quay in about 1899. “Good deal of people worked there, men and women. Made sausages, puddings items and every shop in Ross sold offal meats then. Nicky saw cards up in the shops selling meat which read thus ‘Buy Kough’s Bacon well known for its delicious flavour and standard quality.’ ” According to Nicky, Kough’s Bacon Factory went into liquidation long before the first Great War.
Markets were held in Ross every Thursday and Saturday. The spud market was held on the Quay at Fox’s Pub. The weighing scales for the spuds were “opposite beside river.” The butter market ran from “Bridge to Market House.” Salmon sold at Fish House. At Bank of Ireland—vegetables sold. Opposite the Bank of Ireland on the Quay side fresh herrings were sold from dray cars while in season.
The fowl market was held in John and North St. at either side of the Hotel. Asses, jennets and carts full of fowl were lined up. “The man who would buy the lot would chalk his name on the cart. They were then brought to the boat which was moored opposite Foxe’s. Each fowl buyer had a bed on the Quay where the fowl were put after taking them from the carts, before being put on the boat. This market used always start before the break of day. Hardly any men attended it, only women and chaps. Over before 9 o’clock as the fowl had to be on the boat which left at that time. This market was held on a Thursday. This early market finished when the boat ended in 1904.” For information regarding the Ida and the shipping of animals see our previous blog of 29 February 2020.
“The firkin butter market was held in Charles Street. People brought the fresh butter in buckets to the market. It ended about the First War. Glenmore people stopped attending when the creamery started.” Only the larger farmers who kept several cows could produce a firkin or 56 pounds of butter. Before the Glenmore Creamery opened there were not many cows in Glenmore. Prior to the Creamery opening people from the area with butter went mainly to the Waterford Butter Market. People from Tullogher, who were closer to New Ross, used to travel with the firkins of butter on the Ida to Waterford.
Until the 1880’s a lot of wheat was grown in the Glenmore area. “Then the bottom dropped out of the market owing to the imports of foreign wheat. The last wheat Tommy Forristal, of Ballyverneen [Glenmore] ever had, he was forced to bring it to Thomastown by horses and carts. That was in the 1880’s.” “Very few cattle kept by the local people of this area” prior to 1900. Nearly all cattle were sold as yearlings and even younger. Cows were also scarce. “The farmers with the largest cow herds in Glenmore then were Coady’s of Carrigcloney and Tommy Forristal of Ballyverneen with 20 cows each. After introduction of creamery here the farmers increased their herds.” For information concerning the establishment of the Glenmore Creamery see the previous post of 9 May 2020.
At the turn of the twentieth century Nicky recalled the following prices which ‘were got’ at Ross markets:
- “Seed potatoes 3d stone;
- Pig’s heads 2/= for 12 lbs.;
- Danish Pig’s Heads 1 ½ d [per] lb;
- Butter 6d to 8d per lb;
- Barrel of oats 7/6;
- Barrel of barley 13-14/=;
Nicky went on to explain that fowl and turkeys then were never sold by weight. Instead they were sold by the pair. Until about 1894, “people from this area used go to the fowl market of Grannagh. Had to leave the night before… At that time turkey realised by the pair, cocks 18-20/=; hens 8-10/=.”
To illustrate the prices under the Imperial system–which some elderly Glenmore residents today refer to as “old money”– there were pounds £, shillings / and pence d. There were 12 pence in a shilling, and 20 shillings in a pound. Thus, seed potatoes sold for 3 pence per stone (14 pounds) of potatoes. A barrel of oats sold for 7 shillings and 6 pence etc..
In the next couple of weeks we shall highlight some of the other “business” that occurred at and after local fairs as commented upon by Nicky the Miller in 1964 and recorded by Danny Dowling. Please send any errors or corrections to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The photo of the New Ross Corn Market appeared in Linda Doran’s excellent 2011 article “Capturing the Quotidian: New Ross Corporation Books,” 1685-1900,” in 19(5) History Ireland 22-25. The photo of the corn market is from a glass plate belonging to Jimmy Fitzgibbon and was part of the Cavanagh Magic Latern Collection. Prior to cinemas, Magic Laterns were used to entertain people by the showing of projections from early photographic glass plates. William Cavangh had a collection of these early glass plates of the New Ross area. The photo to the right shows Jimmy Fitzgibbon (on left) with his 150 year old Magic Latern. Edward Delany is on the right. (New Ross Standard, 31 August 2015).
The featured photo above is art work from the New Ross Corporation Minute Book, 1658-1687, p. 50. It reads, “Eusebius Cotton, Esquire, Soveraigne of New Ross, Anno D’ni 1662.”
John O’Donovan (1806-1861) and Genuine Irish Proverbs
As we approach St. Patrick’s Day 2021, we wanted to provide a few Irish proverbs to readers. In our quest for proverbs, we discovered a paper written in 1832 by the well-known Irish scholar John O’Donovan (1806-1861) who was born and reared in the former united Catholic parishes of Slieverue and Glenmore. For a concise biography of O’Donovan and his important work see, https://libraryireland.com/biography/JohnODonovan.php .
As Danny Dowling explained, in some of our earliest posts, the parish of Glenmore did not exist until 1846 when the Catholic parish of Slieverue was split. The old civil parish of Kilcolumb was divided unequally between the Catholic parishes of Slieverue and the new Catholic parish of Glenmore. John O’Donovan’s mother was Elleanor Haberlin, from Rochestown townland, now in Glenmore. She married on 6 October 1788 Edmond O’Donovan, of Atateemore townland, Slieverue. Atateemore was where John O’Donovan was born in 1806. During the 1846 division, Attateemore although in the civil parish of Kilcolumb, and alongside Rochestown, remained in Slieverue Catholic parish.
John O’Donovan is said to have started his education in a hedge school and then attended the Hunt Academy in Waterford City. His father, Edmund O’Donovan died in 1817 and a few years later at the age of 17 O’Donovan went to Dublin. Although a place was secured for him to study at Maynooth he declined it because he did not wish to become a priest. O’Donovan’s first job was in the Public Service Office where he translated and transcribed ancient manuscripts (Munster Express, 10 Nov. 2006, p. 13). From 1830 to 1842 O’Donovan was employed on the first Ordinance Survey researching place names. He was sent into the field and travelled across Ireland. From around Ireland, O’Donovan sent letters to his boss containing descriptions of local lore, tradition and antiquities. These letters were placed in 103 volumes and became known as the “O’Donovan Letters.” “They are not heavy with more erudition, but are enlivened with flashes of humourous anecdotes and many a merry ‘quip and crack and jest.’” (Catholic Encyclopedia, available at https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11210c.htm ). From 1842 until 1861, from time to time, O’Donovan continued to perform work on the Ordinance Survey when requested.
by Bernard Mulenan (wiki)
In 2014 Professor Michael Herity, presented to the Royal Irish Academy a lecture entitled “John O’Donovan’s Work for the Ordinance Survey 1830-61” the slides are available at Prof. Michael Herity, MRIA, ‘John O’Donovan’s work for the OS’. 29-10… (slideshare.net). In addition to highlighting the work undertaken see, slide 23 which highlights an interesting excerpt from one of O’Donovan’s letters. “There is a tradition here that the Goldsmiths are descended from a foreign friar who came to Ireland about a couple of centuries ago, and who seeing every inducement to embrace the Religion of the state broke his vows of chastity, poverty etc. and became a Minister legens. And hence the family were called by the old Irish in their own language lioct maga laide an tean báta, which I avoid translating for the sake of decency. This may or may not be true, but it is worthy of remark that the family are remarkable for lasciviousness and that almost all of the Goldsmiths now living here are illegitimate…All this has little to do with topography.”
Irish Proverbs
In 1832, while working for the Ordinance Survey, John O’Donovan’s article entitled “Irish Proverbs,” was published in the Dublin Penny Journal (Nov. 1832, p. 158-19 available at URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/30003762). A proverb is usually a short saying of popular wisdom to provide practical advice or teach a lesson. O’Donovan noted that from ancient times proverbs were recorded by Plato, Aristotole and Plutarch. “Proverbs owe their origin to the sayings of wise men, allusions of ancient poets, the customs and manners of nations, they are adapted to common use as ornaments of speech, set rules of instruction, arguments of wisdom, to which time has given assent, and maxims of undeniable truth. The peculiar veneration which the Irish have for their ancient proverbs, has given rise to a well known assertion: Ni feider an sean-fhocal do sharúghadh. It is impossible to contradict the old word (proverb.)”
O’Donovan lamented that for a people who entertain such a high opinion of proverbs, it should be expected that a trace of wisdom would appear in the printed collections of proverbs. However, he found that “amongst all the nations of the world,” the proverbs attributed to the Irish, were “the most vulgar, awkward, incoherent, and ridiculous, indicating a lowness of sentiment, and a total lack of mental refinement.” O’Donovan expressed disbelief that no one had previously objected to the proverbs attributed to the Irish. He referenced the Ray collection and re-produced a list of seven “modern English-Irish proverbs of the lowest order, and rudest nature” found in the Ray collection. John Ray (1627-1705) in 1670 published a collection of English proverbs. His book continued to be published through the 19th century long after his death. The new editions were updated and expanded to include proverbs from other countries including Ireland. The seven offending proverbs identified by O’Donovan in Ray’s collection include:
- She is like a Mullingar heifer, beef to the heels.
- He is like a Waterford merchant, up to the ___ in business. [Unfortunately, the blank was not filled in.]
- His eyes are like two burnt holes in a blanket.
- Full of fun and foustre, like Mooney’s goose.
- He looks as angry as if he were vexed.
- ‘Tis as bad as cheating the devil in the dark, and two farthing candles for a halfpenny.
- He’d skin a louse, and send the hide and fat to market.
O’Donovan then listed 84 “genuine Irish proverbs, that he translated principally from Hardiman’s Irish Mintrelsy…” Below is a selection of the “genuine Irish proverbs.”
1. An t-scod dofhaghála’s I is áilne. The rare jewel is the most beautiful.
2. Air li ni breíth fear gan suilíbh. A blind man is no judge of colours.
3. Anuair a bhidheann an cat a muigh bidheann na lucha a g rainnceadh. When the cat is out, the mice dance.
5. Bidh ádh air Amadán. Even a fool has luck.
6. Beul eidhin a’s croidhe cuilinn. A mouth of ivy, a heart of holly. [O’Donovan offered the following explanation “The leaves of ivy are soft and smooth, those of holly rough and prickly—a metaphorical proverb.”]
9. Bidh boirbeacht in-geal ghaire. There is often anger in a laugh.
11. Buaine clú na saoghal. Fame is more lasting than life.
13. Bocht an Eaglais bhios gan cheol. The church that has no music is poor indeed.
17. Claoidheann neart ceart. Force overcomes justice.
18. Caomhnann dochas ant-ingreamach. Hope consoles the persecuted.
22. Dearbhrathair leadranachta clachán. Drunkeness is the brother of robbery.
30. Feárr dreoilin in-dorn ‘ná corr air cairde. A wren in the hand is better than a crane out of it.
31. An te Chidheann amiúgh fuaruigheann a chuid. He who is out, his supper cools.
46. Is treise gliocas ‘ná neart. Wisdom exceeds strength.
47. Is milis fion, is searbh a ioc. Wine is sweet; to pay for it bitter.
50. Is Dall an gradh baoth. Foolish love is blind.
61. Ni fhuil gaol ag aon re saoi gan scun. No one is related to a man without prosperity.
64. Ni fhuil ro aosta re foghuim crinachta. Never too old to learn wisdom.
65. Ni fhuil saoi gan locht. There is no one without fault.
69. Righ miofhoghlamtha is asal corónta. An ignorant king is a crowned ass.
70. Saruigheann Eagna gach Saidhbhreas. Wisdom exceeds riches.
71. Soightheach folamh is mo torann. An empty vessel makes most noise. [O’Donovan noted this was applied to a talkative man.]
72. Saidhbhreas sior subhailce. Virtue is eternal wealth
73. Sgeitheann fion firinne. Wine pours out the truth. [O’Donovan noted that this is applied to a drunken man who foolishly “blabs” out his secrets.]
77. Tosach coille a’s deirc móna. The beginning of a wood; the end of a bog.
79. Fion a n-diu, uisge amarach. Wine today, water tomorrow.
82. Dearg anoir is ionann a’s sioc. Red [sky] in the east [dawn] is a sign of frost.
83. Bogha fliuch na maiden, bogha tirm na trathnona. A rainbow in the morning is a sign of rain; in the evening, of dry weather.
When I first visited Glenmore thirty years ago there were two sayings that I heard that were so expressive that I have never forgotten the sayings or the Glenmore people that said them. While the first saying might be labelled a proverb the second would never be recognised by O’Donovan as a genuine proverb .
- You can’t put a old head on young shoulders.
- Fur coat; no knickers. [For our international readers knickers in Ireland refers to underwear/panties.]
Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2021
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
For information concerning John O’Donovan’s family see, Canon Carrigan, “John O’Donovan and His Immediate Relatives: From the Registers of the Formerly United Parishes of Slieverue and Glenmore, in the County Kilkenny,” Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (6th series, 30 Sept. 1915, p.167-169). Available at https://www.jstory.org/stable/25514417.
Local Artefacts: A Letter from 1859, A Glenmore Football Medal and a 1907 Family Photo
Over the years Danny Dowling recorded information regarding various artefacts that have been discovered in and around Glenmore including ancient burial sites, coins and common household invoices from local businesses. Today, we are going to highlight three different types of artifacts. The first is a simple letter written and mailed in October 1859. Although Danny can not recall how he obtained the letter, or when it joined his collection, it was in a shopping bag with other letters from that era and steamship sailing information and receipts. Danny in his younger days was noted for urging people to donate to local libraries and archives. Often when people were cleaning out a cupboard or attic they would bring old documents, books and records to Danny who would accept the items and try to find a suitable library or archive for the items. If unsuccessful Danny would add them to his ecliptic collection. The second artefact is a Senior Football Kilkenny Championship medal awarded in 1917 to Thomas “Tommy” Forristal, of Rochestown, Glenmore. The third artefact is the 1907 photograph of the Maddock family of Listerlin, Tullogher.
The Letter
Today, with letter writing becoming less common due to email and other electronic means of communication this 162 year old letter, although dirty, is in remarkable condition. Physically, the letter is comprised of a single sheet of paper 16 inches by 10 inches. The sheet of paper was folded in half and the letter was written on one of the halved surfaces (8 inches width and 10 inches height). In the middle 19th century envelopes were not common. After the letter was written the two ends were folded in to form a rectangle 5 ½ inches by 8 inches. The rectangle was folded and the finished rectangle was 5 ½ inches (width) by 3 ¼ inches (height). On the back the ends were secured by wax. On the front are two stamps and the handwritten name of the addressee, Miss Anne Ryan, New Ross. Also handwritten on the front is the word “Registered.” The front of the letter is very dirty, and although the two stamps are postmarked the postmark is not legible. Another postmarked is on the back and reads “New Ross, Oct 2, 1859 A.” It is assumed that this is the postmark reflecting when the letter arrived in New Ross.
Most 19th century paper was made from rags and made without most of the chemicals found in paper today. It is assumed that a stylus type pen was used to write the letter. By the mid-19th century quills were no longer the usual instrument for letter writing. Steel nibs had been developed and were dipped into ink. Fountain pens that had a reservoir for ink did not come into general use until about 1900. The handwriting on the letter is typical of mid-19th century handwriting where the first S in Ross and Miss looks like a modern f. Now that handwriting is not a taught subject in school in many parts of the world it will be interesting if future generations will have difficulty reading and deciphering surviving 20th and 21st century handwritten documents.
The last unusual physical feature is the fact that a hole that is perfectly centred through all layers of the letter. This hole is from where the letter was spindled. In most businesses a spindle, which was an upright spike of approximately 6 to 8 inches in height, was used to hold papers until the papers were filed or destroyed.
The Letter Transcribed
Dublin 1 Oct 1859
Miss Anne Ryan New Ross
Dear Miss Ryan
I have received your letter of yesterday and regret to hear of the death of Miss Murphy. I am sure Mrs. Conell when I mention the fact to her this evening will be very much hurt that it was not communicated to her when it occurred.
I enclose a credit on the Bank of Ireland New Ross for ten pounds account(?) of your half year annuity the 29th Sept of which please acknowledge the receipt(?).
Sincerely(?) Francis Conell
(Registered)
Although several women named Anne Ryan are represented in death records from 1859 to 1900 without an address or approximate age it is impossible to determine who received this letter. From the contents of the letter it would appear that Miss Anne Ryan had an investment with Mr. Francis Conell that paid her twenty pounds per year, a large income in 1859. Given that steamship related tickets etc. were found in the same sack containing the letter it may be the case that Miss Ryan or her family were engaged in ticket sales or other businesses in New Ross. The fact that no house name is provided for Miss Ryan, and the fact that no business or street name is provided on the letter suggests that Miss Anne Ryan was a well known person in New Ross.
The Thomas Forristal Senior Co. Kilkenny Championship Football Medal
The photos of the medal were provided by Brian Forristal. Brian stated that he was told that his grandfather Thomas “Tommy” Forristal (1886-1955) a native of Rochestown, Glenmore wore the medal on his watch chain. The front of the medal is very ornate and reads “T. Foristal.” The inscription on the back is “Kilkenny Senior Football C’ship 1917. Won by Glenmore.” Several hallmarks are visible on the back of the medal.
Thomas Forristal was born 23 June 1886, at Rochestown, Glenmore the son of John Forristal and Mary Forristal née Reddy. Thomas married Kate Roche, of Rathinure, Glenmore at Glenmore on 11 July 1921. Kate was the daughter of John Roche, a farmer in Rathinure. The couple moved to Waterford where they resided at 28 Morgan St. Kate died tragically at the Parliament Street Hospital on 2 March 1923 while 7 months pregnant. Thomas at the age of 41 married another Glenmore native, Sarah Foran (1896-1983) of Kearney Bay, Glenmore. Sarah was 31 years of age when she married Thomas Forristal on 21 February 1927 at St. Patrick’s of Waterford. At the time of his second marriage, Thomas was living at 20 Morgan St. and Sarah was living on Patrick St., Waterford. Sarah was the daughter of John Foran and Ellen Foran née Power.
The Maddock Family Photo
The third artefact is a photo from the collection of Michael Hoynes, of Ballybrahee, Glenmore. It is a family photo of the family of Michael Maddock (c. 1853-1910) and Bridget Maddock née Gaule (c. 1856-1933) of Listerlin in the parish of Tullogher. This 1907 photo is unique in that all family members are present. We know from the 1911 census that Michael and Bridget had 11 children born alive and all were alive in 1911. By 1911 only 5 of the Maddock children were living at home. Their father, Michael had died on 30 July 1910 of cancer of the liver at the age of 57. The photo in addition to depicting the clothing and hair styles of the time shows that Michael Maddock wore a medal on his watch chain.
Michael Maddock (farmer) of Listerlin married on 19 September 1878 Bridget Gaule, also of Listerlin. Michael was the son of David Maddock and Bridget was the daughter of Luke Gaule.
The Maddock family in the 1907 photo (front row left to right) William Maddock (b.1894) (standing); MOTHER Bridget Gaule Maddock (c. 1856-1933) (seated); Bessie Maddock (b. 1898) (seated); FATHER Michael Maddock (c.1853-1910) (seated) and John Maddock (b. 1896) (seated); (back row left to right) Ciss Maddock (b. 1880); Dick Maddock (b. 1891); Bridget Maddock (b. 1886); David Maddock (b. 1882); Luke Maddock (b.1885), Statia Maddock (b. 1889); Molly Maddock (b. 1888) and Sylvester Maddock (1892-1917). Due to Sylvester being an unusual name it was easy to discover that he tragically died at the age of 23 of TB. At the time of his death he was working as a grocer’s assistant.
One Maddock daughter, Bridget Maddock (b. 1886) on 30 January 1913, in Rosbercon married George O’Connor (1881-1965) of Ballyfacey, Glenmore. To this union ten children were born. One daughter of George and Bridget O’Connor, Catherine O’Connor (b. 1917) married Philip James Hoynes on 14 January 1948 at Glenmore.
Special thanks to Michael Hoynes for sharing the 1907 Maddock Family photo and information and Brian Forristal for taking photos of his grandfather’s football medal and sharing the photos.
If there are any errors or omissions or anyone has any information to add concerning Miss Anne Ryan of 1859 New Ross etc. please email us at glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore walsh
Nicholas Forristal Phelan (1857-1941): From Ballyfacey to the Big Apple
When we came across Glenmore native Nicholas F. Phelan’s 1941 obituary in the Munster Express, it was unusual because it was noted that Nicholas had subscribed to that newspaper for over 50 years after he emigrated to the United States. He was a member of the Ballyfacey Phelan family and was 82 years of age at the time of his death which occurred eleven months before the U.S. entered World War II. The Munster Express in February 1941 published a short notice of his death. Then on the 7th of March 1941 the Munster Express published excerpts from obituaries for Nicholas that appeared in the New York Times and Brooklyn Eagle newspapers. Below are excerpts from the Munster Express obituary published 7 March 1941 (p. 8) followed by information concerning Nicholas and his second wife, Dr. Mary Sutton Phelan of Waterford, who served with the French Flag Nursing Corps during World War I . We shall highlight his accomplished sister, Mother Marie Gerard (Anastasia Phelan), in our next blog post.
“In a previous issue of the ‘Munster Express’ we briefly reported the sad news which we had received of the death in Brooklyn, New York, of an old friend and valued yearly subscriber in the person of Mr. Nicholas F. Phelan a native of Ballyfacey, Glenmore, and who in his early years was known and esteemed in business circles in Waterford…Nicholas F. Phelan, of 165 Hull St., a retired importer and brother of Mother Gerard, president of Marymount College, Tarrytown, N.Y., died [the 25th of January 1941] after a brief illness. Mr. Phelan was born in Ireland, and lived in Brooklyn for more than half a century. In addition to his sister, he is survived by his widow, Mary Sutton Phelan; a daughter, Anastasia, and four sons, John, Nicholas J., Patrick and Thomas Phelan. The funeral will be held from the Fairchild Chapel, 86 Lefferts Place, at 9.30 a.m. Wednesday, with a Solemn Requiem Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes R. C. Church, Broadway and Aberdeen Sts., at 10 a.m. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery.
WATERFORD ASSOCIATIONS—It is with feelings of the deepest regret we take this opportunity to tender our sincerest sympathy to his bereaved widow and relatives in the States and at home here in Ireland. As for ourselves, we feel deeply the loss of a sincere life time friend, apart from his being the oldest of the yearly subscribers. His personal letters to us when forwarding the yearly postal subscription in advance were a treat and breathed deep feeling and love for his native land and enquiries regarding the friends he knew who, alas, are every year growing less in number.
Mrs. Mary Sutton Phelan, his widow, is daughter of the late Mr. Sutton, of the once-important firm of Murphy, Sutton and Quinn, 40 and 41 Merchants’ Quay, Waterford, who for more than half a century carried on an extensive grocery and spirit business in the olden days. Mrs. Phelan was sister of the late Rev. Father Sutton, an honoured and esteemed member of the Redemptorist Order of priests in Ireland.
The late Mr. Phelan was widely connected here, and was brother-in-law of the late Mr. John Ennett, D.C., P.L.G., Cappagh Glenmore, whose death we recorded about a year ago, and who was an active member of the old Waterford Board of Guardians and District Council. Mr. Phelan was also brother-in-law of Mrs. Grant, for many years residing at Knocknarea, Priest Road, Tramore, and was widely connected with families in his native townland, Ballyfacey, and adjoining districts, to all of whom we extend our sympathy on the death of one who in life was a lovable true and exemplary man.—R.I.P.”
From Ballyfacey via Waterford to New York
Nicholas Forristal Phelan (1857-1941) was the son of John Phelan and Catherine Phelan née Forristal who were married on the 20th of February 1855 at Glenmore. It is not clear when or why Nicholas began using his mother’s maiden name as his middle name, but it is found in U.S. documents such as censuses, the birth records of his children, and his passport. The parish records indicate that both of his parents were from Ballyfacey and unfortunately the father’s of John and Catherine are not listed in the records. Nicholas’s father, John Phelan, was baptized in Ballyfacy on 10 February 1832 the son of Richard Phelan and Judith Dunphy.
According to the Glenmore parish records and the Civil Birth Register, John Phelan and his wife Catherine Phelan née Forristal had at least ten children: (1) Richard Phelan, bapt. 20 Dec. 1855; (2) Nicholas Phelan, born 10 June 1857; (3) Edmund Phelan, born 14 Feb. 1861; (4) Johanna Phelan, born 25 Mar. 1862—died 1896; (5) James Phelan, born 15 April 1864; (6) Margaret Phelan, born 1 April 1866; (7) & (8) Twins John & Michael Phelan, born 2 April 1868; (9) Denis Phelan, born 15 Feb. 1870 and (10) Anastasia Phelan, born 18 Jan. 1872.
As a young man Nicholas went to Waterford and opened a business. It is believed that it was a grocery business. On the 29th of September 1882, at St. Patrick’s in Waterford, Nicholas Phelan, of George’s Street, married Catherine Condon (c. 1961-1919) of Clonmel. The groom’s father is recorded as John Phelan, farmer, and the bride’s father is recorded as Jeremiah Condon, victualler. The witnesses were James Hayes and Elizabeth Flavin. Immediately after the wedding the newlyweds emigrated to New York.
The city directories indicate that Nicholas’s business premises were at 6 Barclay St. in Manhattan, he worked as a salesman and the family home was at 635 4th Avenue (1889 New York City Directory) Sometime around 1907 the family was renting a house at 165 Hull in Brooklyn and by the time of the 1930 Census owned the home.
According to the 1900 Census Nicholas F. and Catherine Phelan had 9 children and 6 were living. The children listed in the census include: (1) Catherine J. Phelan, born 31 Oct 1861; (2) Anastasia Phelan, born 4 Nov. 1887—died 29 Oct. 1950; (3) John C. Phelan, born 6 Dec. 1888; (4) Nicholas Phelan, born 3 Jan 1893; (5) Patrick C. Phelan, born 15 April 1895– died 29 May 1968; (6) Thomas C. Phelan, born 30 Nov. 1896.
On the 2nd of September 1919, Catherine J. Phelan née Condon died at the home at 165 Hull St. of pneumonia. She and Nicholas had been married for 30 years. Her New York death certificate lists her parents as Jeremiah Condon and Mary Anne Condon. The 1920 Census reveals that his daughter Anastasia and the younger children although grown were still living in the family home and his nephew Dennis Phelan had immigrated in 1919 and was residing with the family. In 1921 Nicholas applied for his first passport. He is recorded as being 54 years of age; 5 feet 3 inches tall with blue eyes and black and grey hair. He recorded that he was born at Ballyfacy, Co. Kilkenny on 10th June 1857 and his father John was deceased. From his emigration in September 1882 until 1921 he was only out of the country in 1913 when he was in England on the 21st and 22nd June and from the 24th of June to the 22nd of July he was in Ireland. According to the application he intended to travel in 1922 to Ireland, England and France.
The Second Wife: Dr. Mary Sutton Phelan (1875-?) a native of Waterford
Sometime after Catherine died in 1919 and 1922 Nicholas F. Phelan married Mary Sutton, a native of Waterford. How or where the couple met is not known. The first record we could find indicating a marriage had taken place were records from the SS France. In June 1922 the couple sailed from Le Harve, France to New York.
Waterford birth records provide that Mary Sutton was the daughter of John Sutton (c. 1847-1898) and Johanna Sutton née O’Brien (c.1853-1928). The known children of this union include: (1) & (2) Twins, Thomas Amary Sutton and Mary were born on the 15th of December 1875; (3) Thomas Moses Sutton was born on 10 September 1877; (4) John Alex Sutton was born on the 15th of July 1883; (5) Anne M. Sutton was born on the 26th of November 1881; and (6) Margaret Sutton, was born on the 2nd of August 1886.
In 1927, the Munster Express (Fri, 22 April 1927, p. 8) published an article entitled, “Distinction for Waterford Lady in U.S.A.” Citing the March 1927 British Journal of Nursing the newspaper revealed that Mary Sutton Phelan was to be conferred a Master of Arts in June… “Mrs. Sutton Phelan quite recently took the degree of a Bachelor of Science, and in addition to this is a fully qualified and State Registered Nurse. Mrs. Sutton-Phelan is well-known among the pioneers of nursing organisations as a lady of great enterprise and initiative. She has a splendid record in her own profession, particularly in the field of welfare work, both at home and abroad. Her work as a member of the French Flag Nursing Corps was specially conspicuous for its excellence—both in French Military Hospitals and in Welfare Work after the War…
Mrs. Phelan is daughter of Mrs. J. Sutton, Lombard Street, Waterford, and formerly of the firm of Messrs. Murphy, Sutton & Co., Quay, Waterford. She is sister of Rev. T. Sutton, of the Redemptorist Order, who from time to time has conducted Retreats and Missions here in his native City of Waterford. Mr. N. F. Phelan is a native of Glenmore parish, and in his early manhood, was in business here, in this city. He is proprietor of an extensive wholesale tea and, wine business in New York, and more than once in recent years, revisited the scenes of his boyhood in and around Glenmore and Waterford. …” [For general information on the French Flag Nursing Corps, see http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/167.html ]
We believe that Mary continued with her education until she earned a doctorate. In the obituary of her step-daughter Anastatia Phelan (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Mon. 30 October 1950) Mary was listed as Dr. Mary Sutton Phelan, Ed.D. Unfortunately we were unable to locate an obituary for Mary. However, we did locate one article from 1916 that reveals information regarding Mary’s work with the French Flag Nursing Corps. We have not been able to verify whether she was a nursing sister or a nun as stated in the article. The following article was published in New Ross Standard, on Friday the 25th of February 1916 (p. 4 ).
“CO. WEXFORD NUNS’ BRAVERY HAIL FROM THE ARTRURSTOWN DISTRICTS. Amongst the brave Irish Nuns ministering to the wants of the soldiers at the front and whose work have won the gratitude and admiration of both doctors soldiers are Sister Mary Sutton of Waterford, who is a first cousin to Mr John Murphy, merchant, Arthurstown; niece to Mrs Johanna Murphy, of Murphy, Sutton and Co., Arthurstown, and sister of the Rev Thomas Sutton, C.SS.R., who was one of the Fathers conducting the Mission in Ramsgrange in 1908, is now siting as Superior of the Rebeval Hospital in the Vosges and her charm of matter and warm heart made her a favourite with all. Sister Sutton has been a member of the Nursing Corps since 1914. She was one of the heroines of the Bruges and after helping to bring order out of the chaos was terribly disappointed when owing to the German bombardment, the Sisters were compelled to leave their hospitals and abandon all the comforts they had gathered together for the well-being of their patients. The Sisters who worked through the Typhoid epidemic at Bruges in the spring of last year, will never forget the terrible sufferings they relieved. Sister Sutton joined the French Flag Nursing Corps two months after the outbreak of hostilities and is now, as stated, in charge of the base hospital at Vosges. Nurse Sutton’s parents are natives of Horeswood parish to which their ancestors have given a name by which it is generally known. She is ably assisted by another Co. Wexford lady. Nurse Carmichael, who was born in Duncannon R.I.C. barrack of which her father was sergeant in charge some years ago.”
The featured photo is a postcard of Fulton Ferry and Brooklyn Bridge–N.Y. side (1900-1909) New York Public Library; NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b17538085.
Barclay St. –3rd Ward Plat Map 1855, New York Public Library Digital Collection (Image No. 1648061) 6 Barclay Street is in the Tribecca Neighborhood of Manhatton. The current building on the site was built in 2006 and has 58 stories with 400 units.
The photo of Nicholas F. Phelan is from his 1921 U.S. passport application.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh