Sliabh Story Time |
Kerry's War of
Freedom
The story of Kerry's flight for freedom between 1913 and 1923 is the subject of a new book by Ryle Dwyer entitled Tans Terror and Troubles The book starts off with a 20 page chronology off all the important happenings from 1913 to 1923. The book concludes with a bibliography and a 16 page index that is very thorough. The book also includes photographs, some of which have never before been published. Many of the sources used have not previously been exploited. The first and the last event of the War of Independence took place in Castleisland and on 10th July on the eve of the Truce nine were killed in a shoot-out Tans, Terror and Troubles is published in paperback at 12.99 published by Mercier Press
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Artic char
Artic char, unlike the Golden
Eagle, are still with us since the last Ice Age, over 12,000 years ago.
At that time they would have run many of our rivers as salmon do today,
but because of Ireland's warmer climate they are confined to deep cold
lakes. The ICCG is requesting to report any catches of char, They would be grateful if anglers would either photograph and measure the fish they catch or alternatively freeze them and contact the group. |We would also be grateful of any other information that people may have on char in Kerry, anecdotal or otherwise. Paul Mitchell, |
On the feast day of Mary the fragrant, Mother of the Shepherd of the flocks, I cut me a handful of the new corn, I dried it gently in the sun, I rubbed it sharply from the husk With mine own palms. I ground it in a quern of Friday I baked it on a fan of sheep-skin I toasted it to a fire of rowan And I shared it round my people. I went sunways round my dwelling In the name of Mary Mother Who promised to preserve me Who did preserve And who will preserve me... (Translated from the Gaelic by the Dal Riadh Celtic Trust)
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16th
February 2001 by Breda Joy Passing of music
loving Friar Johnny O'Sullivan Scartaglen’s
Johnny O’Sullivan, a former postman who became a popular Friar, Brother Johnny
grew up in the townland of Ballintourigh,
where he developed a Br Johnny was
initiated into the Franciscan way of life during his postulancy in Br. Johnny
spent the most of his Franciscan life in Drogheda but he also served in Johnny was very
welcoming, he loved people,
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UFO's over Kerry
The Kerryman Thursday, Donal O'Reilly April 19, 2001 Mystery in the sky deepens with eerie night-time sightings in Scartaglen The mystery in the skies above Kerry deepened this
week with news of yet another strange occurrence, this time originating
in the Scartaglen area.
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Three actors from Scartaglen took to the stage at the Scartaglen Cultural Centre on February this year as part of the cast in John B. Keane's play "Moll". Timmy Browne, Denis Paud Brosnan and John Joe Tangney last appeared in a drama group back in 1944-1946 when they were part of the local drama group that raised funds for Scartaglen Pipers band. According to Timmy Browne, this is just what was needed in the Village. " for the last 30 years the people of Scartaglen have been without a hall or activity," he said. " I am hopeful that this play is just the beginning and that we can get more people involved in drama and plays. The actors involved in this production are John Walsh, Joan Browne, John Joe Tangney, Tim Hickey, Nora Walsh, Denis Paud Brosnan and Timmy Browne. The producer is Nora Thompson, who is also playing the role of Moll.
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A Tale of Christmas past
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The following is excerpted from a story written for the Sliabh Luachra news by Jermiah Healy, a resident of Castleisland. Jermiah brings to us a vision of Christmas past in the Sliabh Luachra and he tells it in the easy style and honor of a fine story teller. |
I, Jermiah Healy, after fifty years in England now live in Castleisland. Four months ago I visited the home I was born in, in Knocknaboul near Ballydesmond. My niece was delighted to see me. After some time she asked how things were in the old days… how we lived. I told her we worked very hard and always looked forward to Christmas. The big day of the year was the fair at Castleisland town. If you had not something to sell you would have a bleak Christmas but that rarely happened. My Mother had about eight turkeys. The price she got was about five shillings, She also had eight geese for three shillings. We never had turkey for Christmas dinner. It was always a goose. Nearly every family had one. The money for the turkeys and the geese helped us during the rest of the winter. We had no money coming in until April when the milk was taken to the creamery. Nearly every house had twelve hens and Eight or nine ducks, which added to the income. The three weeks before Christmas, the postman was very welcome. Most houses got money from America. Sometimes the postman got drunk and had to stay the night to sober up. The last week before Christmas we were very excited in school. Christmas eve was a very busy day. My Father and Mother went to town to bring home the food from the shop. The rest of us was engaged in decorating. Then we would go and collect ivy and holly. We would use a big turnip to hold the holy candle. When my Father and Mother returned they would have a good two dozens bottles of stout and one bottle of whiskey and, usually the Christmas cake, sweets oranges and apples. Just on twelve O’clock we all knelt down and my grand mother started the rosary. It would last about and hour. When my grandmother was finished she would say ‘God bless Lloyd George’. She was the first woman in Ireland to get an English pension
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click here to see big Photograph contributed by: Joan Brosnan
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Preparing for Race
Day, Knocknagoshel,
Knocking the ditch in Pats Longs' field in preparation for the 1963 races. The races were organised each year by John W. Curtin. Pictured above are: Dan J. Brosnan (on tractor IN6889), Maurice Bunworth, Paddy Cahill, Moss O'Connell, Pats Long, Sonny Moynihan, Mike Long (child in trailer), John W Curtin (trailer), Patsy P. O'Connor, Patsy C. O'Connor, Paddy Joe Donoghue, Paddy Joy. Simon Keane, Tadgh Long, Timmy O'Sullivan, Larry Brosnan, Sean Herlihy (on tractor), Sean Brosnan, Mike P. Walsh, Paddy Kennelly, William Herlihy, Donal Collins, Kerry Tim O'Connor, Mike Murphy, Denis J. O'Connor, James O'Donoghue, Bob O'Connor. |
Tom John O'Connor at
Headleys Bridge Creamery, Knocknagoshel.
Founded in 1910 and closed in 1970. Nicholas Cotter was the manager and Con Paddy Brosnan and Jimmy O'Donnell were the workers. The creamery was a essential part of rural life and was not only an important economic aspect of life but also provided a social outlet to the community. |
click here to see it big Photograph contributed by: Thomas O'Connor |
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LYREACROMPANE.
The Slean, the traditional implement for cutting the turf, at Tom Doran's, in 1970. Pictured here are: Father Andy O'Connel, Mike , Bernie, Margaret, Andrew O'Connell and the dog Rose. Photograph contributed by: Mary Leen |
The Fair in Brosna, Brosna fair started in 1853 and was a major business and social occasion. The local farmers came to sell there life stock and other produce. When their business was completed they met and socialized in village pubs. The last fair held in Brosna was in the early 1900's. |
Photograph contributed by: Joe Browne |
Lyraecrompane - History.
The days before the Pub License.
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In the 1860's Lyra like many other areas, depended on
Hedge masters. Those we know to include, were Foley, Regan and Dowd.
The Landlord/Land agent for much of the lyraecrompane district was Miss Thompson. Her local agent was Paddy Dillane, popularly known as Paddy na Lyre. Miss Thompson dismissed him for finding him blind drunk. She installed her nephew a Mr. Hurley, in a new house, at which a R.I.C. Barrack was attached for his safety. To ensure the proper education for his children, she appointed a Miss Begley as school teacher, at a building near the Glen on the boundary of Nockaclare and Lyre. Later a second teacher Tom Molyneax was appointed, he married Miss Begley and the school survived for 51 years, until Lyre N>S> was built in 1911. When Miss Thompson died the estate passed to Mr. Hurley. His sister Fanny Hurley fell in love with a local man called Scanlon. He was a Catholic and she was a Protestant. Mr. Hurley seems to have been a reasonable enlightened individual, because instead of banishing the elopers he set them up in a fine house and provided them with a public house License. Rebecca Scanlon one of there daughters succeed to ownership of the Pub, she married a R.I.C. man called Roche from Roscommon. These were Jimmy Roche's Grandparents.
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Castleisland Railway Station
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The
railway between Gortatlea and Castleisland was the third
line to be constructed in Kerry. Castleisland was
always an important market town in the County, and seems to
have held its population of about 1,500 reasonably constant
over many years. The residents were indignant when it was by
-passed by the Killarney -Tralee line. The line was built in
1875. Lightweight track weighing 40 lbs.-to the yard,
compared with narrow gauge used for the rail, which lay over
flat bogs and fields subject to flooding from the River
Maine. The first train left Castleisland station on the 6th
-September -1875.
The Gortatlea -Castleisland line holds a unique place in the Irish Railway History. It was the first "light" Railway in Ireland that had been in operation for some years, before the passing of the Light Railway Act of 1880. The directors of the Gortatlea -Castleisland Company expected the terms of working could be of the Branch Company’s Independent existence, the Great Southern and Western Railway was allowed one train from Castleisland to work through Tralee daily, and there were also three services to Gortatlea. By 1973 the service operated only twice weekly. The line was finally closed in 1976, when the last fright train pulled out of Castleisland Station. Although the trains, tracks and most of the building have gone, vestiges of the railway age still remain in Castleisland to day. One of the most charming of the remaining structures associated with the line is the former station master's house. Its charm stems largely from its brick facade, asymmetrical window's and door canopy. It has been lovingly maintained as the home of the O'Sullivan family |
Alexander McDonnell the locomotive engineer for Great Southern and Western Railway, was allowed to design a combined engine and coach vehicle which operated from Gortlatlea to Castleisland for many years. It consisted of a small 8 seater first class compartment entered by side doors and a van for the guard and parcels. 3rd class accommodations was provided in a hauled carriage and the usual train included a few wagons of goods, this locomotive was capable of hauling when required 29 loaded cattle trucks and vans from Castleisland fair. After the Great Southern and Western Railways took over the line, they build 2 more special vehicles for it. In January 1947 both passengers and goods services were suspended owing to an acute coal shortage. The line was used only periodically during the next 10 years, for monthly fair specials and an occasional group train. Local pressure succeed in getting a daily goods service reintroduced in 1957. The line was then worked by the small 4 wheeled Deutz diesel locomotive which were build in Cologne,(Koln), West Germany, for the "Special" use on short lines. However the decline of the fairs and competition from road freight resulted in a steady decline in rail traffic.
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Folklore Extract 1937/'38.
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The following items are taken from a collection of folklore extracts collected by national school children in the year 1937/'38. |
Long ago there
lived in Currans a man named Rooney who lived to be very old. For some
time before his death he was accustomed to sleep sitting up in a
chair. It was customary in those days to lay out the corps on the
kitchen table. From being in a sitting posture for so long, they found
that they could not lay the corps flat so they put a rope across the
chest and tied it to the table.
That night, as the porter was given rounds, some person cut the rope and the corps immediately sat up and the people made a rush for the door and some were trampled underfoot.
Hidden treasure, Long ago a man lived somewhere around Cleann. He dreamt three nights that there were two skillets of gold buried between the two roads leading into the bog. He dug foe them and got one and was taking up the second one when he looked around him and it disappeared when he looked away, If the exact spot is dug, and not to have the person who is digging look around him, he is supposed to get the other skillet.
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Growing Cabbages,
Castleisland.
Jim O'Connor pictured in his garden at the rear of his house in Barrack
Street, with his granddaughter Grainne in
1988.
It was an exceptionally good year for cabbage growth and this
particular head was the biggest Jim had ever seen in a life of self
sufficiency on the vegetable front.
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c. Photograph by John Reidy |