Frederick Meehan

Danny Dowling (1927-2021) interviewed Denis “Dinny” Murphy (1901-1986) of Milltown, Glenmore on Saturday the 16^th of March 1985 at the County Home in Thomastown. Danny noted that it took place in the evening after Nora Holden Morrissey’s funeral. This interview provides a fascinating glimpse into local men who worked for the County Council in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

According to Dinny Murphy, in the 1930’s the local stonebreakers on the Council got 1/3d for breaking 25 cwt of stones. The stones had to be broken so they could pass through a two-inch riddle. It used to take a great man to break a box of stones in the day. The box was able to contain 25 cwt. [For our international readers, cwt was a unit of weight that equalled 112 lbs. 25 cwt. Therefore, it would be 2800 lbs. or 1.25 British (long) tonne or 1.4 U.S. (short) ton for 1 shilling and 3 pence or 6 shillings and 3 pence in a five day week].

Frank Meehan  (c. 1862-1930)

Dinny Murphy Interview

Dinny Murphy described Frank Meehan as about 5 feet 8 inches in height and fairly stout. He had a grey black beard and wore a black hat. He was a schoolteacher in India but got sunstroke which affected his mind. He never spoke very much; he answered if spoken to. In Dinny’s remembrance Frank Meehan first lived for a couple of years in Conway’s house in Forristalstown which was then vacant. He next went to live in Ned Murphy’s in Shanbogh, where Neddy Doolan lived afterwards. He lived there for about 9 years until he died rather suddenly.

Frank Meehan is buried in Shanbogh cemetery next to Victor O’Donovan Power. (For further information on the writer Victor O’Donovan Power, see our post of 22 October 2020).  Dinny Murphy related that Frank Meehan died in the late 1920’s. Frank was receiving the old age pension and died “in Ned Murphy’s.”

The Interview of Nellie Dowling née Doherty, native of Millstown, Glenmore

Around 1980, Danny Dowling interviewed his aunt Nellie Dowling at her home in Rathnew, Co. Wicklow. Nellie was married to Danny’s uncle  Dick Dowling.  Nellie who was born and reared in Milltown, Glenmore described Frank Meehan as being about 5 feet, 10 inches in height, of bigish build and a nice looking man. Very well educated, and a great conversationalist. He had been in the British Army, and got sunstroke in India. He dressed well and wore a bowler hat. He was very friendly with the Doolan’s of Shanbogh, whom he used visit. When he came out of the army and returned home, he became a stone breaker on the roads around Shanbogh and Glenmore. He used to stay at Mullally’s house in Forristalstown and later lodged at Ned Murphy’s in Shanbough where Neddie Doolan lived afterwards [DD Notebook 24, interview of Nellie Dowling née Doherty, of Rathnew, Co. Wicklow c. 1980]. 

Siblings of Frank Meehan

We believed Frank was born in Waterford City because in the 1911 Census it was indicated that he was born in Waterford City. There was only one Francis Patrick Meehan, baptized in Waterford about 1862. However, this Francis Meehan’s father was an R.I.C. officer. We do not believe that the child baptized Francis Patrick Meehan on 3 August 1862, at Trinity Within, Waterford City, is the Frank Meehan who later lived in Glenmore and broke stones for a living.  

Frank Meehan in his army documents named two brothers as his next of kin. Frederick and George Meehan. On 21 January 1884 Frederick Meehan married Harriet Conway in Dublin. Frederick was a tutor and said that his father was Patrick Meehan deceased soldier. George Meehan was his best man. George Meehan (porter, age 30) married Helena Egan on 17 January 1887 in Dublin. George identified his father as Patrick Meehan, soldier.

We were not able to find any birth records for these three brothers in Ireland. In the 1911 census George Meehan was 56 years of age and reported being born in Simons Town, South Africa. In 1911 he lived on Marlborough St., Dublin and managed a funeral home. George William Meehan served 10 years and 4 months in the British Army (4^th BDE. Fd. Arty.) in India. His pension date was 23 October 1883.

Military Service of Francis Patrick Meehan

In the UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pension Records a file for Francis Patrick Meehan was located. Frank Meehan enlisted in the British Army on 9 January 1885; he was 22 years and 5 months of age. He gave his profession as student and agreed to 12 year term.

His military file describes him as follows: 5 feet 5 ½ inches tall; 125 lbs.; with a 32 ½ inch chest; hazel eyes; black hair and a fresh complexion. It was noted under distinctive marks, that he had something on his right leg, but not sufficient to incapacitate him as a schoolmaster.  His enlistment and military physical exam took place in London. He was certified until 2 April 1890 with service no. 72648. He was appointed to the Corps of Schoolmasters by special authority 50 R.M. Asylum-8118-2-1.

Apparently, the British Army in the late nineteenth century realized that the world was becoming more technical, and its recruits were not always literate. The authorities decided to recruit schoolmasters to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of its troops and to teach the British Schools for the children of the army, personnel and British civil servants across the Empire.

 Hospitalisations

Frank Meehan spent time in hospital on 3 occasions during his service. From 18 July 1885 until 31 January 1887, he suffered enteric fever (121 days in hospital). Enteric fever is a serious systemic bacterial infection caused by typhoid or paratyphoid fever. It is spread through eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms can develop days or weeks after exposure. Before antibiotics it could be fatal.

After recovering from the enteric fever Frank Meehan was sent to India. He spent 309 days in India in late 1887 and early 1888. He gave his two brothers as his next of kin:  Frederick Meehan, 19 Christ Church Place, Dublin and George Meehan 26 Castle St., Dublin.

In 1889, Frank Meehan spent 11 days in hospital for alcoholism. In 1890, he spent 86 days in hospital with melancholia [depression]. After being hospitalised, the doctors noted that he was practically recovered and ordered rest and surveillance. The melancholy they thought was partly the result of the enteric fever and aggravated by the climate in India.

On 1 March 1890, Frank Meehan appeared before a medical board. He suffered from the disease of melancholia. He was recommended for a change to England. It was noted under general remarks as to habits, conduct etc. “Habit irregular. Conduct lately unaccountable…” After returning to England, he was discharged from the army.

1901 and 1911 Census

The 1911 Census provides that Frank Meehan was 50 years of age and born in Waterford City. He was employed as a stonebreaker and lodged with the John Mullally family of Forristalstown, Glenmore. John Mullally and his wife Johanna farmed in Forristalstown.

In 1901 Frank Meehan may have lodged with John Walsh (age 85) of 10 Bewley St., New Ross. This Frank Meehan was 39 and employed as a labourer. He reported that he was born in Waterford.

An Honest Man

Dinny Murphy told Danny that “Ned Murphy on one occasion sent Frank Meehan to a neighbour’s field for a turnip. Frank returned with no turnip and was asked the reason why. Frank said that there was no one in the field to ask when he went there, and he could not take it without getting permission. Ned cursed him for returning without a turnip” (Interview of 16 March 1985).

Newspaper Articles

At a meeting of the IDA (Co. Kilkenny) District Council, John Mullally (address not provided)  made a motion that single men be excluded from cottages and any single man currently in possession should be allowed to stay until Ash Wednesday unless they married. His motion failed and the Committee considered 44 applications for cottages, 30 passed and 14 failed. Francis Meehan was rejected for a cottage in Forrestalstown on the land of John Grace, as “he was not a proper person for the cottage.” It is not clear why he was deemed not a proper person. It could have been because he was not a farm labourer (New Ross Standard, Fri. 26 May 1911, p. 7). For further information on the awarding of cottages see our post of 23 November 2025.

However, shortly before this cottage decision Francis Meehan, of Shanbogh, was before the New Ross Petty Sessions court for drunkenness. The case was adjourned for a week when Frank promised to “take the pledge” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 31 March 1911, p. 14.) It may have been the case that his drinking made him “not a proper person.”

The last article that we found was from 1917. The newspaper reported that a “letter was read at the New Ross Urban Council from Francis Meehan, Shanbogh. Frank Meehan argued that in view of the increased and increasing prices of food and the irregular and very low wages himself and his colleagues had for breaking stones they asked for an increase from 3s. allowed to 4s. per ton. The application was refused (New Ross Standard, Fri. 16 March 1917, p. 2).

Death

Frank Meehan, died on 10 August 1930 in the County Home in Thomastown, the same place where Denis “Dinny” Murphy told Danny Dowling about Frank 56 years later. At the time of his death Frank Meehan was recorded as being a 68 year-old bachelor.

The featured painting above is Stonebreakers by Gustave Courbets (1819-1879) painted in 1849 and destroyed in 1945. For information regarding the painting see, Cynthia Li (2021) “A Focused Look Into Courbet’s The Stonebreakers.”

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

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh