Ballycullane old man's races

By the end of August 1922, the Free State troops firmly controlled New Ross and Waterford. However anti-Treaty troops or Irregulars continued to attack the troops in New Ross and Waterford. Additionally, the Irregulars continued to employ disruption tactics honed during the War of Independence. Telegraph and telephone wires were repeatedly cut or damaged, roads were blocked, and bridges destroyed. Ambushes of mail and goods trains were prevalent and ambushes of Free State troops became a common feature around the country. Newspapers had difficulties communicating during this month because the postal workers went on strike which restricted or stopped the delivery of mail and the use of telegraphs and telephones by the general public. Today, we shall highlight what happened locally and what Glenmore people were reading in local newspapers 100 years ago.

The Civil War

The month of September commenced with reports in local newspapers of heavy fighting elsewhere around the country. Deadly ambushes were reported in Kerry, Cork, Offaly, Mayo, Tipperary, and Sligo. It was reported that a railway repairer engaged in repair work near Mallow was killed by Irregular forces who warned other railway employees that they would “meet the same fate if they took up sjmilar work.” Due to the attacks on bridges, roads and railways in some areas of the west food became scarce. “All fairs and markets have been stopped for some time and the people are in a deplorable way. They are faced with starvation…” Rev. Father Hayes, of Labasheeds, appealed to his parishioners, and 100 men turned up and repaired all the destroyed bridges in their locality. In response the Irregulars threatened to set barricades with bombs, with the lever pins of the bombs removed (New Ross Standard, Fri. 1 Sept. 1922, p. 5).

Rumours began to surface that peace talks were taking place. However, all efforts to arrange negotiations failed.  After a lull of almost week in early September ambushes in Dublin resumed. Four attacks on Free State troops took place in a single day in four different parts of Dublin. This led to “the civilian populace…[receiving] more than its share of the casualties” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922, p. 4). Newspapers also reported that a female courier was apprehended on her way to Mountjoy. It was reported that in her possession were confidential communications from de Valera to Liam Mellowes. The Daily Express of London reported “the communications reveal the hopelessly chaotic state of the entire Republican organisation. More significant still are the confessions by de Valera of his personal errors in judgment which led up to the beginning of the civil war…” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 29 Sept. 1922, p. 5).

Reminiscent of the War of Independence, 39 prisoners escaped from the Cork jail on Friday the 22^nd by tunnelling from a cell to a ventilation shaft that led to a manhole in the centre of the footpath in front of the jail (New Ross Standard, Fri. 29 Sept. 1922, p. 7).

At the end of September the threat of starvation from the Civil War continued. With no train service for several weeks and roads and bridges damaged and blocked, serious shortages of food were reported in Killarney. On the 16^th fifteen cartloads of food being conveyed were seized by the Irregulars at Brennan’s Glen. The people of Tralee were said to be facing starvation. People attempting to travel through Kerry were warned that “the jaunting car …offers virtually the only means of getting about with any degree of safety. It may be that it is more innocent looking that a motor car in the eyes of armed men…and road obstructions are more easily negotiated…” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 29 September 1922, p. 3).

Locally, mail and goods trains were targeted by Irregulars and others. On the 28^th of August armed men between Waterford and Glenmore took mail from the up mail train, including mail for New Ross (New Ross Standard, Fri. 1 Sept. 1922, p. 7). Due to the continued attack on trains the railway suspended some services. Locally, this meant that the last mail leaving New Ross was at 4:20 p.m. instead of 9:15 p.m. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 1 Sept. 1922, p. 4). Twice during the week of the 4^th of September goods trains from Waterford were held up by a party of Irregulars between Mullinavat and Ballyhale. Goods consisting of bacon sugar, tobacco and cigarettes were stolen (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922, p. 8). On Saturday the 15^th in the evening the up mail train between Waterford and Glenmore was help up by a number of men. “A quantity of stuff was taken including some drapery. Some of the articles were subsequently returned. The passengers were ordered not to look out of the windows” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 22 Sept. 1922, p. 7). On Friday the 22^nd the up train from Waterford to New Ross was held up in the Slieverue area. “Stuff was taken away” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 29 Sept. 1922, p. 7).

Armed Attacks on Waterford & New Ross

On Sunday the 26^th of August about 10:30 p.m. “another attack” was made on the Free State troops at the Waterford railway station. Six men opened fire on the soldiers from behind a wall running up from the railway on the Ferrybank side. A bomb was flung into the station from the cliff above the station resulting in glass shattering. The Free State soldiers returned fire and brought out a machine gun which drove the attackers out. On investigating the place where the attacking irregulars had been a handkerchief saturated with blood was found as well as fifty rounds of ammunition. The wall behind the irregulars was also splattered with blood. There were no casualties among the Free State soldiers (Munster Express, Sat. 2 Sept. 1922, p. 2). Private George Lackey, a native of Glenmore, was not so lucky. On the 2^nd of September while stationed at Thomastown with other Free State troops he and another private named Martin Brennan, of Castlecomer, were serious injured by the accidental discharge of a rifle (New Ross Standard, Fri. 8 Sept. 1922, p. 8).

Notwithstanding the attack on Sunday the 26^th of August, the curfew on Waterford was removed on the following Tuesday (Munster Express, Sat. 2 Sept. 1922, p. 5). On the night of the 5^th of September heavy firing took place in Waterford when bands of Irregulars attacked different places in the city. Shortly before dusk a flying column of Irregulars was spotted on the heights overlooking the city, on the Ferrybank side of the Suir. A second band of Irregulars began shooting near Grace Dieu. A third band took up sniping positions behind Larry’s Knock. Once the shooting began it continued until a lull occurred when the cinema was being emptied. Two unarmed Free State soldiers were shot at just outside the Coliseum Theatre, but both avoided being injured while the woman behind them was shot. By 11 p.m. at Newtown the Irregulars began firing a Thompson machine gun. “Fortunately, at this period virtually all pedestrians had left the thoroughfares.” In the city centre most of the shooting took place in the vicinity of George’s Street, Peter Street, Broad Street and High St. Less intensive firing took place on the Quay, the Mall and Parnell Street (New Ross Standard, Fri. 8 Sept. 1922, p. 6).

The Irregulars attacked the Manor St. Police barracks. Shots were also fired at Lady Lane Barracks, but the garrison did not respond. It was reported that six or seven Irregulars were wounded in the attacks. Other casualties included an elderly lady named Katie Walsh who was shot and killed while reading in her sitting room in Bakehouse Lane near the Lady Lane Barracks. The bodies of two Irregular who were believed to have been killed in the attack on the train station a week earlier were discovered and dug out of a field in Ferrybank (New Ross Standard, Fri. 8 Sept. 1922, p. 6).

Further details were gleaned from the Munster Express such as the fact that the Irregulars’ position on Larry’s Knock was on Mount Misery and provided a commanding view of the city. It was also reported that 15 to 20 Irregulars within the city were using a weapon known as “Peter the Painter.” This weapon was a German automatic pistol that converted into a short rifle. It was reported that the Irregulars mixed among the crowds leaving the local picture shows. Kate Walsh who was shot and killed while reading a book in her sitting room at 13 Bakehouse Lane was 66 years of age. She was shot in the arm and called out to her upstairs neighbour. The neighbour rushed for help and sent neighbours scurrying for the priest, doctor, police and the widow’s son. A few minutes after the priest and doctor arrived, she died (Munster Express, Sat. 9 Sept. 1922, p. 6).

As the Irregulars continued to re-destroy bridges near New Ross, the town reintroduced bicycle permits (New Ross Standard, Fri. 1 Sept. 1922, p. 7). Thus while the Irregulars continued to use the guerrilla tactics of the War of Independence the Free State Forces exercised some of the same unpopular control tactics as the British. For example, the Munster Express reported on a raid in Ferrybank conducted by Free State troops. These troops seized a duplicator, typewriter and a huge quantity of Irregular propaganda. Patrick Murphy, a prominent Irregular, was taken into custody (Munster Express, Sat. 2 Sept. 1922, p. 40). At the beginning of the article a little notice stated that the article was “passed by military censor.”

Between one and two a.m. on Sunday the 11^th the people of New Ross were awakened by brisk rifle fire. Shots were coming from Rosbercon and also from places in the upper streets of the town. Just before the shooting began a sentry at the Tholsel stopped a man who was staggering as if drunk. The sentry began to search the man. Suddenly three or four men in their stocking feet rushed the sentry and took his weapons and fled (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922, p. 5).

Post Offices

Post offices featured heavily in the news articles in local papers. At the end of August, the Rower was the scene of “An exciting affair.” Near midnight eight to ten men broke into the post-office. The men demanded the old age pension money. When told that the pension had been distributed, they searched the office but did not find any money. They then went to the shop of an elderly man in the village and took away his goods. Next they broke into the shop of Mr. Butler. While in the Butler’s shop a group of Irregulars arrived having been summoned by a resident. The Irregulars surrounded the Butler shop and although the raiders were armed with a shot gun and a couple of revolvers they were disarmed by the Irregulars. The raiders were compelled to return everything that they had stolen and they were paraded in front of the villagers for identification. The raiders were found to be civilian who lived nearby. “After getting a severe threshing they were allowed to go” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 1 Sept. 1922, p. 8).

The Munster Express at the beginning of September published articles regarding the threatened postal strike. The New Free State government proposed to cut the wages of the workers because the “cost of living had decreased.” The workers disputed that the cost of living had decreased and thus began a war of words. In the same edition the Munster also published the story of a post card that took was in transit for six years. “On Saturday the 26^th of August Wm. Morrissey, a draper, on the Main St. of Carrick-on-Suir received a postcard that had been posted in Clonmel on 6 November 1916. The card was legible and in good condition. It related to the purchase of wool from the War Office” (Sat. 2 Sept. 1922, p. 6).

The Irish Postal Service workers went on strike at 6 p.m. on Sunday the 10^th of September (Munster Express, Sat. 16 Sept. 1922, p. 3). In Dublin the services were almost at a standstill. The public had neither letters or telegrams during the strike. As the strike was nearing two weeks, a frustrated New Ross Standard editor wrote, “One of the most regrettable features of the struggle is the nature of the propaganda supplied to the Press…It is time the public made itself felt in this matter, otherwise both the strikers and the Postmaster-General may continue to think that the Irish people want columns of propaganda instead of a postal service” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 22 Sept. 1922, p. 4). A notice appeared on the back page of the edition that the New Ross post office remained open for the paying of the old age and army pensions. It was also noted that some letters arrived by armed guard from Dublin but had to be collected at the post office (New Ross Standard, Fri. 22 Sept. 1922, p. 8).

As outlined in our previous blog posts the Glenmore post office in 1922 was in Fluskey’s. In addition to collecting and distributing mail the post office had a telegraph as well as telephone and telephone exchange. On Friday the 22nd of September “a number of men” under the cover of darkness visited the post office and dismantled the telephone (Wicklow People, Sat. 23 Sept. 1922, p. 8). It is not clear from the article whether the dismantling was the work of Irregulars or striking postal workers. (To read our previous blog post on the history of the Glenmore Post Offices click here.)

Resident Magistrates Terminated

During the later part of the War of Independence some areas or parishes set up IRA or parish courts to hear minor criminal cases. It is believed that an IRA court or parish court was established in Glenmore, and this court sat in the Glenmore Creamery. At the same time the former Royal Petty Sessions courts in Rosbercon and Kilmacow etc. continued to operate with Resident Magistrates sitting as judges.

On the first of September local papers advised the citizens that all resident magistrates in Ireland were notified by the Irish Free State Government that their services were terminated. Pending the expiration of their notices the resident magistrates were placed on leave. The decision to terminate the resident magistrates was part of a general scheme of reconstruction of Irish Legal machinery (New Ross Standard, Fri. 1 Sept. 1922, p. 5). Under this scheme the parish courts developed in some areas were also to be terminated and district courts establish with trained lawyers to be appointed as judges.

Life Went On

Notwithstanding the ambushes in Dublin and attacks on trains etc. the Glenmore area appeared to remain calm. For example, a two week Mission was conducted by the Vincentian Fathers and opened in Glenmore on the 3^rd of September. Also, the employees of the malt stores of P.J. Roche & Sons, New Ross went on their annual excursion to Duncannon (New Ross Standard, Fri. 1 Sept. 1922, p. 7). Other areas were not so fortunate. Boarding house keepers and hotels in Tramore reported that 1922 was one of the leanest years on record (Munster Express, Sat. 2 Sept. 1922, p. 5).

Notwithstanding the difficulties of travel the fairs and markets continued to operate in New Ross, Waterford and Thomastown. Good supplies of stock and buyers were reported although prices were down. The potato crop around Waterford was reported as being the best for many years both in quality and quantity. Farmers were perturbed at the bad weather, but the heat wave compensated for everything (Waterford News & Star, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922, p. 7).

The New Ross Show was held mid-month and some competitors traveling by train encountered a recently repaired railway bridge was again destroyed. These competitors unloaded their horses and walked them to the Show. There were also two reports of women with pony and carts attempting to cross damaged bridges on their way to New Ross and they and/or their animals ended up in waterways and required rescue (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 September 1922, p. 5). At the New Ross Show John Hartley, of Ballincrea, Slieverue, was awarded first prize in the class for the best sire, other than thoroughbred, calculated to get good hunter and harness horses. T. Freaney, Glenmore and Dick Doherty, Mooncoin were awarded first and second awards for the best untrained 4 year old gelding and filly (Munster Express, Sat. 23 Sept. 1922, p. 5).

It was reported that the [grain] harvest in 1922 was a month later than in 1921. In some local places barley was not ripe (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922, p. 8). The Agricultural Gazette published that R.B. Matthews developed a method of harvesting with the aid of electricity. His sheaves of corn were stacked as soon as they were cut. Traditionally, farmers allowed the corn to mature in the field. Through his stack he passed a current of air driven by an electric Sirocco fan. It was proclaimed that all risks of weather or bird damage to the stocks in the field were eliminated and his ground cleared for ploughing as soon as the corn was cut (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922). Unfortunately, electricity was not available in all areas of Glenmore parish for almost 40 years.

A woman from Shanbogh died at the remarkable age of 103 (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922, p. 8). Unfortunately, no further information such as the centenarian’s name was provided. The elderly also featured in an article about a sports carnival to be held in Ballycullane on the 17^th where “old man’s races and challenges” was advertised. One man aged 70 wagered that he could beat anyone of the same age in a half mile flat race or over the hurdles in a 120 yards race. He was staking two weeks of his old age pension on the races (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 Sept. 1922).

At the quarterly meeting of the Kilkenny Co. Council on the 17th the Council set about appointing rate collectors based upon tenders received. For the vacant collectorship in Ida district six tenders were received.  Each candidate for the post submitted a tender indicating how much of each pound of the rates collected they would keep for their services in collecting the rates. The six persons seeking the post included: Richard Duggan, Flemingstown, Glenmore, 2 ¾d in the £ (d is one pence in a pound made up of 240 pence); P. Walsh, Inistioge, 3½d; Peter Kirwan, do. 4 ½d; E. J. Murphy, New Ross, 4d; Martin McGrath, Listerlin, Tullogher, 4d; and Richard O’Keefe, Coolull, 4d. Richard Duggan, of Flemingsown, Glenmore was unanimously elected (Kilkenny People, Sat. 23 Sept. 1922, p. 2).

Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com .

The featured photo above is from Freemans Journal, Thurs. 14 Sept. 1922, p. 3. The caption: Farmer carrying a bag of flour on his back across a destroyed bridge following a narrow footpath in the centre of the bridge.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh