GRAIGUENAKILL, GLENMORE (1961)
Today, we are going to feature information Danny Dowling (1927-2021) recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Graiguenakill, Glenmore, around 1961. From about 1870 until 1963 Glenmore Village did not have a pub. When the Glenmore pub did open in 1963 it was located in Graiguenakill townland.
Background
The Irish for this townland, according to O’Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County of Kilkenny Ireland (1969, p. 116) is Gráig na cille, or hamlet of the church. This ancient church, in ruins, and Tobar Shan Shém, St. James’s well, is in the southern angle on the Kilmakevoge border. The greater portion of Glenmore village is in this townland. Graiguenakill is comprised of 156 acres. O’Kelly concluded the entry for Graiguenakill with “The parish [Glenmore] was noted for its Gaelic football team.”
Tithe Applotment Books 1833
The Applotment Books record the townland as Graignokill (sic), in the Civil Parish of Kilmacanoge (sic). There are seven tenants listed in the 1833 Applotment Book including: [1] John Fitzgerald, 16 acres (notation under quality states “High Road”; [2] James Murray, 15 acres; [3] Richard Aylward, 14 acres; [4] John Barden, 14 acres; [5] Patrick Kelly 6 acres; [6] Sylvester Murphy 5 acres; [7] Rep late Richard Cody, 7 acres. “These lands are held by the present occupiers from Sir John Niford? Yellagor? Gahan as tenants at will.”
Very little was found regarding the landlord Sir John Gahan. It is not clear whether the landlord of Kilmakevoge, Major Gahan, was Sir John Gahan (landlord of Graiguenakill) or were these landlords relatives? A John Gahan Esq. was located in contemporary newspapers and he was the Surveyor General of Munster for Griffeth’s Valuation.
1961 Graiguenakill, Glenmore
In 1961, Danny recorded 11 families or households in the townland of Graiguenakill. Birthdates or birth years are provided for some of the older residents gleaned from available public records. For some time after drafting his notebook, Danny recorded the dates of death or simply recorded that a resident had died or left the townland.
The recorded information reveals that in 1961, 44 people resided in the townland of Griguenakill with the population comprised of 26 males and 18 females. The largest family was the Morrissey family with 7 in the household. There was 1 household recorded with a single person living alone. All information under residents of Graiguenakill not in Danny’s original list has been placed in square brackets[ ].
Recorded Residents
Males= 26
Females= 18
Eldest Recorded Resident
The eldest resident recorded by Danny in 1961 was Mary Kelly (5 Dec. 1875-11 May 1963) née Maher. Mary was born and raised in Rochestown, Glenmore in the family known as Maher’s of the Rock. She was the daughter of Michael Maher (farmer) and Sarah Maher née Murphy.
On 20 July 1911, Mary at the age of 35 married Michael Kelly of Graiguenakill, Glenmore. Michael Kelly was born on 4 May 1873 at Graiguenakill, the son of James Kelly and Margaret Kelly née Irish. Michael Kelly and Mary Kelly née Maher had two daughters Sarah and Maggie. Michael Kelly died 4 March 1946, and Mary died on 11 May 1963. Mary’s obituary has been placed on our K family surname page.
Recorded Work
Farmer= 2 (1 male; 1 female)
Creamery Worker= 1 (male)
Council Worker =l (male)
Blacksmith (retired)= l (male)
Mechanic= 1 (male)
Farm Labourers =2 (2 males)
Labourer=2 (2 mles)
Clover Meats Employees= 2 (2 males)
CIE = 1 (1 male)
Domestic=l (1 female)
Shop Assistant=1 (1 female)
Painter= 1 (1 male)
Dressmaker = l (1 female)
Residents of Graiguenakill, Glenmore
[1] KELLY/O’CONNOR
Kelly, Mary (5 Dec. 1875) Farmer, dead [Died aged 87 on 11 May 1963]
O’Connor, Edward (b. 1919) son-in-law, assisting relative
O’Connor, Sarah (2 Dec. 1912) daughter
O’Connor, Patrick, grandson, at school
O’Connor, Mary, granddaughter, at school
O’Connor, Peter, grandson, child
[2] FORRISTAL
Forristal, Nicholas (1 Feb. 1888) Farmer [Nicky the Miller died 17 March 1979]
Forristal, Norea (12 Nov. 1887) wife [Nicky’s second wife]
Forristal, Patrick (17 Aug. 1917) son, assisting father
[3] FORRISTAL
Forristal, Richard (b. 1923) CIE Employee
[4] MORRISSEY
Morrissey, Phillip (b. 1917) Clover Meats Employee
Morrissey, Kitty (b. 1919) wife
Morrissey, Michael, child dead [Child died 23 March 1962, aged 6 of encephalitis]
Morrissey, Edward, son, child
Morrissey, Philip, son, child
Morrissey, Patrick, son, child
Morrissey, Thomas, son, child
[5] O’KEEFFE
O’Keeffe, Martin (13 May 1907) Council Worker
O’Keeffe, Bridget (b. 1913) wife [Biddy Doolan had the tiny shop next to the Creamery]
O’Keeffe, Alice, daughter, shop assistant
O’Keeffe, Mary, daughter, domestic
O’Keeffe, Edward, son, tech student
O’Keeffe, Ann, daughter, child
[6] RYAN
Ryan, John (b. 1922) Clover Meats Employee
Ryan, Alice (b. 1918) wife [Later became post-mistress of Glenmore]
Ryan, Mary Theresa, daughter, child
Ryan, John Patrick, son, child
Ryan, James Paschal, son, child
[7] HENNESSEY/CUMMINS
Hennessey, John (16 April 1894) Retired Blacksmith [Died 5 June 1981, aged 87]
Cummins, Mairita, daughter, dressmaker
Cummins, Laurence, son-in-law, mechanic
[8] JONES
Jones, Thomas (16 Dec. 1905) Labourer [Died 2 July 1978, aged 73]
Jones, Ellen (7 Oct. 1916) wife, home duties
Jones, George (b. 1952) son, child [twin]
Jones, Eamon (b. 1952) son, child [twin]
[9] WALSH
Walsh, Mary Ellen (1 Aug. 1892) [Ellen “Lill” died 25 Dec. 1968]
Walsh, James (18 Sept. 1918) son, painter [Jim B. died 21 March 1988]
[10] WALSH
Walsh, Mary Ann (4 Jan. 1886) Dead [Died 16 July 1962, aged 80, at Co. Home]
Walsh, Walter (b. 1933) son, labourer at Stafford’s—Gone to New Ross
[11] POWER
Power, Patrick (b. 1929) Creamery Worker
Power, Mary, wife
Power, Patrick (1 April 1959) son, child
Power, _____ , daughter, child
Power, Martina, daughter, child
[Kathleen O’Connor, of Rathinure, Glenmore, was a sister-in-law of Neddy O’Connor. Kathleen related that Sarah O’Connor née Kelly used to prepare dinner (lunch) for the Glenmore gardaí who would travel to Graighnakill, up the Churns (across the New Line) to Kelly’s on the High Road.]
Other Posts
(1) For information concerning Glenmore Village in the 1930’s see our post of 9 April 2020.
(2) See our post of 7 June 2020 for further information and photos of Forristal’s Mill of Graiguenakill.
(3) For further information regarding Glenmore Postmistress, Alice Ryan née Cody (1918-2009) see our post of 3 July 2020.
Please send any further information, photos, or corrections to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Special thanks to Marian Cody Hendrick for sharing the featured photo above of Forristal’s Mill. Special thanks to Jackie Ryan Walsh for sharing the photo of Jim B’s cottage. Lastly, thanks to the Glenmore Tidy Town’s Committee and volunteers in 2022 for re-storing Biddy Doolan’s tiny shop next to the Creamery.
13 March 2023, Special thanks to Tricia Bradfield for the photo of Jim B as a chap and hs family.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
In reference to your fine article on the townsland of Graiguenakill 12/3/23, I submit that there is an important residence missing from Danny’s list, namely Fluskeys P.O .
A perusal of an early map shows that the boundary between Robinstown and Graiguenakill is formed by a drain or tributrary of the stream (at the side of Hennessys).This drain runs from the bridge at Hennessys across in front of Dannys to the back of Fluskeys and enters the main stream opposite Powers placing Fluskeys in Graiguenakill.
Three townlands come together at this point.Robinstown,Cappagh, and Graiguenakill.
Hi Paddy, If memory serves me in the 1911 census Fluskeys was in Graiguenakill. Over the centuries some townland borders changed, but Danny did state that he lived at the intersection of 3 townlands. I’m not sure if he just forgot Fluskeys (I assume someone was living there). I’ll check to see if he placed it in Cappagh or Robinstown. Thanks,
Kathleen
Hi Paddy, I just checked the list and Danny placed Fluskey’s in Robinstown. Not sure why. Kathleen
Hi Kathleen
I suspect that the stream that runs underground from Hennessys to the Bridge and in front of Fluskeys may have been used by him as the boundary between Robinstown and Graiguenakill, thus placing Fluskeys in Robinstown. This would have necessitated a change in boundary sometime in the early 20s.I suppose Kilkenny Co Council could clarify.