Danny Dowling (1927-2021)
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The School Collection: Ballyfacey, Glenmore, National School, Local Heroes
Between 1937 and 1939, 5000 primary schools in Ireland participated in recording local information for the National Folklore Commission. Over 288,000 pages were created by students in exercise books. Students in all 26 counties were aksed to collect information ranging from oral history, topographical information, folklore, legends, riddles, pastimes, games, trades and crafts by interviewing their parents, grandparents and neighbours. From 15 November 1937 to 7 December 1938 a dozen students in the Ballyfacey, Glenmore National School, under teacher Domhnall Mac Cárthaigh, participated in the School Collection. The Ballyfacey Glenmore School Collection (Vol. 845, pp 484-596) is available on line, (Roll Number 9880).
The School Collection not only recorded valuable oral histories and traditions, but it also provides the names and addresses of the participating students as well as the persons interviewed. Today, we are going to feature the topic that generated the least number of responses from the Ballyfacey students, the topic entitled “Local Heroes.” While we hoped that the students recorded information concerning the men and women who banded together to stop the Ballyfacey evictions of 1885, or engaged in the more recent War of Independence, this was not the case. (Our previous post of 8 March 2020 provides information on the Glenmore Land League and the Ballyfacey eviction riots). On 26 March 1938, four students recorded information concerning “Local Heroes.” All four students identified athletic or physical abilities with the topic. Three of the students were from Ballyfacey and one was from Haggard.
Jumping the Áth
A local stream called the Áth was “in olden times” jumped for sport. “The part of the stream that was jumped across was about twenty-three feet wide. The best jumper was Marks Walsh who is now about 83 years old,” (William Roche, of Haggard, p. 514). Dick Grace was also identified as a man who jumped the Áth (Eddie O’Connor, Ballyfacy (sic), p 515). Other men who were identified as performing this feat were Tom and Pat Power, of Farnogue and Jack Malone (Mary Aylward, Ballyfacey, p. 513).
Weight Lifting & Throwing
In terms of weight lifting and weight throwing, Ned Moore, of Shambo and Jack Power of Jamestown were identified for their ability to lift heavy stones (Peggy Aylward, of Ballyfacey, p. 513). It was also recorded that Old Paddy Grace lifted the Kilbride stone on his back and brought it up to Grace’s yard and down again on his back. The Kilbride stone was also lifted by Tommy Freyne of Kilbride (Mary Aylward, Ballyfacey, p. 513-514). We know from the information that Danny Dowling (1929-2021) recorded that local men gathered, usually at or near blacksmith forges around the parish, to lift heavy stones to test their strength. As previously discussed in an earlier blog weight throwing was a regular athletic event. Larry Roche, of Haggard, and James Power, of Bigwood were identified as heavy weight throwers (Peggy Aylward, of Ballyfacey, p. 513). Tommy Murphy, of Kilbride, was noted for carrying forty stones (for our international readers a stone is 14 pounds of weight) at Mullen’s threshing (Eddie O’Connor, of Ballyfacy (sic), p. 515). For a previous blog post on weight throwing see our post of 4 July 2020.
Running & Mowing
In terms of running, some current runners and former runners were identified. Peter Egan and Pat Roche of Haggard were good runners in athletic sports as was Tommy Fitzgerald (Mary Aylward, of Ballyfacey, p. 513). “There was once a man named Hollyhawk and he used to beat horses running.” “Pat Roche of Haggard is a good runner he runs at sports and runs about three miles” (Peggy Aylward, Ballyfacey, p. 513).
Men good at mowing were also identified. Ned Long, of Guilcough, was a good mower and was said to mow more than an acre in a day (Mary Aylward, of Ballyfacey, p. 513). Jack Murphy, of Moulerstown, on the other hand was credited with mowing 1.5 acres in a single day (Peggy Aylward, of Ballyfacey, p. 514).
Lastly, only one woman was identified in the topic “Local Heroes.” “Mrs. Statia Dunphy walked to Kilkenny and home again in less than a day” (Mary Aylward, of Ballyfacey, p. 513).
Given the fact that Glenmore had by the 1930’s won several senior county Gaelic football championships it is surprising that none of the Ballyfacey National School students identified any of the persons named above as GAA players. In fact, a review of the items recorded by the students reveals that very few persons were interviewed, or perhaps the persons interviewed, did not wish to have their names recorded. It is also not known what instructions these students received. The students did identify a number of local people with some addresses that may aid researchers particularly as the last publicly available census is from 1911.
Please send any corrections or further information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
From Danny’s Glenmore Photo Album 4.0 [Updated]
The photo featured today was found in one Danny Dowling’s (1927-2021) photo albums. Danny was a lifelong resident of Glenmore.
If you can identify any of the eight people in this photo please post below or email glenmore.history@gmail.com.
As people are identified we shall update this page as we do with other photographs. Thanks to all the help we received from readers most of the people in the first three photos have been identified and we are contacting various family members to verify the identifications.
As always please let us know of any errors or omissions.
Thank you for your assistance.
[Update 9 June 2022 at 14:28 : Front Row from left: Billy Boland, Sr. of Milltown; Danny Dowling; –?– ; –?–; –?– Back Row from left: Josie Melody née Dowling, of Jamestown; Peggy Kennedy née Dowling, of Jamestown; smallest girl Nellie O’Halloran née Dowling, of Jamestown.]
[Update 12 June 2022–Front Row from left: Billy Boland, Sr. (1915-1998) of Milltown; Danny Dowling (1927-2021) of Jamestown; Johnny Coady, of Ballycroney; Neddy Holden, of Clune; and Billy Boland, Jr. (b. 1947) of Ballycroney. Back row from left: Josie Melody née Dowling, of Jamestown; Peggy Kennedy née Dowling (b. 1937) of Jamestown; smallest girl Nellie O’Halloran née Dowling (b. 1944) of Jamestown. It is believed that the photo was taken c. 1954.]
From Danny’s Glenmore Photo Album 3.0 [updated]
The photo featured today was taken about 1970 by Danny Dowling (1927-2021) of Glenmore Village, outside the then parish hall (the old boy’s school) just inside the wall. Two of the depicted men at the back have been identified. Back row: the on the far left is Eamonn Jones, of the Village, and the man on the far right is Michael Hoynes, of Ballybrahee, Glenmore.
If you can identify any of the other people in this photo please post below or email glenmore.history@gmail.com. As people are identified we shall update this page as we do with other photographs. Thank you for your assistance.
[Update 24 May 2022, 19:32–Since the post went up this morning a number of readers have helped identify some of the people in the photo.]
Back Row, Left to Right: [1] Eamonn Jones, the Village; [2] –?–; [3] –?–; [4] –?–; [5] Mickey Fitzgerald, of Moulerstown; [6] Johnny Mackey, of Ballycroney; [7] Pat Dowling, of Cappagh; [8] Michael Hoynes, of Ballybrahee.
[Update 28 May 2022–Thanks to several readers we believe the people in the photo include: (back row left to right) [1] Eamonn Jones, the Village; [2] Paddy Mackey; [3] Mike Whelan, Ballywairy; [4] Mick Murphy, of Jamestown; [5] Micky Fitzgerald, of Moulerstown; [6] Johnny Mackey; [7] Pat Dowling Cappagh; [8] Michael Hoynes of Ballybrahe. (front left to right) Packie Morrissey ? and the child on the left is believed to be a nephew of Eamonn Jones. The little boy in front of Pat Dowling is Danny’s son Pat Dowling.]
From Danny’s Files: The 1837 Killing of Michael Phelan of Rochestown, Mullinavat
In Danny Dowling’s files an article was found which was copied from the Waterford Mail (Sat. 15 June 1839, p. 2). It provides that Laurence Foley, who brutally murdered his landlord, Pat. Phelan, of Rochestown, County Kilkenny in October 1837 evaded arrest for two years. Foley was arrested in County Tipperary and identified by the mother of the deceased. According to the Ballyshannon Herald (Fri. 21 June 1839, p. 3) Foley was arrested by Chief Constable Roney and Head Constable Mason. This is an interesting pre-Famine case because no motive was revealed for the killing although the newspapers at the time drew attention to the fact that the victim was a landlord of the defendant Foley. However, it appears that the victim had a modest holding.
Unfortunately, the Waterford Mail published the wrong name of the man killed, and from the information presented it was not clear which Rochestown in Kilkenny was the home of the victim. The victim was identified as Patt Phelan, Michael Phelan and sometimes Whelan in the newspapers. Knowing that trial accounts often are the more reliable of newspaper information we located reference to the trial of Laurence Foley in the Freeman’s Journal (Wed. 24 July 1839, p. 1). Baron Foster arrived from Clonmel for the Kilkenny Assizes the previous day and opened the Kilkenny Commission in the County Court at 10 a.m. Baron Foster addressed the Grand Jury and stated that he was happy to be able to congratulate them on the state of the court calendar. There were sixteen defendants for trial. He said that it was gratifying to find that agrarian outrages had ceased in County Kilkenny. However, he regretted that of the few cases to be heard there were four homicides. The totality of the report on the Laurence Foley case in this particular newspaper was that he was indicted for the manslaughter of Michael Whelan (sic) and found guilty.
Luckily, the Kilkenny Moderator (Sat. 27 July 1839, p. 20) provided details concerning the case that arose with the slaying of Michael Phelan (sic) near Mullinavat on the 3rd of October 1837. From this article and a review of Griffith’s Valuation we were able to determine that the victim lived in Rochestown, Mullinavat rather than Rochestown, Glenmore. The article provided the names of the jurors that heard the case: Richard Lalor, John Power, Edward Hunt, Edward S. Delaney, John Brenan, Anthony Nugent, James Butler, Emmanuel Fitzpatrick, Nicholas Cahill, Robert Walshe, Daniel Lalor, and Daniel Phelan.
The first witness to give evidence was John Phelan, a brother of the victim. John Phelan testified that the defendant, Laurence Foley, struck his brother Michael two years previously at Moonvoor, near Mullinavat. He had seen the defendant at the Mullinavat fair that day, and the defendant walked part of the way home with John and his brother, the victim. The brothers stopped at Patt Browne’s house on their way home to enquire about shoes that Browne was making for the victim. Soon after they went into Browne’s house the defendant Foley came to the door with a stone in his hand. Browne saw the defendant and as Browne went to push him out of the house the defendant dropped the stone. He then “caught up” a spade. With the help of the brothers, Browne pushed the defendant out of his house. The brothers then pushed the defendant outside the yard and “desired him to go home.” They turned to go back into Browne’s house and the defendant took up a stone and threw it at the victim, Michael Phelan, who was knocked down. John Phelan turned and saw defendant at the yard wall after throwing the stone. He heard one blow. The stone hit his brother in the back of the head. John immediately collared the defendant and tripped him up. When his brother did not rise he called out “murder.” He let go of the defendant and ran to his brother, but his brother could not stand. The victim lived till the following day. He did not see anyone other than the defendant near his brother when his brother was struck.
John Phelan testified that the defendant had taken “a sup” that night, and had been in the Police barracks that evening before he struck the victim. There had been no previous quarrel and he could not say why the defendant struck his brother. After striking the victim the defendant ran away, and the defendant left the place where he had been living. John Phelan admitted that he struck the defendant when he had him collared.
To questioning by the Judge, John Phelan stated that the defendant was not very drunk that night as he was well able to walk and talk when he came to the door with the stone in his hand. John Phelan could not say whether the defendant said anything. Prior to the attack the three men walked about a quarter of a mile together. The defendant called Browne a Whitefoot. John Phelan stated that Browne was a cousin of the Phelan brothers. He admitted they were all in dread of the defendant Foley because he was a bad character. The defendant was their tenant for some ground.
Patrick Browne then testified that he was working in his shop on the evening when the Phelan brothers came in to look for a pair of shoes. They were with him a few minutes when he heard shouting on the street. The defendant came and called the boys out to fight. Browne wanted to keep the defendant out, but the defendant managed to enter his door. Browne wanted the defendant to go home. While Browne was pushing the defendant out of the door a stone dropped from his hand. The defendant then seized a spade, but they shoved him out. The defendant then said to Browne, “You have my two landlords with you—to the devil with them—I’ll have my revenge.” He heard the cry of “murder” soon after, but when he heard it a second time he ran out and saw Michael Phelan nearly dead. He did not see the defendant then or later in the neighbourhood after that occurrence, nor since until the present assizes.
Doctor A. Cuilinan proved the nature of the wound which, he said, caused the death of the deceased. The Judge shortly “recapitulated the evidence” and the Jury, in a few moments returned a verdict of Guilty of Manslaughter. Foley was sentenced to transportation for 7 years.
The Kilmainham Prison Register provides that Laurence Foley, prisoner number 2405, was sentenced to 7 years for manslaughter by Baron Foster on 20 July 1839 at Kilkenny. The New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 reveals that Laurence Foley, of Kilkenny, arrived in Australia on 8 October 1839 aboard the Nautilus although this appears to be too quick a sailing time even if the ship left immediately following the trial. Perhaps the 8 October 1839 date reflects the date the ship sailed from Ireland? The records reveal that Foley was 30 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches tall and had hazel eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion.
Three Rochestown townlands were located in Kilkenny. In the Griffith’s Valuation: Tithe Applotment Books there were no Phelan/Whelan in Rochestown, civil parish of Kilcolumb, Glenmore. Likewise, there were no Phelan/Whelan in Roachestown, civil parish of Rathkieran of Mooncoin (1833). Rochestown in the civil parish of Ballylarkin in 1827 had a Thomas Whelan who held 14 acres. It appears that Ballylarkin was originally in the Catholic Parish of Kilmacow but was transferred to Mullinavat Parish in the early 1840’s about the time Glenmore became a parish distinct from Slieverue.
In searching for Michael and John Phelan, utilizing the possibility that Thomas was their father, we located a John Phelan baptised on 16 June 1811 in Templeorum the son of Thomas Phelan and Catherine Crowly with an address of Kilonerry. Michael Phelan was baptized on 26 December 1807. Unfortunately, we cannot be certain that this is the correct family, and we were unable to locate a baptismal record for Laurence Foley.
Please send any additional information or corrections to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
The featured sketch above is from the New York Public Library, Digital Collection, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture CollectionShelf locator: PC IMM. “London : printed and published at the Office, 198 Strand, in the Parish of St. Clement Danes, in the county of Middlesex, by William Little, 198, Strand, aforesaid. Saturday, June 19, 1852.”Source note: Illustrated London news. (London : Illustrated London News and Sketch Ltd., 1842-).
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
From Danny’s Photo Album 2.0 [updated]
Last week we had a very good response to the photo readers identified as Forristal’s Mill of Graiguenakill, Glenmore. Today, we are featuring a photo of 11 Glenmore boys with hurleys found in one of Danny’s photo albums. Can you identify any of these boys and when Danny took this photo?
[Thanks to everyone for the speedy responses. So far we have several possible identifications…
From row (left to right) [1] Billy O’Keefe of the Village (?) ; [2] John Shea or Pat Power, the Village (?); [3] John Power, the Village(?); [4] —?—; [5] —?—
Back row (left to right: [1] Neddy Dowling, of Jamestown; [2] Jimmy Phelan (?); [3] Seamus Jones (?) the Village; [4] —?—; [5] Paddy Griffin (?); [6] Packie Jones (?) the Village or Martin Forristal (?) the Village. ]
Update 1 June 2022–back row (chap with glasses) [4] Christy Power, of Carrigcloney
