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Glenmore Village in the 1930’s [updated]
Tucked in Notebook 24 were three loose pages of handwritten notes Danny Dowling started regarding the Village of Glenmore in the 1930’s when he was a boy. Special thanks to Jacqueline Walsh for the old photos of the Village. [At the request of a reader a map of the Village is attached below with numbers inserted into the text to correspond to the map. The map is not to scale.]
Throughout the decade of the 1930’s, the Village of Glenmore was mainly situated in the townlands of Graiguenakill, Cappagh and Robinstown. Danny refers to the area around the present pub as the original village area. This original village area was at the T in the roads where the road called the Churns ran down the hill from the New Line (now N25) into the village and intersected with the main Village road that ran between Cappagh and up the hill past St. James’ Catholic Church. A village pump was located in this area in the 1930’s just in front of where the pub is now located.
In the original village area commencing with the buildings that lined the main Village Road (and facing up the Churns road) the building closest to the stream was Jim Fluskey’s shop[1]. His wife was Mollie Murphy, of Davidstown. Fluskey’s shop was the busiest and most thriving in the whole Village. They sold all types of foodstuffs, bran, flour, and meat such as bacon, cigarettes and Tobacco etc. They also sold animal feed such as meal, bran and pollard. The second Glenmore Post Office was in these premises.
The next building (toward the Church) was Dowling’s house [2]. This was the house where Danny was born in 1927. Previously Mary Hanrahan, née Murphy (1863-1938) owned the house along with a farm of nearly forty acres. Both her husband, James Hanrahan (1875- ), and her son, John Hanrahan, were dead. Mary Hanrahan née Murphy gave the premises and land to her niece Hannie Murphy (1903-1989) of Ballinlammy who went on to marry Pat Dowling, (c. 1900-1945) of Jamestown. John Hanrahan had been a cooper by trade and the Hanrahan family had their cooperage in the townland of Robinstown on the other side of the road opposite to the Gaffney premises and corn mill. [3]
Gaffney’s once had the next buildings toward the church. The last of the Gaffney’s sold out and moved to England before 1905. The premises in the 1930’s were in the possession of the Heffernan—Walsh family. [3] In addition to a shop there was a dance hall established in 1937. Lizzie and Minnie Heffernan were sisters. Lizzie was married to James K. Walsh, of Ballybrahee, and they had three children: Eric, Hal (Harry) and Etta. Etta Walsh married Pat Fitzpatrick who was a superintendent in the Garda Force. Minnie was not married and lived in the shop while Lizzie and her family lived in the attached dwellinghouse next door which was known as J.K’s. The dance hall was at the rear and accessed from the Mullinahone Road. [3a]
Across the main Village Road (opposite the present pub) at the bottom of the Churns there were three attached houses. The middle house belonged to John Cody, [5] the local postman, his wife Allie and their three daughters; Maryanne, Katie and Alice. Alice Cody married John Ryan from County Carlow. Alice had the post office after Fluskey for a number of years, thus the third Glenmore post office was here. [5] Next door, going up the hill, lived the Jones family. [6] [Danny’s notes do not indicate who lived in the corner house [4] but I was able to verify with Noeleen Fogarty, née Hennessey that her father was born in this house in 1926. It is believed that previously the Flynn’s her grandmother’s people resided here.]
Further up the hill on the same side of the road were the shoemaking premises of Jim Scanlon and his son Jack [7]. They manufactured man made boots and shoes for heavy work and repaired shoes. In busy periods, Scanlon’s workshop employed journeymen shoemakers. Jim Scanlon was reputed to produce work which was considered to be first class. Jim Scanlon was a native of Knockbrack, Glenmore and started his shoemaking business in Glenmore about 1920 or earlier. Jim Scanlon died in 1931 and that was the end of the shoemaking business. His son Jack remained in the shoe repair business until after the Second World War.
A little further up the hill toward the New Line there were two small houses built together [8 &9]. Doolans lived in one of the houses. Later O’Keefe’s lived in the other. [Per Jo Doyle, née Mernagh one of these houses was split and then there were three houses. Jo in the early 40’s went to school with Biddy Doolan who lived there and Wattie Walsh lived in the other house. It is believed that Wattie was the son of Jim Walsh who also had a couple of step-daughters.]
Across the Road (next door up the hill from the current pub) was Jim B’s. [10] James Walsh, a native of Ballyfacey, was the local carpenter who did all kinds of work including the making of farms carts. He operated a workshop from his premises and lived here with his wife and family. Where the pub is now were outbuildings. The pub was established in 1963 by Seán Walsh and is currently operated by Michael Barron, of Carrigcloney. At the bottom of the hill across from Fluskey’s stood Mackessy’s stage house or grain store[11]. Previously a forge was located across from Fluskey’s.
Crossing the Mullinahone stream into Cappagh, Mackessy’s coach house [12] was the first building on the stream side of the road. Opposite the coach house in the 1930’s the first house was occupied by Patsy Ryan. [13] The next house was occupied by Paddy Jones [13a], who was married to Alice Dunne and the couple had two sons Pakie and Seamus Jones. Mrs. Cashin [14] had the third house . Her husband drowned in the River Barrow. The Cashin’s had four children. Jimmy Cashin was the engineman in the Creamery; Mick Cashin was in London; Ellie Cashin married John McBride and Statia Cashion married a man named Doyle from New Ross. Statia worked with P.N. O’Gorman Auctioneers and Valuers, of Rosbercon, for several years until O’Gorman’s death. Statia Doyle [15] lived next door to Heffernan’s shop. Prior to Mrs. Cashin the house was occupied by Miss Bolger who had a dressmaking business there.
The next building was Heffernan’s shop [16] which was operated by Mikey Heffernan and family. His wife was a native of Co. Tipperary and was principal of the Girl’s National School. Previous to being a shop the building served as accommodation for the married police in the Village. Single officers had accommodation provided in the Barracks. The last house before leaving the Village was a two-storey house occupied by Maggie McGuniesse. Maggie was married to Patsey Walsh and had a large family. [17]
Going up the main Village road, from the original village, the hill at the Barracks [18] (at the corner of the intersection with the Mullinahone Road just past J.K.’s) was called the Barrack’s hill. In the 1930’s the next house on the same side of the road as the barracks was Forristal’s. [19] When James O’Donovan, the first Creamery manager, first came to Glenmore he lodged at Forristal’s. The next house going up the hill on the main village road was the Sacristan’s house [20] in the front corner of the church yard. Across the road from the Sacristan’s house was Pat Hanrahan’s premises. [21] Much later Hanrahan’s became the location of the 4th and final Glenmore Post Office.
At the end of Hanrahan’s house, the Vee road intersects with the main village road. On the Vee road opposite Hanrahan’s field (this field is where the first Glenmore Chapel was located prior to 1813) the Glenmore Creamery [23] was located in the 1930’s. When the creamery was established in 1905 it was situated in the townland of Kilmakevoge. When the creamery was extended the shop and corn storage facilities were situated in Robinstown.
Further up the Vee road hill toward the Old Line the next building in the 1930’s was the tiny shop of Bridie Doolan [24] also located in the townland of Kilmakevoge. Danny expressed in November 2019 that when he was a boy Christmas stockings were hung in the window of the shop and he spent a lot of time admiring the Christmas stockings. The next building up the hill was where John Hennessey [25] had his forge. This premise is directly across the valley from St. James.
At St. James church, [22] on the main Village road, the next building up the hill was the Curate’s [26] two-storey house. A little further up the main Village road, on the same side as the Church, there were three houses (across from the old Boy’s and Girl’s National Schools.) Heading out of the Village in the 1930’s, Powers [30] lived in the first house. Henry Bevins, N.T. [31] lived in the second house, and the O’Donovan sisters [32] lived in the third house. The O’Donovan sisters were sisters of the first Creamery Manager. Later Daisy and Pat Irish lived in this house.
Across the main Village road from the Curate’s house, and up the hill a bit, was the school teacher’s house [27]. It is believed that Mrs. McCarthy (Mariah Deady) lived in this house in the 1930’s. Prior to this the Curran’s lived in this house. On the same side of the road up the hill further was the Boy’s National School [28] and then the smaller Girl’s National School [29]. In the 1930’s this was considered the end of the Village.
If anyone can add to the information or has corrections please send them to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Our next blog will highlight events that transpired 100 years ago at Easter at the Glenmore Barracks.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh [updated 9 April 2020]
Late 19th Century Glenmore: Population, Industries & Craftsmen
Danny Dowling located and took handwritten notes regarding Glenmore from George Henry Bassett’s, Kilkenny City and County Directory published in 1884. A few weeks ago we posted the extract of farmers and landowners from the Directory on the Glenmore-History webpage. Today, extracts of other categories of information in the 1884 Directory concerning Glenmore will be highlighted and supplemented with information gleaned from Danny’s research as well as interviews he conducted and recorded of local people.
POPULATION
In the 1884 Directory Glenmore is noted as having a population of 106. This population relates solely to the Village and not to the parish. Glenmore is also noted as having good salmon fishing and flanked by “handsome plantations.”
In 2016 Danny began an article on the population of Glenmore. The research conducted by Danny reveals that according to the 1841 census the population of the present area of the Parish of Glenmore was 4482. This was the highest population figure ever recorded for the townlands of the parish in their present size and extent. The Parish of Glenmore, as it is at present, was established in 1846. The population recorded in 1841 was resident in 679 dwelling houses. According to Griffith’s General Valuation of Property in 1850 there were 367 land occupiers in the parish, of these, 284 had holdings under 10 acres, and 288 had holding over 10 acres.
Twenty years after the 1841 census, the 1861 census illustrates that the population dropped to 2658 which represents a decrease of 40.6 per cent. In the same period the number of dwelling houses in the area dropped from 679 to 466. The residents of 231 dwelling houses disappeared within this twenty year period well known for the Great Famine and immigration. The 1901 census provides the population of the parish was 1964 persons residing in 367 dwelling houses, and 202 of the residents of the parish were classified as farmers.
Although the 1884 Directory refers to “handsome plantations” a photo believed to be taken in the early years of the 20th century shows the Village from the vantage point of the road known as the Churns. The hillsides along the road, as depicted in the photo, reveals that every inch of land in and surrounding Glenmore Village was being utilised either under cultivation or being grazed. The circa 1912 post card at the top of the post depicting the Village may be a better representation of the “handsome plantations.”
LANDLORDS OF VILLAGE
The landlords are listed in the 1884 Directory as Lord Bessborough and Mr. George J. Mackessy of Waterford. It is further noted that in 1884 all the houses in the village were slated, and none of the traders in Glenmore were licensed to sell liquors. Although there were a number of landlords outside the Village the excerpt of the 1884 Directory does not refer to any other landlords.
In his 1957 interview Nicholas Forristal, of the Mill, Graiguenakill (1888-1979) told Danny that 13 houses in Glenmore Village, in the townlands of Graiguenakill and Cappagh, were built to replace the dilapidated hovels which then existed. The 13 new houses were built about 1855 by Mackessy, of Waterford, who was the landlord. Nicky Forristal’s father (Patrick Forristal, 1849-1931) remembered seeing them built. Each house cost £30 to build and this amount included both the cost of the labour and the materials. Although 12 houses were planned, a 13th house was built when Kitty Bardin went to Waterford to Mackessy and made a pitiful plea asking for a house to be built from the remaining building materials. After Kitty Bardin’s death the 13th house later was occupied by Kate Ryan.
Thomas and James Malone of Shanbough, known as “the Masons” were the builders of the 13 houses and they were paid 1/6 per day (1 shilling and 6 pence). At that time a work day consisted of working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The labourers on the job were paid 10d (pence) a day. The thatched hovels which preceded the 13 houses were in a terrible state of disrepair and contemporary eye witness accounts stated that the interiors of the cabins could be seen through the large holes which existed in the thatched roofs.
In 1963 Nicholas Forristal revealed that Mackessy also performed work on the stream in Glenmore. “It goes straight through the marshes towards the mill (Forristal’s) and was known as the canal. It was cut like it is now by Mackessy eight feet across from bank to bank and lined with stones. This work was carried out in James Dunphy’s time.” James Dunphy (c.1858 -1940) died in November 1940 at the age of about 82.
According to Danny, Mackessy lived in Lady Lane in Waterford and his Glenmore coach house still stands. The “Coach House” is located near the stream and at the end of the bridge on the south side of the Cappagh road. This building was built to house Mackessy’s coach when he visited Glenmore. On the other side of the stream on the corner of the bridge near the Glenmore pub was the Stage House built by Mackessy to store grain. For years politicians stood on the “stage” and sought the votes of the local people.
Danny’s notebooks, that have been transcribed, contain very little information regarding the Earl of Bessborough. Danny did record that in 1850, the Earl of Bessborough, owned the following townlands in Parish of Glenmore: Ballinaraha, comprised of 290 acres; Aylwardstown, comprised of 55 acres; Haggard, comprised of 543 acres and Robinstown, comprised of 321 acres. Nicholas Forristal revealed in a 1970 interview that “Nicholas Gaffney was Bessborough’s man,” and all Bessborough’s tenents had to deal in Nicholas Gaffney’s shops and go to his mill. If they did not deal with Gaffney the tenant’s would be in trouble with the landlord. Seven years later Nicholas Forristal told Danny that a man named
Hewetson, who lived in the big house in Bishop’s Hall, was the agent for Bessborough in the 1850’s. The Dominican Church in Bridge Street in Waterford, was built with the stones from the big house of Bishop’s Hall. (The present Dominican Church opened in 1876).
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
The 1884 Directory also provides that the Village of Glenmore had a Roman Catholic Church with Rev. Edward Nolan, Parish Priest and Rev. Micheal Corcoran the Curate. St. James was built in 1813. (Please see an earlier post for photos and information concerning the church.)
In 1884 the Village also had a dispensary and James B. Norris is recorded as the Medical Officer. A National School is also present in the Village and in the 1884 Directory John Curran was the Master and Mrs. Curran the Mistress. Danny recorded in his notebook that the National School system was established in 1831 and the Glenmore National School opened in 1835, thus the school was operating for 49 years in 1884.
Robert Fluskey is recorded in the 1884 Directory as the Postmaster. Another institution included in the 1884 Directory is the Royal Irish Constabulary with William Broderick, recorded as Sergeant. The Barracks of 1884 is today an empty building in the Village, but according to Danny the first Barracks was located in the field behind the Glenmore pub. Interestingly, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage lists the Forristal house in Robinstown, (just down the hill from the Church on the same side of the road) as being built in about 1870 and serving as the RIC Barracks in 1903. In October 2019 Danny stated that he was not aware that Forristal’s was ever a Barracks. Danny did state that in 1920 after the present Barracks suffered a fire a temporary Barracks was located in a house in Weatherstown.
Lastly, Michael Morrissey is listed in 1884 Directory as the Civil Bill Officer (today this post holder would generally be known as a process server). Danny in November 2019 explained that the Session’s Loft was at the top of Fluskey’s shop. The Session’s Loft was used as a courthouse and meeting room. It was not until 1898 that County Council’s came into existence and took over some of the work of the Session’s Loft.
CARPENTERS
James Dunne and David Walsh are listed in the 1884 Directory. In a 1973 interview Nicholas Forristal, informed Danny that David “the Carpenter” Walsh worked for Strange who was a landlord who lived in Aylwardstown House. David Walsh was constantly employed by Strange at 12 shillings a week with “no grub.”
Pat Coady, of Ballycroney, Glenmore in 1955 provided Danny with a list of Glenmore tradesmen who practiced their crafts from about the 1860’s to the turn of the 20th century. Carpenters on the Coady list include: Davy Walsh, Graiguenakill; James Dunne, Glenmore; Pat Coady, Ballycroney; Paddy Mullally, Ballycroney; Richard Young, Ballyfacey; and ____ Butler, Ballycroney.
COOPERS
John O’Hanrahan is the sole cooper listed in the 1884 Directory. The Pat Coady list of Glenmore craftsmen includes the following coopers: John Hanrahan, Glenmore; James Ivory, of Kilbride; James Dunphy, of Ballyverneen and Nial Brophy, of Slievecarrig, Tullogher (who died about 1914). In 1969, Paddy Forristal provided the name of Wattie “the Cooper” Grant, of Haggard, as another Glenmore cooper who worked in the late 19th century.
DRESSMAKERS
In the 1884 Directory three dressmakers are named: Margaret Bolger, Mrs. Fluskey and Mary Murphy. Nicholas Forristal, in a 1957 interview, noted that Peg Purcell of Busherstown in the 1870’s was a dressmaker and the first person in the district to get a treadle (foot powered) sewing machine.
GROCERS, FLOUR & PROVISION DEALERS
In the 1884 Directory, Robert Fluskey and Nicholas Gaffney are listed under this category.
MASONS
Edward O’Kill is the only person listed as a mason in the 1884 Directory. The Pat Coady list of Glenmore tradesmen has a much more extensive listing of stone masons including: Mick Moore, of Haggard; Mick Doherty, of Ballyveria (Dancer Doherty); Edward Neill, of Weatherstown; Tom Butler, of Flemingstown and the Malones, of Shanbough.
SMITHS
The 1884 Directory lists Edward Haberlin and Patrick Kelly as smiths. The Pat Coady list of Glenmore tradesmen provides the following men working as blacksmiths in the late 19th century: Edward Haberlin, of Aylwardstown; ________ Bohan, of Ballyhobuck; ______ Larrissey, of Robinstown; Paddy Kelly, of Graiguenakill; Dinny Bergin, of Coolnaleen; Tom Henneberry, of Jamestown; Dinny Merrigan, of Ballycroney; George Tracey, of Ballyfacey and Jack Donovan, of Gaulstown. Nicholas Forristal also named Billy and Tom Purcell, of Busherstown as blacksmiths.
TAILORS
Only 2 tailors are listed in the 1884 Directory, namely: John Condon and Philip Malone. The Pat Coady list of Glenmore craftsmen includes the following tailors: Philip Malone, of Mullinahone; Peter Dunphy, of Glenmore Village; J. Walsh, of Glenmore Village; Martin Roche, of Haggard; John Hogan, of Haggard; and John Condon, of Mullinahone.
BAKERS
Although not included in the 1884 Directory, the Pat Coady list of Glenmore craftsmen provides that Nick Hanrahan, of Glenmore Village was a baker. Nick Hanrahan later migrated to Baltinglass.
SHOEMAKERS
The Pat Coady list of Glenmore craftsmen includes the following shoemakers: John Scanlon, of Knockbrack; Jack Hogan, of Rathinure and John Duggan, of Kilbride; Richard Duggan, of Flemingstown (died 1956 at age of 88); John Cassin, of Glenmore Village; Mick Shanahan, of Glenmore Village and James Scanlan, of Glenmore Village.
THATCHERS
The Pat Coady list of Glenmore craftsmen includes the following thatchers: Pat Haberlin, of Forristalstown; Mick McGrath, of Newtown; Jimmy Power, of Jamestown; Richard Hennessy, of Ballyfacey, Tom Laherty, of Ballyfacey (died in 1892) and Martin Kennedy, of Kilbride.
MILLS
Danny in November 2019 named three mills that were operating in Glenmore Village in the 1850’s namely: the Gaffney Mills of Robinstown; the Grace Mill and the Forristal Mill, of Graiguenakill. In addition to grinding grain Gaffney’s also had what Nickolas Forristal referred to as a tuck mill where linen cloth and sheets were made. Old Jack “the Weaver” Walsh of Glenmore came from the Campile area of Co. Wexford, to work as a weaver in Gaffney’s. In 1959 Nicholas Forristal informed Danny that he had been given a couple of items including a shirt made in the Gaffney Mill and described them as “white and as coarse as a bag.”
BRICK MAKING
Danny wrote an article that was published in the Old Kilkenny Review in 1972 and entitled “Glenmore Brickyards: A Forgotten Industry” detailing the brick making that took place in the parish of Glenmore. Billy Forristal operated the last brick works in the Ballyverneen marshes. This business closed in about 1900. The New Ross-Waterford Railway started in 1902 and was completed in 1906. It crossed the Ballyverneen brick marsh and filled most of the brickholes. Earlier in the 19th century a man named Meany made bricks in a brick marsh nearer the river in Carrigcloney.
We hope that you have enjoyed this snapshot of late 19th Century Glenmore. Special thanks to Jacqueline Walsh for the old photos of Glenmore and Louise Walsh for the 2019 photos of Glenmore.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The Glenmore Post Office: Its Rise and Demise
Stephen Ferguson, the author of The Post Office in Ireland: An Illustrated History noted that the Irish Post Office was established by an Act of Parliament that separated it from the British Post Office in 1784. At that time there were 145 post towns in Ireland, and by 1814 the number of post towns increased to 379. Ferguson also highlighted the difficulties of transporting the mail. He quoted from the diary of Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin, a hedge-school master from Callan, who wrote in 1829 that the post coach from Dublin to Cork took 21 hours. Ó Súilleabháin found this an improvement because 50 years earlier the post coach from Kilkenny to Dublin took up to 2 days to arrive. However, it would be a further 50 years before Glenmore would obtain its first post office.
Two Post Coach Roads
Although two post coach roads passed through the parish of Glenmore, the Village of Glenmore did not obtain a post office until around 1870. The most prominent post coach road was the Waterford to New Ross road. Part of this route is easily found today if one follows what locals refer to as the “High Road.” The High Road runs through Scartnamore, Rathinure, Aylwaystown to Graiguenakill. The Halfwayhouse in the townland of Aylwardstown still bears the name of the midway point on the Waterford-New Ross post road where coaches stopped to change horses.
In 1989 Danny Dowling interviewed Tom Walsh (1908-1992) of Rathinure, formerly of Davidstown, who noted that the “Mountain Road” was formerly part of the Thomastown-Waterford Post Coach Road. The route was via Mullinarrigle, Ballyfacey, Haggard, Ballinlammy, the Árs Mhor and the Mountain Road to Slieverue where it joined the New Ross to Waterford Road. The cross or connecting road between the Mountain Road and the Main Waterford-New Ross Road at Gaulstown was known as the Grugán.
In 1836, the “New Line” was opened providing a more direct road through the parish from Waterford to New Ross, and today the N25 still follows sections of the “New Line” above the Village of Glenmore. Eventually post coaches were replaced with lighter horse drawn cars and until the post office in Glenmore was established the Waterford and New Ross mail car would stop along the route at points where inhabitants would gather to collect their letters and packages. The speed of delivery was greatly increased with the opening of the Ross-Waterford railway in 1904 with a small station established in Aylwardstown.
In 1977 Danny interviewed Dan Doyle, formerly of Ballyverneen who worked as a ganger on the building of the Ross-Waterford railway. Dan Doyle stated that in 1919 he was working in the New Ross station and the fixed time train table brought 11 trains into New Ross daily. At 10:25 a.m. a train carrying mail from Dublin arrived and at 3:15 p.m. a train carrying mail from Waterford for Dublin arrived in New Ross. Even after the coming of the railway local mail was still collected from and delivered to the railway station in Aylwardstown in horse drawn vehicles or bicycle and delivered to Glenmore inhabitants via bicycle.
The First Glenmore Post Office
The first Glenmore post master was William Powell a retired policeman. He first came to Glenmore as a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and was stationed in the Glenmore Barracks. When Powell retired he opened in his dwelling house the first Glenmore post office in about 1870. The first Glenmore post office was situated on the opposite side of the road up the hill from the Barracks. At the time of the first post office the inhabitants of the parish had to collect their mail at the post office. The Powell house no longer exists, but if it did it would be directly opposite Francis O’Brien’s house. William Powell, died on the 1 August 1880, aged 72 and his widow Bridget Powell died in Robinstown on 9 August 1891.
The Second Glenmore Post Office
The second Glenmore post office was located in the shop of Robert Fluskey. While the post office was in Fluskey’s shop the services expanded to include a delivery service and the local telephone exchange was established. Edward “Ned” Kehoe of Aylwardstown was the first man ever appointed to deliver the post in Glenmore. He had a bicycle to travel around and was provided with a whistle to indicate he was in the area. Ned Kehoe would visit various areas of the parish on designated days, stop at a cross roads or group of houses and blow his whistle. The local inhabitants would gather to collect their mail. Ned Kehoe was born about 1875 and was the son of Patrick and Kate Kehoe of Aylwardstown. Ned Kehoe was known as being an industrious fellow. In addition to being a post man he farmed his 10 acre farm and also worked on various projects including the building of the chimney at the Creamery.
The Third Glenmore Post Office
The third Glenmore post office was located in Alice Ryan’s dwelling house which is opposite the pub. It is believed that delivery to each house in the parish on a daily basis began either during the later years of the second post office or at the beginning of the third. Today, many of the older inhabitants recall Foxy Wattie Power and Tommy Power who delivered daily in Glenmore. Each man was responsible for delivering to half of the parish.
The Fourth Glenmore Post Office
The fourth and last post office was Hanrahan’s located opposite and down the hill from the Church. The Glenmore post office closed in November 2018 upon the retirement of Kathleen Hanrahan, thus ending almost 150 years of the Glenmore Post Office. At the time of the closure the range of services provided by the post office was extensive including a variety of savings accounts, social welfare payments and payment of licence fees and utility bills etc.
Today all that remains is the post box outside the Village Shop which is run by Noeleen Fogarty née Hennessey at Hanrahan’s. A post box at the cross roads just above the old Aylwardstown railway station is still visible in the wall. An examination of the old post box reveals that it was made during the reign of Edward the VII (1901-1910) and was later painted green. It was established at the time of opening of the railway station as a convenience for travellers. Today it bears a notice that it is no longer in service.
Special thanks to Jacqueline Walsh for the old photos of the second Glenmore Post Office, and Louise Walsh for the recent photos.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh