Ballyfacey Glenmore
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Glenmore Centenarians [Updated]
During the summer of 2020 when the headstones in the Glenmore cemetery, adjacent to the parish church, were being recorded only one headstone recorded that a person had attained the age of 100. This distinction belongs to Kathleen Hoynes née O’Connor. When Danny Dowling was reviewing the recording work that summer he said that he only knew one native of Glenmore to have attained 100 years of age. Quite a few people came close, but he could only recall one who made it. A recent newspaper search revealed a second candidate and readers are invited to forward information on any other Glenmore natives who celebrated their 100th birthday.
Kathleen Hoynes née O’Connor (1917-2018)
Kathleen was born on 24 September 1917. She was the third child born to George O’Connor (1881-1965) and his wife Bridget O’Connor née Maddock (1886- ) of Ballyfacey. There were ten children in the family: [1] John O’Connor (b. 1914); [2] Bridget O’Connor (1916-1974); [3] Kathleen O’Connor (1917-2018) [4] Michael O’Connor (b. 1919); [5] Patrick O’Connor (b. 1921); [6] Margaret O’Connor (b. 1923); [7] Mary O’Connor (b. 1925); [8] Edward O’Connor (b. 1927); [9] Luke O’Connor (b. 1929) and [10] Stephen O’Connor (b. 1931). Further information on the Maddock family, and a copy of a 1907 photo of Bridget O’Connor née Maddock and her family may be found on our post of 21 February 2021.
Kathleen attended the old Ballyfacey National School. When it came time for secondary school she attended the Holy Faith in New Ross and cycled the 13 km from her home every day. Kathleen then went on to study nursing at the County and City Infirmary in Waterford. She moved to England and took a job at a boys’ boarding school in Nanwich, Cheshire before moving to London. Kathleen was in London during World War II and in her work nursed soldiers and civilians who were traumatised and injured during the war and the bombing of London. In our previous blog of 27 March 2021, we highlighted another Glenmore native who trained as a nurse at this time and the hard training regime for nurses prior to World War II.
In 1947 Kathleen married Phil Hoynes (c. 1918-1990) of Ballybrahee, Glenmore and the couple had ten children: [1] Michael Hounes; [2] Mary Hoynes; [3] Bridget Hounes; [4] Anna Hoynes; [5] Gerard Hoynes; [6] Margaret Hoynes; [7] John Hoynes; [8] Carmel Hoynes; [9] Paddy Hoynes; and [10] Rita Hoynes.
A woman of a deep and abiding faith, it was said that no matter how busy she was at home or on the farm Kathleen always attended Mass in Glenmore every morning. In 2014 Kathleen was awarded the Bene Merenti Medal for her committed service to the Church and parish. It was stated that she took the shocks of life in her stride and “embraced every day with great positivity and purpose.” She drove an automobile well into her nineties and attributed her longevity to eating porridge every morning and before bed every night. Kathleen’s last two years were spent at the Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Joseph’s Nursing home in Ferrybank. Kathleen died on 12 August 2018 six weeks shy of her 101st birthday (New Ross Standard, 4 Sept. 2018, p. 13).
Mary Murphy née Rigby (1832?-1923)
When Kathleen was six years of age, Mrs. Mary Murphy, of Moulerstown, Glenmore died and the New Ross Standard (26 Oct. 1923 p. 8) published the following article:
“A REMARKABLE CENTENARIAN. The death took place at Glenmore during the week of Mrs. Mary Murphy at the great age of 102 years. An instance of her remarkable health was that she was able to walk to Mass up to a short time ago, and was moving about up to a few days before her death. Her recollections of the stirring events of the past 100 years were most interesting. Her varied accounts of the famine of ’48 and ’49 would make interesting reading. She was a young woman then and saw many cases of death from slow starvation; it was a common thing for people to supplement their dole of Indian-meal with cabbage and nettles in order to procure a full meal, and she witnessed men employed in the public works then organised, leaving their homes in the mornings with only a pint of thin gruel for their dinner, the gruel being generally boiled in a large pot at some particular farmstead, the meal and pot being supplied by the authorities. There were no National schools then; the master taught his little class in an old house, or beside a hedge; no trains, no motors or bikes, much less flying machines. She knew men having to go to Dublin to walk the journey to and back because of not having the money to avail of the mail coaches. In her young days when tea was as rare as ten shilling gold pieces are now, the family able to procure a pound of it at Christmas were considered well off people. She was held in great respect and the funeral was largely attended by the people of the village and district.”
Unfortunately, the article did not provide Mary Murphy’s maiden name. The only older Mary Murphy found in the Glenmore 1911 Census was Mary Murphy, of Moulerstown. Her age is listed as 80 and she resided with her husband Patrick Murphy aged 76. The 1911 Census provides that the couple were married for 42 years and that two children were born to the marriage and both were living in 1911. A marriage record dated 30 September 1869 was found in the Glenmore parish records for Patrick Murphy (widower) of Ballynooney East and Mary Ribby (sic) of Moulerstown. Patrick was the son of James Murphy (farm labouorer) and Mary was the daughter of Laurence Rigby (deceased farm labourer).
The 1901 Census provides that Patrick Murphy was aged 67; his wife Mary was 69 and his deaf and blind sister-in-law Alice Ribby (sic) was aged 66. Alice Rigby died on 10 August 1901 at the age of 67. Her sister Mary Murphy was present when she died at Moulerstown. Baptismal records were found for Ally Ribby (baptized 7 July 1835, at Ballavorea, Glenmore) and John Ribby (baptized 3 August 1828) the children of Laurence Ribby and his wife Bridget Rigby née Millea. If Ally is Alice Rigby and she was born in 1835 her sister Mary Murphy née Rigby should have been born about 1832. A baptismal record was located for a Mary baptized at Glenmore on the 7th of March 1832 to Laurence Rilly (sic) and Bridget Blea (sic), the townland of residence was recorded as “B.vooling”. Another name for Moulerstown was Ballyvoulera. Based upon the two census records and the parish records it appears that Mary Murphy née Rigby was born in 1832, and thus was 91 years of age when she died in 1923.
[Update: Thanks to Patty Lee Brown who located the marriage record for Laurence Ribby (sic) and Bridget Mallay (sic) in Kilmacow dated 16 April 1809. Both parties provided addresses as Clume. Patty Lee also sent the names and baptismal dates for four more of Mary’s brothers: James Rigby bapt. 11 May 1815 at “Nowlerstown,” Glenmore; Thomas Rigby (bapt. 28 Dec. 1817); Michael Rigby, (bapt. 30 July 1819); George Rigby (bapt. 22 Dec. 1821). Thus there were at least 7 children born to Laurence Rigby and his wife Bridget Rigby née Millea.]
Mary’s husband Patrick Murphy died 5 April 1912 at the age of 74 in Glenmore. His daughter Bridget Jones was present at his death. Baptismal records for the two children of Patrick Murphy and Mary Murphy née Rigby were found. Bridget Murphy was baptized at Glenmore on 20 June 1870 and John Murphy was born on 12 April 1872 and baptized at Glenmore on the following day. John Murphy (b. 1872) married Bridget Walsh at Rosbercon on 13 February 1901. At the time of his marriage John was living in Guilcogh and working as a servant. His bride, was the daughter of Edward Walsh of Ballalog. His sister, Bridget Murphy (b. 1870) married George Jones, of Weatherstown on 16 August 1894 at Glenmore. For further information concerning the Jones family see our previous blog of 21 April 2021 highlighting two of their grandsons Pakie and Seamus Jones.
Thus, it appears that to date only one Glenmore native has been identified who lived to be 100 years of age. Notwithstanding the error concerning Mary Murphy’s age when she died in 1923, the lives of Mary and Kathleen overlapped by 6 years. They came from the same side of the Parish and between them they lived in three centuries and witnessed the Great Famine, the Easter Rising, the Irish War of Independence, the founding of the Republic, two World Wars, man walking on the moon, and 9/11 etc.
If anyone knows of any other Glenmore native, in addition to Kathleen Hoynes née O’Connor, who reached the 100 year milestone please send the information to glenmore.history@gmail.com. Please send any corrections, further information, photos etc. to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Special thanks to Michael Hoynes for all the information on the Hoynes and Maddock familes.
[Update 9 Oct. 2021–thanks to Martin Forristal we have received another contender for centenarian status was Catherine Forristal née Doherty. The family headstone was erected by her grandson, Thomas Forristal (c. 1846-1925). Thomas had recorded that his grandmother Catherine died aged 100 on the 2th of July 1875. A death cert was located for Catherine Forristal, widow, who died on 4 August 1875 at Ballyverneen, Glenmore at the age of 102. Mary Forristal was present at her death. To verify the correct age a search was made of the parish records. We were able to verify that Catherine Doherty, of Forristalstown, married Patrick Forstal (sic) of Ballyverin (sic) on 1 March 1808. No baptismal record could be found for a Catherine Doherty baptised between 1770 and 1780. We did locate a baptismal record for Catherine Doherty (bapt. 13 January 1781) of Forristalstown, the daughter of Thomas Doherty and Madge Murphy. We also searched for the children of Patrick Forristal and his wife Catherine Forristal née Doherty and found 5 baptismal records: [1] Thomas Forristal (bapt. 3 Sept. 1809) at Ballyverneen; [2] Patrick Forristal (bapt. 4 March 1814) at Bearstown; [3] Thomas Forristal (bapt. 23 Dec. 1815) at Bearstown; [4] James Forristal (bapt. 25 Sept. 1818) at Bearstown and [5] William Forristal (bapt. 6 April 1822) No residence recorded. From the information we have been able to glean from the parish records it appears that Catherine Forristal née Doherty was born in 1781 and when she died in 1875 she was 94.5 years of age. A very elderly age for that time.]
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
The Very Rev. Mother Marie Gerard Phelan (1872-1960)
Today, we are going to feature an extraordinary woman who came from Ballyfacey, Glenmore, became an educator, the president of a college, and the Superior-General of the world wide Institute of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. Before Mother Marie Gerard entered religious life she was Anastasia Phelan the youngest daughter of John Phelan and his wife Catherine Phelan née Forristal of Ballyfacey, Glenmore. Anastasia was born on the 18th of January 1872. She died on the 22nd of March 1960.
Most of the information below was obtained from Mother Gerard’s obituaries in The Tablet (Brooklyn, N.Y., 26 March 1960, p. 15) and the Munster Express (Fri. 1 April 1960, p. 10); the obituary of her predecessor, Mother Marie Joseph Butler published in the Munster Express (Fri, 3 May 1940) and the biography provided by Fr. Michael Mernagh in Glenmore Times (2000, p. 42).
Early Education
As a child Mother Gerard attended Ballyfacey National School and went to secondary school at the Sacred Heart Convent at Ferrybank (Waterford). The noviciate at Ferrybank had been founded by her predecessor Mother Marie Joseph Butler (1860 -1940) another Kilkenny woman. Mother Gerard followed the steps of her older sister, Johanna Phelan (1862-1893) and entered the congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary. Mother Gerard entered at the Mother House, Beziers, Southern France, and made profession in September 1895.
The early years of her religious life were spent at Seafield, Liverpool, England, where she received her training and began her teaching career. She made her final vows in 1901 in Seafield Convent. In 1907, she was transferred to New York, where she was closely associated with Mother Mary Joseph Butler in the founding of Marymount school which in 1919 became Marymount College for Women. “In those pioneering years of this great work Mother Gerard showed exceptional ability as an educator and organiser and ably assisted Mother Mary Joseph Butler in her arduous task as foundress of Marymount and later when Mother Joseph became the first Superior General” in 1926 (Munster Express, 1960). Mother Gerard became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1928.
Educator and Administrator
Widely known as an outstanding educator and administrator, Mother Gerard received her Ph.D. from the Jesuit Fordham University in 1922. She also pursued studies at Oxford, the Sorbonne and Catholic University of America. Working closely with Mother Butler, she revised in 1937 the entire course of studies for Marymount schools in order “to integrate it more realistically with women’s enlarging sphere of activities in a rapidly changing society.” (The Tablet, 1960)
Mother Gerard served as dean and later president of Marymount College. She was also named successively Superior and Provincial of the Institute’s North American Province, established in 1877 with the founding of the order’s first American school at Sag Harbor, Long Island. See generally, information on the history of the Community.
Elected Superior-General
In 1946, Mother Gerard was elected Superior-General at a General Chapter of the Institute at Beziers, France, to succeed Mother Butler who died in 1940. Unfortunately, due to the Second World War no General Chapter could be held until the war ended. Mother Gerard was re-elected to the office in 1952. Also in that year she was awarded an honorary LL.D. from Fordham University as the first of its graduates to be called to the government of a religious order spread over many parts of the world.
Mother Gerard was the sixth Superior-General since the congregation’s foundress, Mother St. Jean Cure-Pellisser. Under Mother Gerard’s guidance, the congregation expanded its educational activities in America and throughout the world, establishing 28 schools and colleges in Bogota, Medellin and Barranquilla, Colombia; Barcelona, Spain; London, England; Umtali, Africa; Dublin Ireland; Fatima, Portugal; Montpelier, France; Porto Alegre, Brazil; San Francisco and Los Angeles, California; Richmond and Arlington, Virginia; Quebec, P.Q; Cuernavaca, Mexico; St. Louis, Missouri; and Miami, Florida.
In 1947, the centenary of the congregation’s founding, Mother Gerard supervised the establishment of Marymount College’s City Campus in New York’s former Junior League building at 221 East 71st Street. During her tenure, Mother Gerard opened 32 houses and opened schools in 5 countries.
During Mother Gerard’s administration as Superior-General, she initiated the beatification of Pere Gailhac and Mother Burler formally to Pope Pius XII. Shortly after his elevation to the Pontificate, His Holiness Pope John XXIII, assumed the title of Cardinal Protector of the Institute of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary.
As the congregation’s executive administrator, Mother Gerard was active in her duties until her final illness. At her death she was engaged in planning further expansion of Marymount for her congregation. The congregation in 1960 operated 145 schools and colleges in 11 countries. In New York City area, there were 13 educational establishments administered by the religious order. Mother Gerard died at Tarrytown, New York and her funeral services were conducted by Cardinal Spellman. Mother Gerard was interred in the crypt beneath the Marymount Chapel, where Mother Butler was also interred.
Eventually Marymount College at Tarrytown became part of Fordham University and the University sold the campus. The Manhattan Marymount is still in operation. Update: Mother Gerard and Mother Butler were first cousins although it was not generally known in the congregation.
[Updated 29 Jan. 2021] Special thanks to Sr. Kathleen Connell, RSHM for the update and the photos of Mother Gerard and Mother Gerard and Mother Butler.
Further information and photos of Mother Gerard may be found on Findagrave .
The above photo marked Mother M. Gerard may be found on the Marymount Manhattan College webpage.
For further information concerning Mother Gerard’s family see, our post of 24 January 2021 regarding her brother Nicholas Forristal Phelan (1857-1941) and the family pages.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Nicholas Forristal Phelan (1857-1941): From Ballyfacey to the Big Apple
When we came across Glenmore native Nicholas F. Phelan’s 1941 obituary in the Munster Express, it was unusual because it was noted that Nicholas had subscribed to that newspaper for over 50 years after he emigrated to the United States. He was a member of the Ballyfacey Phelan family and was 82 years of age at the time of his death which occurred eleven months before the U.S. entered World War II. The Munster Express in February 1941 published a short notice of his death. Then on the 7th of March 1941 the Munster Express published excerpts from obituaries for Nicholas that appeared in the New York Times and Brooklyn Eagle newspapers. Below are excerpts from the Munster Express obituary published 7 March 1941 (p. 8) followed by information concerning Nicholas and his second wife, Dr. Mary Sutton Phelan of Waterford, who served with the French Flag Nursing Corps during World War I . We shall highlight his accomplished sister, Mother Marie Gerard (Anastasia Phelan), in our next blog post.
“In a previous issue of the ‘Munster Express’ we briefly reported the sad news which we had received of the death in Brooklyn, New York, of an old friend and valued yearly subscriber in the person of Mr. Nicholas F. Phelan a native of Ballyfacey, Glenmore, and who in his early years was known and esteemed in business circles in Waterford…Nicholas F. Phelan, of 165 Hull St., a retired importer and brother of Mother Gerard, president of Marymount College, Tarrytown, N.Y., died [the 25th of January 1941] after a brief illness. Mr. Phelan was born in Ireland, and lived in Brooklyn for more than half a century. In addition to his sister, he is survived by his widow, Mary Sutton Phelan; a daughter, Anastasia, and four sons, John, Nicholas J., Patrick and Thomas Phelan. The funeral will be held from the Fairchild Chapel, 86 Lefferts Place, at 9.30 a.m. Wednesday, with a Solemn Requiem Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes R. C. Church, Broadway and Aberdeen Sts., at 10 a.m. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery.
WATERFORD ASSOCIATIONS—It is with feelings of the deepest regret we take this opportunity to tender our sincerest sympathy to his bereaved widow and relatives in the States and at home here in Ireland. As for ourselves, we feel deeply the loss of a sincere life time friend, apart from his being the oldest of the yearly subscribers. His personal letters to us when forwarding the yearly postal subscription in advance were a treat and breathed deep feeling and love for his native land and enquiries regarding the friends he knew who, alas, are every year growing less in number.
Mrs. Mary Sutton Phelan, his widow, is daughter of the late Mr. Sutton, of the once-important firm of Murphy, Sutton and Quinn, 40 and 41 Merchants’ Quay, Waterford, who for more than half a century carried on an extensive grocery and spirit business in the olden days. Mrs. Phelan was sister of the late Rev. Father Sutton, an honoured and esteemed member of the Redemptorist Order of priests in Ireland.
The late Mr. Phelan was widely connected here, and was brother-in-law of the late Mr. John Ennett, D.C., P.L.G., Cappagh Glenmore, whose death we recorded about a year ago, and who was an active member of the old Waterford Board of Guardians and District Council. Mr. Phelan was also brother-in-law of Mrs. Grant, for many years residing at Knocknarea, Priest Road, Tramore, and was widely connected with families in his native townland, Ballyfacey, and adjoining districts, to all of whom we extend our sympathy on the death of one who in life was a lovable true and exemplary man.—R.I.P.”
From Ballyfacey via Waterford to New York
Nicholas Forristal Phelan (1857-1941) was the son of John Phelan and Catherine Phelan née Forristal who were married on the 20th of February 1855 at Glenmore. It is not clear when or why Nicholas began using his mother’s maiden name as his middle name, but it is found in U.S. documents such as censuses, the birth records of his children, and his passport. The parish records indicate that both of his parents were from Ballyfacey and unfortunately the father’s of John and Catherine are not listed in the records. Nicholas’s father, John Phelan, was baptized in Ballyfacy on 10 February 1832 the son of Richard Phelan and Judith Dunphy.
According to the Glenmore parish records and the Civil Birth Register, John Phelan and his wife Catherine Phelan née Forristal had at least ten children: (1) Richard Phelan, bapt. 20 Dec. 1855; (2) Nicholas Phelan, born 10 June 1857; (3) Edmund Phelan, born 14 Feb. 1861; (4) Johanna Phelan, born 25 Mar. 1862—died 1896; (5) James Phelan, born 15 April 1864; (6) Margaret Phelan, born 1 April 1866; (7) & (8) Twins John & Michael Phelan, born 2 April 1868; (9) Denis Phelan, born 15 Feb. 1870 and (10) Anastasia Phelan, born 18 Jan. 1872.
As a young man Nicholas went to Waterford and opened a business. It is believed that it was a grocery business. On the 29th of September 1882, at St. Patrick’s in Waterford, Nicholas Phelan, of George’s Street, married Catherine Condon (c. 1961-1919) of Clonmel. The groom’s father is recorded as John Phelan, farmer, and the bride’s father is recorded as Jeremiah Condon, victualler. The witnesses were James Hayes and Elizabeth Flavin. Immediately after the wedding the newlyweds emigrated to New York.
The city directories indicate that Nicholas’s business premises were at 6 Barclay St. in Manhattan, he worked as a salesman and the family home was at 635 4th Avenue (1889 New York City Directory) Sometime around 1907 the family was renting a house at 165 Hull in Brooklyn and by the time of the 1930 Census owned the home.
According to the 1900 Census Nicholas F. and Catherine Phelan had 9 children and 6 were living. The children listed in the census include: (1) Catherine J. Phelan, born 31 Oct 1861; (2) Anastasia Phelan, born 4 Nov. 1887—died 29 Oct. 1950; (3) John C. Phelan, born 6 Dec. 1888; (4) Nicholas Phelan, born 3 Jan 1893; (5) Patrick C. Phelan, born 15 April 1895– died 29 May 1968; (6) Thomas C. Phelan, born 30 Nov. 1896.
On the 2nd of September 1919, Catherine J. Phelan née Condon died at the home at 165 Hull St. of pneumonia. She and Nicholas had been married for 30 years. Her New York death certificate lists her parents as Jeremiah Condon and Mary Anne Condon. The 1920 Census reveals that his daughter Anastasia and the younger children although grown were still living in the family home and his nephew Dennis Phelan had immigrated in 1919 and was residing with the family. In 1921 Nicholas applied for his first passport. He is recorded as being 54 years of age; 5 feet 3 inches tall with blue eyes and black and grey hair. He recorded that he was born at Ballyfacy, Co. Kilkenny on 10th June 1857 and his father John was deceased. From his emigration in September 1882 until 1921 he was only out of the country in 1913 when he was in England on the 21st and 22nd June and from the 24th of June to the 22nd of July he was in Ireland. According to the application he intended to travel in 1922 to Ireland, England and France.
The Second Wife: Dr. Mary Sutton Phelan (1875-?) a native of Waterford
Sometime after Catherine died in 1919 and 1922 Nicholas F. Phelan married Mary Sutton, a native of Waterford. How or where the couple met is not known. The first record we could find indicating a marriage had taken place were records from the SS France. In June 1922 the couple sailed from Le Harve, France to New York.
Waterford birth records provide that Mary Sutton was the daughter of John Sutton (c. 1847-1898) and Johanna Sutton née O’Brien (c.1853-1928). The known children of this union include: (1) & (2) Twins, Thomas Amary Sutton and Mary were born on the 15th of December 1875; (3) Thomas Moses Sutton was born on 10 September 1877; (4) John Alex Sutton was born on the 15th of July 1883; (5) Anne M. Sutton was born on the 26th of November 1881; and (6) Margaret Sutton, was born on the 2nd of August 1886.
In 1927, the Munster Express (Fri, 22 April 1927, p. 8) published an article entitled, “Distinction for Waterford Lady in U.S.A.” Citing the March 1927 British Journal of Nursing the newspaper revealed that Mary Sutton Phelan was to be conferred a Master of Arts in June… “Mrs. Sutton Phelan quite recently took the degree of a Bachelor of Science, and in addition to this is a fully qualified and State Registered Nurse. Mrs. Sutton-Phelan is well-known among the pioneers of nursing organisations as a lady of great enterprise and initiative. She has a splendid record in her own profession, particularly in the field of welfare work, both at home and abroad. Her work as a member of the French Flag Nursing Corps was specially conspicuous for its excellence—both in French Military Hospitals and in Welfare Work after the War…
Mrs. Phelan is daughter of Mrs. J. Sutton, Lombard Street, Waterford, and formerly of the firm of Messrs. Murphy, Sutton & Co., Quay, Waterford. She is sister of Rev. T. Sutton, of the Redemptorist Order, who from time to time has conducted Retreats and Missions here in his native City of Waterford. Mr. N. F. Phelan is a native of Glenmore parish, and in his early manhood, was in business here, in this city. He is proprietor of an extensive wholesale tea and, wine business in New York, and more than once in recent years, revisited the scenes of his boyhood in and around Glenmore and Waterford. …” [For general information on the French Flag Nursing Corps, see http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/167.html ]
We believe that Mary continued with her education until she earned a doctorate. In the obituary of her step-daughter Anastatia Phelan (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Mon. 30 October 1950) Mary was listed as Dr. Mary Sutton Phelan, Ed.D. Unfortunately we were unable to locate an obituary for Mary. However, we did locate one article from 1916 that reveals information regarding Mary’s work with the French Flag Nursing Corps. We have not been able to verify whether she was a nursing sister or a nun as stated in the article. The following article was published in New Ross Standard, on Friday the 25th of February 1916 (p. 4 ).
“CO. WEXFORD NUNS’ BRAVERY HAIL FROM THE ARTRURSTOWN DISTRICTS. Amongst the brave Irish Nuns ministering to the wants of the soldiers at the front and whose work have won the gratitude and admiration of both doctors soldiers are Sister Mary Sutton of Waterford, who is a first cousin to Mr John Murphy, merchant, Arthurstown; niece to Mrs Johanna Murphy, of Murphy, Sutton and Co., Arthurstown, and sister of the Rev Thomas Sutton, C.SS.R., who was one of the Fathers conducting the Mission in Ramsgrange in 1908, is now siting as Superior of the Rebeval Hospital in the Vosges and her charm of matter and warm heart made her a favourite with all. Sister Sutton has been a member of the Nursing Corps since 1914. She was one of the heroines of the Bruges and after helping to bring order out of the chaos was terribly disappointed when owing to the German bombardment, the Sisters were compelled to leave their hospitals and abandon all the comforts they had gathered together for the well-being of their patients. The Sisters who worked through the Typhoid epidemic at Bruges in the spring of last year, will never forget the terrible sufferings they relieved. Sister Sutton joined the French Flag Nursing Corps two months after the outbreak of hostilities and is now, as stated, in charge of the base hospital at Vosges. Nurse Sutton’s parents are natives of Horeswood parish to which their ancestors have given a name by which it is generally known. She is ably assisted by another Co. Wexford lady. Nurse Carmichael, who was born in Duncannon R.I.C. barrack of which her father was sergeant in charge some years ago.”
The featured photo is a postcard of Fulton Ferry and Brooklyn Bridge–N.Y. side (1900-1909) New York Public Library; NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b17538085.
Barclay St. –3rd Ward Plat Map 1855, New York Public Library Digital Collection (Image No. 1648061) 6 Barclay Street is in the Tribecca Neighborhood of Manhatton. The current building on the site was built in 2006 and has 58 stories with 400 units.
The photo of Nicholas F. Phelan is from his 1921 U.S. passport application.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Sabotaging the 1893 Hunt in Glenmore: The Burning of the Fox Coverts
In three previous posts we highlighted some of the local activities of the Glenmore Land League from its establishment in late 1880 through its split in February 1891 over the Parnell scandal. Some of the main agrarian agitation activities undertaken by members included engaging in boycotts and gathering to protest and frustrate evictions. One of the best known successful eviction frustrations occurred at Ballyfacey, Glenmore on the 27th of August 1885. On that date church bells across South Kilkenny rang out calling thousands of people to gather and stop the eviction of Ballyfacey families. Two years later in February 1893 the local people were again called together this time to resist the seizure in the middle of the night of cattle in Ballyfacey. A month later a group of local men and women stopped a fox hunt in Ballyfacey and burned the coverts, to stop future hunts. In general, fox hunting was a pursuit of the landlords and gentry. A covert is anywhere a fox may live. In various areas of Glenmore rough ground with bushes and other cover was protected by the landlords to provide a place for foxes. Generally, hounds were sent into the covert to flush out the fox and the hunt would begin.
Pitchfork Protests at Ballyfacey Glenmore
The Wexford People (Sat. 1 April 1893, p. 8) published an article entitled, “UNIONIST HUNTSMEN ATTACKED WITH PITCHFORKS: THE COVERTS BURNED.” On Tuesday the 26th of March “an exciting scene was witnessed at the hunt at Ballyfacey,” which “has been the scene of many a stubborn fight against the enemies of the people.” “…Men and women of that place were forward in showing their detestation of shoneen Unionism.” Shoneen is a derogatory word in Irish that refers to one who prefers English attitudes, customs or lifestyle to Irish ones.
On that day Sir Nugent Humble’s hounds were advertised to meet at Tory Hill. Sir Nugent Humble was from Waterford County and it is reported that by the 1870’s his estate was comprised of 6,000 acres. Humble also had lands in County Tipperary, but it does not appear that he had any land in or around Ballyfacey.
The Humble hunters met and proceeded to the covert at Ballyfacey, Glenmore. The Munster Express (Sat. 8 April 1893, p. 8) reported that “when the hounds came to the covert a number of men proceeded with pitchforks to stop the hunt. Sir Nugent Humble inquired the cause of the display, and was told the ‘Castle Catholics’ who attended the Orange meeting would not be permitted to pass, but that the other gentlemen might do so.” Notwithstanding the language used by the newspaper in covering the incident there were no injuries n either side.
Local Castle Catholics
The Munster Express did not identify the so-called “Castle Catholics” or Catholics who supported the Crown, however the Wexford People did name them and we have below provided the actual words from the article. “Mr. Bloomfield, …one of the organisers of the recent Unionist meeting in Waterford, and Mr. Nicholas Lambert, the new ‘Catholic Jay-Pay’ from Ballinakill or Dysertmoon.”
The Wexford People article went on to explain that Nicholas Lambert “before he was ‘raised to the bench’ was, like a good many more of his kind in this country, free and easy with the people as long as he thought he could be served by them, but as soon as he was made a J.P. he ‘kicked over the traces’ and became a Unionist going down to Waterford to beat the Orange drum. In his efforts to ape the grandee, however, he has overshot the mark, and on Tuesday be saw that when he was told by the lads and lasses who were stationed on the fence of Ballyfacey covert that it was to him the objection was made.”
“He began to foam, but was soon made cool, and though his conduct might have precipitated a row, yet the sight of the men with pikes in their hands made the hunters retreat, Mr. Lambert among the rest. The dogs were beaten by the girls, and when the hunters were retiring the crowd groaned for Balfour and cheered for Gladstone and Home Rule. Though the scene was at one time exciting no blows were struck. About twenty or thirty men composed the crowd which defended the covert. On the same night the covert of Ballyfacey, another at Mullinahone, in the parish of Glenmore, and a third at Greenlands, on Mr. Fitzgerald’s land at Knockbrock, were burned to ashes. The foxes which they contained ran in all directions.”
Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930)
To put the groans of the protesting crowd into context, Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930) was the chief Secretary for Ireland until 1891. While he suppressed agrarian unrest and demonstrations he did institute a few measures against absentee landlords. Balfour opposed Irish Home Rule and is attributed with saying there could be no “halfway house” between Ireland remaining within the United Kingdom or becoming independent. By 1893 Balfour led the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. In 1902 he succeeded his uncle Lord Salisbury as Prime Minister and served until 1905.
William Gladstone (1809-1898)
The cheers of the protesting crowd were for William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898). Gladstone was a member of the Liberal party and served as prime minister four times. Gladstone was personally committed to the granting of Irish home rule and in 1886 introduced the first 1886 Home Rule Bill for Ireland. Unfortunately, this Bill caused him to lose power. When he became prime minister again in August 1892, he began working on a new home rule bill. The Second Home Rule Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons in April 1892 and the third reading on 1 September. However, the House of Lords, a week later, killed the Bill when the majority of Lords voted against it.
Although no political group is associated with the article it seems likely that the agrarian agitation activities of the Land League were employed by locals to show displeasure with an apparent Catholic neighbour not supporting Home Rule. The sabotage of the Ballyfacey hunt was reported widely including to Irish exiles in the United States via The Irish Standard (Minneapolis, Minnesota) on Sat. the 29th of April 1893.
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Previous blog posts include: “The Glenmore Land League and the Ballyfacey Evictions,” available at https://glenmore-history.com/the-glenmore-land-league-and-the-ballyfacey-evictions/ , and “Glenmore and Mr. Parnell,” available at https://glenmore-history.com/glenmore-and-mr-parnell/ .
The featured photo above is a John Player cigarette card, retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-40d9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
The second photo is of the artwork of Alken, Henry Thomas (1784-1851), (1817-05-01) Fox hunting. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-3696-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
The Balfour photo is from Bain News Service, publisher – Library of Congress Catalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2014682753 and the photo is from the portrait section available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018697133 .
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh