1920’s
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100 Years Ago: March 1921
In 1921 Woodrow Wilson was the President of the United States. The Prime Minister of Britain was David Lloyd George and Pope Benedict XV was head of the Catholic Church. In Ireland in March 1921 the War of Independence continued, with the activities of both sides impacting on more and more of the population.
Court Martial Executions
During March 1921 under Martial Law what newspapers could print to keep the public informed was censored. Thus, there are differences reflected in the various local newspapers concerning events. The New Ross Standard apparently sought to alert readers to the fact that it was operating under military censorship and placed a prominent notice that read, “Passed by Censor, As Wexford is included in the Martial Law area, all reports in this issue have been censored by the military authorities” (Fri. 4 March 1921, p. 8). Notwithstanding censorship the newspapers are full of reports of men being taken from their homes, or places of employment, by armed men and never seen again. In some instances, bodies were recovered and sometimes notes were found, on or near the bodies, labelling the deceased a traitor and attributing the death to a particular side in the conflict.
On the 28th of February six men were executed in Cork Barracks between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The Kilkenny Moderator, did not list the names of the men but noted that they were executed in batches of two at intervals of fifteen minutes. Outside the barracks large crowds gathered. Replying to a question in the House of Commons, Sir H. Greenwood stated that five of the men were executed for waging war against the King and the sixth was executed for having in his possession a revolver and a pamphlet entitled “Night Fighting.” The men were all legally represented at the court martial, but no further details were provided regarding the trials. It was reported that the relatives of the men were refused permission to remove the remains for burial. Canon O’Sullivan ministered to the men before their executions and so far as the Church was concerned, they received Christian burials as the Burial Service was read in full. (Sat. 5 March 1921, p. 6). When further executions were announced a resolution was adopted by the Cork Corporation protesting against the proposed executions “as absolutely unjust, and against the law of civilised warfare.” (New Ross Standard, Fri 25 March 1921, p. 8).
On Monday the 14th of March 1921 six men were also executed in Dublin after court marital. However, instead of being shot these six men were hanged like common criminals in Mountjoy Prison. Details concerning the six executed men were provided in the New Ross Standard. Thomas J. Bryan, was 23 years old, an electrical engineer and had only been married 3 months. Patrick Doyle, was also 23 years of age and was a carpenter by trade. He was a married father of three children. His eldest child was 3 ½ years of age and his younger children were twins born two weeks before his execution. One of the twins died the Saturday before. The remaining four men were 19 years of age. Francis Flood was an engineering student at Dublin University College. Bernard Ryan was the only son of an aged and widowed mother. He held a position as a Government official which he left for a clerkship in a Dublin firm. Patrick Moran was a grocer’s assistant, in the Main St. of Blackrock. He was President of the Grocers’ Assistant Association in Dublin. Thomas Whelan moved to Dublin at the age of 16 from Connemara, Co. Galway, to work for the M.G. W. Railway. It was reported that his aged mother travelled to Dublin to comfort him during his trial. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 18 March 1921, p. 4). Today, we know that some of the personal information concerning the executed men is wrong the above information was taken from the contemporary newspapers accounts that were operating under military censorship.
Thomas Whelan and Patrick Moran were convicted by court martial for the murder of British officers on Sunday, November 21st, and the remaining four were found guilty of complicity in an attack on Crown forces at Drumcondra (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 19 March 1921, p. 4) and thus committed treason by waging war against the King. Similar to the previous executions in Cork the condemned men were executed in pairs. “Whelan and Moran were the first to approach the scaffold, and at six o’clock the bolt was drawn. An hour later Doyle and Ryan were launched into eternity, and at eight o’clock Flood and Bryan paid the supreme penalty.” (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 19 March 1921, p. 4).
On execution day, long before dawn, people began to gather outside the gates of Mountjoy. It was reported that nearly 1,000 people knelt at the gates reciting the Rosary, “which was given out at intervals by a lady attached to Cumann na MBan.” Many carried lighted candles, by the time the last pair were led to the scaffold it was reported that 40,000 people had gathered. People also gathered in churches and workers downed tools the morning of the executions. The Cumann na Mban arrived “in force” bearing banners with inscriptions. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 18 March 1921, p. 4). “Contrary to the usual prison observances, the passing away of the condemned men was not announced by the tolling of the prison bell, nor was any black flag hoisted. At half-past eight the prison gates swung partly open, and an official nailed up the typewritten announcement intimating that the sentences of death had been duly executed. Immediately behind the gates could be observed an armoured car.” (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 19 March 1921, p. 4). Mrs. Whelan, in her striking Connemara garb, occupied a chair beside the gate, asked that the notice of the executions be taken down and given to her so she could kiss her son’s name. The official silently complied with her request. The crowd then began to recite the Rosary in Irish. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 18 March 1921, p. 4).
Although the relatives requested the bodies of the executed men all requests were refused. The men were buried on the grounds of Mountjoy and their graves remained unmarked until the 1930’s. However, it was not until this century that these men became recognised and dubbed part of the Forgotten 10. During the War of Independence ten Republicans were hanged in Mountjoy prison. Kevin Barry was the first Republican executed after the leaders of the Easter Rising. On the 1st of November 2000, the 80th anniversary of Kevin Barry’s execution the remains of all ten men were exhumed and buried with a full State Funeral in Glasnevin cemetery.
Waterford Court Martial Cases
Closer to Glenmore, in Kilkenny City it was reported at the end of February that a large group of armed men terrorised the city after midnight, detaining people, discharging firearms, breaking windows, stealing money and chocolates. “The R.I.C. took into custody five of their new police motor mechanics in connection with the occurrences and that they have been handed over to the military authorities to be tried by court martial. The occurrences aroused great consternation in the localities in which they took place, and great indignation is rightly felt amongst the citizens at such an unprecedented disturbance of the peace of the city.” (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 5 March 1921, p. 4). The court martial was held in Waterford City and two R.I.C. officers testified against the five mechanics regarding statements they made when they returned late to the barracks, long after their passes expired. The mechanics alleged that they had been detained by Sinn Feiners. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 26 March 1921, p. 4). Eventually, the R.I.C. mechanics were acquitted. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 2 Apr. 1921, p. 5).
In a separate Waterford Court Martial trial John McBride, of Knockmoylan, Co. Kilkenny was tried for failing to report to Crown authorities a possible attack on the Mullinavat Barracks. On the 17th of January the Mullinavat Barracks came under attack. A party of police and military coming from Kilkenny to assist the besieged police found a barricade of stones at the railway crossing at Knockmoylan. It was reported that one of the stones weighed four or five cwt (448 to 560 pounds). The defendant as the railway linesman lived right across the line from where the barricade was placed. It was alleged that “it was a reasonable assumption that the prisoner, living so close to the barricade must have known of it.” It was also alleged that the barricade was part of the plan to attack the Mullinavat barracks. The defendant stated he went to bed the night before and locked the gates. He did not leave his house until the 7:40 train passed and he then saw the stones. He could not move them without assistance and was waiting for his ganger to arrive. The police arrived and arrested him. The crossing was located four or five miles from Mullinavat. The defendant stated he had no political affiliation, and he was found not guilty (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 5 March 1921, p. 4).
Trenching Roads and Damaging Bridges
As the weaker armed Republicans continued to fight Crown forces, roads and bridges were blocked or rendered impassable in order to stage ambushes or to keep Crown reinforcements from arriving. For example, in early March 1921 roads were blocked in eleven places in the Bagenalstown district by trees and other obstructions. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 5 March 1921, p. 4). In the Diocese of Ossory, in which Glenmore is located, several roads were reported trenched in several locations. Local workmen were commandeered by the R.I.C. and Black and Tans and compelled to fill the trenches. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 19 March 1921, p. 3). All roads leading to New Ross were also trenched. Sometimes there was enough room for a small cart to pass, but wagons and motor vehicles could not. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 11 March 1921, p. 5). The conditions of the roads became so bad that the Kilkenny County Council, as well as the Waterford County Council, placed notices in newspapers advising people to use the roads at their own risk.
Sometimes the obstructions worked and sometimes they did not. “There is reason to believe,” a report from Dublin Castle adds, “that an attack on Bagenalstown barracks was frustrated by the timely arrival of reinforcements.” (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 5 March 1921, p. 4). On the other hand, Brigadier General H.R. Cumming, D.S.O. Colonel Commandant of the Kerry Brigade, another officer and two soldiers were killed at an ambush in County Cork although they were protected by three motor tenders and an armoured car. The newspaper reported that between five and six hundred Republicans took part in the ambush, using machine guns, rifles, revolvers, shotguns and bombs. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 12 March 1921).
On Monday night the 7th of March, the Republicans attacked the Dunmore East Police Barracks. At 9:45 p.m. the bridge at Waterford was opened to allow a ship to pass. A large number of armed men appeared and refused to allow the bridge to be closed. Other men damaged the electrical machinery which operated the bridge. At 3:30 a.m. a large group of military arrived by one of the late trains and took charge of the bridge. They had to lower the bridge to cross the river into Waterford City from the train station. The bridge was lowered by a hand apparatus. The obstacles on the roads leading to Dunmore East and the damaged bridge prevented the speedy relief of the police barracks. The sounds of the attack could be heard for miles and it lasted for hours. (Kilkenny People, 12 March 1921, p. 9) On the 9th the military visited the Waterford City bridge and after entering the engine room the bridge could not be opened without “acquainting the military.” The newspaper presumed that this action was a sequel to the raid on the bridge on the 7th. (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 11 March 1921, p. 17).
At about the same time a large force of military arrived in Waterford and conducted another raid on the City Hall. As a tribute to the memory of the Mayor and Ex-Mayor of Limerick a tricolour flag was flying at half-mast. Both men were murdered on the 9th of March in their homes in Limerick in the middle of the night by Black and Tans. After the military removed the flag from the Waterford City Hall city officials were told that they would be court martialled if it happened again. “As the military drove off the flag was waved by one of the soldiers.” (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 11 March 1921, p. 17). (For a concise account of the Limerick murders see, https://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/index.php/articles/limerick-in-shock-after-mayor-and-former-mayor-murdered ).
The local newspapers provide that a number of bridges and roads around and in Glenmore were damaged in mid-March 1921. Two bridges on the Waterford to New Ross road were damaged near Forristal’s Mill (Graiguenakill/Ballyverneen, Glenmore), as well as the Arrigle bridge in Bishop’s Mountain. (Munster Express, Sat. 2 April 1921, p. 6). On the 27th the Luffany bridge was blown up. The Luffany bridge spanned a small stream, about a mile beyond the creamery at Slieverue on the Waterford to New Ross road. The newspaper queried the blocking of the highway as “the district is of a very bleak description,” and the Slieverue creamery was the only building of any size or importance in the area. The Slieverue police barracks had been vacant for a long time. The nature of the explosive used in the destruction of the bridge was not known. However, it was expressed that the traffic along the road was considerable. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 2 April 1921, p. 5). In addition to the destruction of the Luffany bridge, a big trench was dug on this busy road about a mile from Slieverue, and farmers with carts found it difficult to travel to and from Waterford. Trenches also were dug on the road between Harristown and Mullinavat, and on the road at Clonassy. The Military commandeered farmers’ horses in the locality to repair the damage done to bridges and roads. (Munster Express, Sat. 2 April 1921, p. 6).
Attempted Jail Break & Soldiers Caputured
The last week of March an attempt to “rescue” prisoners from the Waterford jail occurred. Mrs. O’Brien of King’s Terrace, whose back garden abutted the rear prison wall, reported that several armed men appeared at her home. They detained her in one room of her house while they went into her back garden. Soon after the men left the police appeared and searched her garden where they discovered a ladder. Although authorities would not conform it the newspaper reported that it was believed that prisoners attempted to overpower a guard to escape. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 25 March 1921, p. 4)
Perhaps the most astounding report for the month was the capture of soldiers from the Rosslaire Express by Republican forces at Kilmacthomas, County Waterford. The express train from Cork to Rosslare was stopped by 300 armed men at Kilmacthomas junction. Fifteen soldiers stationed in County Cork were found on the train. The soldiers were on leave and not armed. Three of the soldiers were allowed to stay on the Express. One soldier was going to visit his dying mother and two others were going to visit sick relatives. The remainder were herded into the village led by a fiddler playing lively tunes. It was reported that a council of war was held by Sinn Féiners and it was decided to billet the soldiers in the Village Post Office. Some of the soldiers’ bags and overcoats were taken. The next day the military arrived from Waterford, and escorted the captured soldiers back to Waterford. A detachment of 100 military were placed in charge of the Village and were quartered in the Workhouse. The article concludes by reporting that the express train was delayed about half an hour. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 11 March 1921, p. 5).
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The featured photo above depicts a group of protestors in 1920 outside Mountjoy Prison. (The Graphic, Sat. 17 April 1920, p. 11).
Enduring Love: Peter & May Mernagh
It is often said that the true test of love is whether an individual wants to spend the rest of his or her life with another person. Today in honour of Valentine’s Day we are featuring Peter and May Mernagh who were married in Rosbercon on the 9th of July 1924 after a long courtship. Thus began a marriage that flourished until the couple were only parted when Peter died on the 16th of November 1990. When I asked their son Liam Mernagh if they ever spoke of why their marriage endured for over six decades he said with a laugh, “they didn’t have time to fight.”
The Groom
Peter Mernagh was born the 29th of February 1892 at Sparrowland, Bree, Wexford. He was one of 16 children born to John (Jack) Mernagh and Mary Mernagh née Kielthy. Peter’s parents were married on the 28th of November 1885. John Mernagh was from Galbally, Bree, Wexford and Mary Mernagh née Kielthy was from Ballybrennan, Wexford.
On 2 February 2020 we published a blog on the New Ross to Waterford railway and highlighted the tragic death of Peter’s father, Jack Mernagh, in a threshing accident in the autumn of 1911. (The blog post is available at https://glenmore-history.com/glenmore-and-the-new-ross-to-waterford-railway-line/). The Mernagh family had moved around 1906 from Wexford to Ballyverneen, Glenmore. Jack Mernagh was employed as a ganger with the railway. From a 1988 newspaper interview we have Peter’s memories recorded concerning his father’s tragic death. His father was on the threshing machine feeding in the sheaths when one of his legs became entangled in the beater. “I’ll never forget when they told us. The man said that my father’s last words spoken in a quiet tone were ‘I’ve lost my leg.’ The Mernagh family were poor and it took all of his mother’s savings to buy the coffin. A box would cost you around nine or ten shillings.” Peter was consoled that his father had last rites before he died. The local curate had a premonition that someone was dying and made it to the injured man before he died. (Kilkenny People, Fri. 23 Dec. 1988, p. 4).
The Bride
Mary Cashin was born on the 14th of March 1897 at Shanbogh, Rosbercon. She was one of 14 children born to Thomas Cassin (sic) of Shanbo (sic) a fisherman and Statia Cassin née Roche. Thomas Cassion (sic) married Statia Roche on the 24th of May 1885 at Glenmore. Thomas was the son of Michael Cassion (sic), and Statia Roche was the daughter of William Roche of Jamestown, Glenmore.
Mary was generally known as May. As was the custom at the time when May was Confirmed her formal education ended. May was 11 when she was Confirmed and was walking with her mother one day when the widow Ellen Dunphy stopped on the road. She asked May’s mother how old May was and said that when she returned she would take the girl home with her. Thus in 1908 May Cashin moved to the Dunphy farm in Ballyverneen where she worked until she married in 1924 at the age of 27. Liam Mernagh stated that May Cashin was well treated and was fond of Mrs. Dunphy.
According to a newspaper article May revealed that she met her future husband in 1910 when he also went to work on the Dunphy farm. The 1911 Census reveals that the widow, Ellen Dunphy was 53 years of age. Her son John Dunphy was 31 years of age. There were three servants listed in the household: Mary Cashin, age 14; Peter Mernagh, age 18 and Thomas Brophy, age 33. Peter was a ploughman “who worked behind the horses from dawn ’til dusk,” and from shortly after they first met in 1910 Peter had only had eyes for May, who worked as a housemaid. (George Jacob, New Ross Standard, Fri. 21 March 1986, p. 12).
The Courting Years
Although May joked that Peter was a slow starter and it took 14 years after they met for Peter to propose (Jacob, New Ross Standard, Fri. 21 March 1986, p. 12), in addition to the couple being very young and poor the country was in turmoil for most of the years between 1910 to 1924.
Liam Mernagh stated yesterday that his parents did not speak a lot about their involvement in the Old IRA and Cumann na mBan. For our international readers Cumann na mBan was an Irish Republican women’s paramilitary organisation.
Peter came from a very republican family. In 1916 he armed himself with a double-barrel shotgun and set out walking with other members of his family for Enniscorthy to join in the Easter Rising. They were on the Enniscorthy side of New Ross when the countermand came from McNeill. They returned home (New Ross Standard, Thurs. 22 Nov. 1990, p. 10). During the War of Independence Peter was a known Republican. In a 1986 newspaper interview Peter recollected being awoken by his mother at around 4 a.m. one night with the Black and Tans at the door. “It was a frosty night …, and when I said to hold on while I’d get some clothes, they said I didn’t need any. I didn’t wait much longer after that, and leapt out the window with them firing after me.” When he later returned home his mother informed him that the Black and Tans were not actually looking for him that night (Jacob, New Ross Standard, Fri. 21 March 1986, p. 12).
On another occasion the Black and Tans raided his mother’s house and fearing for his life he fled the house in his nightshirt and spent the night in his bare feet in muck, kept warm by the farm animals which gave him cover. “When I got back to the house the following morning my mother noticed I was bleeding.” A bullet had grazed his backside apparently when he was escaping over the ditch (Kilkenny People, Fri. 23 Dec. 1988, p. 4).
Very little is known about May’s work in the Cumann na mBan, but Liam Mernagh stated yesterday that his mother did say that she carried hidden weapons and messages in farm buckets. Although some of the women in Dublin acted as snipers the majority of women in the organisation gathered information and carried weapons and communications.
Notwithstanding the dangers associated with the War of Independence Glenmore continued to have dances, music and sports. Glenmore, like a lot of parishes in the south, danced sets known as lancers. The dances would go on all night. Dances would be held at the end of threshing, in barns and at crossroads (Jacob, New Ross Standard, Fri. 21 March 1986, p. 12).
If the dance was held in a barn or home of a big farmer there would be supper, and if the host was well off he would buy a barrel of beer which cost about £10 in the early twenties. According to Peter the young and old would dance on the hard concrete floors of the houses. “That time all weddings were held in the houses and were called breakfasts, even though they would not finish ’till breakfast the following day.” Dances at cross roads were frowned upon and the young people were always worried about that the clergy appearing. “According to Peter the biggest threat were the Nightingales…correspondents from local papers would go to these parties or dances and would publish a list of those who attended. It was a terrible thing if your name was printed in the paper as the parish priest would also see it” (Kilkenny People, Fri. 23 Dec. 1988, p. 4).
As a talented musician Peter sang, played fiddle and melodian at these types of gatherings and he was a member of the Glenmore Redmond Volunteer fife and drum band. (For information regarding the Glenmore Redmond Volunteers and the Fife and Drum Band see, https://glenmore-history.com/glenmore-redmond-volunteers-and-the-fife-drum-band/ ). When his family moved to Glenmore they continued mumming and helped introduce it into the area. Sports were a popular pastime, and Peter along with the Hanrahan’s of Glenmore was responsible for introducing hurling to the parish. Peter remembered a time when there wasn’t a hurler in Glenmore. “It was all football in the 1920’s…My old friend Mick Heffernan played and the best sportsman that Glenmore ever had, Dick Hanrahan played his football with Wexford (Kilkenny People, Fri. 23 Dec. 1988, p. 4). “[Hurling] was quite a different game then though, as you’d rarely get to play on a cut field and could spend half the time looking for the ball in the long grass” (Jacob, New Ross Standard, Fri. 21 March 1986, p. 12).
Marriage
Concerning their long courtship Peter in his 1988 interview explained, “Sure we couldn’t afford it — we were hardly making £1 a year hiring out…You’d hardly get a house that time because there was none going and you would be saving a good four or five years for a wedding.” Reflecting on marriage Peter opined that young people today don’t wait long enough before getting married. “They only know each other a couple of months and they are married. The following year they are parted…The problem is that they don’t give the matter proper consideration in the first place” (Kilkenny People, Fri. 23 Dec. 1988, p. 4).
On the 9th of July 1924 the couple were married at Rosbercon by the curate, Fr. Greene. Peter was 32 when they tied the knot and May was 27. James Mernagh served his brother as best man and Kate Cashin served her sister as the maid of honour. Peter and May enjoyed a trip for breakfast to Waterford, and an afternoon in Tramore as their honeymoon. Peter had just 3s. 6d. in his pocket (New Ross Standard, 21 March 1986, p. 12). After working at Dunphy’s Peter then went to work for Jim Fluskey as the farm manager. He remained at Fluskey’s until he retired after he suffered a road accident on his way to work one morning on his bicycle.
To this union ten children were born and May proudly noted that she reared nine children on just 10 shillings per week and expressed that they were blessed because at the time she was rearing her family many families were wiped out by consumption and other diseases. (Jacob, New Ross Standard, Fri. 21 March 1986, p. 12). May went to work at 11, served in the War of Independence and reared a large family on 10 shillings per week and never indulged in alcohol or tobacco. May only survived Peter by a year and a half.
Peter and May had 3 daughters and 7 sons. Their daughters include: Maureen Mernagh, Biddy Duggan and Cissie Power. Their sons include: Liam Mernagh, Seamus Mernagh, Paddy Mernagh, Fr. Michael Mernagh, Jack Mernagh, Thomas Mernagh and their youngest child, Louis Mernagh, who died at the age of six months.
Special thanks to Fr. Michael Mernagh and particularly Liam Mernagh for sharing the family photos. The featured photo above was taken on Peter and May’s 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
55th Wedding Anniversary
Front row (left to right) Cissy, Peter, May and Maureen; Back row (left to right) Liam, Seamus, Paddy, Biddy, Tom, Fr. Michael and Jack.
Some Interesting Events in 1927 (The year Danny Dowling was born)
By 1927 the Roaring Twenties were in full swing with jazz, lively dances, shortened hems and bobbed hair for women. Bill Bryson wrote One Summer: America 1927 where he highlighted several events that impacted and shaped the United States and in some instances the world. For example, in 1927 the world shrank a little when Lindbergh became the first pilot to fly non-stop across the Atlantic from the U.S. to France. Silent movies were soon to become obsolete with the release in 1927of the “talkie” the Jazz Singer. One silent film actor who successfully transitioned to the talkies was Charlie Chaplain. The film industry promoted the age of celebrity with every aspect of a celebrity’s life laid open. In 1927 it was internationally reported “CHAPLAIN COLLAPSES! (New York, Saturday) Charlie Chaplin, the firm star, collapsed at the home of his attorney today. A nerve specialist, who was called in, ordered him to take to his bed, and expressed the opinion that Mr. Chaplin’s nervous system had been affected by the strain he had been going through” (Sunday Independent, Sunday 16 Jan. 1927, p. 1).
In Ireland the young Free State was finding its feet. In 1926 Fianna Fáil was established and two general elections were held in 1927. Kevin O’Higgins was assassinated in Dublin by Anti-Treaty IRA members. Constance Markieviz died of natural causes. The ESB (Electricity Supply Board) was established, and Ernest Bewley opened his Grafton Street café in Dublin.
In 1927 the first automatic telephone exchange opened in Dublin, and it was announced that in the next issue of the Official Telephone Directory the names of all of the subscribers in the Irish Free State would be published in one complete alphabetical list. “The Directors thought that if some local firm were to publish a list of local telephone users it would be a convenience, and that some advertisements would more than cover the expense” (Munster Express, Fri. 18 Feb. 1927, p. 5).
The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1921 was over, but in 1927 influenza continued to take lives and disrupt schooling etc. It was reported in the Kilkenny People on Saturday the 19th of February 1927 (p. 7) that “[t]he flu which has been raging in Kilkenny for the past fortnight has now almost abated. Schools which have been closed as a result of the epidemic have now re-opened and save for some isolated cases the attack may now be said to be on the wane.”
This was the world that Glenmore historian Danny Dowling entered 94 years ago on the 15th of February 1927.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANNY!!
The featured photo above is from an old postcard of Glenmore Village. The house where Danny was born is in the centre of the photo with the two people standing in front. The building to the right in the photo is Fluskey’s shop.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
100 Years Ago: February 1921
In February 1921, the War of Independence continued. By February martial law–that in early January had been extended from Cork to Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford–began to result in more arrests and over crowding in the Waterford jail. The local newspapers were filled with reports of men and several women in Waterford and New Ross being arrested for having seditious material in their possession. In most instances the persons arrested refused to acknowledge the court marital courts. One of the more unusual arrests took place in early February. Mr. John Murphy, U.D.C., New Ross was arrested for failing to attach to the back of his front door the names of the persons of his household as required by martial law. It was reported that, “[t]he military, before arresting Mr. Murphy, referred him to the requirements of the proclamation, many copies of which had been posted up on his window a week previous.” (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 4 Feb. 1921, p. 5).
As the Crown forces went out on patrol it was reported that for protection against attack the patrols often had prisoners in their vehicles. One of the human shields was Cathal J. Kickham the nephew of fenian Charles Kickham (1826-1886) of Tipperary. Cathal J. Kickham was residing at Bushey Park, London and among an undisclosed number of Irishmen arrested in London. “He has been transferred to the Irish Bastille—Mountjoy—and since his arrest he has been taken around Dublin City as a hostage for the protection of patrols.” (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 4 Feb. 1921, p. 4).
It wasn’t just the Crown patrols that continued to be under attack. The police barracks at Mullinavat, Co. Kilkenny were again attacked during the night of the 16th-17th of January 1921. The police and Crown forces in the barracks reported that rifle fire was directed on the barracks from the loft of a building “immediately opposite.” The loft belonged to James Ryan, of Mullinavat. Colonel Cameron, commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade, Military Governor, ordered the destruction of the loft on the grounds that James Ryan “was bound to have known of the rebel attacks and that he gave no information to the police or military authorities.” A notice of the destruction was served on James Ryan, telling him of the order, the reasons for the destruction and providing him with one hour’s notice to “clear out” any valuables, foodstuffs, corn or hay, but not furniture. The loft was destroyed on the 28th of January, but it was not officially communicated to the newspapers by the military authorities until February. (Kilkenny People, Sat. 12 Feb. 1921).
At the same time the military authorities were officially communicating with the newspapers concerning the retributive destruction of private property in Mullinavat, Crown forces on the 10th of February went to “various districts around Mullinavat” and arrested the following 11 men: Wm. Raftis, Ballyluskey; Wm. Aylward, Knockmoylan; Patrick McDonald, Ballinlea; Edward Walsh, Glendel; Michael Hoban, do; Ml. Phelan, Clonassey; James Phelan, do.; Rd. Kennealy, Ballynooney; John Cashin, do.; Jas. Malone, Redacres; and Thos, Duggan, Clonassey. The men were brought to Mullinavat police barracks, where they were interrogated at length. The following listed 5 men were detained, and the other 6 men were released—Rd. Kennealy, Wm. Raftis, Patk. McDonald, Ed Walsh, and John Cashin. The detained 5 men were removed later to Woodstock. (Munster Express, Sat. 12 Feb. 1921, p. 5) A week later Richard Kenneally, Ballynooney, was released. (Munster Express, Sat. 1921, p. 5)
As we have previously reported the empty barracks in Glenmore were burned on Easter Saturday night in 1920 by local Company C of the I.R.A. (See, https://glenmore-history.com/the-glenmore-barracks/ ). In February 1921 there were no reports in local newspapers of raids or arrests in Glenmore, however, it was reported that “[a] postman carrying a bag of mail between the village of Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny, and Aylwardstown railway station was held up by masked and armed men who seized the bag.” (Munster Express, Sat. l2 Feb. 1921, p. 5) It is believed that this action was performed by local I.R.A. members to discover and disrupt any reports to Crown authorities concerning local I.R.A. men or their activities.
As the jails became filled with men and women who were arrested for breaching the martial law. Under the imposed martial law there was a curfew, attendance at funerals was limited, it was an offence to have nationalist material, and as highlighted above it was an offence not to post a list of household members. Articles began to be published concerning the difficulty of visiting the prisoners in the Waterford City jail at Ballybricken.
“Any day one passes by Ballybricken prison one is treated to the spectacle of a queue of persons—men and women—lined up outside the jail gates, wearily waiting for admission to visit some loved one, or friends incarcerated within for some political offence—imaginary or real. If one perchance repasses the same way an hour or two (perhaps three hours) later, one frequently sees the same anxious faces still waiting there. Perhaps if one called around again the afternoon when the final bar is put up to mark the close of visits for that day, one will see many of those same people turning away dejectedly to seek the comfort of a few kind words from friends elsewhere in the city, for they have been unable to see their relatives that day, and must wait overnight in order to seek a successful entrance to the sombre citadel of punishment on the following day. Many of these people come from twenty to sixty miles to visit their friends; they are not all blessed with a superabundance of the world’s goods; and the cost of needlessly waiting over in the city for a night is sometimes more than their limited finances will allow. Several of these people have made complaints about this. The visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 12:30, and from 2 p.m. to 3:30. One person only (sometimes two) is allowed in at a time, the average length of each interview being a quarter of an hour. With such limited facilities for visits and interview, they say, many have to wait a day or two before they gain admission.”
It was reported that in Cork and Galway up to four or five prisoners were allowed to visit an equivalent number of friends. The newspaper suggested that reform was needed at Ballybricken. (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 11 Feb. 1921, p. 3). Before the end of February it was reported that prisoners were being removed from Waterford jail. The tried and convicted prisoners were moved to Mountjoy Prison, and the untried prisoners to Kilworth Detention Camp, Co. Cork under heavy military escorts. (Munster Express, Sat. 26 Feb. 1921, p. 2).
Not all of the articles in the February 1921 local newspapers concerned the War of Independence. For example, brief notices appeared announcing the death of Mrs. Charles Parnell at the age of 75. Her funeral was conducted from the residence in England of her son, Captain O’Shea. (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 11 Feb. 1921, p. 5). One interesting article highlighted the change in the status of Irish women and the bias of the obvious male reporter who wrote the article. “On Tuesday a number of Waterford ladies were served with notices to attend as jurors, common and grand, at the forthcoming Assizes … Many of the ladies, without knowledge of this feature of the franchise being extended to their sex, were taken by surprise. Those of the fine opposite sex gifted with judicial capacity—no personalities—of imparting certain lectures will now have the unique experience of trying their fellow mortals and earth born companions—apologies to Burns’ ode on the mouse—in public court.” (Waterford News & Star, Fri 25 Feb. 1921, p. 5).
Also, it was reported that the tide of Irish emigration was again rising. “The office of the American Consul in O’Connell street, Dublin and its vicinity, [were crowded with] [a] large number of intending emigrants applying for passports to America… Nearly all the applicants were young people of both sexes from about twenty to thirty years of age…The emigrants were for the most part neatly attired, and appeared to be of an intelligent and respectable class of the population. The majority left for Liverpool where they will embark for the voyage across the Atlantic.
Mr. Jerh. Howard, an Irishman resident for twenty years in Omaha, Nebraska, … said he was more than surprised…to see the huge crowds of men and women waiting to get their passport vised for America. ‘It is a shame,’ he said, ‘for those people to be allowed to go across to swell the already overstocked labour market. We have four million demobilised soldiers over there waiting for jobs, and what chance had these greenhorns when they land unless they work for practically nothing, and get half-starved in the bargain.’ Mr. Howard opined that the young people emigrating were doing what the English Government wanted which was to flee Ireland and flood the labour markets abroad.” (Munster Express, Sat. 26 Feb. 1921, p. 2).
Although the Belfast Boycott commenced in mid-1920 it was ramping up in February 1921. The Belfast Boycott came about after 5,000 loyalist workers in the Belfast shipyards refused in July 1920 to work with perceived Sinn Féin supporters due to the attacks on R.I.C. officers. It is estimated that almost 7,000 employees were terminated from their posts. In response, the Belfast Boycott was instituted to protest against the treatment of the terminated workers and the proposed partition of Ireland. In February 1921 all local newspapers carried the following advertisement promoting the boycott. Just a month later the boycott would be extended to Great Britain and both boycotts continued after the truce was declared later in the year.
The featured photo was published in the Freeman newspaper in 1922 and depicts the Black & Tans in Droheda.
The drawing depicting 1920’s clothing is from the New York City Library, Digital Collection, Image ID 823771, available at https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-202b-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 .
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
100 YEARS AGO: January 1921
On the 23rd of December 1920, the long awaited Home Rule for Ireland became law, however the War of Independence was continuing with no sign of a truce. Below are some of the local events recorded in local newspapers 100 years ago.
CO. KILKENNY TRAGEDY—Mrs. Ryan, the heavily pregnant wife of Michael Ryan, Bridge St., Callan, Co. Kilkenny, was wounded on Tuesday evening of last week (21st of Dec.), and died Thursday (the 23rd of Dec.) in the local hospital, following an operation. Tuesday evening the residents of Callan were ordered to keep their houses closed and remain indoors while the funeral of Sergeant Thomas Walsh, killed in one of Monday’s ambushes, was passing through the streets. After the funeral passed Mrs. Ryan was letting a customer out of the door, a shot rang out, and Mrs. Ryan was wounded. A military inquest commenced on the 24th of December but was adjourned to gather witnesses. (Munster Express, Sat. 1 Jan. 1921, p. 6; Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 1 Jan. 1921, p. 4.) It was later determined that RIC Sergeant Thomas Walsh had been shot and killed by “friendly fire” from other Crown forces at the ambush on the 20th.
CO. KILKENNY PRIEST SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IMPRIONMENT WITH HARD LABOUR—Rev. Patrick H. Delahunty (c. 1880-195) C.C. Callan, Co. Kilkenny was arrested the 4th of December 1920 for being in possession of seditious publications and documents likely to cause disaffection. Fr. Delahunty’s home had been searched on the 3rd of September 1920 and several documents were seized including letters from Dail Eireann, Department of Finance. One of the letters was signed by Michael Collins. After his arrest in December Fr. Delahunty was transferred from Kilkenny under military escort and tried by court martial in Waterford Prison on the 17th of December. On Christmas Eve he was sentenced to imprisonment for two years with hard labour. (Munster Express, 8 January 1921, p. 4; Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 18 Dec. 1920, p. 4)
After the sentence it was reported that Fr. Delahunty was transported to England, by military escort, but eventually it was reported that “[i]t has been intimated to Rev. Patrick H. Delahunty that the hard labour portion of the sentence has been remitted along with the fifth charge that he repudiated.” He always repudiated that he was an officer of the then unlawful association Sinn Fein. The article concluded, “He is still under hospital treatment in the Waterford prison, but is in good spirits.” (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 22 January 1921, p. 7) Thereafter, Fr. Delahunty was returned to Kilkenny gaol and remained there until he and 43 other political prisoners escaped by tunneling out of the goal in November 1921. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 26 Nov. 1921) After the Irish Civil War Father Delahunty moved to Kansas, U.S.A. where he ironically became a chaplain of the penitentiary at Lansing, Kansas (Kansas City Times, 7 Nov. 1968, p. 13). For further information regarding Fr. Patrick Delahunty see, http://kilkennyarchaeologicalsociety.ie/father-patrick-delahunty/ . For further information regarding the escape from the Kilkenny gaol see, http://kilkennyarchaeologicalsociety.ie/kilkenny-jail-escape/ .
Bishop of Ossory’s Christmas Message—Most Rev. Abraham Brownrigg (1836-1928) Bishop of Ossory, on Christmas Eve, 1920 had a Christmas message read out in all churches of the diocese. The message was printed in the Kilkenny Moderator as well as the Munster Express. The following excerpts are from that message that was read out at Christmas mass in Glenmore and other churches.
“…Let us in the true spirit of Christian charity sympathise deeply with, and pray for, all those who have lost friends, relatives, or dependents, whose property has been destroyed, and whose prospects in life have been blighted and ruined for ever. If an opportunity should offer, and, if called upon, let us, as generously as we can, help them in their wants and privations.
Let us not forget and pray, too for the magnitude of our countrymen—the very flower of our youth and manhood—who are languishing at this Christmas time in jails throughout Great Britain and Ireland, that they may have strength to bear their suffering and privations and be soon restored to their homes and friends.
In the spirit of Christ-like forgiveness, let us pray also for the cruel men, who direct the present regime of death and destruction on our county, asking God to open their eyes to the wrong they do our people to stay their hand.”
AUXILIARIES & SINN FEIN FLAG–On Christmas Day three members of the auxiliary police force visited the City Hall Waterford, and demanded of the caretaker (Mrs. Collins) that the Sinn Fein flag which was flying over the building be taken down. Mrs. Collins informed them that none of the Corporate officials or employees were on the premises. Munster Express, Sat. 1 January 1921, p. 6.
EDITORIAL, IRELAND’S NEW YEAR—The following editorial appeared in the Waterford News & Star, summed up 1920 and expressed hope for 1921.
“1920 was a dark and desperate year for Ireland. But her resolution has been strengthened by the ordeal, and her spirit remains unbroken. Sinn Fein has won those victories of the heart and the intellect—victories such as that achieved by Terence MacSwiney—victories which prepare the body politic to make the best and highest uses of the material victory which is at hand. England’s foreign and domestic difficulties render an Irish Peace Conference and an Irish Peace Treaty essential to British interests. Industrial unrest grows apace in England, whilst her economic situation cause her serious thought. Abroad, she has India, where as Young Ireland put it in today’s issue, ‘her Redmond’s can no longer restrain the anger of centuries.’ In Turkey, Mesopotamia, and Egypt there is trouble for England. And there is her unpopularity in America and on the Continent, Ireland on the contrary, ‘has every reason to envisage the coming of the new year with gladness in her heart, for the dark hour which we traverse forebodes the dawn.’ We quote these last words from Young Ireland, which stands for what the Irish people voted for at the last general election—an Irish Republic.” Waterford News & Star, Fri. 7 Jan. 1921, p. 4.
Martial Law for Kilkenny—On the 4th of January 1921 martial law that had been imposed in Cork was expanded and imposed on various counties including Kilkenny. The terms were:
(a) All arms, ammunition, and explosives had to be surrendered by the 11th of January 1921. Any person in possession of same who was not a member of His Majesty’s armed forces or police forces, or who did not have a permit would be liable, on conviction by a Military Court, to suffer death.
(b) Wearing the uniform or equipment of His Majesty’s armed forces or police forces, or wearing similar clothing likely to deceive will be liable, on conviction by a Military Court, to suffer death. Being in possession of the banned items, on conviction by a Military Court, to suffer Penal Servitude.
“NOTE WELL: That a state of armed insurrection exists; that any person taking part therein, or harbouring any person who has taken part therein, or procuring, inviting, aiding or abetting any person to take part therein, is guilty of levying war against His Majesty the King, and is liable, on conviction by a Military Court, to suffer death.”
All Law Courts, Corporations, Councils and Boards are directed to continue to carry out their functions. Signed by General Macready, Commander-in-Chief the Forces in Ireland. (The Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 8 Jan. 1921, p. 3)
CURFEW—Further restrictions were applied. On the 11th of January, Major-General Strickland, Cork, the Military Governor, prohibited the use of motor cars, motor-bicycles, and pedal bicycles between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the martial law areas, which included the whole of Munster and Counties of Wexford and Kilkenny. (Munster Express, Sat. 15 Jan. 1921, p. 7) FUNERALS—During the funeral of Michael McGrath, one of the I.R.A. men killed outside of Tramore during the Pickardstown Ambush, only 40 persons were allowed to attend his funeral that proceeded from St. John’s Church in Waterford City to Carbally cemetery. Vehicles not containing immediate family members were prevented from joining the funeral procession. (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 14 Jan. 1921, p. 2) For details of the Pickardstown Ambush posted by Waterford County Museum see, https://www.facebook.com/waterfordcountymuseum/posts/10160809436494012
EARLY MORNING TROUBLE AT GLENMORE & ARRESTS—”Considerable unpleasant activity was evinced early yesterday morning (13th of January) in the little village of Glenmore and its surroundings. A large number of houses were visited and the male occupants ordered up from their beds. It is stated that two arrests were by the auxiliary. (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 14 January 1921, p. 4) GLENMORE MEN ARRESTED—Military arrested J. Walsh and J. Mernagh of Glenmore (Co. Kilkenny). The military were very active in Glenmore district on Thursday morning. (Munster Express, Sat. 15 Jan. 1921, p. 5).
ROBINSTOWN, GLENMORE: LANDLORD’S COUSIN IN THE NEWS—It is not clear why the story was newsworthy, but all local newspapers covered it. “Miss Ponsonby, a cousin of the Earl of Bessborough, has assumed the stage name of Ninette Corday, and is now playing in the Gaiety Theatre, London in Maeterlinek’s new fairy play. Miss Corday is the daughter of Mr. Arthur Ponsonby who died three years ago. Arthur was the brother of Lord Bessborough who died a few weeks ago.” (Waterford News & Star, Fri 14 Jan. 1921, p. 13)
COW KILLED BY TRAIN AT ALYWARDSTOWN, GLENMORE—At the Quarter Sessions in Kilkenny on Wednesday, the 26th of January 1921, Richard Delahunty, Glenmore claimed £50 damages from the Dublin and South Eastern Railway Company in respect of the killing of a heifer through the alleged negligence of the defendants or their servants. Plaintiff stated that in common with five other families he had a right of way across the railway line near Glenmore. There was a gate lodge at the level crossing, and on the 4th October he found one of his milch cows dead on the line, it having been run over by a goods train. Further evidence given included that of Stephen Heffernan, who valued the cow at £35. Richard Delahunty was awarded £30 damages. (Kilkenny Moderator, Sat. 29 Jan. 1921, p. 5). Thanks to Brian Forristal we know that Stephen Heffernan was very active at this time in the Old I.R.A. which begs the question why he traveled to Kilkenny regarding a neighbour’s cow. Was it an opportunity to pass messages or gather intelligence? For two stories regarding Stephen Heffernan from this time see Brian Forristal’s articles accessed via the guest author button on the home page.
The featured photo depicts the Waterford gaol or sometimes referred to as Waterford prison. It stood in Ballybricken until the 1940’s when he was demolished. A decade earlier several people were killed when one of its walls collapsed on adjacent houses. The photo is from the Munster Express.
The photograph of Bishop Abraham Brownrigg, of Ossory, taken from the Atlas and Cyclopedia of Ireland (1900) by the Library of Ireland available at https://www.libraryireland.com/Atlas/Bishop-Brownrigg-Ossory.php .
The photograph of Fr. Patrick Delahunty is from the Kansas City Times.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Michael J. Hanrahan (1888-1968): Early Twentieth Century Gaelic Football on Both Sides of the Atlantic
Peter Roughan wrote articles for the Kilkenny People where older people “looked back” over their lives. On the 26th September 1959 a Roughan article was published entitled “Glenmore Man Looks Back,” featuring Michael J. Hanrahan who had returned from New York to Glenmore for a visit. Due to the length of the original newspaper article excerpts more germane to Glenmore and Kilkenny are below. A separate blog article will cover Michael J. Hanrahan’s early life. The words recorded in the original newspaper article have been utilized as much as possible.
The author stated that he “knocked” into Mick Hanrahan a few evenings ago, after “young Betty McKenna down at the Post Office” told him that Mick was home from America. Interestingly Betty herself was born in New York the daughter of a Glenmore emigrant Elizabeth McKenna née Fluskey (1897-1985). (See, https://glenmore-history.com/glenmore-businessman-robert-fluskey-1843-1925-and-the-sisters-of-charity-of-the-incarnate-word/ .) Roughan commented that, “… what stands out in my mind most of all about Mick Hanrahan is his rich brogue after his 47 years in New York…I can say this much . . . his heart never left [Ireland] anyway, and I don’t suppose it ever will.”
Gaelic Football
“Now” says he to me, “I could keep you up all night talking about football, for in my young days ’twas all football down around here, there was little or no hurling at all except over Mooncoin way, but we had the very best of men here in Glenmore, Tullogher, Mullinavat and Kilmacow. And when a match was played on a Sunday, sure, we played it all over again around the fireside for the other six nights of the week.
I was only thinking the other day when I was coming back down from Croke Park about the big change there is in the country. Years ago we used to travel to matches in waggonettes, and we’d have a singsong coming home, and then we’d give the whole week talking about the game, there’d be footballs flying all over the kitchen every night until we went to bed, and the same way when we used to sit around at the crossroads; but now, the lads go to matches in motor cars, four or five of them in a car, and you’d hardly know that you were at a match at all when you’d be coming back home, you’d never hear “inquests” like we used to have years ago.
In those days if we lost a match and knew that, say, the full-back on the other team was the nail in our coffin, well, the next time we played that crowd, we’d make sure that our best man was playing on that full-back, and it didn’t matter whether our best man was a forward or a centrefield man or what he was, if we thought he could hold that fellow, well, he was told that he was to play on him, and that’s all there was to it.
Good Heavens, we used to think It a great thing to be picked to mark the best man on the other team, and I can tell you ’twas God help the man that was picked if he let the other fellow skittle him about the field. He’d never hear the end of it after coming home that night. Begor, the girls mightn’t even dance with you at that! Oh, bedad, we took our footballing very seriously then.”
When asked about his brothers on the field, Mick remarked, “I think … my brother Jim was the toughest sample I ever saw on a field. He was known to be the smallest and wiriest lad in the country, he was a little devil when he got going. He played on the old senior team in Glenmore and turned out in hurling and football with Kilkenny. From 1913 to 1922 he hurled with Mullinavat. I’d say that Jim was the best of the Hanrahan’s, but according to himself he wasn’t worth a hat of crabs. Now Dick was a good lad as well, he hurled with Wexford and partnered Gus Kennedy; and sure Gus was a topper. Dick put out his knee when kicking in a senior match against Wexford in 1913. That finished his footballing days. They didn’t treat cartilage trouble in those days like they do today. The knee trouble finished many a good man then, the very best of men. Sure a vamp in the shin was nothing, you soon got over that, but when the knee went, ’twas all up with you. A fellow got over a broken leg, but the knee was a terror. That last match of Dick’s got him a Leinster medal, but he couldn’t turn out for the All-Ireland that year. Now, Pat — God be good to him — was a tidy lad on the field, he hurled and kicked with Glenmore, and Nick — God be good to him too — he was crocked like Dick with knee trouble when he kicked with Glenmore and that finished his footballing days.… John went to America and he kicked with the New York team in 1917 but out there, you can’t get as much practice as you can here, still, you’d have to be a good man to get picked to play for the city team.”
When asked about the best match he ever witnessed Mick stated, “I’ll never forget the match … that was played in James’s Park in 1908, and ’twas one of the best football matches I ever remember. We beat Kells, but I forget the score. Bedad, Kells had a powerful set of men on the field, …the man whom I’ll never forget that day was young Dan Stapleton — Dottie as we called him — he came from Callan. Now Stapleton was like a hare on the field, and a dandy to take a drop kick, and you’d be talking about style, well I can tell you there wasn’t a footballer in the county or country to come up to him, and I doubt if ever we’ll see a tastier footballer again. You should see the way that he went in to meet a drop kick.
… We had a great set of men out, John Grace of Kilbride was our captain, then we had the three Walsh’s of Rochestown —Jack, Mick and Tom; Nick Curran, the teacher in Glenmore at the time; Jack Heffernan; Bill Grace; Mick Hoynes; and Dick and Pat Reddy. My brother, Pat, was a sub that day, and John Dunphy of Ballyverneen was in the goal. John has a son —Sean — who is now secretary of the club here. ‘Tis so long now, and I’ve knocked about such a lot since then, that I forget the names of all the lads who turned out against Kells that day, but we won a hard match against ’em, and I can tell you that it had to be a real good team that could hold out against Dinny Gorey’s lads in those days…” In terms of the best all round footballer, Mick replied, “Now that’s a stickler, but I would say that Ballyhale produced the best all-round man I ever saw on a field, and that was Davy Hoyne. We had him on the Glenmore team that played against Wexford over here in Bawnjames one Sunday, and Davy kicked the best match any one ever saw.”
New York Gaelic Football
Mick said that he went to the United States on 19 January 1912 when he was 24 years of age. He made contact with the GAA soon after landing in New York and played with the Kilkenny team there until 1932. He captained the team one year. Mick refereed “most of the big matches out there, international and home ones, and gave fifteen years as referee in League games.”
Turning to Kilkenny men who played in New York, Mick “spoke of one chap — Big Tom Phelan of Cotterstown — a man of 17 stone, who captained the New York team at one time, Jimmie Duggan at Mullinahone, over near Glenmore, who played with the Tipperary team out there, and an American-born man named Barney Cassidy, who kicked with the Kilkenny team, Barney afterwards came to Ireland and lived down in Limerick. He recalled a Mattie Butler from Kilkeasy, he played with the Kilkenny lads in New York, and two chaps who emigrated from Knocktopher, Dick Dalton and Jimmie Cody. Another great lad was Paddy Phelan of Harristown. But, says he to me, “the greatest character of all is Jim Dwyer — he must be well over 90 now — he came out from the Slatequarries and a darling of a footballer, and played with the Old Quarry Miners here in his young days. Then we had Tom and Jimmie Daly from Cotterstown, and Bob and Jack from Lamogue…”
Mick said, “I was given the honour and privilege to pick and manage the first team that beat the first football team to come out from Kerry, we beat the Kerry lads three times, and then my team beat the pick of New York. In fact, one sportswriter out there blazoned his paper with the big head-lines that he heard of one crazy Kilkenny man who offered to put up a team to beat Kerry and I was laughed at by some of the big noises out there in the G.A.A. at the time… I knew that I had the men to pick on, all great men, and I never had a doubt but that they would beat the best that could be put up against them, and the most of my lads came from my own county, sure, Kilkenny produced some of the greatest men that ever kicked a ball.”
Without a date we were unable to find a newspaper account where Mick’s New York Team beat the Kerry lads in three matches, but we did come across an article in the Boston Globe of the 4th of June 1927 (p. 5) where it was announced that the Governor of Massachusetts was to toss up the ball to start the Gaelic football game between the Kerry, all Ireland champions, and the pick of the players in Massachusetts Gaelic Association. The article explained that although the Kerry “visitors were thought to be invincible,” they were just coming from a loss in New York. The Billings Gazette (Montana) of 31 May 1927 attempted to explain to readers why the New York Gaelic Football team beat the Irish football champions at an Irish game. It was explained that the New York players were natives of Ireland, and that an expert had informed the puzzled press that witnessed the game that the New York players “were slightly more accurate in kicking and had the edge in aggressiveness.”
Special thanks to Kelvin Johnson Treacy for sending on the Roughan newspaper article.
The feature photo is the Kerry All Ireland Football Champions of 1927. The photo was published in the Boston Globe (4 June 1927, p. 5). The players were identified as follows: Front Row, Left to Right—J. Sullivan, T. Mahoney, R. Stack, J. Slattery, Jim Bailey, Second Row—J. O’Sullivan, J. Ryan, Stan Kirvin, John Bailey, John Riordan, Con Brosman. Back Row—Jack Walsh, M. Coffey, J. Ryan, John Joe Sheehy (Captain), P. O. Sullivan, P. Clifford, M. Coffey, Dick Fitzgerald, J.J. Hanley.
The photo from the Daily News, (N.Y. 31 May 1926, p. 26) depicts Wm. Landers who took a nose dive when P. Brady (with ball) gave him the hip in front of Kilkenny NY goal.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh