The Glenmore Cornflour Case [Updated]

In attempting to locate information on Glenmore skittles teams we came across an article that appeared in the New Ross Standard about 8 weeks prior to the end of World War II. As we highlighted in our previous post, World War II was known locally as the Emergency. Due to the disruption to manufacturing and transport during the war, people across Ireland had to cope with shortages. Imports such as coal and foodstuffs were particularly impacted. One Glenmore businessman, Jim Fluskey (c. 1882-1960) was summoned before the New Ross District Court in June 1945 for “selling cornflour that was not up to the nature, substance and quality demanded” (New Ross Standard, Fri. 15 June 1945, p. 5).

The case was heard on Tuesday the 12th of June in the New Ross District Court before Mr. J.V. Fahy, District Judge. Guard Tom Griffin of the Glenmore Barracks bought the substance from James Fluskey and sent it off to a lab to undergo analysis. James Fluskey of Robinstown, Glenmore. Mr. Coghlan, solicitor for the Kilkenny County Council, prosecuted and Mr. J. Colfer, solicitor, appeared for the defendant Fluskey and admitted the offense.

“Mr. Coghlan read the analyst’s certificate which stated that the sample contained 100 per cent potato starch. Cornflour, he added, should be prepared from starch prepared from either maize or rice. The article made from maize had been an article of commerce for over 80 years and that from rice nearly as long. He (analyst) had not met with potato starch as cornfour until recently and in his opinion it was a substitute for the genuine article.”

Mr. Colfer said on behalf of the defendant that “there was a case, on appeal, before the Wicklow Circuit Court where they had specialists to decide in a case like this whether it was cornflour or not.” Mr. Colfer concluded with, ” We sold the cornflour as we received it.” In other words Jim Fluskey ordered cornflour, received what he thought was cornflour and sold it as cornflour.

Mr. Coghlan replied that the Circuit Court Judge in the Wicklow case decided it was illegal to sell potato starch as courflour.

Judge Fahy took a practical view and approach to the Glenmore case. “The Justice said in a time of short supplies people were trying to do their best to supply substitutes that would be possible or tolerable…In the circumstances I am imposing a nominal fine of 3s. with 7s. costs. I am not saying anything about the analyst’s fee.”

Tom Griffin (c. 1897-1978) was from Scarriff, Co. Clare and was stationed at Glenmore for years. After retiring from Garda Siochana Tom took up bee keeping that he passed onto his son Paddy Griffin.

Please see our post of 28 May 2020 regarding the Fluskey family and shop.

[Update: see our post of 13 February 2023 where James Fluskey in 1943 went to court for his wife selling cafe in error instead of coffee. It was reported that Jim had been in business 45 years and this was his first appearance. ]

Update 20 June 2023–Andrew Doherty of Waterford Tides & Tales shared the following story from the Emergency Era.

“We had a character here who was ex Royal Navy and from the descriptions of his antics I’d imagine he had ptsd after serving in WWI. Anyway, because of his contacts it was known that he could “import” almost anything. A lady in one of the better houses was having a supper and approached him for tea leaves.

He duly obliged with a 1/4lb of loose tea leaves in a box for which he charged a handsom price – due to the lengths he had to go. They got about four spoons out of it, until they started to dig into something very much unlike tea…the Gardner was summoned to pass judgment as there was some dispute, and also disbelief in the kitchen.  Turned out he had filled the box with dried horse manure, then topped it off with a scattering of tea.

The gardner tracked him down in Jack Meades pub drunk and now penniless and when challenged he uttered only two words – Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).”]

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

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh