James P. O’Donovan (c. 1883-1970) first Glenmore Creamery Manager

The featured photo today was shared by Eamon Jones who stated it was the Forristal’s house in Glenmore Village on the Barrack’s Hill. It looks so different from the current house we verified with Francis O’Brien who showed us the original photograph. It is not known when the photo was taken or who took the photo nevertheless the photo is of his great-grandmother Anty Forristal née Grant (1847-1936) and her son Martin Forristal (1877-1931) in front of their home in Glenmore Village.

The Glenmore Photo

When Taken?

The photo shows two chimneys at each gable end of the Forristal house and a total of 3 windows in the front of the house. Today, the Forristal house has one chimney in the centre of the house and 6 windows across the front. (See recent photo below.) It is difficult to imagine the width of the Barracks Hill Road was as narrow as this photo depicts. Just visible through the trees on the left of the photo is the bell tower of St. James. Records indicate that the bell tower was built during the 1910 re-building of St. James under Father Phelan. Francis indicated that his grandparents did up the old farmhouse about 1927. He also thought that the photo may have been taken before his grandparents married. His grandparents Martin Forristal (1879-1931) and Anne Forristal née Roche (1890-1955) were married on 9 June 1915.

The 1901 and 1911 Censuses do not show a difference in the house. Four rooms were inhabited and there were three windows in the front of the house. In both the 1901 and 1911 Census, Martin Forristal (1879-1931) was living in the house with his mother Anty Forristal née Grant (1847-1936). In the 1911 Census also present in the house is a boarder, James P. O’Donovan, the 27 year-old single creamery manager.

With the bell tower visible it must have been taken after 1910. If it was taken before Martin Forristal’s marriage it had to have been taken before 1915. Therefore, it was probably taken between 1911 and 1915.

Who Took The Photo?

The photo was obviously given to the Forristal’s as it has been passed down to Francis O’Brien. It does not appear to be a professional photograph, and it is not found within the Poole Collection that is now housed in the Irish National Archives. The most likely persons to have taken the photo were people who knew the mother and son. We have two contenders for the photo taker (although it could have been anyone who then provided a copy to the Forristals.) Contender 1: Martin’s brother John Forristal (1877-1951) who was living and working in New Ross. Contender 2: James P. O’Donovan (c. 1883-1970) the first Glenmore Creamery Manager who was a boarder in the Forristal home in the 1911 Census.

John Forristal never married and worked in New Ross as a shop assistant for years. It is not known if he was a photographer. John Forristal died the 22nd of June 1951 in the Holy Ghost Hospital of Waterford at the age of 74.

James P. O’Donovan (c. 1883-1970) was hired as Glenmore Creamery Manager on 1 September 1905 and remained as manager until his removal in August 1931. On 1 September 1913, a house was finished for the Creamery Manager (A Place in Time: Glenmore Creamery 1905-2005 (2005) p. 41). O’Donovan married Hanoria “Hannie or Nora” Kennedy (1883-1922) of Rathinure, Glenmore on 21 October 1913. She was one of the Séan Óg Kennedy’s of Rathinure making Johnny Garvey her grand-nephew. They had 5 children (p. 77), and Nora died in 1922 of typhoid fever while pregnant. O’Donovan died the 20th of August 1970. If O’Donovan took the photo it is likely he took it before or at the time he went to live in the Manager’s house in 1913.

The Glenmore People in the Photograph

Anastatia Forristal née Grant (1847-1936) of Glenmore Village

Anastatia “Anty” Grant was baptized at Glenmore on 29 August 1847. The address given at her baptism is simply Glenmore. Her parents John Grant and Bridget Grant née Walsh were married at Glenmore on 2 September 1839. Anty Grant had at least four brothers: Patrick Grant (b. 1840); John Grant (b. 1842); and Walter Grant (b. 1845).

Anastatia Grant on 24 February 1876 married Michael Forristal (c. 1845-1880) (farmer) of Rochestown, Glenmore. The couple had two sons: John Forristal (1877-1951) and Martin Forristal (1879-1931). Michael Forristal was working as a coachman for the bigamist John Lambly Conn (1812-1893) at Mount Ida, Rochestown. Michael Forristal died of meningitis on 1 October 1880 after a ten day battle with the illness. Per the family headstone in St. James’s cemetery, Michael was buried in Kilivory Cemetery. He was only 35 years of age when he died in 1880. For further information on Conn see, Martin Forristal (2019) “Mount Ida.“

Anastatia Forristal née Grant raised her two sons and remained a widow until her death in 1936 at the age of 81. She survived her husband by 56 years and survived her son Martin Forristal by 5 years.

Martin Forristal (1879-1931) of Robinstown, Glenmore

Martin Forristal was born on 16th of August 1879. Martin was only 14 months old when his father Michael died in 1880. Martin married Anne Roche (1890-1955) of Rathinure, Glenmore, on 9 June 1915 at Glenmore. The couple had at least 8 children. The youngest Martin Forristal was only about a year old when his father, Martin Forristal, was tragically killed while working at the Glenmore Creamery. Martin Forristal had worked at the Creamery for 26 years at the time of his death in 1931.

See our post of 13 May 2020 regarding the tragic death of Martin Forristal and inquest as well as further information and photos. Martin Forristal died while working at the Glenmore Creamery.

Please send any correction, further information or photos to glenmore..history@gmail.com .

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh

Special thanks to Eamon Jones for sharing the featured photo and Francis O’Brien for showing us the original photo, identifying his grandfather and great-grandmother, and sharing his knowledge regarding the Forristal house.