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First Anniversary
It is hard to believe, but today is the first anniversary of the first post of Glenmore-History.com. The first post on 3 November 2019 was “Introducing the Glenmore Historian: Danny Dowling.” https://glenmore-history.com/introducing-the-glenmore-historian-danny-dowling/
Last week I asked Danny if he would like to send a message to his readers on this First Anniversary. Danny thought for a few minutes and said that he enjoys hearing from the readers all over the world who are from Glenmore or have Glenmore connections. He would like to encourage everyone to speak to and write down for their younger family members their experiences and anything they know or heard about their ancestors.
When we started last year, we had no way of knowing that a pandemic would impact on the world and close local libraries and the National Archives. Notwithstanding challenges we were able to publish 70 posts on a variety of subjects and on the website add pages dedicated to family information, obituaries, Irish words and field names, useful links and our biggest project was the recording of all inscriptions on over 500 headstones in Glenmore cemetery. Additionally guest lecturers shared their work for us to publish.
We hope that you have found the posts and pages interesting to date. In the coming year in addition to weekly posts we hope to record more headstone inscriptions and more information on Glenmore’s past and people. If you have any information, wrote an article or come across an article, or have an idea for an article we would appreciate you sending it to us at glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Thanks to everyone who helped and contributed to the success of Glenmore-History.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The Phantom Coach of Glenmore: Inspiration for a Kitty the Hare Tale?
Over the years Danny Dowling recorded the sightings of various Glenmore ghosts. Ghosts of soldiers and others, haunted houses, haunted lanes and fields were commonly experienced around the parish, but there were several sightings of a more unusual apparition, a coach drawn by four big black horses, a headless coachman with two gentry ghosts in the coach. This unusual apparition became known as the Phantom Coach. The Phantom Coach was often encountered in the Carrigcloney and Kilivory areas particularly near the old Kilivory grave yard where it was often said to travel through ditches and fields following a road or lane that no longer existed. Locals believed a sighting of the Phantom Coach was a warning of a forthcoming death.
In June 1977, Nicholas Forristal (1888-1979) of the Mill, Graiguenakill, Glenmore related that Nicky Denn and Jamsey Grant “whilst driving cows on a summer evening, both saw the famous phantom coach come thundering down Ballyverneen Lane, across Main Road and cross Pill and marshes and up Carrigcloney Hill.” (Daniel Dowling, Notebook 5, p. 30).
Nicky Forristal went on to state that Nicky Denn died in the Union Hospital in New Ross in 1922/23. Nicky Denn was about 65 years of age when he died. He was born in Mullinahone, Glenmore and his father was Maurice Denn. Nicky Denn worked for about 20 years with Tommy Forristal, of Ballyverneen, Glenmore. The death registry supports that Nicky Forristal had an excellent memory. Nicholas Denn, of Ballyverneen, died on the 7th of March 1923 in the Auxiliary Hospital, New Ross at the age of 65 from pneumonia. It is recorded that he worked as a labourer. Thus Nicky Denn was born around 1858.
In the adjacent parish of Rosbercon, Thomas Victor O’Donovan Power was born in 1860. Power became a well known writer and died a decade after Nicky Denn in 1933. When Danny Dowling was a boy in the 1930’s the old people of Jamestown, Glenmore told Danny that Power would often call to various houses in Jamestown to visit and he sat with the family at their fireside where stories, particularly ghost stories, were shared. For further inspiration Power often prevailed on Jamestown locals, who played instruments, to meet him after dark in the Ballygurrim graveyard or raths. Power would stretch out on the ground and ask his Jamestown companion to play music while he encouraged ghosts or supernatural beings such as pookahs, fairies and banshees, to speak to his imagination.
Power wrote a number of supernatural short stories in serial publications like Ireland’s Own and later Our Boys. Long after his death Power’s short stories were re-printed for new generations of children. Power’s best known character was “Kitty the Hare: The Famous Travelling Woman of Ireland.” According to Stephanie Rains, of Maynooth University, (https://irishmediahistory.com/tag/kitty-the-hare/) Kitty the Hare was introduced in 1914 in Ireland’s Own and later her tales appeared in Our Boys commencing in 1924. Ireland’s Own is still being published today. Our Boys was a publication that was run by the Christian Brothers as an Irish Catholic alternative to the English Boys’ Own publication. The mission of Our Boys in the beginning was to provide acceptable role models for Irish boys to counterbalance the influence of metropolitan and the glamorisation of the British empire. Our Boys “…encapsulate[d] the spirit of pastoral romanticism which permeated the early years of the Free State. This series [Kitty the Hare] went on to become a highlight of the magazine for the next 65 years though Power died in 1929.” (Flanagan, Irish Times, 2014, available at https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/an-irishman-s-diary-on-our-boys-1.1863585 0.).
Although there is confusion concerning when Power died, T. Victor O’Donovan Power is buried in Shanbogh graveyard and his marker records his death as occurring on the 30th of December 1933. Obituaries for Power appeared in the New Ross Standard on the 5th of January 1934 noting that his father was Michael Power, and the Waterford Standard on the 6th provided the following information:
WELL-KNOWN WRITER’S DEATH. The death has occurred of Mr. T. Victor O’Donovan-Power, of Chilcomb [House], New Ross, the well-known Irish writer and play-wright. For the past 50 years he was a frequent contributor to magazines, periodicals, and the weekly Press, and he was the author of a number of books. Amongst his plays were “The Peril of Shelia” and “The Banshee’s Cry.” His writings portrayed Irish rural life in a delightfully true-to-life manner. Mr. Power was a gifted musician. He had been ill only a short time.
We will never know for certain if the Phantom Coach of Glenmore parish influenced Power, but a ghostly coach featured in a Kitty the Hare story he wrote. RTE as part of its Twenty Minute Tales series featured Kitty the Hare telling the story of the headless Aughaderry coach on Halloween in 1974. It has been digitalised, so turn down the lights and enjoy an old fashion short ghost story without special effects told by Kitty the Hare at https://www.rte.ie/archives/2019/1001/1079397-the-headless-coach-of-aughaderry/
The feature photo above are headstones in the Shanbogh graveyard taken in September 2020.
Web page update–Some headstone inscriptions from Shanbogh graveyard may be found by clicking on the Roots button on the home page.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
More Glenmore Cemetery Fun Facts
After the first set of fun facts regarding the Glenmore Cemetery were published on 10 September, (see, https://glenmore-history.com/fun-facts-regarding-glenmore-cemetery/) Mrs. Griffin, of Indiana emailed that she is going to use the fun facts to teach percentages. Fittingly her students will be studying percentages during the week of Halloween. Mrs. Griffin asked if there were any other fun facts, and Louise Walsh put together lists of place names recorded on Glenmore cemetery headstones. These might prove more useful for geography.
This month Glenmore History volunteers added Kilbride Graveyard to the free Find-a-Grave website, added a few markers from Shanbogh Graveyard and added information regarding Kilcolumb. As time permits all information obtained from these graveyards will be added to the Glenmore-History.com webpage.
LOCAL PLACE NAMES
| Ardbeg |
| Avondale, Glenmore |
| Aylwardstown |
| Ballinclare |
| Ballincol |
| Ballinlammy |
| Ballinraha |
| Ballybrahee |
| Ballycroney |
| Ballyfacey / Ballyfasey / Ballyfacy |
| Ballyfoyle |
| Ballyhobuck |
| Ballyhomaek |
| Ballyreddy |
| Ballyveria |
| Ballyverneen |
| Ballyvoole |
| Bearstown |
| Cappagh |
| Carrigcloney |
| Clune, Glenmore |
| Coolnaleen |
| Davidstown |
| Flemingstown |
| Forristalstown |
| Gathabawn |
| Glenensaw |
| Glenmore |
| Graignakill |
| Haggard |
| Hugginstown |
| Jamestown |
| Jamestown |
| Kearney Bay |
| Kilbrahan |
| Kilbride |
| Kilcollum |
| Kilcrenagh, Davidstown |
| Kilivory |
| Kilmakevoge |
| Knockbrack |
| Milltown / Miltown |
| Moulerstown |
| Mountbellew |
| Mullinahone |
| Newtown |
| Nicholastown |
| Parkstown |
| Rahora |
| Rathenure |
| Rathinure |
| Rickersland |
| Rickersland South |
| Robinstown |
| Rochestown |
| Scartnamore |
| Shambo |
| Shanbough |
| Weatherstown |
| PLACES A LITTLE FURTHER AWAY Aglish, Carrigeen |
| Ballinlaw, Slieverue |
| Ballybaring, Slieverue |
| Hoodsgrove, Rosbercon |
| Rosbeacon |
| Rosbercon |
| New Ross |
| Fethard-on-Sea, New Ross |
| The Quay, New Ross |
| Slievecorig |
| Listrollin Mullinavat |
| Mullinavat |
| Blossom Hill, Kilmacow |
| Fahee, Kilmacow |
| Glynnballyvalley, Tullogher |
| Tullogher |
| Glynnballyvalley, Tullogher |
| Tullogher |
| Ballylogue, The Rower |
| Grange, The Rower |
| Bennettsbridge |
| Inistogue |
| Kileen, Inistioge |
| Kilcurl, Knocktopher |
| Ballyhenebry, Piltown |
| Kilmeaden |
| Passage East, Co. Waterford |
| Waterford |
| Macroom, Co. Cork |
| Moorstown, Cahir Co. Tipperary |
| Laneborough, Co. Longford |
| Scarriff, Co. Clare |
| Dublin |
| Sutton, Dublin |
| RECORDED ADDRESSES IN WATERFORD CITY |
| Thomas St. |
| The Glen |
| Summerville Ave. |
| St. Alphonsus’ Rd. |
| Morrison’s Ave. |
| Manor Lawn |
| Manor St. |
| Glen Tce |
| Ferndale |
| Bridge St. |
| Blackfriars |
| Barrack St. |
| Ballybricken |
| Griffith Place |
| Morgan St. |
| Gracedieu Rd. |
| Presentation Row |
| Upper Yellow Road |
| Costello’s Lane |
| Waterford City |
| Recorded Places Outside of Ireland: |
| America |
| USA |
| N.Y.C. |
| Boston, Mass. |
| Chicago, USA |
| Payette, Idaho USA |
| Santa Barbara, California |
| Chessington, Surrey |
| Birmingham |
| Kentish Town, London |
| London |
| Maidenhead, Berkshire England |
| Manchester |
| Southport |
| Australia |
| Kiama, Sydney |
| Melbourne, Australia |
| Sydney |
| NSW, Australia |
| Wellington, New Zealand |
| India |
| Toronto |
| RECORDED PLACES OF INTERRMENT–this is where a person’s name is recorded on a Glenmore headstone, but it is noted that the person is buried elsewhere. |
| Ballykeeffe cemetary |
| Burma–see, Father Thomas Walsh (1911-1945) posted 27 July 2020 at https://glenmore-history.com/an-unusual-glenmore-memorial-fr-thomas-walsh-1911-1945/ |
| Cork |
| England |
| Faithlegge, Co. Waterford |
| Manchester |
| Rosbercon cemetary |
| Agen, France |
| California |
New Local Book
Local author Andrew Doherty’s new book Waterford Harbour Tides and Tales has been published by History Press. It is a collection of stories associated with the harbour area drawn from the yarns the author heard as a child.
Although we have not reviewed the new book if it is anything like the author’s blog http://www.tidesandtales.ie it should be an interesting and entertaining read.
Waterford Harbour Tides and Tales is available on Amazon, in book shops or by contacting the author via email at tidesntales@gmail.com
Congratulations Andrew!
The Glenmore Steam Ship (1897-1908)
A reader from Indiana recently came across a turn of the 20th century stern paddle wheel steam ship named Glenmore. He wondered if the original owners or builders may have been natives of Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny.
The Glenmore was built in 1897 in Jeffersonville, Indiana by the Howard shipyard. Jeffersonville, Indiana is on the Ohio river near Paducah, Kentucky. The Howard shipyard was founded by James Howard in 1834. The company was owned by the Howard family until shortly before World War II. After the war, it became known as the Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Company and later it became Jeffboat. The company was the largest inland shipbuilder in the United States and the second-largest builder of river barges in the United States before it closed in 2018.
Built as a packet ship, the Glenmore was originally named the John W. Thomas and she plied the Ohio river carrying mail, passengers and freight between Evansville, Indiana and Paducah, Kentucky for the Louisville and Evansville Packet Co . At some point the John W. Thomas was renamed Glenmore (according to the University of Wisconsin virtual library), and she was named after a popular bourbon. The Glenmore Distillery Company was established by two men named Thompson in 1901 at Owensboro, Kentucky.
In May 1908 the Glenmore was at Paducah, Kentucky and put up for sale. The Messenger-Inquirer of Owensboro, Kentucky reported on 15 May 1908 that Captain George Block, of St. Louis was in Louisville to inspect the 500 ton Glenmore for purchase. On 23 May 1908 the Kansas City Star reported that the Glenmore was sold to Philip McCrory and Booth Baugham who were to bring the ship to Kansas City, Missouri where it would be refitted and operated as an excursion or party boat on the Missouri River. The Glenmore was described as being 160 feet in length with a 26.5 foot beam. She was due to arrive within two weeks and she could carry up to 1,000 persons.
Newspapers of the era in river towns and cities carried commentary concerning her progress up the Mississippi on way to her new home port of Kansas, City. The Kansas City Star of 17 July 1908 reported that the Glenmore left the foot of Main St. carrying a number of important local figures and various civic groups to inspect local flood damage. The Baughham and Pryor Excursions were very popular in 1908. Beer and other liquid refreshments were sold 7 days a week, 7 kinds of gambling were allowed and there was a very popular dance hall on board (Kansas City Star, 3 April 1909). Missouri traditionally did not allow gambling nor did it allow the purchase of alcoholic beverages on Sunday. At St. Louis, and other major centres of population in Missouri, race tracks and other gambling establishments were built in nearby states such as Illinois. It is assumed that the State of Kansas may have also catered for residents in Kansas City, Missouri to engage in drinking and gambling in Kansas. Thus the Glenmore could legally provide gambling and drinking when it operated on the Kansas side of the Missouri river.
In November 1908 it was widely reported that John J. Pryor, one of the Glenmore owners, and an ex-saloon keeper, was charged with operating gambling devices on the Glenmore. John J Pryor, was a colourful character, who was charged with murder in 1907 and his trial collapsed. (Kansas City Star, 7 November 1908). It is assumed that he was charged because he operated the devices within the jurisdiction of the State of Missouri or on the Missouri side of the river. The Glenmore operated for one season as an excursion or party boat on the Missouri River. When the Glenmore was being put up for the winter it was discovered that her hull was unsafe. No newspaper accounts report whether she was purchased in a poor state or whether her excursions on the flooded Missouri may have damaged her hull. She was taken to Harlem, Missouri where $5,000 was spent fitting her with a new hull. She was placed on cribbing and in early March 1909 just as the work on her new hull was being finished high flood water swept away her cribbing. She fell into 12 feet of water stern first. Her boilers fell into her hold causing her upper works to collapse (St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 12 March 1909).
Although it was originally hoped that she might be raised and saved, it soon became apparent that the damage was too extensive. Her estimated value at the time she sank in 1909 was $19,000 (University of Wisconsin, Digital Library, “Glenmore (Packet, 1905-1909)”). Undaunted the newspapers soon carried reports that the Glenmore owners had purchased the Uncle Sam to replace the Glenmore.
No links could be discovered between the builders or owners of the steamer, Glenmore or the owners of the Glenmore Distillery in Kentucky and Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. However, we do know that one of Danny’s great-great uncles, Nicholas Murphy, resided near Kansas City, Kansas in the early 1900’s. Did Nicholas Murphy ever see the Glenmore or take an excursion on her in 1908? We shall never know, but we might ponder what a man who had not seen his native parish of Glenmore for over 50 years may have thought if he saw the Glenmore ship. Thanks John for bringing the steamer Glenmore to our attention.
The featured broadside photo of Steamer Glenmore, Ohio River, photo taken at Madison, Indiana by Flora, Hubert M, (1904) Glenmore. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16998coll28/id/10781.
The photo of the docked Glenmore Riverboat was taken about (1904) at Tell, Indiana. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16998coll28/id/10782. Original in the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Fun Facts Regarding Glenmore Cemetery
The cemetery adjacent to St. James Catholic Church was surveyed in July 2020. Glenmore-History.com volunteer, Louise Walsh drafted the pdf document containing all the photographs and inscriptions of the headstones/markers as well as a map of the graves. This document may be accessed from the home page under the “Roots” drop down menu. Below are some interesting and fun facts Louise uncovered while conducting the cemetery survey. The church was built in 1813 and Danny Dowling said that burials began in the adjacent churchyard about this time. For details regarding local funerals and wakes customs see, https://glenmore-history.com/dying-funerals-wakes/ published in December 2019.
There are 516 headstones/grave markers
10 of these are illegible
3 graves are defined, but have no marker
66 headstones/grave markers are Celtic crosses
1909 persons are referenced on the headstones/grave markers
845 or 45% are female
1041 or 55% are male
Top 10 Surnames accounting for 35% of all persons reflected on headstones/markers
| Walsh | 136 |
| Forristal | 75 |
| Power | 68 |
| Fitzgerald | 65 |
| Murphy | 64 |
| Phelan | 53 |
| Doherty | 48 |
| Aylward | 47 |
| Roche | 46 |
| Kirwan | 35 |
| Gahan | 35 |
Top Girls Names accounting for 649 or 76% (!) of all girl names reflected on headstones/markers:
| Mary | 164 |
| Ellen | 132 |
| Bridget | 111 |
| Margaret | 97 |
| Catherine | 64 |
| Johanna | 29 |
| Alice | 26 |
| Ann/Anne/Annie | 26 |
Top Boys Names accounting for 748 or 72% (!) or all boy names:
| John | 152 |
| Patrick (inc 4 x Pat; and 4 x Paddy) | 125 |
| James | 114 |
| Michael | 102 |
| Thomas | 87 |
| Richard | 56 |
| William | 44 |
| Edward | 40 |
| Martin | 28 |