Danny Dowling (1927-2021)
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Glenmore and the Irish Language
Last week issues were raised concerning how much English the executed Glenmore man, Henry “Bounce” Walsh, understood and spoke in 1847 during the investigation, incarceration, and his trial for murder. According to Danny Dowling, the Irish language survived and flourished in Glenmore during and after the dark days of the Penal Laws. In 1844, during the surveying of the railway line that was to link New Ross and Waterford, Thomas Lacey, of Wexford, noted that Irish was spoken in Glenmore and neighbouring parishes along the proposed route.
The Decline of the Language
Glenmore people continued to speak Irish into the 1870’s and 1880’s although most younger people could also read and write in English. In the 1890’s the Irish language was in decline locally, but shops in New Ross continued to have at least one Irish speaker on staff to deal with the elderly farmers of Glenmore, Tullogher and Rosbercon who continued to speak Irish. By the turn of the twentieth century, when the long awaited railway linking New Ross and Waterford was being built, outside of pockets in the west of Ireland, and a few small rural areas, the Irish language was in a terrible state of decline. Although there was no penalty for utilizing Irish there was little support for it in Ireland.
Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language
In 1877, the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language was founded in Dublin. This society was concerned that the Irish language was dying and issued three small books for the teaching of Irish. By 1897, over 128,521 copies of the books had been sold. Uniquely this Society was comprised by a number of non-Irish scholars from universities in Paris, Copenhagen, Prussia, England and the United States. While the books issued by the Society allowed Irish to be learned it did not enable the speaking of the language. The Society members were very interested in the old Gaelic literature and manuscripts. It was noted by these scholars that “Gaelic speakers were rare, and when found they were too shy or too ignorant to be of much service…and few could read or write in Irish.” (Monaghan, 1899)
The Gaelic League
In 1893, Conradh na Gaelige (the Gaelic League) formed. The League objected to the scholarly approach to the Irish language. The League sought to preserve and advance Irish as the national language. It also supported the study and preservation of the old literature, but importantly supported modern Irish literature. It sought to engage the population and advance the language through classes, plays, songs, recitations, debates and speeches in Irish.
The group that founded the League included Douglas Hyde (1860-1949) who insisted that the League should be free of politics and open to all. Interestingly Hyde, a Protestant, resigned from the League in 1915 because he contended it had become political. Later Hyde was elected the first president of Ireland serving from 1938-1945.
Another founder was Fr. Eugene O’Growney, who at the suggestion of the Archbishop of Dublin began publishing in the Freeman newspaper “Simple Lessons in Irish.” These articles were later published as a popular book. Other newspapers were asked to provide space for news and articles written in Irish.
The Irish Language Under Attack in Glenmore
The first Branch to be established in the Kilkenny was in Kilkenny City in 1897. To advance Irish the League provided small sums to National School Teachers to induce them to teach Irish to their students outside of the regular school classes. Danny Dowling has stated that his mother, Hannie Dowling née Murphy (1903-1989) told her children that when she attended the Glenmore National School students wore a small stick on a cord around their necks. When a student spoke in Irish a notch would be placed on the stick and punishment inflicted when the recorded notches reached a certain number. Ironically a decade after the League was established and flourishing across the country, in Glenmore, where the Irish language had survived, during the Irish language revival, it was under attack.
The Glenmore Branch of the Gaelic League
It was not until 1910 that a Branch of the Gaelic League was established in Glenmore. The Munster Express on Saturday the 16th of February 1910 announced that nation building was being conducted in Glenmore by this “function which will doubtless prove of historic interest.” Mr. Brett, of the Waterford Branch called on Fr. T. Phelan for his consent and blessing. Fr. Phelan, “ever willing to welcome any movement for the moral, social and educational uplifting of his flock…” gave his consent and blessing to the project.
At nine o’clock the Glenmore meeting was called to order by Nicholas Curran, National Teacher of the Glenmore Boy’s School. He proposed that “A Branch of the Gaelic League be established in Glenmore.” Mr. J. Dunphy seconded the resolution which was unanimously passed. The following officers were elected for the coming year—President, Very Rev. T. Phelan, P.P.; Vice-president, Rev. M. Crotty, C.C.; Secretary, N. Curran, N.T.; J.P. O’Donovan; Committee—Messrs. J. Dunphy, P. Hanrahan, M. Murphy, T. Fluskey, T. Heffernan; Delegates to Waterford District Organising Conference— N. Curran and J. Dunphy.
The meeting concluded in a little “sgoraigheact.” Mr. Foley rendered beautifully two Irish songs and Brian O’Higgins’ Irish comic “Caherciveen.” Mr J. Hanrahan sang ” Skibbereen,” his beautiful clear tenor voice making a marked impression on the visitors. It was said to be a most interesting, and, it is to be hoped, historic night in the “Big Glen.”
School Irish vs. Irish Spoken in Glenmore Homes
Eventually, through the work of the League, Irish became a subject studied in National Schools. Jo Doyle née Mernagh (1932-2021) of Weatherstown, Glenmore, noted that when she was a girl attending Glenmore National School in the 1930’s she was not aware initially that her mother “had a lot of Irish.” The Irish being taught in the National School was different than the Irish words she heard at home. See our post of May 2022 for further information on Jo Doyle née Mernagh.
In 1938, the Folklore Commission recorded Patrick Power (c. 1856-1942) of Jamestown, the last known native speaker of South Kilkenny Irish. The National Folklore Collection, is housed at UCD and has the recording of Pádraig de Paor, from Jamestown, Glenmore (archival reference NFC 323: 174-183) who was 85 at the time of the recording. It is available to read online, most of the 9 pages are in Irish. Danny has explained that one of the unique features of the local dialect of Irish was that the “r” was pronounced as a soft “z” or “s”. Thus Maura was pronounced Ma-zsa (like Zsa Zsa Gabor) a boirín was a boo-sín.
While many people remarked that their parents or grandparents would speak Irish when they did not want the children to understand the conversation an unusual story was recorded by Danny in 1975. Danny interviewed Mai Roche (c. 1918-2001) of Scart, Glenmore. Mai stated that the Michilín Kennedy’s of Rathinure, Glenmore had a young workman for a season. There were three brothers in the house at the time, Michilín, Ristardín, and Phaidín. When the workman arrived he was asked if he spoke Irish. He said that he did not. Every evening the three brothers would “cut the backs off” the neighbours in Irish to ensure that the workman did not know what they were saying. When the season ended, and the young workman was taking his leave, he spoke to the three brothers in Irish, to their horror, letting them know he was a fluent Irish speaker.
Irish Inscriptions on Glenmore Headstones
During the recent survey of the Glenmore cemetery adjoining St. James Catholic Church, there were Irish phrases found on some stones, but only the Edmond Aylward (c. 1835-1908) of Ballinclare, stone has an extensive inscription in Irish. We believe this stone reflects the Irish language revival. The earliest inscription at the top of the stone in 1890 is in English. The inscription covering deaths from 1908 to 1922 are in old Irish and the inscription covering deaths from 1956 to 1996 is in English.
Unfortunately my Irish is limited to a few curse words. Please send any corrections etc. to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Liam Ó Bolguidhir (1992) “The Early Years of the Gaelic League in Kilkenny 1897-1910,” Old Kilkenny Review, p. 1014-1026 [Danny Dowling is acknowledged by the author in footnote 1 of this article].
R.A. Breatnach (1992) “Iargaí de Ghaeilig Chontae Chill Choinnigh,” Éige (1992) vol. 26, p. 21-42.
C. Monaghan (1899) “The Revival of the Gaelic Language,” Proceedings of the Modern Language Association, vol. 14, p. Xxxi-Xxxix. doi:10.2307/456448 available at open access https://www.jstor.org/stable/456448
The featured picture above is the “Symbols of the Evangalists.” The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1868). Symbols of the evangelists, 8th-9th cen. library of St. Gall, codex 51.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
A Brief History of Glenmore’s St. James Catholic Church
A visitor to Glenmore might find a concise history of St. James Catholic Church on a stone plaque inserted into the wall over the sacristy door of the church.
Anno Domini 1813 This chapel was built by the inhabitants of Glenmore Revd. John Fitzpatrick P.P. Revd. William Grant Coad. A.D. 1910 Rebuilt Rev. Thomas Phelan P.P. Rev. M.A. Crotty C.C.
This concise history does not reflect the struggles the parishioners encountered in practicing their faith and building this church.
St. Patrick & Early Glenmore Celtic Churches
The roots of the parish go right back to St. Patrick. Legend has it that when St. Patrick, whilst on his travels throughout Ireland, in the fifth century, preaching and converting the native to the new Christian religion, he passed through the area which is now Davidstown, that is today in the Parish of Glenmore. The prospect and amenity of the area so pleased him that he decided to build a church there, which decision he later abandoned after some days work on the site.
Whether or not St. Patrick, ever arrived in this place on his visitation through Ossory, is not certain. However, what is certain, is that the Christian Religion was in widespread practice here in early times, as is evidenced by the numerous Celtic Churches which were used as places of Worship. These early edifices were located in Rathaglish, Davidstown, Rochestown, Ballycroney, Ballygurrim, Kilmakevoge, Kilbride, Kilquan and Kilcolumb. Of all these only the ruins of Ballygurrim, Kilmakevoge, and Kilcolumb still survive, and the foundations of what was Kilbride.
Danny Dowling has noted that there has been a strong oral tradition in Glenmore with the passing of historical information from one generation to the next. For example, according to this oral tradition, Ballygurrim was a settlement containing a good number of houses. Wattie Power, late of Jamestown, was interviewed in the 1950’s and noted that when he was a lad he often heard from the older people of the area that there was a large village of houses in the church field which surrounds Ballygurrin graveyard. During a plague most of the inhabitants of the village died and were buried in a large trench in Merrigan’s bog across the road. Wattie Power as a young man was asked to plough the church field. It had not been ploughed in the memory of living people. He ploughed the field, and in the lower half of the field nearest to Glenmore the plough turned up numerous areas of black earth, ash and cinders, besides numerous hearthstones. All these items indicate that a village existed in this field.
Penal Times
In addition to plague, politics impacted on the early Glenmore churches. Most were forced to close during penal times after Cromwell arrived in Ireland in 1649. It is known that Kilivory was in use right up until penal times with some of the priests of Slieverue being buried there. Kilcolumb in the townland of Rathinure was converted to Protestant use. Oral tradition provides that during the troubles associated with the Cromwellian confiscation the sacred vessels of Ballygurrim Church were buried under an ancient sceach in the church field on Dowling’s farm in Jamestown. The ancient sceach, fell around 1950. It was located about midway between the line of the mass path (which passed through this field from opposite Clune Lane) to the corner of the field adjoining the Ballygurrim to Glenmore Roadway.
During penal times the people persevered in following their faith often holding mass in secret in houses as was the practice in Forristalstown or open air masses were held. The faithful also continued to bury their dead in the old church yards of Kilivory, Kilcolumb and Ballygurrim. Tradition states that open air masses were held in Kearney Bay and in Bolger’s field in Ballycroney. On one occasion in Bolger’s field the priest was saying mass. As was essential some of the faithful were on watch for soldiers. The scout on this occasion apparently didn’t see the oncoming soldiers until they were very near. He immediately gave word to the priest, who asked the congregation to disperse and go their own way as best they could, and “I’ll go mine.” When the soldiers arrived, the commanding officer said, “The wolf was here but he is gone.” The soldiers passed and didn’t see anyone. It was said that the faithful were rendered invisible by the power of God.
The Church in Hanrahan’s Field
Sometime around 1711 a Catholic church was built in Hanrahan’s field directly across from the Creamery about 1/3 of the distance from the Creamery to the now closed post office. The name of the church has been lost, but the description of the church has been passed down. The church building was made of stone, had a thatched roof, no floor and no furniture. The faithful brought straw with them to kneel on the damp ground. It is believed that this low spot in the valley and the shed like building with no floor or furniture was to conceal its function as a Catholic church during the penal years.
Most of the penal laws were removed by 1793, and shortly thereafter the present parish church, dedicated to St. James, the apostle, was built in 1813. The site of the church is on a hill making the tall structure visible for a considerable distance. No contractor was hired to build the church. Instead the parishioners built their church providing the labour and donating most of the materials. The shell of a Chapel in Glenmore, was built at a cost of £100 in 1813. Old Johnnie Gaule of Busherstown, gave this information to his nephew Mickey (Specks) Power of Busherstown, who used to work with Wattie Power of Jamestown who gave it to Danny. Father Grant was the Curate in charge of St. James. Father Grant was a native of Ballyvarring in the Parish of Slieverue.
[Update–Oct. 2025, Land Given for the Glenmore Church
Just five years after the 1798 Rebellion the Earl of Bessborough gave an acre of land to the Parish of Glenmore to build the Catholic Church of St. James. Danny Dowling (1927-2021) often remarked that the Earl must have been a kind man because he did not in any apparent way punish the family of William Gaffney (c. 1762-1798) the executed Glenmore miller and leader of the local United Irishmen.
“The Earl of Bessborough has very liberally granted an acre of land in the parish of Glenmore, in the County of Kilkenny, to erect a chapel on, for the Divine Worship and adoration of the Author of All Good, for which his Lordship has received the sincere thanks of the Rev. Dr. Malley, P.P. and the Roman Catholic gentlemen, farmers, and inhabitants of the parish” (Saunders’s News-Letter, Thur. 27 Oct. 1803).
We believe this gift was from the third Earl of Bessborough, Frederick Ponsonby (1758-1844). He inherited the Bessborough title and lands upon the death of his father, William Ponsonby, the second Earl of Bessborough, in 1793. For further details regarding Frederick Ponsonby, his wife, Lady Henrietta Spencer and their daughter Lady Caroline Lamb’s scandalous affair with Lord Byron, see Marjorie Bloy, A Web of English History website.
Birth of Glenmore Parish
The years 1845 to 1850 are primarily associated with the Great Famine, but in Glenmore the year 1846 is also remembered for the birth of the parish. Prior to 1846 the present parish of Glenmore, was part of the parish of Slieverue. Parish Priest Rev. Edward Walsh, on his becoming Bishop of Ossory, made Glenmore a separate parish from Slieverue. In this form Glenmore has remained although with the shortage of priests there is currently consideration being given to combining parishes.
Since 1813 St. James Church has undergone renovations including the removal of the gallery, but the last major renovation of the church was its rebuilding in 1910 as reflected on the stone plaque over the sacristy door. George Nolan a Builder in Waterford was awarded the contract for the re-build in 1910, and Michael Doran was a monumental sculptor, who worked for George Nolan. Michael Doran, at the age of 86 when interviewed by Danny, recalled that in 1910 he cut the stone for the present belfry. For further information regarding renovations see our post of 2 May 2020.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
This past week we added local Irish words to the website as well as local families, and special thanks to Jacqueline Walsh who sent a number of old photos of Glenmore including those of St. James.