A Memorial for the Famine dead of Athy's Workhouse

Last March I wrote to Councillor Mark Stafford who was then Mayor of County Kildare asking if Kildare County Council would provide funding for the design, construction and erection of a suitable memorial to honour those who died in Athy Workhouse and the County Home and were buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery. That last resting place for so many is just a short distance from the former workhouse from where the emaciated bodies of the famine dead were carted across Lennon’s Bridge on their final journey. I was prompted to write to the Mayor having some weeks earlier read the report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission which outlined a shameful period in our nation’s history. In a subsequent Eye on the Past No. 1486 I recounted how in 1994 I made an appeal to the Eastern Health Board at the launch of my book on the history of St. Vincent’s Hospital for that authority to erect a suitable memorial ‘to the forgotten people who lie in St. Mary’s Cemetery so that they can be shown the respect and dignity denied to them while they lived’. There was no response from the Eastern Health Board but Councillor Mark Stafford replied to my letter indicating that Kildare County Council would pursue the matter with representatives from the Mother and Baby Homes and County Homes and that “your proposal will be considered as part of this process”. I interpreted his reply as a clear indication that Kildare County Council would memorialise the forgotten inmates of Athy’s Workhouse and the County Home. Last week’s Kildare Nationalist carried the news that Kildare County Council, following a motion brought to the Council by Councillors Aoife Breslin and Nuala Killeen, had authorised the expenditure of €68,000 for the erection of a memorial in St. Mary’s Cemetery for ‘all those sadly neglected souls that died in the Workhouse and the County Home’. The members of Kildare County Council are to be congratulated for their decision and the hope is that the memorial will be in position in time for next May’s National Famine Commemoration Day. In the meantime Clem Roche and Michael Donovan are continuing their research to identify as many as possible of the men, women and children who died in the Workhouse between 1844 and 1922. Their task is a very difficult one but is an essential element of any commemorative acknowledgement of our town’s past. Several people have contacted me in recent times with regard to the lack of readily available information relating to activities and events in the town. Within the last week two persons, who are quite recent arrivals in Athy, pointed out that it was very difficult for them to know what activities or events are taking place and questioned why there was no town directory and no regular public announcements as to what was happening in the town. In olden days every town had a town crier whose job was to walk through the streets ringing a bell and proclaiming the latest news or announcements. Nowadays what with mobile phones, texting and emails one might readily assume that passing on information should be a much easier task than in years gone by. The problems associated with the use of modern technology however is that not everyone has a mobile phone or computer and the gathering of information for transmission town wide requires the regular co-operation of event organisers, clubs and associations. The gathering of information on a regular basis is the most difficult part of information transmission across a town or district. Once information is gathered it should be a straight forward matter to have it brought to the attention of the general public whether by leaflet drops, a newsletter or local radio. Perhaps the least costly way of disseminating information is to use public notice boards. There is a notice board in Emily Square which if matched by other similar notice boards in the carpark of the town library and a third perhaps at the Arts Centre in Woodstock Street they could be used to keep the general public advised of forthcoming events. Providing notice boards is the easy part of the process. The greatest difficulty lies in availing of the services of a person or persons whose role is to gather in the material. This would require liaising on a regular basis with local organisations to ensure a comprehensive listing of local events and happenings and the preparation of event listings for the public notice boards. This is a task which will require a great deal of commitment and I believe it might best be undertaken by the community and events officer employed by Athy municipal council. If the local Councillors accept it as a community benefit project worthy of support perhaps they would establish this or some other form of public information link for Athy and the South Kildare area. The 21st Shackleton Autumn School takes place on Saturday, 30th of October. This year’s event is again an online event which last year attracted a large international audience. ‘Virtually Shackleton’ is a free event which you can join by contacting the Shackleton Museum at info@shackletonmuseum.com. Next week’s Eye on the Past will give an account of the 2021 Autumn School speakers, their subjects and an interesting recent arrival in the Shackleton Museum.

The names on Athy's War Memorial

On next Sunday, 17th November at 2.45pm Athy’s war memorial commemorating the men from Athy who died in the Great War will be unveiled in St. Michael’s Cemetery. The memorial will record the names of the following 133 Athy men who died in that war and whose names were for so long written out of our shared history. Alcock Frank Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Alcock Thomas Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers ArmstrongDCM Joseph WO2 Army Service Corps Bowden Michael Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Bloomer Robert Sapper Royal Engineers Byrne Anthony Private Leinster Regiment Byrne James Private Leinster Regiment Byrne John Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Byrne Joseph Sergeant Royal Dublin Fusiliers Byrne Patrick Sergeant Royal Dublin Fusiliers Byrne MM Thomas Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Campion Michael Private L.N. Lancashire Regt Carberry Chatfield MM Peter George Patrick Private Sergeant Royal Dublin Fusiliers Royal West Surrey Regt Connell Thomas Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Connolly Thomas Rifleman London Regiment Corcoran William Lance Corporal Irish Guards Corrigan William Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Coyle Alfred Private South Irish Horse Cullen Maurice Private Irish Guards Curtis John Bombardier Royal Field Artillery Curtis Laurence Private 5th Lancers Curtis Davis Patrick Michael Private Private Irish Guards Leinster Regt Delaney Daniel Private Scottish Borders Delaney John Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Devoy Michael Sergeant Kings Royal Rifle Corps Dillon James Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Dooley Laurence Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Donohue Patrick Private Royal Irish Regiment Dowling Edward Private Irish Guards Dowling John Private Leinster Regt Doyle Moses Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Doyle Patrick Lance Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Dunn Laurence Gunner Royal Garrison Artillery Dunne James Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Dunne James Private Leinster Regiment Dunne Michael Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Dunne Patrick Lance Sergeant Irish Guards Dwyer James Private Army Service Corps Ellard Thomas Private Leinster Regt Fanning Frank Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Farrell John Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Farrell Louis/Lewis Private Kings Liverpool Regiment Farrell Michael Lance Sergeant Irish Guards Fennelly Fennelly John Patrick Private Private Leinster Regt Royal Dublin Fusiliers Fenlon Fleming Hugh Frederick Private Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers 69th NY NG Regiment Flynn Christopher Private Irish Guards Flynn Patrick Lance Corporal Irish Guards Flynn Patrick Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Flynn Thomas Private Connaught Rangers Fox Thomas Private Leinster Regt Gleeson Christopher Rifleman Royal Irish Rifles Hanlon Christopher Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Hannon Henry Private Manitoba Regt-Canada Hannon John 2nd Lieutenant The Kings Liverpool Regt Hannon Norman Lieutenant The Kings Liverpool Regt Hannon Thomas 2nd Lieutenant Shropshire Light Infantry Hanphy Peter Lance Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Haydon Thomas Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Heydon Aloysius Private Irish Guards Heydon Patrick Private Irish Guards Holohan James Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Hickey Joseph Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Hughes Thomas Henry Sergeant Recruiting Sergeant Hurley Martin Private Duke of Wellington Regt Hurley William Rifleman Royal Irish Rifles Hyland Martin Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Johnston John Private Leinster Regt Keefe Christopher Lance Sergeant South Lancashire Regt Kelly Christopher Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Kelly Dennis Private Leinster Regt Kelly John Private Leinster Regt Kelly Lawrence Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Kelly Owen Private Leinster Regt Lawler John Lance Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Lawler Thomas Sapper Royal Engineers Lawlor Edward Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Lawlor Leonard Michael Michael Private Corporal Leinster Regt 69th NY NG Regiment Leonard Patrick Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Lindsay Robert Sergeant Royal Engineers Maher Martin Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Maher Thomas Private Gordon Highlanders Maloney Martin Private Leinster Regt McWilliams Robert Private Leinster Regt Mooney Edward Private Royal Irish Regiment Moran William Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Monks William Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Mulhall John Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Mulhall Mulhall Patrick Richard Private Private Machine Gun Corps Royal Munster Fusiliers Mullen Albert Private Irish Guards Murphy John Stoker 1st Class Royal Navy Murphy Joseph Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Murphy Martin Private Irish Guards Nolan William Driver Royal Army Service Corps O'Brien Michael Private Irish Guards O'Brien Thomas Private Irish Guards O'Connell James Private Royal Warwickshire Regt O'Keefe Michael Private Irish Guards Orford Eleanor Frances Nurse Voluntary Aid Division O'Shea Laurence Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Packenham William Lance Corporal Connaught Rangers Payne Henry Drill Sergeant Irish Guards Plewman MC Charles Lieutenant The Kings Liverpool Regt Power Christopher Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Power Christopher Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Price James Sergeant Royal Dublin Fusiliers Reilly Andrew Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Reilly John Driver Royal Field Artillery Reilly Patrick Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Roach James Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Roache DCM James CSM Royal Dublin Fusiliers Rochford John Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Ryan Michael Private Leinster Regt Ryan Thomas Rifleman Royal Irish Rifles Shirley Jeremiah Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Shor/t/hall Michael Private Leinster Regt St. John Henry Corporal Gloucestershire Regt Stafford Edward Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Stafford Thomas Lance Corporal Royal Dublin Fusiliers Supple William Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Telford Alfred Sergeant Royal Field Artillery Territt Michael Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Tierney Patrick Private Royal Dublin Fusiliers Wall William Private Leinster Regt Ward Samuel Private Leinster Regt Weldon DSO Anthony Arthur Lt Col Leinster Regt