Pat Coady of Ballycroney
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From Danny’s Files: Some 18th Century Glenmore Articles & Events
For seven decades Danny Dowling (1927-2021) interviewed local people and recorded their memories and stories. He worked in Waterford and often spent his lunch hour in the Waterford library reading the old Waterford newspapers from microfilm. One of the newspapers he searched was the Waterford Herald. There are only two years available in the Waterford library 1792 and 1793. Very little information was found on this newspaper. It is not known if it only existed for two years or if these are the only editions that survived to be microfilmed.
Below are three articles from the Waterford Herald recorded by Danny in a notebook that is battered and has lost its cover. From the dates of interviews in this battered notebook it was commenced about 1950 when Danny was about 23 years old. The second half of this post concerns some local hedge schools and early teachers Danny also recorded in the same battered little notebook.
Penal Laws
During the late 18th century the Penal Laws were still in place, thus Catholics suffered overt discrimination. Until the mid to late 19th century Catholics had to rely upon hedge schools for education, or secret informal schools, because schools run by Catholic Religious Orders were outlawed.
In the early part of the 19th century Edmund Ignatius Rice (1762-1844) founded two institutes of religious brothers: the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers. Edmund Rice was born in Callan, Co. Kilkenny but spent most of his adult life in Waterford. For several short articles on Edmund Ignatius Rice see, the International Heritage Centres Ltd. webpage.
Numerous schools were established by these Brothers, which were visible and legal. However, in some rural areas the hedge schools continued even after national schools were established commencing in 1831. For an interesting article that outlines the political and social issues during the establishment of the national schools see, John Coolahan, “The Daring First Decade of the Board of National Education, 1831-1841,” Irish Journal of Education (1983) p. 35.
We may also conclude from the impact of the penal laws that the articles below from the 1790’s regarding the sale or leasing of townlands were not meant for the local tenant farmers.
Waterford Herald
Parkstown, Glenmore: Waterford Herald (Sat. 11 May 1793)
Co. of Kilkenny—To be let from the 25th of March 1795, the following land, part of the estate of James Kearney, Esq. The town and lands of Attimore [Slieverue] within 2 ½ miles of the Ferry Slip, good arable and pasture, and a fine situation for building, as it commands a most beautiful and extensive prospect.
Also, Lower Parkstown, [Glenmore] commonly called Parkstown Bog, arable and pasture, and within 3 or 4 miles of the Ferry. For further particulars enquire of James Kearney, Esq., Grantstown, or Richard Kearney, Esq., Waterford. N.B. There is a good flag quarry on the lands of Attimore, fit for flagging the Quay, Streets etc. 4th May 1793.
[We found a death record for a James Kearney of Clogherhead, Clogher, Co. Louth who died 6 February 1792. For further information on the townland of Parkstown, see our post of 11 May 2023.]
Gaul’s Town, Glenmore: The Waterford Herald (Tues. 13 March 1792, p. 1)
COUNTY OF KILKENNY—THE LANDS OF GAUL’S-TOWN, in the County Kilkenny, within two miles of the ferry of Waterford, to be let, or the interest sold, from the 25th of March instant. Proposals will be received by Mr. Shaw, Post Office, and laid before Mr. Gahan, at the Assizes. Waterford, 10th March, 1792.
[For further information regarding the townland of Gaulstown see our post of 8 July 2023.]
Kilmurry, Slieverue: The Waterford Herald (Thu. 10 Jan. 1793, p. 3)
Friday morning John Parker, blacksmith, was found dead in a field near Kilmurry [Slieverue], supposed to have perished the preceding night, through the inclemency of the weather.
Some Local Hedge Schools & Masters
For further information on Glenmore Hedge Schools and Early National Schools see our post of 6 September 2020. Below is an undated entry with no note as to where Danny received this information.
“Paddy Butler, a native of Rahora, [Tullogher] was the last master of the hedge school in Kilbride. He ended his days herding cows for Mullins of Flemingstown. He used often to go on a spree and on one of these occasions when he was missing the Priest announced the following from the altar in Glenmore, ‘Strayed, stolen or gone awhile, Paddy Butler the master from Kilbride.’”
Jim Doherty (c.1876-1959) of Forristalstown, Interviewed 14 August 1956
There was a hedge school in Milltown which was situated somewhere around where Jack Murphy’s cottage is now. Jim Doherty remembered the sitting stones to be there. Each pupil had to bring his own stone to sit upon. Old Johnny Rúad Doherty, of Forristalstown went to the hedge school in Milltown. He was a first cousin to the present Jim Doherty’s grandfather.
Jim’s father John was born in 1839, and his father again was Jim. His father again was John and he was brother of “old Yoman.” The present Jim was 80 years, last May (1956).
Shanbough School was built in 1840 with the stones from the old gate lodge at the entrance to the avenue leading to Annaghs Castle and house. This lodge stood at the bottom of Butterbridge Hill and it was demolished for the purpose of providing the stones for the building of the school.
A man called O’Brien lived in Annaghs Lodge as at present and he was schoolmaster in Shanbough. Jim Doherty remembered him and he was kind of cracked and fond of the beer.
Pat Coady of Ballycroney, Glenmore(?)
Lastly, Pat Coady was interviewed by Danny on 2 September 1956 and provided the following. Unfortunately, Danny did not record Pat Coady’s townland, but from other interviews we believe that Pat Coady was from Ballycroney.
Micil Lynch was an old travelling schoolteacher who used to roam this part of the country until his death which was about 60 years ago (ie 1896). He taught children in various homes, and one of the houses in this locality in which he used to teach the local children was Mackey’s of Ballycroney.
He was known as Strong Lynch from the fact that he used to always carry a large bag on his back which contained stones. Under no circumstances would he allow anyone to touch his bag of mystery. On one occasion he and another travelling man called Gorey fought in the chapel in Glenmore during Mass, over Gorey putting his leg against Strong’s bag.
Pat Coady thought that Micil “Strong” Lynch was found dying in some lane locally. [One of our earliest blog posts concerned the men and women who “took to the road” and visited Glenmore. See our post of 9 Nov. 2019.]
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Special thanks to Pat Dowling for digging out more old notebooks. Please send any corrections or additional information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.
The coloured painting of the hedge school is by an unknown artist. The drawing of Annaghs Castle & House is from the Dublin Penny Journal (30 Jan. 1836).
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh