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One Hundred Years Ago: March 1923
Although the Civil War continued in March 1923 there were spells of comparative quiet interrupted by attacks. On Monday, 5 March after such a period of quiet every military post in Dublin city came under a simultaneous attack (New Ross Standard, Fri. 9 March 1923, p. 5).
By the middle of March 1923, there was widespread belief in Dublin that the country was near the end of the Civil war. Although the public generally believed that the policy of executions was abandoned, in fact, they continued. In Wexford three executions were carried out during the week of 16 March arising from an armed raid on 15 February. All three of the men were volunteers in the War of Independence. One of the executions clearly illustrates the horror of civil war where brother is pitted against brother. John Creane, aged 19, of Clonerane, Taghmon, was executed in Wexford in March 1923. He had one brother in the Free State Army and another in the Civic Guards (New Ross Standard, Fri. 16 March 1923, p. 6).
Today, we are going to feature the local events of March 1923.
Attack Near Glenmore Station
On Monday the 5th at about 8:30 p.m. a mixed passenger and goods train, was ambushed as it travelled near the Aylwardstown station.
Over a distance of 700 yards fire was opened on the train from both sides of the railway line by a large party of Irregulars. The passenger section of the train contained military and civilian passengers, and it was peppered with bullets. The glass in several of the doors and windows was smashed. When the firing started, the military on the train took whatever cover was available and returned fire. They were successful in driving back the attackers. No casualties were suffered by the troops, but it was presumed some of the Irregulars were wounded.
The six or seven passengers had a “most unnerving experience.” During the shooting they remained on the carriage floors. The noise of the attack, which lasted about ten minutes, was heard in the city. When attacked the train was travelling at a fast speed over a stretch of level road. The driver and fireman remained at their posts although unsheltered they escaped injury while they managed to deliver their train and freight at Waterford close to the scheduled time. (Freeman’s Journal, Wed. 7 March 1923, p. 4 & Munster Express, Sat. 10 March 1923, p. 3). The Derry Journal (Wed. 7 March 1923, p. 5) reported one civilian was wounded.
Other local attacks on the railway included a raid on the Mullinavat railway station on 1 March where the armed men unsuccessfully attempted to burn the signal cabin (Kilkenny People, Sat. 10 March 1923, p. 5). Irregular operations at the Bennetsbridge railway station were more successful; it was destroyed by fire (New Ross Standard, Fri. 2 March 1923, p. 8). On the 18th armed men attempted to burn the signal cabin at the Dungarvan railway station, but the fire was put out by the military. The signal cabin was not used for over 8 months before the attempted fire (The Waterford News, Fri. 23 March 1923, p. 5).
A raid also was carried out on the Waterford (G.S.W.R.) goods yard on Monday. Around midnight armed men entered the yard and held up the inspector and night staff. The raiders then ransacked wagons loaded with goods awaiting transit from Waterford. Fourteen wagons were broken into and goods scattered in disorder around the yard. Goods were stolen but no estimate of value was provided (The Waterford News, Fri. 23 March 1923, p. 3).
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Local Battles
A two-hour battle took place between National troops and Irregulars north east of Mullinavat on Thursday morning between Smithstown, Glenpipe and Listerlin. Two columns of national troops were in the district. One came from Kilkenny City and the other from Waterford. The Kilkenny troops came in contact with the Irregulars at Glenpipe, where they had outposts. The National troops captured one outpost with no fight, but the Irregulars became aware of their presence and opened fire. The Waterford column, advanced from the opposite direction. Rifle and machine guns were used by both the National troops and Irregulars. Three Kilkenny National soldiers were slightly wounded. The casualties on the Irregular side were not known. Six Irregulars were captured (Munster Express, Sat. 10 March 1923, p. 5).
A sharp attack was made on the New Ross military posts on the night of the 21st. The shooting lasted nearly 90 minutes (The Waterford News, Fri. 23 March 1923, p. 5). “The miniature effigy of a pig over the old bacon factory on the New Ross Quay was pieced through the centre by a bullet” during the attack (New Ross Standard, Fri. 30 March 1923, p. 7).
At Glenmore (Co. Waterford) within 3 miles of Dungarvan, the military found a large quantity of arms and ammunition concealed under a bee hive (New Ross Standard, Fri. 2 March 1923, p. 8.)
Raids and Attacks on other Infrastructure
On the road from Dungarvan to Waterford more bridges were destroyed early in the month. Cars traveling between Waterford and Dungarvan were obliged to go by Ballyvoile, which “is rather dangerous, as the cliff road is much cut up…” and lorries could not use it safely (Munster Express, Sat, 3 March 1923, p. 6).
Some post offices in the New Ross District were raided and money and stamps taken (New Ross Standard, Fri.9 March 1923, p. 5). In Kilkenny post offices were raided at Bennetsbridge and Nine-Mile-House by armed men. On 1 March armed men smashed the telegraph machinery. On the evening of the 5th armed men again entered the Nine-Mile-House post office, burned the cash account book and all official forms. They departed with 9 shillings in cash, a similiar amount in stamps, and £16 in postal orders (Kilkenny People, Sat. 10 March 1923, p. 5).
Stately Homes Burned
During the War of Independence several stately homes belonging to the Anglo-Irish aristocrats or British sympathisers were burned. However, commencing in late February 1923 the homes of T.D.’s, civil servants etc. were targeted. Below we have highlighted some of the homes destroyed in Kilkenny and Wexford during this period.
Lord Bessborough’s mansion near Piltown was burned. The damage to the house and furnishings was estimated at £100,000. Ratepayers of each county were responsible for all damage caused by burnings after 6 February 1923. The State paid the awards for the damages done prior to that date. Bessborough House was destroyed about midnight by armed men, who came with petrol and all the necessary paraphernalia for a big fire. Only a few servants were in the house and “prevailed of the opportunity presented to clear out.” “The flames leaped at times to a height of 60 feet over the highest part of the mansion. All the contents of the house were burned, and nothing but the gaunt, charred walls”… remained (Munster Express, Sat. 3 March 1923, p. 6) Lord Bessborough who was known as Fred Ponsonby, was one of the landlords of Glenmore.
Ballynastragh House, near Gorey in Co. Wexford, the home of Sir Thomas Esmonde (1862-1935) was burned on 9 March 1923 by Irregulars (Kilkenny People, Sat. 17 March 1923, p. 7).
Wilton Castle, the residence of Captain P.C. Alcock, situated about 3 miles from Enniscorthy was burned to the ground on Monday the 5th by armed men. It was the fourth mansion in the Enniscothy area to be burned. The New Ross Standard recounted that Wilton Castle was the seat of the Alcock family for 250 years. After the 1807 election for an MP for Co. Wexford. William C. Alcock, of Wilton Castle, challenged John Colclough, of Tintern Abbey, to a duel over some remarks Colclough made. Colclough was engaged to marry Alcock’s sister. The duel proceeded, and Colclough was shot dead. Alcock became insane through grief and after lingering six years died 4 September 1813 (New Ross Standard, Fri. 16 March 1923, p. 4).
For further information on the 250 mansions burned or bombed see The Irish Times.
Arrests & Surrenders
Around the middle of the month it was reported that over 208 Irish men and women were arrested in England and Scotland. All the persons taken into custody in England were conveyed under escort to Liverpool and placed aboard the British cruiser Castor which sailed to Ireland. The people arrested in Scotland were put aboard two destroyers: the Wolfhound and the Victory and they too set out for Ireland (Kilkenny People, Sat. 17 March 1923, p. 7).
Closer to Glenmore the following arrests were published. Eamonn Aylward, a former anti-Treaty T.D. was arrested near Windgap and removed to Kilkenny military barracks. He was released a couple days later, but the terms of his release were not provided. National troops operating at Glenpipe, arrested a man named Reidy (Kilkenny People, Sat. 10 March 1923, p. 5).
Some anti-Treaty soldiers decided to surrender and take the oath. One “well known” Irregular surrendered to the military in Kilkenny with his arms and having undertaken to cease activities was allowed to return home. An Irregular named Thomas Ryan, Kilbrahan, New Ross, surrendered to the New Ross garrison with arms (Kilkenny People, Sat. 31 March 1923, p. 6).
The newspapers also attempted to track prisoner movements. For example, about 100 prisoners were transferred from Kilkenny Prison during the last week of the month (Kilkenny People, Sat. 31 March 1923, p. 6) and an unknown number of prisoners were removed from Waterford prison on the 28th (The Waterford News, Fri. 30 March 1912, p. 11).
Waterford Axe Murder
In February we highlighted the gruesome axe murder of Mrs. Anne Devereaux and her eleven-month-old daughter Kathleen at No. 29 Slievekeale Road in Waterford City. The victim’s brother-in-law, William Devereaux, was charged with the murders and in early March a preliminary hearing was held where Devereaux entered a plea of not guilty (The Waterford News, 2 March 1923, p. 2 & Munster Express, Sat. 3 March 1923, p. 6). See our previous post of 20 February 2023 for further details of the murder.
Glenmore Football
The Kilkenny County Final Senior Football match between Glenmore and Cottierstown was to be played on Sunday the 10th. It did not take place because the Cottierstown team did not show up at Knocktopher to play. The Glenmore team showed up ready to play. “The matter was to be discussed at the next meeting of the County Board (Munster Express, Sat. 24 March 1923, p. 3).
On 25 March at Mullinavat Glenmore was to play the Barrow Rovers in the final Southern Division Kilkenny Junior Football Championship (Kilkenny People, Sat. 24 March 1923, p. 9). “It was a grand contested game. The scores at half time were one point each.” The ending scores were Tullogher 1 goal, 4 points to Glenmore 1 point. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 30 March 1923, p. 6).
The Glenmore Football Club passed votes of sympathy with Messrs. Thomas Forrestal and James Roche, two respected members in their recent bereavement (New Ross Standard, Fri. 30 March 1923, p. 6). Another local death reported was Joseph Gaule, a publican of Big Wood on the 7th of March. His funeral went to Kilmacow and was largely attended (Munster Express, Sat. 10 March 1923, p. 5). A review of the death registrar reveals that Joseph Gaule was only 40 years of age, a married farmer/publican and living at Fahee. His brother-in-law, James Hobin, was present when he died of a suspected heart attack.
Farming & Fishing
The Waterford Fair of March 1923 was held at Ballybricken on Monday the 5th where buyers were in large attendance. Yealings sold at £7 to £10, two year olds sold from £12 to £16 and up to £18, while mutton sold for 1/6 to 1/8 per lb. Trade in cows and bulls was dull. There was a fair demand for a good supply of pigs and the horse fair was small (The Waterford News, Fri. 9 March 1923, p. 5).
The amount of rainfall in February 1923 caused great difficulty for farmers. In February 1923, 8.62 inches rain fell. The average of 20 years ending 1922 was 4.12 inches. Prior to February 1923, the previous record was set in 1904 of 7.77 inches (The Waterford News, Fri. 9 March 1923, p. 5). On the other hand, the massive rain is credited with improving fishing. Barrow fishermen reported that salmon were favourable. At Graiguenamanagh salmon were fetching 3s. per pound (New Ross Standard, Fri. 30 March 1923, p. 7).
Lastly, it was reported that an expert was lecturing famers that the use of nicotine, obtained from home grown tobacco, could be used to cure sheep scab and to kill the warble fly which caused over £1,500,000 damages annually (Kilkenny People, Sat. 31 March 1923, p. 5).
Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
The featured drawing above is of the Celtic Cross Stamp issued by the Free State Government for St. Patrick’s Day 1923 (Freeman’s Journal, Fri. 16 March 1923, p. 7).
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Glenmore: Team Up To Clean Up
This Saturday the 25th of March 2023, from 2 to 3 p.m. volunteers are sought to join Glenmore Tidy Towns, sponsored by the Kilkenny County Council, to pick up litter in the parish. Bags, gloves and litter picks will be provided. Groups and individuals are all welcome. Please meet at the parish hall car park at 1:45 p.m.
Walk the quaint roads and lanes of Glenmore, reconnect with local heritage and wildlife while collecting the coffee cups, drink cans and bottles strewn along the roadsides. Fingers crossed for a beautiful spring day!
Glenmore History’s Third Anniversary
Today, as we celebrate the third anniversary of Glenmore-History.com we are happy to announce that the blog has had 164,037 views and 48,097 visitors to the site. This post represents the 240th post.
In addition to our weekly posts covering a range of Glenmore items, over the past year we began posting the 1961 list of Glenmore residents made by our founder Danny Dowling (1927-2021). To date we have covered 13 townlands. One of our blog articles caught the attention of the Butter Museum that made a video regarding the theft of Glenmore butter during the War of Independence.
We continue to also post on facebook and add content to our website pages (obits, articles by guest authors) etc. As more information becomes known, or photos are provided etc. we add to previous posts and pages. Thus you should revisit favourite earlier posts as there may be new information of interest.
This past year we were delighted to share a link to a video of Danny from 1991, as well as John Ennett’s “Dancing at Sean Walsh’s.” Technical difficulties with a new video camera and programme have delayed more videos, but we hope to soon work out the difficulties.
Thanks to each and every person who has helped grow Glenmore-History.com, and we remain committed to Danny’s firmly held conviction that historical records should be freely accessible to allow individuals to discover their roots. We were able to meet several visitors over the past year who did trace their roots back to Glenmore.
We have a number of activities planned for the coming year, and our first will be a stand at the Glenmore Christmas Craft Fair & Market on Sunday, 18 December 2022. We hope to have a small display of items from Danny’s collection and items donated over the past year, as well as some old fashion leisure items (books & jigsaw puzzles) for Christmas shoppers. More on future plans in a forthcoming post.
The Glenmore Butter wrapper featured above was saved by Jo Doyle née Mernagh(1932-2021) of Weatherstown, Glenmore kindly donated by her daughter Pat. We featured some of Jo’s work in our post of 15 May 2022.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Andrew Doherty’s Tides & Tales
As the evenings are closing in, if you are looking for local information and wonderful photos check out Andrew Doherty’s website Waterford Harbour Tides & Tales. His most recent article is “Freighting the Suir: Clonmel to Carrick 1906.” Not only does the article provide an interesting insight into the goods “supply chain” at the turn of the 20th century, but it features photos that put the information into perspective. Click here for this fascinating article and information regarding the website. The webpage includes the A-Z Place Names of the Three Sisters which is packed with local information and photos.
Glenmore: Limestone Kilns [updated]
Unlike other areas of Ireland where subsistence farming was the norm, the farmers of eastern Leinster engaged in commercial agriculture. In other words, crops were being grown to be sold rather than for subsistence. In 1770, the chief trade was in flour sold to the growing city of Dublin. By the start of the Famine crops were being grown for breweries. This commercialisation of the tillage economy is credited with causing a rapid population increase in the early 19th century. Farm labourers who made up about half the population in the region were given a small cottage and around 0.4 hectares of land. These plots were locally known as haggards and were used for growing potatoes and cereal crops by the farm labourers. After the famine farming moved from tillage to grazing. Between 1851 and 1911 arable land in Ireland halved from 1.8 million hectares to 0.9 million. Grazing with live cattle exports to Britain increased from 200,000 animals in the 1840’s to 400,000 animals in the 1860’s. The last decade of the 19th century saw this increased to 800,000 animals (Kevin Whelan, (1997) “The Modern Landscape from Plantation to Present” in Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape, p. 67).
Lime Kilns of Glenmore
The landscape of Glenmore still has the ruins of old lime kilns that long ago were used for the production of quicklime or buntlime. One good example is at the crossroads in Ballycroney. Quicklime was produced by heating limestones at high temperatures in a lime kiln. Quickline was used in agriculture to change the PH of the soil and in building projects for mortar. Farm lime kilns were very common in the 18th and early part of the 19th century. They were replaced in the second half of the 19th century, after the Famine, by industrial lime and brick works. There were two types of permanent farm kilns used in the production of quicklime for agricultural purposes, namely: draw kilns and the less common flare kilns. Both kilns were loaded from the top and had their fire boxes at the bottom. Kilns were usually built into the bank of a hillside and enclosed on the other three sides by a stone-built rectangular shaped structure. The draw-hole or stoke hole was located at the front of the kiln base. It provided draft and access to the fire and was where the quicklime was removed. The draw hole was often built large enough to accommodate two men and sometimes a cart. Draw kilns burned limestone in a continuous process (p.19). Because of the need to generate temperatures in the region of 1000 degrees Celsius for long periods, lime kilns required a large amount of fuel. In the late 19th century in Munster, furze was the main fuel source. In other parts of Ireland furze was used to start the fire or was mixed with other fuels (Muiris O’Sullivan & Liam Downey, “Lime Kilns,” (19)2 Archaeology Ireland (Summer 2005) pp. 18-22).
Danny Dowling (1927-2021) interviewed Nicky “the Miller” Forristal (1888-1979) in November 1977 (DD Notebook 5) concerning the burning of lime in Glenmore. Nicky stated that the local farmers brought limestone from the quarries at Dunkitt, in Kilmacow, up river in a gabbard. “After discharge at the local quays the stones were transported in horse and cart to the lime kilns. They were then spalled—that is to say that they were broken to the size of about 2 hands clenched together. The kiln was then packed in the follow order: 1st furze at bottom to light the culm; 2nd on this was placed a layer of culm; and 3rd next a layer of limestone. After this it was every alternate layer of culm and limestone until the kiln was filled to the top. It was then set alight and it burned for 3 or 4 days.” According to a modern dictionary culm was coal dust.
Nicky went on to state that as a chap he saw the kilns at Ballyverneen Quay, and at Ennett’s in Cappagh, burning lime on a few occasions. Lime kilns were situated at the following locations:
(1) A kiln was located on Kiln Hill which was over Glenmore ½ way up on Neddie Connor’s side in Cody’s field, in the townland of Graiguenakill.
(2) Ballyverneen—at Waterford side of Maid’s Quay on other side of road.
(3) Ballyverneen—at Quay opposite Dick Dunphy’s cottage where Dolan’s later lived. It was fed from the roadroad. Although the kiln is gone its outline can still be seen.
(4) Graiguenakill–on Barron’s Quay below Forristal’s Mill. This Quay was public and was an open space years ago. Paddy Forristal in an interview in 1980 referred to it being on a commons and noted the kiln was gone.
(5) Cappah–at top of Ennet’s Marsh. It is gone.
(6) Jamestown–at top of Main Roche’s Hill in Green’s field. It is gone.
(7) Bishopstown–opposite Richie Hennessey’s cottage.
(8) Bishopstown–at Ballybrahee Lane.
(9) Weatherstown–on the commons.
Given the prominence of the kiln at the crossroads in Ballycroney it is surprising it was not mentioned. We did find it recorded on the Orinance Survey Map. If readers are aware of where other lime kilns were or are located in or around Glenmore parish would you please send the information to glenmore.history@gmail.com ?
[Update 6 Sept. 2022, Martin Forristal identified a lime kiln in Rochestown near the river. See Martin’s comment below for further details.]
[Update 6 Sept 2022, Brian Forristal identified and sent the photo to the right of a lime kiln in Kearney Bay. It is located down the rock Road, past Tom Heffernan’s farm. It is about half a mile from there on the right hand side.]
Life & Death
After lime kilns fell out of use at least one family lived in the Graiguenakill lime kiln. Billy Fleming and his sister Jane Fleming made the Graiguenakill kiln their home (Danny Dowling, Notebook 8 (1955)). Unfortunately, no further information was provided by Danny regarding Billy Fleming or his sister Jane or when they resided in the kiln. A quick search of the parish records presented a possible match. There was a William Fleming baptized at Glenmore on 16 March 1826 to Patrick Fleming and his wife Margaret Barden. No similar record could be located for Jane Fleming, but Patrick and Margaret had another son Peter (bapt. 8 July 1824) at Grangekille (sic) Glenmore.
Lastly, while performing a newspaper search (for something else) the following article was found regarding a kiln operated in Carrigcloney, Glenmore in 1827. This article was found in the Drogheda Journal, or Meath & Louth Advertiser (Sat. 19 May 1827) and appears to have been copied from the Waterford Chronicle. It highlights the dangers associated with lime burning.
Melancholy Occurrence. —On Thursday last, a poor limeburner, named Freeman, while working at a kiln, at Carrigcloney, Parish of Glenmore, County Kilkenny, the man below was drawing the lime, many of the stones above, from being overburned, calcined or adhering to the side of the kiln, when the poor fellow walked on the side of the kiln, and with a pole endeavoured to cause the lime to pass, it immediately shifted, and he, poor creature, got fast in the middle of it. The exertions of four stout men pulling him by the arms, were not aide to disengage him, until they procured rope a short distance off, he burning all the time, by fastening it under his arms they brought him up. He died a short time afterwards in great agony.— Waterford Chronicle.
Freeman is not a common Glenmore name, however in the parish records we did find where a Laurence Freeman, in nearby Rathanure (sic) married Margaret Day, of Rathanure, on 14 January 1824 at Glenmore. Witnesses were Nancy Freeman and Mary Grant. The poor man who was burned in the kiln was not Laurence as Laurence and his wife had 2 children born after May 1827. The couple had Bridget Freeman (bapt. 17 March 1828) and Laurence Freeman (bapt. 15 Dec. 1830). Turning to Griffiths Valuation 1829, a John Freeman of Rathinure is listed. What relationship, if any, the Rathinure Freemans may have had to the deceased limeburner is not known.
Please send any corrections and further information to glenmore.history@gmail.com . The photos of the kiln at the Ballycroney cross was taken last week.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
SOUTH KILKENNY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Programme July to November 2022
Programme of Events – July to November 2022
Sunday, July 10th–Fraochan Sunday – Members will join locals and others on the summit
of Tory Hill. Fraochan Sunday is a tradition dating back centuries and is associated with the ancient festival of Lughnasa.
Sunday, July 31st–2.30pm – A fun filled guided tour of Silverspring House, Mooncoin
This event must be pre-booked before Sunday, July 24th, by contacting Eddie Synnott (086 8124349 or edsynnott@yahoo.co.uk)
Sunday, August 21st: Heritage Week–2.30pm – Mystery tour of Mullinavat, commencing at the church car
park.
LECTURES
Thursday, September 29th
Topic: 1972: Ireland joins the EEC
Speaker: Eugene Broderick
Thursday, October 27th
Topic: A history of the National School system in Ireland
Speaker: Joe Doyle
Thursday, November 24th
Topic: Healing Civil War wounds through sport
Speaker: Patrick Mannix
All lectures will commence at 8pm. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation it is unclear whether the lectures will be ‘live’ in Mullinavat Parish Hall, live streamed via Zoom, or a combination of both.
If you have any queries regarding the programme of events please contact Eddie Synnott at edsynnott@yahoo.co.uk .