Glenmore Co. Kilkenny
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The Killing in 1822 of Catherine Hanrahan of Rochestown, Glenmore
Due to a typographical error, 1822 was placed in a newspaper search engine rather than 1922. However, from this simple mistake sprang an apparently long forgotten story concerning a young pregnant mother, named Catherine Hanrahan, of Rochestown, Glenmore, who was shot and killed by a one-armed Waterford bailiff in July 1822.
Catherine Hanrahan née Power (c. 1798-1822)
From the newspaper accounts of her killing we know that Catherine was the daughter of Thomas Power and her husband was Thomas Hanrahan. We were able to find a marriage record for Catherine Power and Thomas Hanrahan. Thomas Hanrahan and Catherine Power of Rochestown married 14 February 1820 at Slieverue. The witnesses to the wedding were: William Hanrahan, Thomas Hanrahan and James Cashin. The following year the couple had their first child, Judith Hanrahan. Judith was baptised 12 April 1821 at Rochestown. Her godparents were Luke Power and Nelly Foristal (sic). It does not appear that Luke Power was a brother of Catherine because the newspapers in reporting on her killing noted her parents and younger sisters mourning her death. One newspaper recorded Catherine being aged 23 at the time of her death and another gave her age as 24. The only Catherine Power we found in the Slieverue records for the years 1797-1799 was Catherine Power, of Boherbee, baptized 25 May 1797 to Thomas Power and Mary Welsh. Glenmore did not become a separate parish until 1844, so the earliest parish records are in Slieverue.
1822
The year 1822 was a year when food was not plentiful in Ireland and famine visited the west of the country. This was also the year that the Royal Irish Constabulary was established by Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850). Catherine was shot on Monday, 1st July 1822 and lingered in agony until her death Sunday, 7th July 1822. The Waterford Chronicle (Thurs. 11 July 1822, p. 3) stated that a report was circulating in Waterford City for a couple of days “…that a poor woman had been fired at and severely wounded, near Rochestown, by a man from this City, named Marks, employed to watch some property distrained. We forbore to notice the rumour at the time, having been unable to trace it to any authentic source; but we have since learned the melancholy fact, that the unfortunate woman died of the wound on Sunday. As the circumstances will of course undergo a judicial investigation, we refrain from saying more at present.” The Waterford Mirror (reprinted in the Carlow Morning Post, Mon. 15 July 1822, p. 3) noted that it had twice reported on the “unhappy occurrence” at “Rochestown, Barony of Ida, County Kilkenny, a place not under proclamation.”
“Not under proclamation” was a phrase used to describe the area as law abiding. Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850) was the chief secretary of Ireland from 1812 to 1818 and the driving force behind “An Act …to provide for the better execution of the laws in Ireland, by appointing Superintending Magistrates and additional constables in Counties in certain cases…[that] are in a State of Disturbance (54, George III, c. 131, 25 July 1814). Generally, if it was declared by a public Proclamation that an area was in a state of disturbance additional police and magistrates were put in place to quickly quell disturbances. Due to Sir Robert Peel’s establishment of professional police groups police were often referred to as “peelers” and “bobbies.” These terms are still used today.
The most detailed account of Catherine’s killing was found in the Leinster Journal (Sat. 13 July 1822, p. 2).
COUNTY POLICE—On the morning of the 1st instant, six or seven bailiffs were sent to Rochestown, in this county, to distrain of Thomas Power, for rent due to Pierce Edward Forrestall (sic), Esq. They arrived at the village long before sun-rise, and appear to have endeavoured to seize the pigs. Power’s daughter, Catherine, a good young woman, aged 23, wife of Thomas Hanrahan, who was gone to the bog, having heard the noise, got up, and seeing no person in the bawn, went to drive back the pigs to rest, when one of the bailiffs, a ruffian of the name of Thomas Marks, a pensioner, who has only one hand and has an iron hook fixed on the stump of the other, jumped from a loose stone wall, and hooked her by the throat with that substitution for a hand. She screamed which roused her mother, sisters, and a neighbour. Having disengaged herself from the miscreant’s iron hook, she fled towards the house, on which this ruthless barbarian placed his foot on an elevated stone in the yard, rested his pistol on his knee, took deliberate aim at the poor woman, and fired. She received the ball to the region of the kidney and fell to the ground. Surgical aid was soon procured, but in vain. The ball could not be extracted, and she lingered in excruciating agony until Sunday morning last, when she died in the arms of her heart broken mother, and in the presence of her afflicted father, husband, four younger sisters, uncles, aunts, other relatives, and of her own babe which is only 14 months old. The hapless victim of the fiend was in a state of pregnancy. John Snow, Esq. on hearing of the affair, attended to take her information, but she was in too great tertiary to give the necessary details. On Monday last, that Gentleman and Samuel Warring, Esq., held an inquest on the body, when a verdict of wilful murder was returned against Marks. The ruffian was publicly and most unaccountable at large in Waterford until the woman died, and he was seen last Monday in Clonmel. Happily for ourselves, perhaps we have no space left for commentary. Never in our recollection did so many police murders and outrages occur in the same space of time as during the last three months, but happily the population of the county have been guilty of neither, and notwithstanding the provocation we have recorded above, the inhabitants of Rochestown, always distinguished for their good conduct, offered no insult to the wretches who had brought mourning late their peaceful village.
It is assumed that Thomas Hanrahan and his father-in-law Thomas Power had left the house earlier to travel to a bog to cut peat. From the newspaper account it appears that only Catherine, her mother, and four younger sisters were at home when Catherine was shot by a one-armed pensioner employed as a bailiff.
A little over a month after Catherine Hanrahan died, her killer Thomas Marks was tried on Saturday the 12th of August 1822 in the Kilkenny Assizes for her murder. Unfortunately, there is some confusion among the newspaper accounts as to the outcome of the murder trial. It was reported in one newspaper that he was found guilty of murder (Saunder’s News-Letter, Tues. 20 Aug. 1822, p. 3). Several newspapers reported that Thomas Marks was found guilty of the manslaughter of Catharine Hanrahan and sentenced to six months imprisonment (e.g. Freeman’s Journal, Thurs. 15 Aug. 1822, p. 4; Dublin Weekly Register, Sat. 17 Aug. 1822, p. 3). The Leinster Journal (Sat. 17 Aug. 1822, p. 2) provided further detail regarding the punishment. A verdict of manslaughter was returned and the sentence was “to be burned in the hand and confined six months.”
Unfortunately, no newspaper appears to have covered the murder trial itself, so we do not know why Thomas Marks was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder. In the 19th century “malice aforethought” or pre-meditation had to be proven, or was it the case that the jury was swayed by the killer’s disability, age, or occupation? The burning of the killer’s hand raises an interesting point. During the Middle Ages clergy were immune to the civil law and could claim “Benefit of Clergy.” Later “Benefit of Clergy” became a procedural device where laymen could mitigate the harshness of the common law which provided that murders were hanged. To make certain that a layman was not able to claim the benefit more than once his thumb would be burned to mark him. Benefit of Clergy was greatly curtailed when transportation to a colony became a sentencing option and eventually it ended in the early 19th century. It is doubtful that the killer Thomas Marks sought the Benefit of Clergy. It seems more likely that the Judge believed that the jury had exercised mercy and wanted the killer marked to keep him from enjoying further mercy if he killed again.
In attempting to find more information on the killer we came across another man named Thomas Marks sentenced in 1821 to six months imprisonment with hard labour. This sentence of six months with hard labour puts the sentence of six months for killing a pregnant woman, running away from her killer, into perspective. The other Thomas Marks was convicted of stealing “four ducks, four hens and a cock, the property of Mr. Robert Macaulay of Crumlin” (Belfast Commercial Chronicle, Sat. 22 Sept. 1821, p. 4).
Killing No Murder
Perhaps the best clue as to explanation as to why Thomas Marks was convicted of manslaughter may be found on other pages of the Leinster Journal. In addition to the statements made in the article provided above entitled “County Police,”– that in his recollection there were never as many police killings and police outrages as in the previous three months of May, June and July 1822–the editor of the Leinster Journal wrote several other articles concerning the police killings in County Kilkenny. One entitled “Killing No Murder” (Wed. 7 Aug. 1922, p. 2) states,
A correspondent promises to send queries and observation for the consideration of the Grand Jury or Judges of the Assizes, relative to the apparent indifference of the functionaries of Government in the case of an aimable girl, Mary Delaney, who was killed on the spot by the rash and unwarrantable firing of the police on the people assembled at Bawn fair. He also bespeaks our indulgence for a few remarks on the employment of Ralph Deacon as a Peeler at this place where he so recently killed James Aylward, by shooting him through the body, having previously declared, according to the testimony of three witnesses, that he would do something of the kind. He [correspondent] thinks if the services of this man cannot be dispensed with in Ireland, he might be employed in more advantage at a distance from the justly irritated friends and relatives of the deceased.
Lastly, although Griffith’s Tithe Applotment books (1829) records the names of tenants of townlands was performed in 1829 neither Thomas Power nor Thomas Hanrahan are found listed in Rochestown or adjacent townlands.
If anyone has any further information or corrections, please send to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Special thanks to Bernie Ryan of the Local Studies unit of the Kilkenny Library for her aid and patience as I pursued this very cold case through old newspapers not yet digitalised.
The featured photo of the two pistols is a cigarette card and is courtesy of the New York City Library. George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. “Pistols.” New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed November 6, 2022. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/5e66b3e8-c668-d471-e040-e00a180654d7
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Glenmore History’s Third Anniversary
Today, as we celebrate the third anniversary of Glenmore-History.com we are happy to announce that the blog has had 164,037 views and 48,097 visitors to the site. This post represents the 240th post.
In addition to our weekly posts covering a range of Glenmore items, over the past year we began posting the 1961 list of Glenmore residents made by our founder Danny Dowling (1927-2021). To date we have covered 13 townlands. One of our blog articles caught the attention of the Butter Museum that made a video regarding the theft of Glenmore butter during the War of Independence.
We continue to also post on facebook and add content to our website pages (obits, articles by guest authors) etc. As more information becomes known, or photos are provided etc. we add to previous posts and pages. Thus you should revisit favourite earlier posts as there may be new information of interest.
This past year we were delighted to share a link to a video of Danny from 1991, as well as John Ennett’s “Dancing at Sean Walsh’s.” Technical difficulties with a new video camera and programme have delayed more videos, but we hope to soon work out the difficulties.
Thanks to each and every person who has helped grow Glenmore-History.com, and we remain committed to Danny’s firmly held conviction that historical records should be freely accessible to allow individuals to discover their roots. We were able to meet several visitors over the past year who did trace their roots back to Glenmore.
We have a number of activities planned for the coming year, and our first will be a stand at the Glenmore Christmas Craft Fair & Market on Sunday, 18 December 2022. We hope to have a small display of items from Danny’s collection and items donated over the past year, as well as some old fashion leisure items (books & jigsaw puzzles) for Christmas shoppers. More on future plans in a forthcoming post.
The Glenmore Butter wrapper featured above was saved by Jo Doyle née Mernagh(1932-2021) of Weatherstown, Glenmore kindly donated by her daughter Pat. We featured some of Jo’s work in our post of 15 May 2022.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
From Danny’s Files: The Haunted Cottage of Glenmore Village
Anyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting Danny Dowling (1927-2021) usually learned that Danny loved ghost stories. Danny stated that when he was a chap ghost stories were told on cold winter evenings when the family and visiting friends were gathered around the fire. Danny said that his brother Pat, of Cappagh, Glenmore, told the best ghost stories. Often young men working for Pat after hearing one of Pat’s ghost stories would admit to being nervous walking home after dark. To celebrate Halloween in 2021 we published “Local Accounts of Body Snatching” and in 2020 we published “The Phantom Coach of Glenmore: Inspiration for a Kitty the Hare Tale?” This year in Danny’s voluminous records we found copies Danny collected of two ghost stories published in 1937 in the New Ross Standard (Fri. 2 April 1937, p. 9). For our international readers, locally one hundred or more years ago, “begor” was how “by God” was pronounced and one was pronounced “wan.” The names of the individuals have been changed from the original publication in 1937 as well as the actual location of the ruins of the haunted cottage.
The Haunted Cottage of Glenmore Village
There was a cottage on the edge of the village of Glenmore belonging to Con Roche. It was certainly haunted. There was a man named Codd that went to the cottage one night when he lost his way as he travelled walking from Waterford to New Ross after the fair. It began to rain very heavily and there was no sign of it clearing at twelve o’clock. After giving Codd his tea Con Roche insisted that Codd stay the night. Con Roche told Codd that there was only one room in the cottage vacant.
“Begor,” says Codd, “wan room is enough. I never use any more than the wan room any night.”
“That is all very well,” says Con Roche, “but this room is haunted.”
“Begor,” says Codd, “that won’t trouble me much, for I don’t believe in the like and never did.”
“Faith,” says Con Roche “You’ll believe it after tonight.”
“Very good,” replies Codd, “but it will be a strange thing if I do, for I never saw anything in my life worse lookin’ than meself.”
Codd took the offered candle and went off to bed. He got into the bed an’ put out the candle an’ lay down to sleep fine an’ comfortable. He was just about dozin’ when he felt himself very cold, an’ he wondered had he left the room door open. So he lit the candle an’ looked over the way the door and saw that it was open. So he went and shut it and got into bed again. He was just going off to sleep again when he felt the cold a second time.
“Begor,” says he to himself, “the door couldn’t have opened of its own accord.” So he went an’ shut the door again. Just after he got into the bed he looked back and saw the door was opened to its full. He waited to see what would the door do. He kept his eyes fixed on the door an’ left the candle lightin’. He saw to his surprise that it was slowly beginnin’ to shut up. It shut up real slow an’ remained shut for about a minute. Then it began gradually to open again, an when it was opened to its full it stayed open for about a minute. It kept on at this for a long time openin’ and shuttin’ real slow, an’ Codd in the bed an’ he lookin’ at it an’ his mouth an’ his eyes wide open.
Codd began to wonder was there such a thing as ghosts an’ gobblins after all. He kept lookin’ at the door an’ wonderin’ what he should do, when all of a suddint the door opened with a bang an’ closed up with another bang. It kept at this then for about half and hour an’ Codd in the bed wondered what the dickens was wrong with the door.
“Maybe,” says he to himself, “it is the wind had to do with it. I’ll put a chair against it an’ see what will happen.” So Codd got a chair from a corner an’ when the door was closed he put it against it, but the moment he laid the chair down the door opened with an awful bang an’ drove it four yards away. It was lucky for Codd he wasn’t in the way.
When the door shut up again, says he to himself, “When it opens again I’ll rush out of the room like billyho.” The door opened real fast an’ out Codd rushed an’ the door closed so quickly that it nearly caught him. He went ahead an’ nothing on him only his nightshirt, an’ he had to pass through the room where Con Roche was sleeping. Codd went into the room an’ Con Roche was readin’ in his bed. Con Roche nearly fainted when he saw the woe-be-gone lookin’ creature standin’ in front of him an’ nothin’ on him only a long nightshirt an’ it hangin’ on Codd the very same as an ould coat on a scarecrow in the centre of a potato field.
Codd’s two eyes appeared as if they could see right though the earth an’ his mouth was half open, an’ the hair standin’ on top of his head. Along with that, he was tremblin’ all through, an’ he was no more like the man that went into the haunted room that night than chalk is like cheese. Con Roche thought at first that Codd was a ghost an’ the first thing he did was to draw the Sign of the Cross on his forehead. After the space of a few seconds he saw that is was his visitor Codd who boasted he never saw anything in the world worse lookin’ than himself, and he asked Codd what was the matter with him.
Codd soon told Con Roche the whole story, an’ then Con Roche told him that the best thing he could do was to get into the bed with himself. So Codd got into the bed, and after about half a hour he fell asleep an’ never wakened until mornin’. When he awoke Codd found himself in the ruin of an old cottage with no roof and one old door that opened and closed shut in the wind. Confused Codd shook his head to clear his cobwebs. When he left the ruin he saw the bell tower of the Village church. On his way to the church he met a man who was leading a cow. After greeting the man Codd told the man that he was a friend of Con Roche and would like to speak with him. The man eyed Codd up and down and finally said, “Con Roche was murdered in his bed wan stormy night nigh on forty years back by a stranger from Wexford.” The man pointed to the ruin and said, “That is Con Roche’s place.” Codd shook his head again, made the Sign of the Cross, looked at the cottage ruin an’ ran up the hill to St. James’ Church. Codd refused to leave the church until Father Walsh agreed to escort him to New Ross. Until the day of his death Codd was never heard to say again that he didn’t believe in ghosts.
Happy Halloween!
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
One Hundred Years Ago: October 1922
In October 1922 the death and destruction caused by the Civil War continued. The postal strike ended, but post offices and mail continued to be targets for both Irregulars and criminals. Railway lines, bridges and telegraph wires also continued to be targeted by the Irregulars hoping to disrupt communications. Locally there was an increase in ambushes of National Troops. Glenmore featured in local newspapers in October 1922 primarily due to attacks upon the Dublin & South Eastern Railway (D.&S.E.R.) and its equipment. Also, located was a small obituary of a young Glenmore woman, Kate Ryan née Hoynes (1877-1922). Today, we are going to feature these Glenmore stories and other local events that were reported in local newspapers 100 years ago.
Local Ambushes
AMBUSH NEAR BALLYHALE. A group of six members of the National Army stationed in Thomastown were ambushed at Knockwilliam bridge, a short distance from Ballyhale, at about 2 a.m. on October 3rd. The soldiers led by Commandant Denis O’Brien were travelling in a lorry and were returning from Mooncoin. They were within about ten yards of the bridge, when they were ambushed by the Irregulars, who had taken up positions behind the wall overlooking the road. The National troops immediately took cover and returned fire. The Irregulars, who are stated to have numbered 30, called on the troops to surrender. No surrender took place and after about ten minutes the Irregulars retreated. Thomas Murphy, the driver of the lorry was wounded in the wrist and leg. The National troops returned to Thomastown (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 8.
AMBUSH AT JERPOINT. On the afternoon of the 4th of October Commandant Denis O’Brien with three troops were traveling in a motor car heading in the direction of Ballyhale when they were fired upon by Irregulars at Jerpoint Abbey (New Ross Standard, Fri. 13 Oct. 1922, p. 3).
AMBUSH AT FERRYBANK. On Monday night the 9th of October a considerable amount of shooting took place near the Ballybricken Jail caused by people refusing or neglecting to halt when challenged by the sentry. No injuries were reported. However, on the Kilkenny side of the river, Sergt. Stanny Furlong of the National Army at 11 p.m. was walking along Ferrybank when he was held up by two men armed with revolvers. One then shot him twice at point blank range in the thigh and abdomen. The ambulance came under fire as it came to the scene to pick up the wounded soldier (Munster Express, Sat. 14 Oct. 1922, p. 5).
Attacks on Railways & Post Offices
Telegraph poles were cut in the Glenmore district on the night of the 6th of October (New Ross Standard, Fri. 13 Oct. 1922, p. 5). Later, the railway wires were cut as well as the signal cabin broken into and the telephone stolen. In consequence of the railway wires being cut between Glenmore and Waterford on the D.&S.E. Railway, the up morning passenger trains for Dublin were unable to run in time to catch the connection at Macmine (New Ross Standard, Fri. 27 Oct 1922, p. 5). The continued disruption of rail services through Glenmore led to the Great Western Railway steamers sailing everyday between Waterford and Fishguard instead of 3 times per week (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 4).
The down passenger train arriving in New Ross at about 9:20 was held up south of Rathgarogue and some parcels taken from the van (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 8). On the evening of the 18th the upmail train was held up near Glenmore and cigarettes were stolen (New Ross Standard, Fri. 20 Oct. 1922, p. 5).
A determined but unsuccessful attempt was made during the first week of October to burn down the signal cabin at Kilmacow railway station. A telegraph pole near the signal cabin was sawn through (Munster Express, Sat. 7 October 1922, p. 6). Near Ballyhale railway station on Tuesday night as the train left the station a man in a group of men hurled what turned out to be a large bomb into a carriage filled with people. Two of the passengers were national soldiers, Lieut. Foley and Lieut. O’Rourke. Foley “pluckily seized it and hurled it through the opposite window…before it had time to explode” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 13 Oct. 1922, p. 3).
The Postmaster of Knocktopher featured in the news for his response to men threatening to blow up the post office. On the 28th of September at 8:45 p.m. loud knocking was heard at the door of the Knocktopher Post Office. The attackers demanded the post office be opened at once for the IRA. The postmaster, E. Cody, refused to open. The men insisted, stating they would bomb the house. The Postmaster told them to bomb away, but he would not open the door. He then began to ring a hand bell which made the attackers leave. The local pubs were raided the same night (Munster Express, Sat. 7 Oct. 1922, p. 4). The Mullinavat Post Office was raided during the last week of October and some money taken. Shops in the village were also visited and cigarettes, etc. stolen (Munster Express, Sat. 28 Oct. 1922, p. 5).
The Ferry Mountgarrett bridge which was destroyed during the War of Independence was again damaged in October 1922. The wooden bridge crossing the Barrow River just north of New Ross had its beams sawn through rending the bridge unsafe (New Ross Standard, Fri. 13 Oct. 1922, p. 8).
Efforts to End the Civil War
It was reported that peace negotiations towards a “desirable ending of the present armed conflict” was being led by a member of Dáil Éireann (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 5). It was also reported that a Proclamation was issued by the Free State Government at the beginning of October 1922 The Proclamation provided for a full amnesty and pardon to any person engaged in insurrection or rebellion who, on or before the 15th of October, voluntarily turned in all firearms, arms, weapons, bombs, ammunition, and explosives, and public and private property, unlawfully in his possession and lands or buildings unlawfully occupied by him, and agreed not to take any part in, or aid or abet social insurrection, rebellion, or armed opposition to the Free State Government. All who fulfilled the conditions would be allowed to return to their homes. The proclamation was issued in hopes of “restoring peace without further bloodshed” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 4).
An editorial in the New Ross Standard stated, “We have always thought it very unfortunate that the irregulars and their friends and supporters did not throw in their lot with the Free State party, when they would have been in a position of effecting good instead of inflicting injury and ruin on the country. In the popular assembly they might have stiffened up the backs of those whom they declared to be too tame and not advanced enough. Those young men, who are now without voice in the nation’s Government, owing to having taken up an antagonistic attitude towards the majority might have urged their views and impressed the majority in the National assembly, to which they might have belonged, and thus have accomplished many of their objects” (New Ross Standard, Friday 6 October 1922, p. 4).
Under the Proclamation, no arms were surrendered in New Ross, but several young men in the districts near Bunclody surrendered their arms thanks to the efforts of Rev. Kevin Doyle, C.C., Kilmyanal (New Ross Standard, Fri. 20 Oct. 1922, p. 7).
Prisoners
Locally a few arrests were reported in newspapers who also made a point of reporting where arrested persons were taken. Early in the month National Troops arrested a young man near Tullogher and took him to Thomastown (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 8). After the local ambushes, National troops quartered at Mullinavat made several arrests in the neighbourhood, including a man named Phelan, of Listerlin, who was conveyed to Kilkenny (Munster Express, Sat. 14 Oct. 1922, p. 5).
The New Ross Standard reported that the London Observer published that the Free State was seeking to acquire the largest of the Saltee islands, off the coast of Wexford, to build a concentration camp to accommodate all the Civil War prisoners. It opined, “the situation is most healthy, but a large amount of building would be required.” Ironically the newspaper noted, “It was in a cave on this island that Bagenal Harvey, a leader of the rebels in 1798, was captured by soldiers. It was not suspected as a resort for some time until a soldier observed some soap suds outside the cave, and discovered that it was occupied by Harvey, who, was immediately apprehended, and later executed” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 4).
On the morning of the 10th an attempt to escape from Mountjoy Prison was made by a number of Irregular soldiers. The escape attempt resulted in the deaths of a national solider, two military police officers, and a prisoner. Two other soldiers were wounded and a prisoner was also wounded. Found in the cells of prisoners were 2 land mines, explosive chemicals, a revolver and ammunition (New Ross Standard, Fri. 13 Oct. 1922, p. 4).
Restoring Law & Order
In an attempt to stop the crime spree that had gripped the country a Proclamation was issued on the 2nd of October. This Proclamation provided that civilians charged with 4 categories of criminal offences would be tried in Military Courts. The offences included: (1) taking part in, or aiding or abetting any attacks upon National Forces; (2) looting, arson, seizure, destruction or removal of, or damage to public or private property; (3) possession of any bomb or explosive substance (without proper authority), firearm or lethal weapon, or any ammunition; and (4) the breach of any general order or regulation made by the Army Council. Possible sanctions listed in the notice included: death, penal servitude, imprisonment, deportation, internment and fine (Munster Express, Sat. 21 Oct. 1922, p. 5).
It was reported in early October that the Civic Guards were established in most of the towns In “Southern Ireland.” Described as “…a fine body of young men and must not be regarded in the same light or spirit as the old R.I.C., who were a semi-political force.” The New Ross Standard wrote, “The R.I.C., in addition to giving a certain amount of protection to the civil population, were utilised to bolster up and protect landlordism and foreign domination during the people’s struggles. They were the prop of alien rule in Ireland. Now all has been changed. Young men from our midst have been appointed to protect life and property in the country. Their hands will be full for some time at least, as during the struggle of the last 5 years the people of Ireland, particularly the youth, become very much demoralised and given to mischief. For instance, where houses have become vacant the windows have been smashed by incorrigible youths, and in those places where electric and other means of public lighting have been installed the lamps have been smashed by the same urchins. Playing handball on the streets and general disorder and lawlessness characterise those young parties everywhere. They overly declare, ‘We can do what we Iike; there is no law in the country now.’ It is now up to the new police force to restore order, and it is up to the people to support them” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 4).
On the 14th of October 1922 a detachment of 28 men of the Civic Guards arrived in Waterford from Dublin. These new unarmed police officers were to replace the armed troops attempting to police the City (Munster Express, Sat. 21 Oct. 1922, p. 3).
Others blamed the unrest on emigration. The Irish Evicted Tenants and Land Settlement Association stated that hopes were given to young people during the long struggle for Ireland’s rights that thousands of acres under grazing and other land held under the eleven months’ system would be split up and divided to afford young people a living. “Thousands of our young men and women who would have been glad to settle down at home have emigrated to America and elsewhere…This is the cause of unrest in this country” (New Ross Standard, Friday 6 October 1922, p. 4).
Impact on Civilians
Bullets and bombs kill indiscriminately not being able to tell friend from foe. In October 1922 civilians across the country were killed. On Sunday the 8th of October at about 3 p.m., about a mile south of New Ross, Julia Molloy was fatally shot on the Camblin Road. At the military inquest others testified that they were out walking when shots rang out. No witness was certain where the shots originated although some heard shooting earlier on the Kilkenny side of the river. Witnesses included: Michael O’Connor, merchant, South St. Robert Rickerby, John Locke, William Walsh and Samuel Jacob, all of South St. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 13 Oct. 1922, p. 5). The death register provides that Julia died on the 8th of October at Oaklands. Her sister K. Molloy was present when she died. Julia was a single 45 year old shopkeeper on South Street, New Ross.
On the same day that Julia Molloy was shot and killed, a group of young men motoring from Kilkenny to Waterford to attend a terrier coursing meeting at Mulinabro, were fired on at Castlebanny. One of the men named Reilly was wounded in the side. The wind screen of the car was destroyed by the bullets. The men did not proceed to Waterford, but returned home via Thomastown, where Reilly had his wound attended to by Rev. Fr. Grace, of Ballyhale (Munster Express, Sat. 14 October 1922, p. 5.)
An excursion train was scheduled to run on Sunday the 15th of October 1922 for the Wexford vs. Kilkenny, Leinster Hurling Semi-Final in Dublin. The train left Waterford at 8 a.m. and Glenmore at 8:17 A third return fare from Waterford or Glenmore was 8s. while from New Ross the fare was 7s. 6d (New Ross Standard, Fri. 6 Oct. 1922, p. 5). The game was played under ideal conditions so far as the weather was concerned, the ground was excellent, but the attendance was on the small side. It was a “rather one sided contest, and the superiority of the Kilkenny men was in evidence…despite the fact that they had considerable difficulty in fielding a team. Members of the team only reached Dublin a couple of hours after the scheduled time due to damage on the Great Southern line in Kildare. Other team members from Mooncoin traveling on the D.&S.E.R. from Waterford also encountered rail trouble. To overcome the problem four members of the junior Kilkenny team played in the senior team. Wexford also had difficulties in fielding a team due to “troubles at home.”” The County Champions, Crossabeg were not represented. Sean O’Kennedy, the ex-All Ireland football captain, came to the rescue and played as the goalkeeper. He, J. Mythen and M. Neville were members of the 1910 team. Kilkenny won 6 goals, 6 points to Wexford 1 goal. (New Ross Standard, Fri. 20 Oct. 1922, p. 3).
The Kilkenny People (Sat. 7 Oct. 1922, p. 4) appeared more interested in football. “With the passing of the Leinster Championship matches the next big game to be looked forward to is the senior football match between the old rivals, Glenmore and Cloneen, which should again prove a red letter attraction at St. James’s Park.” A football challenge match, between De la Salle College (Waterford) and Glenmore was billed to take place at Slieverue on the 29th of Oct. (Munster Express, Sat. 28 Oct. 1922, p. 5). Unfortunately, we could not locate a report of the match or the score.
A Glenmore Funeral
A brief obituary appeared in the Munster Express. On Thursday the 19th the funeral of Mrs. Ryan, Gaulstown, Glenmore took place and was largely attended. The deceased lady had been apparently in good health up to a short time previous to her death, and much sympathy is extended to her relatives in their bereavement (Munster Express, Sat. 28 Oct. 1922, p. 5). A search of 1922 death records revealed that Mrs. Ryan was Kate Ryan née Hoynes (1877-1922) a 43 year old widow of a farmer. She died of acute gastric enteritis on the 17th of October. Her brother Michael Hoynes of Ballybrahee was present at her death. Thanks to the Hoynes family tree prepared by Michael Hoynes (b. 1948) we know Kate was married to Peter Ryan (c. 1869-1921) and the couple had no children. A marriage record was located. Peter Ryan of Gaulestown (farmer) married Kate Hoyne of Ballybrahee on the 22nd of February 1906 at Glenmore. The fathers of the couple were Laurence Ryan (farmer) and John Hoyne (farmer). Peter Ryan died at Gaulestown, Glenmore on the 21st of May 1921 at age 52 of endocarditis.
Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
The featured photo above is the Junior Kilkenny Hurling Team that played and defeated Dublin on the 15th of Oct. 1922 in the Leinster Junior Hurling Semi-Final at Croke Park (Freemans Journal, Mon. 16 Oct. 1922, p. 3).
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
Glenmore’s “Thrilling” Motor Accident & Famous Bonesetter
On Friday the 8th of March 1929 the Munster Express published an article entitled “Thrilling Motor Accident in Glenmore” (p. 3). Today, we are going to highlight the colourful and dramatic newspaper article as well as the well-known Glenmore bonesetter who helped injured people before x-rays were commonly available.
The Accident
In what the newspaper dubbed “a rather sensational motor accident” occurred on the Waterford-New Ross road on the 3rd of March 1929. William Hill left his residence, Belmont Lodge, Ferrybank, early in the afternoon, taking with him a man named William Grant who had been injured the day before while working on a steamer at Waterford. Their objective being the home of a well-known Glenmore bonesetter. Accompanying Hill were Miss Hill and Peter Grant, the son of the injured man. The newspaper did not identify the Glenmore bonesetter. It did state that all went well until the party reached a spot known as the “Scorebridge Bend.” We believe that this is a typographical error and should be the Scowbridge. It was noted that the bend was “a well known but perfectly safe turning, with vision at either approach, located midway between Robinstown and Gaulestown.” The Scowbridge is actually located where the stream crosses under the road from Grogan to Gaulestown, but as Danny Dowling (1927-2021) often said newspapers never let facts get in the way of a good story.
When Mr. Hill was one hundred yards from the bend, still on the Waterford side of the bend, he noticed a Ford saloon coming in the opposite direction “going for the turn at a “terrific speed.” “His practised eye realising the corner could never be negotiated safely,” he had to decide in a fraction of a second whether to “stop dead” or “keep going.” He decided to keep going, and “to this fact he owed his safety.”
“Around the bend the Ford came, and, to the terror of the occupants of Mr. Hill’s car suddenly canted over to an angle of 45 degrees, taking the turn on two wheels. For a moment the driver corrected his course, but this only sent her [the Ford] in a mad plunge to the off-side of the road, but gave Mr. Hill the chance to get safely past her, where he came to an immediate stop and was just in time to see her cannoning off the fence in her mad momentum, and plunging once again across the road, not yet even to stop, but once again taking a final leap to the off fence and landing on her head or bonnet, and, poised momentarily in the air, came down with a sickening crash on the road.”
Mr. Hill and the injured Mr. Grant rushed to the crashed car. They expected to find a “mangled mass of humanity,” but were surprised to find the occupants of the crashed car uninjured. They immediately helped two ladies out through the roof of the crashed car and they hauled the driver clear of it. It was stated, “had the petrol fired a horrible death would have been their lot.”
The driver and owner of the car was an elderly gentleman named Rossiter, who lived outside New Ross. “A relief car was secured, and the fortunate survivors were brought home. The remains of the car were left on the road, it being a wreck.” This probably provides a good indication of the amount of traffic in 1929 when a wrecked vehicle could be left on the road near a bend.
Mr. Hill was then interviewed subsequently and surprisingly the newspaper published his opinions regarding the accident and driving in general. Hill said—“It was just a case of speed in the wrong place. The driver must have either been a stranger of the road or else forgot about the turn until it was too late. The danger of modern saloons is that they become overheated, and, unless ventilation is seen to, a drowsy feeling overtakes one. The feeling I had was one of powerlessness, the same as you would realise were you are to meet a runaway horse. Sooner or later, more stringent driver tests must be insisted on, as otherwise the ever increasing motor traffic will bring appalling accidents. I have not the slightest objection to anyone taking driving risks or stunting etc., where he only endangers his own life, but where mine or the public is involved it is altogether another matter. One of the oldest motorist I know said to me his dictum was: ‘It’s the other fellow is going to kill you.’”
The article ends with, “a remarkable feature of the accident was that the car coming from New Ross, after turning over three times, landed on the road facing in the direction from which it had come.”
James Roche (c. 1854-1940) of Haggard, Glenmore
The bonesetter that William Hill was taking William Grant to visit was probably Jimmy Roche of Haggard. According to Danny Dowling’s (1927-2021) notes the Roche’s of Haggard were recognised as good bonesetters. On the 28th of December 1969, Danny interviewed his mother Hannah Dowling née Murphy who related that the Roches farmed 70 acres in Haggard. Hannah recited that Luke Roche was a bonesetter and married Biddie Aylward, of Parkstown, Glenmore. Luke and Biddie had three children: (1) James Roche who also became a bonesetter. James married Kate Aylward, of Ballyfacey. Hannah recalled that James was over 80 years of age when he died in 1940. James had two sisters (2) Bridget Roche, never married and died in her 60’s in about 1939; and the last child was Statia Roche who never married and died in her 75th year in 1945.
According to Hannah Dowling, Jimmy and Kate Roche of Haggard had the following family
(1) Luke Roche, married in Mooncoin; (2) Jack Roche, [never married and farmed the home farm]; (3) James Roche [married a woman named Kearney and worked at the Glenmore Creamery and was also a bonesetter]; (4) Larry Roche, [never married]; (5) Pat Roche, [never married]; (6) Matthew Roche [never married] and (7) Catherine Roche, died as a result of burns from falling into the fire at the age of 5-6 months.
James Roche (c. 1854-1940) died at his residence at Haggard. His obituary in the Munster Express is also colourful. It provides that James was a well-known figure in farming circles and was widely known as a competent bonesetter, “whose fame at this important aspect of manipulative surgery established a name for him ever far outside his own district. His home was at all times a hospitable centre for visitors, and his cheery and kindly disposition endeared him to all who had the pleasure of his genial acquaintanceship. Strong, well-built, and of a commanding personality Mr. Roche was a splendid type of Irishman, and his passing, though coming at the fine old age of 86 years, is deeply and deservedly regretted by his family, relatives and a wide circle of friends.” Deceased was husband of Mrs. Kate Roche, Haggard; father of Larry Roche, the well-known footballer and athlete; James Roche, who is a popular member of the staff of Glenmore Creamery; Luke, John, Pat and Matty Roche, all of Haggard; and brother of Miss Stasia Roche, also of Haggard. Interment took place at the family burial ground at Kilbride (Munster Express, Fri. 13 Dec. 1940, p. 12).
Hannah Dowling also said that Katie Roche née Aylward died in 1946 at the age of 68. An obituary was located for Katie Roche and it revealed that she died in January 1946. She was said to be one of the best-known residents of the parish and was the widow of the late James Roche, “who was widely known in the district as a competent bonesetter the art of which is still being practised by members of the family,” (Munster Express, Fri. 1 Feb. 1946, p. 6).
The last of the Roche family was Mattie who died in 1999 at the age of 77.
The featured photo above in a 1929 Ford Saloon. Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh
One Hundred Years Ago: September 1922
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 22nd 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 16th 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 28th 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 4th 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 15th 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 22nd 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 26th 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 2nd 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 26th 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 5th 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 11th 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 26th 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 10th 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 3rd 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 17th 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