Rheban and Churchtown (Rheban Football)

Last weeks article prompted the editor (assuming it is he who composes the headlines to accompany the Eye on the Past) to headline my piece on Samuel Henry Graham as “Waxing Lyrical in Castledermot”.  Well this week, if I am to follow his lead, the lyric making trundles across country westward to reach the rural outpost of Rheban.  Looking up Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland published in 1837 I find under the heading “Rheban, County of Kildare - See Churchtown”.  Now I have always regarded Rheban as quite a distinct area in its own right and certainly as separated as one could hope for from neighbouring Churchtown.  But no, when I turn to the entry for Churchtown I found it described thus - “Churchtown or Rheban, a parish in the Barony of West Narragh and Rheban containing with part of the post town of Athy 2009 inhabitants of which number 706 are in the town.  This parish is situated on the River Barrow and contains 7245 statute acres”.

So now you have it, Rheban and Churchtown are interchangeable names for the parish of - well what is it to be – Rheban or Churchtown?  If we look to the past for something by which to rate the claims of either Churchtown or Rheban to primacy insofar as the parish name is concerned, then the evidence weighs heavily in favour of Rheban.  After all Rheban was believed to be a site of the ancient town of Raiba noticed on Ptolemys map as one of the principal inland towns of second century Ireland.  It was also of course the site of Rheban Castle built by the St. Michael family, the original Lords of the Manor or landlords of these parts. 

Churchtown on the other hand does not appear to have any great claim in history, except that it's name is obviously an indication of an ancient ecclesiastical settlement in the area.  Then there was the musical tradition of Churchtown which gave us the Churchtown Pipe Band.  But nearer to our own time the sporting prowess of Rheban, exemplified in the Rheban G.A.A. Club started back in 1929, guarantees for the Parish of Rheban an unqualified acceptance of it's right to be known as such rather than the Parish of Churchtown. 

I was put in mind of all of this when following the recent death of Dan Foley, his widow Bernadette passed on to me a copy of a ballad called simply “The Rheban Victory Song”.  What, I wondered, gave rise to the ballad, the answer to which was readily to be seen in its lines.

It was apparently composed in 1940 by Pat McEvoy of Rheban whom I am told was one of the famous McEvoy brothers and whose brother Mick was one of the stars of the Rheban football team which brought the first silver cup to the club in the form of the 1940 Junior Championship.  The club had been formed eleven years previously in the wake of County Kildare's victories in the All Irelands of 1927 and 1928.  Imagine, not just one senior All Ireland but two in succession for the shortgrass county which has suffered a dreadful drought ever since.

The Moore brothers, John and Tom, were the prime movers in setting up the Rheban club and older brother John was the first club chairman, while Tom was elected secretary and treasurer, positions he would hold for over 50 years.  The club played junior football and suffered defeat in the Junior Championship Finals of 1937 and 1938.  Two years later the club contested the Junior Final for the  third time and their opponents, Ardclough, proved so difficult to defeat that the first match ended all square.  The replay took place three weeks later when Rheban came out winners by scoring 8 points to Ardclough's 1 goal and 1 point.

The Rheban football panel included Alf Kane, Mick Hickey, Owney Pender, Tony Keogh, Mick McEvoy, Billy Marum, Tom Hickey, Arthur Lynch, Hugh Owens, Pat Fitzpatrick, Paddy Myles, Jack Foley, Willie Moore, Jim Kane, Pat Connolly, John Cardiff, Billy Tierney, Joe Barry and Pat McEvoy.  Pat McEvoy composed the Rheban victory song to mark what was a famous occasion in the history of Rheban club.

“THE RHEBAN VICTORY SONG

The fame of old Rheban has spread round Kildare

Of games they have played in towns here and there

In Narraghmore, Ballytore, Newbridge and Naas

But, to tell of the final, I must leave some space

Ardclough are the victors away in the north

They are hopeful of winning the final - but trath

The're forgetting that Rheban have won out the South

But bedad they'll remember, before 'tis played out

The big day is here, it has come to decide

The team that will conquer, the team that must bide,

Our gallant supporters are here in their throngs,

To cheer us to victory and right all our wrongs.

The whistle is sounded, the ball is thrown in

Ardclough, they are up, and, for a win

With a goal and a point up in five minutes play,

Sure they're yelling already that we've lost the day.

But alas for their hopes sure their cheers are in vain,

For our captain has rallied us all to the game,

And now we settle down to good football and fast

For ours is a team that strikes to the last.

From that bad beginning we show them some style

With point after point we wipe out their smile

Too late they discover when we take the lead

That nothing can break down our spirit or speed

The men of the moment are Myles Fitz and Lynch,

With the backs and the goalie not giving an inch

Our forwards are playing like All Ireland men

Sure the likes of that game we will ne're see again.

There goes the whistle, the game it is done

Hurrah for old Rheban, Good men one and all

Undaunted, they've kept on tho' many a fall

Now to conclude with three cheers for the names

of the men who helped us and brought us to fame

Ber Kane ever faithful, Tom Moore for his brains

And Tom Mack for his field where we always could train.”

Following last weeks article I was delighted to get a phone message on the morning the paper reached the local shops giving me the name of the writer of the ballad, “My Home Town in Kildare”.  Later in the week I discovered that sadly the Castledermot man who wrote the ballad died last year but his widow gave me the background to the ballad's composition which if you remember from last week found its way to New Zealand from where an enquiry had come as to its origin and composer.  Now the story can be told and I hope to do so in the near future.

In the meantime ballads, songs and poems feature large on the horizon for Colm Walsh whom I am told is putting together a CD of the many such works relating to Athy and South Kildare.  It promises to be an interesting bringing together of the musical and poetical effusions, ancient and modern, relating to this area and it's people.  Keep an eye out for the CD which I am sure will be in the shops in time for the Christmas period.

Eye on the Past 719

Last weeks article prompted the editor (assuming it is he who composes the headlines to accompany the Eye on the Past) to headline my piece on Samuel Henry Graham as “Waxing Lyrical in Castledermot”. Well this week, if I am to follow his lead, the lyric making trundles across country westward to reach the rural outpost of Rheban. Looking up Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland published in 1837 I find under the heading “Rheban, County of Kildare - See Churchtown”. Now I have always regarded Rheban as quite a distinct area in its own right and certainly as separated as one could hope for from neighbouring Churchtown. But no, when I turn to the entry for Churchtown I found it described thus - “Churchtown or Rheban, a parish in the Barony of West Narragh and Rheban containing with part of the post town of Athy 2009 inhabitants of which number 706 are in the town. This parish is situated on the River Barrow and contains 7245 statute acres”.

So now you have it, Rheban and Churchtown are interchangeable names for the parish of - well what is it to be – Rheban or Churchtown? If we look to the past for something by which to rate the claims of either Churchtown or Rheban to primacy insofar as the parish name is concerned, then the evidence weighs heavily in favour of Rheban. After all Rheban was believed to be a site of the ancient town of Raiba noticed on Ptolemys map as one of the principal inland towns of second century Ireland. It was also of course the site of Rheban Castle built by the St. Michael family, the original Lords of the Manor or landlords of these parts.

Churchtown on the other hand does not appear to have any great claim in history, except that it's name is obviously an indication of an ancient ecclesiastical settlement in the area. Then there was the musical tradition of Churchtown which gave us the Churchtown Pipe Band. But nearer to our own time the sporting prowess of Rheban, exemplified in the Rheban G.A.A. Club started back in 1929, guarantees for the Parish of Rheban an unqualified acceptance of it's right to be known as such rather than the Parish of Churchtown.

I was put in mind of all of this when following the recent death of Dan Foley, his widow Bernadette passed on to me a copy of a ballad called simply “The Rheban Victory Song”. What, I wondered, gave rise to the ballad, the answer to which was readily to be seen in its lines.

It was apparently composed in 1940 by Pat McEvoy of Rheban whom I am told was one of the famous McEvoy brothers and whose brother Mick was one of the stars of the Rheban football team which brought the first silver cup to the club in the form of the 1940 Junior Championship. The club had been formed eleven years previously in the wake of County Kildare's victories in the All Irelands of 1927 and 1928. Imagine, not just one senior All Ireland but two in succession for the shortgrass county which has suffered a dreadful drought ever since.

The Moore brothers, John and Tom, were the prime movers in setting up the Rheban club and older brother John was the first club chairman, while Tom was elected secretary and treasurer, positions he would hold for over 50 years. The club played junior football and suffered defeat in the Junior Championship Finals of 1937 and 1938. Two years later the club contested the Junior Final for the third time and their opponents, Ardclough, proved so difficult to defeat that the first match ended all square. The replay took place three weeks later when Rheban came out winners by scoring 8 points to Ardclough's 1 goal and 1 point.

The Rheban football panel included Alf Kane, Mick Hickey, Owney Pender, Tony Keogh, Mick McEvoy, Billy Marum, Tom Hickey, Arthur Lynch, Hugh Owens, Pat Fitzpatrick, Paddy Myles, Jack Foley, Willie Moore, Jim Kane, Pat Connolly, John Cardiff, Billy Tierney, Joe Barry and Pat McEvoy. Pat McEvoy composed the Rheban victory song to mark what was a famous occasion in the history of Rheban club.

“THE RHEBAN VICTORY SONG

The fame of old Rheban has spread round Kildare
Of games they have played in towns here and there
In Narraghmore, Ballytore, Newbridge and Naas
But, to tell of the final, I must leave some space
Ardclough are the victors away in the north
They are hopeful of winning the final - but trath
The're forgetting that Rheban have won out the South
But bedad they'll remember, before 'tis played out
The big day is here, it has come to decide
The team that will conquer, the team that must bide,
Our gallant supporters are here in their throngs,
To cheer us to victory and right all our wrongs.
The whistle is sounded, the ball is thrown in
Ardclough, they are up, and, for a win
With a goal and a point up in five minutes play,
Sure they're yelling already that we've lost the day.
But alas for their hopes sure their cheers are in vain,
For our captain has rallied us all to the game,
And now we settle down to good football and fast
For ours is a team that strikes to the last.
From that bad beginning we show them some style
With point after point we wipe out their smile
Too late they discover when we take the lead
That nothing can break down our spirit or speed
The men of the moment are Myles Fitz and Lynch,
With the backs and the goalie not giving an inch
Our forwards are playing like All Ireland men
Sure the likes of that game we will ne're see again.
There goes the whistle, the game it is done
Hurrah for old Rheban, Good men one and all
Undaunted, they've kept on tho' many a fall
Now to conclude with three cheers for the names
of the men who helped us and brought us to fame
Ber Kane ever faithful, Tom Moore for his brains
And Tom Mack for his field where we always could train.”

Following last weeks article I was delighted to get a phone message on the morning the paper reached the local shops giving me the name of the writer of the ballad, “My Home Town in Kildare”. Later in the week I discovered that sadly the Castledermot man who wrote the ballad died last year but his widow gave me the background to the ballad's composition which if you remember from last week found its way to New Zealand from where an enquiry had come as to its origin and composer. Now the story can be told and I hope to do so in the near future.

In the meantime ballads, songs and poems feature large on the horizon for Colm Walsh whom I am told is putting together a CD of the many such works relating to Athy and South Kildare. It promises to be an interesting bringing together of the musical and poetical effusions, ancient and modern, relating to this area and it's people. Keep an eye out for the CD which I am sure will be in the shops in time for the Christmas period.

St. Michael's Cemetery

St. Michael's Cemetery has been the principal burial ground for Athy people for hundreds of years. The signpost outside the Cemetery on the Dublin Road reads "St. Michael's Medieval Church". It appears to be a 14th Century Church built when the still young settlement of Athy already had two Monasteries. The Crouched Friars had a Monastery at St. John's while the Friars Preachers had theirs in an area to the south of the present Emily Square. Both Monasteries were manned by French speaking clerics who had come to the area at the invitation of the Anglo Norman settlers.

St. Michael's Church was built outside the town walls and leads me to believe that it was a Parish Church to serve the native Irish. The name St. Michael could be a reference to the St. Michael family who were Barons of Rheban and Lords of the Manor of Woodstock. It could also be a dedication to St. Michael who is usually portrayed as a dragon slayer and whose protection was often sought especially when Churches were being built on sites which had previous pagan associations.

The grounds around the Church were used for Christian burials from an early time. The antiquity of the site can be readily ascertained from the high ground on the south side of the church. This was the favourite place for burials because the north side of the Church was in shadow and where it was believed the devil lurked. Consequently the north side was reserved for criminals and unbaptised babies while corpses were piled on top of each other on the south side, gradually leading to a substantial increase in the ground level at that point.

Around the Cemetery we can see Irish Yew trees of uncertain age. Regarded as symbols of immortality it was Edward I who ordered Yew trees to be planted in graveyards because of the protection their close growth afforded Church buildings from storms. The Yew is also poisonous to animals and so acts as a deterrent to unscrupulous persons who might otherwise let their animals loose in a cemetery.

During the middle ages and up to the 18th century corpses were buried in linen shrouds rather than coffins. An Act of 1678 required woollen shrouds to be used so that the ailing woollen trade could be promoted. The rich were understandably the first to use coffins and the practice developed in time to include the less well off in society.

Inevitably the level of poverty which prevailed throughout the 18th and 19th centuries required the town Council to provide a parish coffin in which the unfortunate was brought to the gate of the cemetery. The lych gate at the entrance to the cemetery (which no longer exists) was a covered gateway where the coffin was rested on a table while the body was removed, placed in a shroud or sheet for burial and the Parish coffin returned ready for the next funeral.

Immediately adjoining the front wall of the cemetery and to the right of the gateway is the last resting place of possibly the only man in Ireland legitimately buried in his own back yard. Paddy Johnson lived in one of the small cottages which fronted onto the Dublin Road and behind which lay St. Michael's Cemetery. The Town Council extended the cemetery by taking over the ground occupied by the cottages and when Paddy died he was buried in what was previously his own back yard.

Around the Medieval Church can be seen a rich green and glossy plant which flowers every two years between April and June. Alexanders is a plant similar to the wild carrot and was grown in medieval times. It is not a plant native to Ireland and it's presence in the cemetery might indicate a medieval settlement on the site either before or after the Church was erected. Apparently the entire plant was edible, the stem like asparagus, the root like a parsnip while the flower buds were used in salads.

Walk around St. Michael's and look at the history to be found among the headstones. Look at the table tombs within and without the Church, look at the beautifully crafted headstones and the imaginative epitaphs to be found. And as you walk through the old cemetery note how the graves are orientated so that the corpses face the sun rising in the east. When the new St. Michael's Cemetery was opened in 1965 this tradition was overlooked so that when our time comes, unlike our forefathers, we will not face the rising sun. I wonder!