Patrick O'Rourke (1882-1970) of Weatherstown

Today, we are going to feature information that Danny Dowling recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Weatherstown, Glenmore, around 1961. The Irish for this townland, according to Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County of Kilkenny (1969, p. 109) is one of the six townlands comprising the old parish of Kilcoan. Kilcoan did not give its name to any townland. The site of St. Cuan’s church is in Weatherstown townland  and St. Cuan’s well is in Flemingstown. Weatherstown townland contains 495 acres. It is thought that Weathers may have been a surname. Kelly noted that the hamlet of Weatherstown is  near the road junction. The southern angled Kilcoan church is mentioned in the Red Book of Ossory and belonged to the Priory of Inistioge. Some of the fields listed by Kelly in Weatherstown include: Bán ard; Clais na sláinte; Fraochán bilberry land; Garraí an geruách (field of stacks).

In the 1833 Griffith’s Valuation Applotment Records the townland had no landlord listed on the Weatherston page. On the “Kilcoane (sic) Recapitulation of Totals” page the townland had 506 acres. The following tenants are included in the townland records although five had no acreage recorded: Patrick Fitzgerald; Patrick Hogan; James Malone; William Malone; Michael Walsh; Michael Power (183 acres); John Mackey (291 acres); Thomas Deneefe (26 acres); John Hartley (4 acres); and John Gahan (1 acre).

Danny Dowling in 1961 recorded 13 families or households in Weatherstown. Birthdates or birth years are provided for some of the older residents gleaned from available public records. For some time after drafting his notebook, Danny recorded the dates of death or simply recorded that a resident had died or left the townland. The recorded information reveals that in 1961, 66 people resided in Weatherstown with the population comprised of 29 males and 37 females. The 2 Hartley families tied for the largest family with 8 family members in each household. There was 1 household (James Roche) where it was recorded that a single person lived alone.

Recorded Residents

Males= 29
Females=37
Eldest Recorded Resident = The oldest Weatherstown resident was Patrick O’Rourke (15 Nov. 1883—15 Jan. 1970).  Patrick was a 77 year old widower in 1961. For further information see our blog post of 13 June 2020, “From Danny’s Files: The Tragic Death of Mrs. O’Rourke (1891-1960) of Weatherstown, Glenmore.”

Recorded Work

Farmer = 7 (7 Males includes 1 retired farmer)
Farm Labourer/Worker = 7 (7 Males)
Creamery Worker = 3 (3 Males)
Factory Worker = 3 (2 Females; 1 Male)
Retired Labourer = 1 (1 Male))
Builder’s Timekeeper = 1 (1 Male)
Council Worker = 2 (2 Males)
Fisherman = 1 (1 Male)
Nurse (mental) = 1 (1 Male)
Shop Assistant = 1 (1 Male)

WEATHERSTOWN RESIDENTS

[1] CONNOLLY       
Connolly, Catherine (b. 13 July 1897)
Connolly, Johanna, daughter, factory worker (meat)
Connolly, Martin, Co. Council worker
Mernagh, Catherine, daughter
Mernagh, Thomas, son-in-law, creamery worker
Mernagh, Mary, granddaughter  
(An undated notation is next to the Mernagh entry “gone to reside in Jamestown”)

[2] ROURKE (sic)
Rourke, Patrick (15 Nov. 1883) Retired Labourer
Rourke, Edward, son, mental nurse
Rourke, Ellen, daughter-in-law
Rourke, Anne, granddaughter
Rourke, Bridget, granddaughter
[For further information on the O’Rourke Family see our blog post of 13 June 2020].

[3] MERNAGH
Mernagh, Nicholas (b. 20 April 1903) Co. Council Worker
Mernagh, Margaret (b. 4 Sept. 1905) wife
Murphy, Bridget, daughter
Doyle, Johanna (1932-2021) daughter
Doyle, Nicholas (1960-2020) granddaughter (sic)
(There is a notation that Bridget Murphy & the Doyle family “gone to reside in Jamestown.”)

[4] SYNNOTT
Synnott, Anastatia (b. 23 March 1893)
Synnott, William (b. 1916) son, farm worker
Synnott, Patrick, son, farm worker
Synnott, John, son, creamery worker
Synnott, Joseph, son, factory worker
Synnott, Anastatia, daughter, factory worker

[5] CODY
Cody, Martin (b. 1900) Farmer
Cody, Bridget (b. 1918) wife

[6] CODY
Cody, Michael (b. 1 April 1896) Farmer
Cody, Anne (b. 31 Oct. 1908) wife
Cody, Patrick, son, farm worker
Cody, Nicholas, son, farm worker
Cody, Mary, daughter
Cody, Donal, son

[7] HARTLEY
Hartley, Thomas (b. 1901) Farmer
Hartley, Elizabeth (b. 1921) wife
Hartley, Margaret, daughter
Hartley, Breda, daughter
Hartley, Maire, daughter
Hartley, Philip, son
Hartley, Martin, son
Hennessey, Mary (b. 1918) sister-in-law

[8] HARTLEY

Hartley, James (b. 20 Oct. 1892) Farmer
Hartley, Ellen (b. 1904) wife
Hartley, Anastatia, daughter
Hartley, James, son, creamery worker
Hartley, Oliver, son, shop assistant
Hartley, Patrick, son, farm worker
Hartley, Bridget, daughter-in-law
Hartley, Eileen, granddaughter

[9] ROCHE
Roche, James (b. 7 June 1885) Retired Farmer (died on 7 April 1964)

[10] FITZGERALD
Fitzgerald, William (b. 1905) Farmer
Fitzgerald, Kathleen (b. 1911) wife
Fitzgerald, Patrick, son, farm worker
Fitzgerald, Kathleen, daughter

[11] WALSH
Walsh, Michael (b. 1924) Farmer
Walsh, Celia, wife
Walsh, daughter (no first name recorded)
Walsh, daughter (no first name recorded)

[12] MURPHY
Murphy, Ellen (b. 21 Aug. 1888)
Murphy, William (b. 1923) son, fisherman
Murphy, Annie, daughter-in-law
Murphy, Ellen, granddaughter
Murphy, Maire, granddaughter
Doyle, John, grandson, farm worker

[13] MURPHY
Murphy, Philip (b. 1919) Builders Timekeeper
Murphy, Catherine (b. 1924) wife
Murphy, Eileen, daughter
Murphy, Mary, daughter
Murphy, Katherine, daughter

For additional posts on Weatherstown natives see:

• Our blog post of 15 May 2022 regarding Jo Doyle née Mernagh (1932-2021);
• Our blog post of 20 June 2021 regarding Capt. Sean “Jack” Hartley (1897-1921); and
• Our blog post of 21 August 2021 regarding Peter Walsh being charged with counterfeiting in 1846. 

Please send any corrections or further information to glenmore.history@gmail.com.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh