Hester May

Women's role in Irish history has never been satisfactorily or adequately acknowledged. In a society where women were denied a vote until 1918 this oversight is easily understood. The tendency to write of mens involvement in times past is one which even I regretfully have unwittingly or otherwise failed to arrest. Today I make some amends for my omission and it is fitting that the subject of this article should be a lady who over the years I have had the privilege of interviewing on several occasions.

In her 92nd year and as sprightly and alert as most persons 40 years younger Mrs. Hester May lives today with her daughter Sheila in St. Patrick's Avenue. As the daughter of Michael Dooley of 41 Duke Street, Athy, whose name is remembered in the Housing Estate on the Stradbally Road, she had an early introduction to the politics of Irish Independence. Her parents house and shop was a well known "haunt" of republican activists and was raided on many occasions by the local R.I.C. and the Black and Tans. At an early age Hester joined the Cumann na mBan which was organised locally by Miss Moloney. Her eldest sister Kathleen, who was later to marry Eamon Malone of Dunbrin, Commander of the Carlow Brigade I.R.A., left Athy to work in the Post Office in Dublin. Hester joined Kathleen in Dublin in 1919 and before long she was interviewed for a job with Piaras Beaslai, who was Editor of An t-Oglagh and head of publicity for the I.R.A. She was to act as his Secretary for a number of years and when he went to America she worked for J.J. 'Ginger' O'Connell who was director of training for the I.R.A. She also worked for Oscar Traynor who was Officer Commanding the Dublin Brigade and the leader of the attack on the Custom House in May 1921.

Her offices were located at No. 14 North Great Georges Street but raids by the Black and Tans often meant frequent unplanned moves to safer offices such as those in the Plaza Hotel near the present Barrys Hotel. She met all the great Irish leaders of the day and remembers particularly Michael Collins and Eamon DeValera. Another frequent visitor to Piaras Beaslai's office was Emmet Dalton, a member of the G.H.Q. staff of the I.R.A. who was with Michael Collins when he was ambushed and killed at Beal na Blath. Her impressions of Dalton, who was previously a member of the British Army, are not entirely favourable.

While working in Dublin she returned as often as possible to her native Athy and despite the difficulties at the time found romance with a local man living in Woodstock Street. Almost inevitably that man, Joe May, was involved in the Republican movement and had been a regular visitor to the Dooley household at 41 Duke Street. Joe was arrested in November 1920 by the Black and Tans and brought to the Curragh Camp where he was detained for three weeks before transferring to Arbour Hill and later still to Ballykinler Camp. He was not released until November 1921. One of Mrs. May's most treasured mementos of that period is an autograph book kept by her late husband and signed by a number of his fellow prisoners in Ballykinler Camp. A fellow inmate at the time was another Athy man, "Bapty" Maher.

Hester Dooley's involvement in the Republican movement extended up to the end of the Civil War in May 1923 when she returned to Athy to marry Joe May. They settled down in their home town where Joe was appointed to take charge of the former Union Workhouse which the Irish Government designated as a County Home. He was to continue working there until his untimely death in 1961 at the age of 63 years.

Hester May's involvement in the War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War are not well known. She has lived in Athy since returning from Dublin over 70 years ago and has only recently retired as Registrar of Births Marriages and Deaths for this area. The younger generations of Athy people have largely remained unaware of Hester Dooley, the young girl from Athy who crossed paths with the men and women whose lives and experiences are part of the history of our country.

Macra na Feirme - Brother Joe Quinn

Last weekend I attended two celebrations of service to our community. One was the well publicised corporate celebrations of Macra na Feirme's Golden Jubilee. Amongst those honoured was Paddy Keogh of Kilcoo whose involvement in Athy's first farmers club and the national organisation which developed from it was acknowledged and commemorated by the presentation to him of a replica of the sundial earlier unveiled in Emily Square by President Mary Robinson.

Macra's celebrations acknowledged the organisations debt to the foresight of the local men who founded Athy's club. Foremost amongst them was Stephen Cullinan, a young Galway born agricultural instructor then teaching in the local Technical School. The more one reads and hears about Stephen Cullinan the more one appreciates what an extraordinary man he was. His tragic early death in 1951 undoubtedly deprived Macra and Irish farming generally of a talent which was difficulty to replace.

The second celebration was that of Brother Joe Quinn's Diamond Jubilee as a member of the Irish Christian Brothers. His life, like that of his brothers in religion was spent out of the glare of press and publicity but yet his achievements as an educator and a fosterer of Irish sporting traditions was recognised by many persons who came from all corners of Ireland to pay tribute to the 76 year old Christian Brother.

Brother Quinn entered the Christian Brothers novitiate on the 10th of January 1934 and in September 1939 as the war clouds were descending over Europe he travelled to take up duty in Tuam, Co. Galway. The milestones in his life are measured in terms of hurling and football finals and like a drunk who will direct a lost traveller using public houses as points of reference, Brother Quinn uses the September activities in Croke Park as his personal yard stick. But on Final days in Croke Park the young Joe Quinn was required to follow his Superiors bidding of walking alone "into the countryside", the only acceptable recreation available to Christian Brothers. For a young man reared on a daily diet of Gaelic football such deprivations were part of the personal sacrifices expected of a Christian Brother. However in 1945 he succeeded in obtaining a coveted ticket for the All Ireland football final. Fate dealt him another hand however and his commitment and resolve was tested when he received instructions to transfer to Doneraile, Co. Cork on the Saturday before the Final.

One can picture his dismay and disappointment as he embarked on the train journey out of Kingsbridge Station as the excited football followers streamed into Dublin. It was with a heavy heart that he let his prized stand ticket flow on the breeze as he threw it out of the train approaching Doneraile. He was later to attend his first All Ireland Final in 1947 and I doubt if he has missed one since.

However it is not as a follower of football that we remember Brother Quinn. It is as a man representative of that great band of men - the Irish Christian Brothers - who have given of their all for the youth of this country. Brother Joe Quinn's involvement in basketball in Athy is well known. Sine he came to Athy in 1978 he has encouraged the development of the game to the point where it is now an important sporting activity in the South Kildare area.

On the Friday before President Mary Robinson came to Athy for the Macra celebrations the colleagues and friends of Brother Quinn joined him in his celebration of life and service to communities throughout Ireland. A service which in the best traditions of the Christian Brothers saw him make many personal sacrifices for the education and welfare of the young people in his charge.

The weekend celebrations of Macra na Feirme and Brother Joe Quinn were a public recognition of service to our community and to the jubilairians, Golden and Diamond, Macra and Brother Joe, we extend good wishes for the future and gratitude for the past.

Sean MacFheorais

Isn’t it strange how often we tend to overlook local men and women who have made a substantial or meaningful contribution to Irish life. Take for instance Sean Mac Fheorais, a local man whose published works in our native language are perhaps unfamiliar to most of us. Sean, whose first book of Irish poetry “Gearrcoigh na hOiche” was published in 1954 had his second book “Leargas” published in 1964. In the intervening period his poetry appeared in many literary magazines including ‘Poetry Ireland’ and ‘Cyphers’.

In 1984 he received what I understand was the very first invitation from his native town to return to Athy to read his poetry. Scheduled to appear on 17th March, 1984 he tragically died one month before he could fulfil the engagement which he was eagerly anticipating.

Sean Mac Fheorais was born in Ballintubbert in 1915, the second son of a blacksmith. His father was to die nine months after his last son, Joe, was born in May 1919. Sean, with his brother Joe Bermingham, was educated in Ballyadams National School and later still in the O’Brien Institute, Marino, Dublin. At the age of 16 years he joined the Christian Brothers Novitiate and in time qualified as a teacher, but left the Brothers before taking his final vows. It was while in the O’Brien Institute that Sean developed his great love for the Irish language which was further encouraged while he was a member of the Christian Brothers. He taught for some years at Carrigallen National School, Co. Leitrim, later in Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny and from 1955 until 1979 in Finglas, Dublin, eventually becoming Principal of St. Margaret’s Primary School in that North Dublin suburb.

A frequent competitor in the annual Oireachtais competition he won many Oireachtais prizes for his poetry. He also received a number of awards from Radio Eireann for his literary works. In 1954 his first book of Irish poetry, “Gearrcoig na hOiche” was published and his second volume “Leargas - Danta Fada” in 1964. His best known work is the long poem, “Oiche na Airnean”.

Tá rian on chreidhim go láidir ar a chuid filíochtá - an dán ‘Ionam’ is fear is dócha a thaispeánann an t-omós a bhí aige do Dhia. Éinne a dhein an Ardteistimeireacht le blianta anuas cuimhneoidh sé no sí ar an dán álainn sin ‘M’ Uncáil’ ina léiríonn sé dúinn an cion agus an meas a bhí aige ar a Uncáil.

The last poem on which he was working at the time of his untimely death was about his native town of Athy. He intended to give the first public reading of that poem in Ath Í on 17th March, 1984. He was not to hear the tributes of his neighbours children for Sean Mac Fheorais passed away at 69 years of age before he could return to Athy. He was survived by his wife and six children and his brother, Joe Bermingham.

Sean Mac Fheorais is included in the Dictionary of Irish Authors, a three volume work first compiled by Brian Cleeve in 1971. His memory is one we should remember and cherish as the son of a blacksmith from “our place” whose poetry lives on in his published works.

O'Rourke Glynns

“O’Rourke Glynn’s Corner” was a well known landmark until recent years. Newcomers to the town probably never heard of the place or if they did remain blissfully unaware of it’s location. However, they can take consolation from the knowledge that not many of the locals would be able to pinpoint the location of other once well known landmarks such as “Nouds Corner” or “Glespen’s Coach Works”. Many of us will remember Ernest O’Rourke Glynn who died in 1976 as a man big of stature with a voice reminiscent of a Shakespearean actor. The eldest son of Nicholas and Florence O’Rourke Glynn who came to Athy in 1916 Ernest had a presence and a majestic voice which instantly suggested a theatrical background.

His maternal grandparents who had no previous theatrical experience purchased in 1896 “Peppers Ghost” a touring show which had been travelling throughout Ireland and England for the previous 20 years. A report in the Leinster Leader of 7th March, 1896 gave an account of the show’s performance in the Town Hall, Athy. The variety entertainment included songs, feats, ventriloquism and spectroscopic scenes.

The new owners, the Reid Metcalfes, employed a young Irish man, Nicholas O’Rourke Glynn, as manager of the touring company and he was in time to marry their daughter Florence. Still touring with “Peppers Ghost” in 1916 the company came to Athy for six weeks during the lenten period. Rebellion in Dublin and unrest throughout the country prompted Nicholas and Florence O’Rourke Glynn to stay in Athy and in time they acquired the Corner House at the junction of Duke Street and Woodstock Street.

Opening the “Theatrical Stores and Scenic Studios” as well as a photographic studio the business flourished and their eldest son, Ernest, was to be joined by a sister Florence, brother Nicholas and a younger sister Peggy. The theatrical stores supplied costumes for amateur and professional groups throughout Ireland. The wicker baskets lined with jute in which the costumes were stored and transported were a familiar sight as they came and went through the local railway station.

A trained artist Nicholas O’Rourke Glynn painted scenery to order and his scenic studios located in the Corner House was a wonderland of paint and colour where snow scenes shared space with forest glades and interior scenes of palatial palaces.

As a commercial photographer he was employed by owners of the local big houses to record and photograph all the great occasions. The Weldons of Kilmoroney and the Geoghegans of Bert House were to possess many fine examples of Nicholas O’Rourke Glynn’s early photographic work.

With his previous theatrical experience Nicholas O’Rourke Glynn became very involved in theatre in Athy. He produced many shows in the Town Hall and was instrumental in holding a Gaelic League Concert in Athy every St. Patrick’s night for many years. One of the pioneers of cinematography in Ireland he put on magic lantern shows in Athy’s Town Hall in the early years and later still film shows long before Athy had it’s own cinema.

Nicholas, born in 1864, made his last stage appearance in George Du Maurier’s play “Trilby” in 1937 in a role which required him to die on stage. Exactly one year later and at precisely the time of his stage death, he was to pass away at 73 years of age. His wife, Florence, who was considerably younger, died 4 years later at the age of 48.

Florrie Pender - St. Josephs School

I had occasion to call to the girls primary school Scoil Mhicil Naofa some weeks ago to meet the newly appointed Principal. In keeping with the tradition long associated with the Mercy Sisters I was brought to the Staff Room for a cup of tea and a bun and who should I meet there but somebody I remember when I was a nipper attending St. Joseph's Boys School at Rathstewart. It was Mrs. Florence Pender still hale and hearty and of indeterminate age. Woe betide anyone who would be so foolish as to ask the question which must inevitably spring to mind.

There are few memories we retain of our very young days but of those still cherished inevitably our early school days figure prominently. I have snatches of memories relating to my three year stay in St. Joseph's Boys School where I was before transferring at seven years of age to the Christian Brothers School. Sr. Brendan, Mrs. Lucy Alcock and Mrs. Pender are prominent in my recollections of St. Joseph's School. Mrs. Alcock was regarded by all the young boys as a surrogate mother and how kindly she reciprocated the trust and friendship lavished on her by the youngsters. Sr. Brendan was of course everyone's vision of the kindly nun. She prepared us all for our First Communion with dextrous use of the scissors which hung from her belt. The skilful art of receiving communion on the tongue in those pre Vatican Two days was rehearsed and rehearsed by Sr. Brendan passing up the line of boys, each obediently sticking out his tongue to be touched with the scissors held in the hands of the diminutive Kerry nun.

Mrs. Pender who is apt to describe herself as being as well known as a "beggars ass" worked occasionally in the Convent and was to replace Lucy Alcock when the latter retired. Her father, Denis Prendergast, who lived in Mount Hawkins also worked for the nuns and drove their horse carriage. This was a feature of transport in Athy up to the 1950's as the nuns were brought to the Railway Station or travelled with the carriage curtains drawn to St. Vincent's Hospital. Florrie Prendergast married William Pender and in so doing changed her name as she herself laughing describes by cutting the "gast" out.

After almost 45 years of service she is still to be found in the Staff Room of Scoil Mhichil Naofa catering for the needs of today's teachers.

St. Joseph's School no longer stands at the side of what was the main entrance gate to the Convent of Mercy off the Rathstewart Road. Demolished in 1964 to make way for St. Michael's new Parish Church the entire area has changed beyond recognition.

Also demolished at that time was the large finely carved Celtic Cross which once stood in the grounds of St. Michael's Church and which was clearly visible as one passed on the Monasterevin Road. Captured many times in photographs as far back as the Lawrence photographs of the 1890's the Cross was erected to commemorate Fr. Thomas Greene, former Parish Curate who played a major part in raising funds locally for the construction of the Convent for the Sisters of Mercy. I wonder where that memorial Cross put up with the contributions of the local people can now be found? It should be restored as a fitting tribute to Fr. Greene and to the people of Athy who before, during and after the Great Famine made many sacrifices so that the town could have a Convent of Mercy.

However I digress, but maybe not. The physical changes in the area around the Parish Church as we knew it in the 1950's mirror the changes which time has wrought on the people we knew at that time. The youngsters who played in the school yard of St. Joseph's School are now scattered far and wide. Of the teachers only Sr. Finbar is still with us while Florrie Pender continues her involvement with the Sisters of Mercy junior school. Times have changed but some things never change.

Quinns - Basket Makers

Quinn is a family name synonymous with basketmaking in Athy. To Michael Quinn of Geraldine Road, now 63 years of age, has passed the unenviable distinction of being the last member of his family to practise the skill once handed down over the generations from father to son. Today Michael occasionally puts his hand to producing a basket but only as an exercise of the ancient skill with no commercial intent at all.

His father, Jerry Quinn, who died in 1965, was with his father-in-law Michael "Pop" Quinn, his brother-in-law Martin "Murt" Quinn and the great Jim O'Neill the last of the basket makers of Athy. Jim O'Neill, father of that superb musician Joe O'Neill, was regarded as the most skilful man of his time to weave sally or hazel rod to produce baskets, baby cribs or whatever you fancied. The other basket makers always deferred to Jim O'Neill and any difficult job requiring the hand of a master craftsman was sent to him. In his latter years he lived in St. Joseph's Terrace where he continued working despite losing his sight in old age.

Jerry Quinn, like his father also called Jerry who died in 1932, spent a lifetime working at basketmaking. In his younger days he had spent 13 years in the British Army serving with the 8th Hussars in India and in France during the Great War. Living in St. John's Lane at a time when the entire area was a thriving community Jerry Quinn worked in a small alcove off his kitchen except during the warm summer months when he was to be found outside his front door. Perched on a low stool with a sack across his knees he worked from early morning until late at night making potato baskets for farmers.

He worked with sally rods in summer and with hazel rods in winter. While sally was pliable all the year round hazel was not usable in the summer when the sap was up. Spending two or three days a week gathering in the raw materials for his craft, Jerry Quinn was a familiar figure with his donkey and cart. He generally worked in the area of Vicarstown, Cloney and Booleigh where the boggy land was ideal for growing the pliable rods and where farmers allowed him to cut what he required. The rest of the week was spent making potato baskets at the rate of approximately 24 a week.

Surprisingly enough Jerry Quinn only made potato baskets which he then sold to shop keepers in Athy, Dunlavin, Baltinglass, Carlow and Portlaoise. The donkey and cart was employed to bring the finished product to the out-lying towns where the price obtainable in 1944 was one shilling to one shilling and three pence a basket. Immediately after the War the price in common with everything else increased to 2/6 a basket. Before he died in 1965 Jerry Quinn sold his last baskets for ten shillings each.

No measuring rods were used in the craft, rather the craftsman used the measurements from the tip of his fingers to his elbow as the diameter of the hoop or ring which he made first. Large thick hazel rods were split down the centre to be used as ribs for the basket and these were wedged into the sides of the hoop. A couple of rods were then plaited in and as the side of the basket was built up further ribs were put in as required. An old cut throat razer with a homemade handle on it was used to trim off the rough edges of the finished basket.

When Jerry Quinn died in 1965 the basketmakers craft ceased to be practised in Athy. The soldier who had survived the Great War had timed his leaving well as the centuries old skill was about to be made redundant by the then emerging plastic industry.

Bleach Cottages

When war was declared in 1914 Major Henry Lefroy, a relation of the Lefroys of Cardenton, Athy, was given command of a recruiting area of the Munster Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Regiment. He was later to report that recruits coming forward invariably said "Leave out the cry 'come and fight for our home' we have none, our homes are not fit for animals". Lefroy suggested to his superiors that an Act similar to the Labourers Act under which Boards of Guardians provided houses for agricultural workers should be brought in to provide houses for soldiers on their return from the war.

A Parliamentary Bill was eventually brought forward and all recruiting officers were instructed to tell recruits that approximately 40,000 houses would be provided for Irish ex-soldiers at the end of the Great War. The Bill became law in 1919.

On the passing of the Irish Treaty in December 1921 the British Government reduced the number of houses to be provided to 3,600 for the entire 32 counties. At the same time a Trust was established and provided with £1.3 million to complete the building programme at a maximum cost of £500 per house. Difficulties between the Trustees delayed the implementation of the scheme. It was not until 1925 that the Trustees sanctioned a scheme of six cottages for ex-soldiers in Athy.

In a letter dated the 6th of May, 1925 Major Lefroy confirmed that
"the Trustees agreed to commence building six houses at Athy ......the estimate for the scheme being £545.00 per house ......... each with a floor area of 542 sq. ft." Expressing regret that the Trustees financial position did not allow them to erect houses of a class to which they believe the ex-service men to be entitled, Major Lefroy considered that the promises made to the ex-service men were not kept even though "this small and inferior (house) type exceeds the available amount per house".

The six houses were erected on lands formerly known as the Bleach Yard, an area in which flax was laid out for drying and bleaching in the 18th century. The cottages are known to this day as The Bleach Cottages, although older residents often refer to them as Sydney Terrace after Sydney Minch of Rockfield House who was the local representative of the British Legion for many years.

In 1983 I interviewed the late Mrs. Cathy Kelly who for many years was housekeeper to the Dominicans and who lived in the area. She recalled the original tenants appointed to the Bleach Cottages in 1926. Tom Aldridge was in No. 1 and next door was Mrs. Casey, later Mrs. Archie Sullivan, whose first husband died from wounds inflicted in World War I. Pat or "Sixty" Kelly lived in No. 3. He was Caretaker in the Town Hall for many years and sported a waxed moustache and a nickname which was reputed to be his Army number. The last of the original tenants according to Mrs. Kelly was Mick Dunphy who lived in the corner house at No. 6.

The fallibility of memory no doubt led my informant to give me four additional names as original tenants of what was a six house scheme. Those named were Messrs. Houlihan, Corcoran, Donnelly, and Mrs. Crampton formerly Youell. The origin of the Bleach Cottages is undoubtedly known to many. What is not known are the untold stories which each of those original tenants could tell of the horrors of War and the pain and suffering of those who lost loved ones.

Athy Workhouse

On the 9th of January, 1844 the newly built Workhouse in Athy opened for the first time. Earlier that morning the Board of Guardians met in the Board Room to decide on the meal times and diets of the inmates who had to enter and live in the Workhouse to qualify for relief.

Adults were to have breakfast at 9.30a.m. and dinner at 4.00p.m. Children would eat at 9.00a.m. and 2.00p.m. and have an additional meal at 7.00 p.m.

The diet laid down by the Board of Guardians under the Chairmanship of Sir Anthony Weldon was in keeping with the Poor Law Commissioners recommendation of providing minimal sustenance so as not to encourage poor people to come to the Workhouse.

Adults were to receive for breakfast seven ounces of oatmeal made into stirabout with one pint of mixed milk and for dinner three and a half pounds of potatoes with one pint of buttermilk. The harshness of this diet was marginally improved when the Board of Guardians agreed on the 15th of February, 1844 to allow each adult an extra ounce of oatmeal for breakfast. The Guardians however reviewed this decision within a fortnight and on the 29th of February returned the adults to their original breakfast of seven ounces of oatmeal, but in addition allowed each man and woman to have supper in the evening consisting of two pounds of potatoes with half a pint of buttermilk.

Young persons between the age of three years and fifteen years were to receive a breakfast of four ounces of oatmeal made into a stirabout with half a pint of sweetmilk. For dinner each got five pounds of potatoes with half a pint of buttermilk and supper consisted of a quarter pound of bread with half a pint of buttermilk.

Infants up to three years had for breakfast two ounces of oatmeal made into stirabout and each day received a half a pound of bread with one pint of sweetmilk. Women nursing children in addition to the adult fare also got one pint of sweetmilk each night while infants without mothers were to get half a pound of bread and one quart of sweetmilk until they were nine years old.

At the end of their meeting The Board of Guardians approved the first admissions to Athy Workhouse and that night five men, four women, ten boys, five girls and one infant slept in the Workhouse.

On entering, the paupers as they were classified, were bathed, their clothes were removed and they were supplied with the Workhouse uniform. Men and women were segregated as the separation of the sexes was seen as a fundamental requirement to maintaining discipline in the Workhouse.

Built to accommodate 360 adults and 240 children the Workhouse had 300 inmates on 2 January 1845. On 7th October of that year the numbers had increased to 390 but within two months as the potato famine worsened the number of inmates increased to 615.

On the 26th of December, 1846 there were 732 inmates of which 65 were in the Workhouse hospital and 482 were children under 15 years. The returns for Athy Workhouse for the four months to the 1st of May, 1847 showed that 174 inmates died in the Workhouse in that period.

In the first week of 1849 the number of Workhouse inmates had jumped to 1,399, during that same week 13 persons died in the Workhouse. The overcrowding in the workhouse was alleviated by the opening of two auxiliary Workhouses in the town. One located in Barrack Street occupied a row of five houses while a second auxiliary Workhouse was a store belonging to the Grand Canal Company at Woodstock South.

The Workhouse system was by then part of the lives of the local people and would remain so until the emergence of the Irish Free State.

McHugh's Chemists

Des McHugh will be celebrating 100 years of family involvement in the pharmaceutical business in Athy on the 18th of January. His father, John McHugh, who was born at the Dry Dock in 1870 qualified as a chemist in October 1893. Within three months he founded his own business in the premises now occupied by Josie's Hair Salon in Duke Street. Later moving his business a few yards up the street to Staffords premises he subsequently purchased numbers 39 and 40 Duke Street from the Hurley family. There he continued to practice until his death in 1929.

The pharmacy was run for a number of years by his son, Thomas McHugh, a medical doctor, who later emigrated to South Africa. A manager was then employed to keep the business open until Des, the youngest son, qualified as a pharmacist in 1939 when he returned to Athy.

After almost 55 years in the profession Des has seen many changes all of which he regards as for the better. The long hours spent with the pestle and mortar and the pill tile making up compounds and pills are but a memory. Nowadays Des would admit to using the pestle and mortar once a week on average in these days of proprietary medicines. The making up of ointments was another time consuming role for the pharmacist in days gone by requiring dextrous use of the ointment slab and spatula to produce potions and remedies which were eagerly sought after.

The McHughs have a long association with Athy. Des' grandfather Timothy McHugh was a local grain buyer whose stores in Nelson Street were later acquired by Minch Nortons as part of the malting company's building complex. Timothy McHugh was one of the group of grain buyers for whom the Duke of Leinster had a corn exchange built near the harbour on Barrow Quay in 1862. Designed and constructed to facilitate the busy corn market for which Athy was famous it soon fell into disuse because of complaints relating to the bad lighting and ventilation in the building. Later converted it is used today as the local Courthouse.

Des McHugh has played a very active role in community life in Athy over the years. A founder member of Athy Lions Club established twenty three years ago he still regularly attends the monthly meeting of that Club and participates in all it's fundraising activities for local charities.

A life long interest in golf is still maintained today and at 77 years of age he is a regular player in competitions at Athy Golf Club where he plays off a respectable 17 handicap. Captain of the Club in 1942/1943 and 1954 he was elected President in 1957 and in 1958 and is now a life member of the Geraldine based Club.

His sporting achievements are not confined to the golf course where he won the Captain's Prize in 1936 and again in 1972. A keen rugby player in his young days he first played for Athy Rugby Club in 1932 and holds the unique distinction of being the captain of Athy’s first Town's Cup winning team in 1938. He was a member of the senior team which won the Town's Cup again in 1940. His interest in rugby is maintained as he is a life member of the Athy Rugby Club and a life member of the Leinster Branch of the Rugby Referee's Association.

One hundred years in practice in the same provincial town is a remarkable achievement for any family and good wishes are extended to Des and his wife Eileen who will celebrate a proud family tradition on 18 January.

Eamon Malone

Eamon Malone, Barrowhouse, Athy, Officer in charge Carlow Brigade Irish Republican Army was one of only four men from Athy imprisoned during the War of Independence. Republican activity in and around Athy in the period 1914 to 1932 was of a minimal nature. Only son of a Cork University Professor, Eamon Malone returned with his mother to Barrowhouse following the death of his father. His uncle was Reverend James J. Malone, Author and Catholic Priest based in Australia whose poems centred on the Barrowhouse locality are so well known. His cousin, Christiana, was one of the few members of Cumann na mBan in this area and I had the pleasure of knowing her when she returned to live with her husband some years ago at number 1, Convent View. Sadly, both are now dead.

The young men involved in the Barrowhouse ambush on the 16th May, 1921 were members of the Carlow brigade. This ambush which was a subject of a previous article in this series resulted in the death of William O’Connor and James Lacey, both of whom lie buried in the cemetery adjoining Barrowhouse Church.

As a wanted man Eamon Malone moved from safe house to safe house, never staying more than one night in any one place. On November 27th, 1920, one week after the British Intelligence System in Ireland was smashed following the events now referred to as “Bloody Sunday”, Eamon Malone was staying at Number 41 Duke Street, Athy. As it was a well known republican house it was deemed prudent for him to move elsewhere and accompanied by Joe May, another local republican, he walked the short distance to the home of Peter Doyle’s house in Woodstock Street. They were spotted by the wife of a local Royal Irish Constabulary Officer and on information supplied by her Joe May was later arrested while the hunt for his companion continued. Eamon Malone was eventually captured and lodged in Mountjoy Jail. There his leadership qualities were soon recognised by his fellow prisoners who elected him to a three man prisoners Council. A hunger strike was agreed upon as a means of defying the prison authorities and Eamon Malone was one of many men who underwent the hardships and dangers of a prolonged hunger strike.

Later removed to Jervis Street Hospital, Malone was in time released under the cat and mouse legislation which left him open to re-arrest after he had recovered his health. However, the declaration of the truce on the 11th of July, 1921 saved him from further incarceration. An asthmatic for many years Malone was to suffer ill-health for the rest of his short life.

With the coming of the Treaty, Malone was free once again to move around without inhibition. Within a few years he married an Athy girl, Kathleen Dooley from Duke Street who had started her working life in Athy Post Office before finding employment in Dublin. She was the daughter of Michael Dooley of 41 Duke Street and her sister Hester who was to marry Joe May, another local republican prisoner, is still living in Athy and is hale and hearty at 91 years of age.

Kathleen Malone was employed in the Post Office in Sutton for many years, while Eamon who had opposed the British presence in Ireland was forced to emigrate to England to find employment. Dogged by ill-health he died at an early age at Sutton, Co. Dublin while home on holidays from England. His remains were brought to Barrowhouse Cemetery for burial. His widow Kathleen died in 1964 and he is today survived by his daughters, Joan Fagan and Una Power of Dublin and his son Desmond who lives in Australia.

Frank English

The celebration of a generation of public service as a Town Councillor brought together Athy Councillors past and present on the 15th of December last. The recipient of many congratulations and good wishes on the night was Frank English who first stood for election to Athy Urban District Council in 1967. His colleagues on the Council that year included M.G. Nolan, doyen of the Fianna Fail party in South Kildare and Paddy Dooley, then a member of the Dail and the only Athy townsman to gain a seat in the Dail since the days of Sidney Minch. Others re-elected in 1967 were Tom Carbery of St. Martin's Terrace and Joe Deegan. While all of these men were being re-elected towards the end of their active involvement in local politics Frank was being elected to the Council for the first time. Also elected with him on that occasion were Jim McEvoy, Enda Kinsella, Mick Rowan and Jack MacKenna.

First elected at 26 years of age Frank has stood for re-election on three occasions since then. The length of his service as a Town Councillor is not unique as longevity of service at this level of Local Government has in the past been the norm rather than the exception. However, in todays volatile political environment 27 years of service as a Town Councillor is sufficiently unusual to merit public recognition. Not least for the level of commitment and public spirit shown in putting his name before the Electorate on so many occasions. Many of us are reluctant to get involved - and in that respect the unwillingness extends to almost all facets of life. Non-participation by the many places an uneven burden on those who are prepared to share the responsibility of community life. Community leaders like Frank English are fair game for the "hurlers on the ditch" who are either unwilling or fearful of putting themselves before the community at election time. Whether in the local club or organisation we have all too often come across the same experience where the willing few share the burden for the many who wish to participate on their own terms without making any contribution at committee level. So it was fitting that we gathered in the Leinster Arms Hotel to pay tribute to somebody who has not been afraid to put his time and his talents at the disposal of the local community.

In his younger days Frank was known as Harry, a name which disappeared as adulthood loomed. Strange when you look back over the years how in the middle of new relationships youthful friendships endure. Harry, as he then was, was never part of the Offaly Street gang but yet it was with Frank as he then became that I shared many experiences over the years. Together as young lads we ventured onto the Continent as intrepid travellers thumbing our way around France and later venturing into East Berlin a few short years after the erection of the Berlin Wall. Trips to Belgium, Holland, England and America followed and experiences were shared which added enormously to our knowledge, if not to our interpersonal skills while no doubt confirming the Continental's perception of young Irishmen as "Mad Dogs of the Midnight Sun".

His penchant for overseas travelling has abated in recent years to be replaced by an enormous likening for a late night pint in the cosy confines of Frank O'Briens. Maybe old age affects you that way. I will have to wait another year before finding out for myself.

Frank, as his mother Peg would say, is "a great lad". Indeed he is and his 27 years on the Town Council amply demonstrates that the townspeople of Athy share that view.

Tom Flood and Kavanaghs Autograph Book

On the 6th of September, 1984 the Irish Independent reported the death of Sean Kavanagh, former Governor of Mountjoy Jail. Born in Tralee in 1897 Kavanagh spent the early part of his life as a member of the Gaelic League, on whose behalf he worked as an Irish teacher in County Kildare. It was in that capacity he stayed in Athy on numerous occasions prior to and during the War of Independence. Unknown to those who met him he was also employed as an agent for Michael Collins’ Intelligence Services as Chief Intelligence Officer for County Kildare. He was a frequent visitor to No. 41 Duke Street, then the home of Michael Dooley who was very active in Republican circles during the War of Independence. Dooley’s Terrace is named after him.

Kavanagh was eventually captured and imprisoned in Mountjoy Jail in November 1920 where he was to remain for 12 months. During his long term in prison he got many of his Republican colleagues to sign an autograph book which was recently for sale at a rare book auction. The first signature in the book is that of Michael Staines, one of James Connolly’s stretcher bearers during his evacuation from the G.P.O. in Easter week. Staines was later to be appointed the first Commissioner of the Garda Siochana. Arthur Griffith and E.J. Duggan, two signatories of the Anglo Irish Treaty appended their signatures in Kavanagh’s book on the 21st of April, 1921.

Perhaps the most interesting signature for an Athy reader is that of Thomas Flood who on the 23rd of September, 1921 dedicated an inscription to his late brother Frank Flood who was hanged in Mountjoy Jail. Given Kavanagh’s links with Athy it is a strange coincidence that Thomas Flood, a Dublin man, was soon thereafter to come to live in the same South Kildare town where he set up business in Leinster Street.

Frank Flood and his brother Thomas were members of the Republican movement during the War of Independence and Frank was captured following an attack on Crown Forces in Drumcondra. Court marshalled and convicted of treason he was hanged at Mountjoy Jail on the 14th of March, 1921.

Thomas Flood took part in the attack on the Custom House, Dublin by Republican Forces on the 25th of May, 1921. After being wounded he was captured and lodged in Mountjoy Jail to await trial. He escaped a probable conviction for treason and the inevitable sentence of hanging when an acute appendicitis on the eve of his trial led to its postponement. He remained in Mountjoy Jail until November 1921 and the Declaration of the Truce on the eve of his re-scheduled trial allowed him to escape the death penalty.

Following the end of hostilities Thomas Flood married Peg Mullane from Carlow and came to Athy where he purchased the Railway Dining Rooms owned by Margaret Byrne. He was later to become a member of Athy Urban District Council and he died in 1950 on the eve of an election to Kildare County Council for which he was a candidate. His son, Tom, lives in Church Road, while another son Danny was a member of the last Kildare team to win a Leinster Championship medal in 1956.

Sean Kavanagh, the original owner of the autograph book, was to return to Mountjoy Jail as Deputy Governor after the Treaty and he was later promoted as Governor, a position he held for 34 years.

Looking through the autographs and inscriptions, now 72 years old, it is difficult to imagine the personal sacrifices made by these men and their women folk at such a crucial time in Ireland’s history. Now that we have arrived at another cross-roads in our country’s story it is important for us to acknowledge our debt to these men and women while realising that it does no disservice to what we believe in if we seek a peaceful solution to the problems facing our country today.

James McNally - Mass Serving

Growing up in Athy in the 1950's the height of every young man's ambition was to be an altar boy. This was not necessarily an indication of religious fervour, merely I suspect a desire to be involved in the adult world from which young people were then so totally excluded. Being an altar boy was almost akin to taking to the stage and like the actor proclaiming his words to a hushed audience the altar boy intoned the responses to the Latin Mass with a solemnity and gravity beyond his years.

The attraction of being an altar boy is even now difficult to ascertain. Maybe it lay in the unquestioning desire to emulate an older brother who had himself perhaps followed in the steps of a near neighbour. The Mass servers surplice was handed down from brother to brother and well I can remember the relatively dishevelled lace ends of my surplice which repeated washing and delicate darning could never hope to conceal was a hand-me-down.

Morning masses in those days were timed to try the body if not the spirit and my memories are of being awakened at 6.30 a.m. by my father to get up on cold dark winters mornings to serve 7.00 a.m. Mass. The only constants at that ungodly hour were the celebrant and the local Christian Brothers who each morning walked alone and some distance apart from each other from their Monastery in St. John's to the local Parish Church. A Mass server could not always guarantee to arise and arrive in time and to this day I recall the terror felt when I arrived at the Sacristy one morning soon after I joined the Altar Servers to find that I was the only server present. In those days one had to contend with responsibilities which seemed awesome for a young lad so a hasty retreat was beaten leaving the Priest to face the congregation on his own.

One man whose face appears to me out of the distance of almost 40 years is James McNally, Sacristan extraordaire. For how long he was in the Parish Church I cannot say but he always seemed an important part of the Church in Athy and I can still visualise him guiding the Priests through the Easter ceremonies with the assurance and confidence of a man well versed in the intricities of Church ceremonies.

James was a widower and he lived in Convent View with the Mullerys. As Fr. McLoughlin, the Senior Curate who was later to become Parish Priest of Celbridge once said "James McNally could say Mass". It was a tribute well deserved and one which acknowledged his value to the local Church which he served with dignity and respect for many years. When he died he was buried in Old St. Michael's Cemetery and today it is sad to realise that this servant of the Church and of the people of Athy lies in an unmarked grave.

I am sure there are many others who like me remember James McNally and his contribution to the Church. It is rather surprising that he should be forgotten but perhaps he was not forgotten, merely overlooked in the myriad of problems and troubles that assail all of us throughout our lifetime. Now that we are reminded of James McNally maybe we can ensure that his grave is suitably marked as a tribute to a man who served a Church and a community so well for so long.

Sisters of Mercy

The Sisters of Mercy have a long cherished involvement with Athy and District. The first steps were taken to bring the Sisters to Athy in the days immediately before the Great Famine. However, it was not until 1852 that the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Athy to take charge of the newly built convent at the rear of St. Michael’s Parish Church. Like other religious communities throughout Ireland the local convent has seen a sharp decline in numbers in recent years. There are approximately twenty-six nuns in the convent today, with another eight nuns in St. Vincent’s Hospital. Thirty years ago there were sixty five nuns in the convent which had it’s own Noviciate to cater for the novices wishing to join the Sisters of Mercy in Athy. The Noviciate is now based in Dublin and no novices have entered for the Athy convent for many years past.

How different the story was in previous generations when the local convent was home to novices from all over Ireland. Athy convent was particularly popular with young women from the West of Ireland while the South of Ireland also gave many novices who were to teach in the local school work in St. Vincent’s Hospital, or do other charitable work in and around Athy. The remarkable fact is that so few of the nuns living in the convent over the years were from the South Kildare area. This is possibly explained by what may originally have been a rule later changed to a tacit understanding that Athy girls would join the Mercy Order in convents outside their own locality.

At a time when religious vocations were the norm rather than the exception it was not unusual for several members of the same family to join the convent. There were no less than ten families represented by two or more daughters in the Athy convent over the last fifty years. These included Sr. Laurence and Sr. Ursula who were Malones of Barrowhouse, and the Cullen sisters of Ballytore who in religion took the names of Sr. Joseph and Sr. Cecilia. The Gavin family of Westmeath gave us Sr. Francis and Sr. Peter while Sr. Sacred Heart and Sr. Agnes were Blanchfields from Thomastown in Co. Kilkenny. Still in the convent today are Sr. Finbar and Sr. Dolores, members of the Cowhy family who entered from Ballyhea, Buttevant, Co. Cork. The O’Leary sisters from Dublin, Sr. Joseph and Sr. Carmel, were another set of siblings who came to Athy to embark upon life as Sisters of Mercy.

Nearer to home were the Fingleton sisters of Ballyadams who as Sr. Ignatius and Sr. Theresa were to live in community with Sr. Claud and Sr. Cecilia, two members of the Hall family from Killinaule in Co. Tipperary. The Meagher family of Doon, Co. Limerick gave us Sr. Alphonsus and Sr. Oliver but perhaps the most extraordinary family record was that of the Cosgrave sisters from Daingean, Co. Offaly. Sr. Xavier, Sr. Paul and Sr. Rose were members of the same family who joined the Sisters of Mercy in Athy and happily Sr. Xavier and Sr. Paul are still with us.

Around 1940 the house rule which restricted the members of the community to the convent was changed to allow sisters and postulants to return to their own homes one day each year. Irrespective of the distance to be travelled anyone availing of the opportunity to visit their home had to be back in the convent by 9.00 p.m. the same night. At a time when so many members of the community were from the West of Ireland even this concession had limited benefit. One can imagine the difficulties posed for someone like Sr. Brendan who entered the convent in Athy in 1914 and who was from the Glens near Dingle in Co. Kerry, a distance impossible to travel in one day.

Community life in Athy’s convent is more relaxed and less restrictive than ever before and the nuns are now actively involved with the wider community outside the convent. The regret is that the future of the Sisters of Mercy in Athy is so uncertain, but hopefully they will continue to have a presence in Athy continuing a tradition extending back over 140 years.

Geraldine Tennis Club

As you walk along the Carlow Road past Chanterlands, Oaklawns, and the other housing estates it is difficult to visualise that just a few years ago the entire area was given over to fields. The only visible reminder of that time is a single yew tree growing on the footpath near the entrance to Oaklawns. It once stood in the front garden of Mrs. Flood's house, which with Mrs. Anthony's house on the same road were once the only dwellings between the railway crossing gates and Coneyboro. Some short distance away and in the area now given over to the Chanterlands housing estate I can recall the site of the Tennis Club now long gone. One of my earliest memories is as a very young lad in the company of other young fellows on our hands and knees looking for weeds on the smooth green sward of one of the Club's Tennis Courts. The Caretaker at that time was Mattie Brennan, of fond memory. I never played tennis on those same courts and could not recall the name of the club until last week when the Minute Book of Geraldine Tennis Club came into my possession.

The inaugural meeting of the club was held in the Urban Council room in the Town Hall on Tuesday the 8th of May, 1934. The first Committee was headed by Fr. Maurice Browne C.C. who was later to become Parish Priest in Ballymore Eustace. He was brother of Cardinal Browne O.P. but is perhaps best remembered as the author of those fine books "The Big Sycamore" and "In Monavello". The first Chairman was Joseph Hickey while Brother Dolan of the local Christian Brothers School was Vice-Chairman. James Tierney was Treasurer and joint Secretaries were Edward Dooley and Philip Gunne. The first Captain of the club was Tommy Mulhall, better known in those days as a County and Provincial footballer. William Keyes was Vice-Captain while the Committee included P.J. O'Neill, John Harvey, William Mahon, Frank Bramley, Joseph Carbery, Michael Mannin and John Dooley.

The Ladies Committee comprised Ms. K. Carolan, Ms. Cullen, Ms. M. Kelly, Ms. P. Bradley, Ms. E. Flinter, Ms. K. May, Ms. Browne, Ms. R. Dooley, Ms. O'Brien, Ms. Hickey, Ms. J. Horgan, Ms. K. Candy, Ms. Molly Lawler and Ms. May Lawler.

On the proposal of Joe May the Club was named "Geraldine Tennis Club" and the meeting also agreed to fix the annual subscription at 12/6. It is interesting to note that 60 years before the emergence of equality legislation those in attendance at the inaugural meeting voted down a Motion that women be charged 2/6 less than men for their annual subscription.

The grounds used by the Club were leased from Mr. Bodley and the tennis courts were officially opened on Thursday the 24th of May, 1934. Early rules established by the club included limitation of sets to not more than eleven games and prohibiting singles play while members were waiting for games. Interestingly enough at an early date the club had more than six courts - as of January of 1936 it was agreed to reduce the number of courts to five or six. The first groundsman employed by the club was John Mitchell.

In September 1934 the Club decided to run practice dances on Thursday evenings every week and an all night dance on September 26th. An all night dance required a band to be booked to play from 9.00 p.m. to 3.00 a.m. As to the nature and purpose of a practice dance I cannot say but I would welcome hearing from anyone who might have attended them. Incidentally the admission charge for an all night dance was four shillings (20p) which included government tax and supper.

In 1935 the club purchased a galvanised hut from the Barrow Drainage Board and this was used as the Clubhouse. You can see the Clubhouse in a photograph of social club players taken in the 1940's which is presently on exhibition in the Museum Room in the Town Hall. In October 1936 the club changed it's name to South Kildare Tennis Club and affiliated with the Irish Lawn Tennis Union. By now the committee included Ger Moriarty, Liam Ryan, M.G. Nolan and Paddy Dooley. On the 18th of November, 1941 a special meeting of the Tennis Club was called to consider the possible purchase of the legion hall in St. John's Lane. It was agreed to proceed and the purchase was made for £213.3.5 inclusive of all costs. Thereafter, the story of the South Kildare Tennis Club is that of the Social Club and I will turn to that story at a later date.

Freemasons Lodge Athy

Freemasonry is a little known part of the fabric of our history and at local level nothing is known of the Society by those who are not members. No doubt you, like myself, only know it as a secret organisation indulging in secret rituals and handshakes to which vivid imaginations over the years have imparted demonic significance. To Freemasons, however, it is not a secret organisation and they reject any suggestion to the contrary.

Modern Freemasonry in Ireland began with the establishment of the grand Lodge in 1725. It is claimed that traditionally Freemasonry began with itinerant craft masons or stone cutters who travelled in search of work and who developed secret signs known only to fellow craft masons. Whatever the validity of that claim it is indisputable that the earliest Freemason lodges consisted mainly of the gentry who were not in any was associated with craft workers.

Today there are approximately 730 Lodges in Ireland with a membership close to 50,000 of which approximately 7,000 members are in the Irish Republic. Athy has St. John's Masonic Lodge for which a Warrant issued from the Grand Lodge in 1840. The Athy Lodge is No. 167 and it has a membership of approximately 48.

Membership of the Freemasons is technically open to men of all religions but in practice it's membership is largely comprised of members of the Reformed Church. Within the ranks of the Athy Lodge there has only been one known instance of a Roman Catholic member. He was an employee of a local factory who spent a short time in Athy in the 1950's. Daniel O'Connell, a Catholic, was also a Freemason despite a Papal Decree of 1738 which prohibited Catholics from joining the organisation. It would appear that the Irish Hierarchy did not enforce that Decree until the early part of the 19th century. The present situation in relation to Catholic membership of the Freemasons is somewhat uncertain.

The first Master of the Athy Lodge was B.A. Yates who was followed in 1841 by Henry O'Neill. The Lodge Master and the other Lodge Officers are nominated in September, elected in October and installed in January each year. In addition to the Master, the other Lodge Officers are Senior and Junior Wardens, Senior and Junior Deacons, Inner Guard, Steward of Charities, Director of Ceremonies and Chaplain. Masons are called Brother while a Past Master is addressed as Worshipful Brother.

The position of Lodge Secretary has been occupied by only three persons since 1898. H.K. Toomey, a local Solicitor, was Secretary for 38 years and in 1937 Robert Youell took up the position which he retained until 1960.

The Lodge Members of Athy meet nine times a year and the meeting lasts approximately two hours. The earliest meetings which followed the issuing of the Lodge Warrant in 1840 took place in the house of Samuel Connolly of Emily Square. He was to be Lodge Master in 1846. Later on the Lodge met in the Courthouse before obtaining from the Duke of Leinster the lease of a room in the Town Hall, Athy, in the early 1860's. The Duke was Grand Master of the Irish Freemasons and for a peppercorn rent of 1/= per year the Athy Masons had exclusive use of a room on the top floor of the Town Hall for over 100 years. They left the building prior to its refurbishment and moved to their present meeting place.

The members in meeting wear the Masons Apron, and other regalia with it's predominantly blue colour. The Deacons bear staffs while the door is guarded by the Inner Guard who restrict entry to Freemasons only. The Masonic rituals are part of the Masonic secrets which members may not disclose as are the secret words, signs and grips used by the Masons. A Freemason is quite entitled to disclose his membership to a non-mason but most are very secretive about their membership.

There are five branches of Freemasonry operating in Ireland ranging from the Craft which is lodge orientated to the Royal Arch membership of which is open to Master Masons. Membership of the Royal Arch meet in Royal Arch Chapters and it's governing body is the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Ireland. The next highest branch of Freemasonry is the Order of Knights Mason, membership of which is open to Royal Arch Masons. The Order of the Temple is restricted to those Masons invited to join and its members meet in Preceptories. The highest unit of Freemasonry in Ireland is the Ancient and Accepted Rite for Ireland, membership of which is again strictly by invitation only.

Members of the local Masonic Lodges in Athy, Newbridge, Portlaoise and Carlow would not all necessarily operate at the various levels within Irish Freemasonry. However, Chapter Meetings of the Royal Arch are held four times a year in Athy while Preceptory Meetings of the Order of the Temple meet in Carlow and Portlaoise.

The objectives of the Freemasons have been claimed as "Benevolence and Brotherly Love" and a number of charities have been established by the organisation. These include the Masonic Girls Fund, the Masonic Boys Fund and the Masonic Annuity Fund for widows of deceased Members.

The claim that it is an anti-religious and politically orientated organisation is vehemently denied by the Freemasons. While the Masonic Meetings begin and end with prayers they dismiss any claims that theirs is an alternative religion. Perhaps its greatest and possibly only benefit to a local community lies in the expression of that Brotherly Love which causes Freemasons to come to each others help and assistance as and when required.

George Hegarty

George Hegarty always seemed to be part of the Athy I knew as I grew up. Surprisingly he has only been with us since 1957.

Of West Cork farming stock George was born in the townland of Smorane, Skibbereen, where his brother still works the farm which has been home to Hegartys for seven generations. At an early age George was apprenticed to a draper and shoe merchant in his native town. In those days shop apprenticeships were much sought after and indoor staff, who lived over the premises, actually paid for the privilege of learning their trade. As an outdoor staffer who lived at home George earned 7/6 per week for the first six months. To younger generations unaccustomed to the intricacies of pounds, shillings and pence, his pay in modern coinage came to 37½ pence per week.

In April 1945 George was on the move when he got a job in Templemore. Staying only eleven weeks he moved further inland on being appointed Chargehand in the Boot Department of Goods of Kilkenny in July 1945. As a member of the indoor staff George lived over the premises with full board and a salary of £14.0.0 per year. Boots and shoes sold in those days were of the sturdy type, designed to last. Every home had an iron last used when reinforcing newly purchased boots or shoes with the metal heels and toe caps so prevalent in the 1940's and 1950's.

George spent three years in the Marble City before returning to Templemore in November 1948 to set up his own boot, shoe and light drapery business. Marrying the following year George was to spend the next eight years developing his business during the difficult years of the pre Lemass boom years. Giving up the unequal struggle in 1957 George came to Athy to work for Shaws as Manager in mens clothing.

In the late 1950's and well into the 1970's tailor made suits were all the vogue. A good quality suit cost sixteen guineas although a cheaper version was available for £12. Rolls of cloth decorated the shop shelves but the choice was limited normally to dark grey or navy with or without stripes. Customers were measured on the premises and the cloth was then sent to a local tailor or to Dublin to be made up. If made up locally all the trimmings were provided by Shaws. These included buttons, thread (including twist or heavy thread for button holes), heavy outer lining and inner lining of canvas, hair cloth or synddo. The local tailors included Mick Egan of Leinster Street, Tom Moran of St. Patrick's Avenue and John Connell of Prusselstown. Once made up the garments were returned to Shaws for a fitting after which final adjustments were made before completion.

The emergence of the ready made suits in the early 1970's hastened the demise of the town tailoring skills. George recalls how his boss reacted on seeing the first readymade suits which George had ordered for the shop. Made of shiny cloth material with narrow trouser legs they did not find favour with Sam Shaw who ordered them to be returned as "they will never sell". They were sold within a week leading to another order from George and the admission from his boss who was over 50 years in business "Hegarty, I have gone beyond it".

Up to the mid-1970's Athy was still a hive of business activity especially on Saturday nights with late opening until 9.00 p.m. George recalls many a Christmas Eve leaving the store with work colleagues at 10.30 p.m. after a long and busy day clutching Santa's toys secured at the last moment for his children Ivor and Anne. Stories of the same toys scattering around Leinster Street under the watchful eye of the local Gardai after a nocturnal visit to a well known watering hole are recounted with mirth and a wistful regret for times now past.

Remembrance Sunday

Sitting in my study writing this week’s column, I have before me a list compiled from past editions of the Kildare Observer and Leinster Leader of men from Co. Kildare killed in World War 1. The bulky computerised list does not contain the names of all the 567 men from the county who died in the 1914-’18 war. Listed only are those men whose deaths were reported in the local newspapers and the surprise is how many were never publicly recorded. One name which immediately catches my attention is that of Norman Hannon of Ardreigh House, Athy, who died in 1915. Further on, the same list records the name John Hannon of Ardreigh House who died in 1916. They were brothers.

How poignant to reflect that 77 years later the Hannon family are no longer in Athy and the house which Norman and John left to enlist is home to another generation and another family whole allegiances and background are so different from theirs.

The Hannon brothers were joined in death before the end of the war by their first cousins Henry Hannon and Thomas Hannon, both of Millview House, Athy. Their premature deaths were to leave their ageing parents without successors and this, in part, was the reason for the ultimate failure of the once thriving Hannon mills at Ardreigh and Duke Street in Athy.

On the same list I find the names Thomas Stafford and Eddie Stafford of Athy, two brothers, whose death in the fighting fields of France must have brought unimaginable grief and despair to their parents. But what of the Kelly family of Meeting Lane whose three sons, John, Eoin and Denis, were never to return home to Athy. No words can describe the sense of loss suffered by young and old alike whose lives had been touched by those young men whose lives were sacrificed on the Western Front.

Anthony Byrne and his brother Joe of Chapel Lane were another two uniformed men who set off on the train from Athy Railway Station enveloped in the camaraderie and excitement of the time, having said goodbye to their family. They also died fighting in the war to end all wars.

The list goes on and on. Throughout Co. Kildare the daily despatches from the War Office were awaited with fear and apprehension. Death had no respect for rank or age. Every street suffered losses. Few homes escaped the dreadful carnage which enveloped a generation which was never to grow old.

The men of Athy and Co. Kildare who fought in World War I were soon forgotten in the emerging nationalism of the 20th century. Times have changed ever so slowly. From the rather shameful neglect of over 70 years there has began to emerge an acceptance and an appreciation of a lost generation’s sacrifice. As individuals and as a nation we have learned to acknowledge that bravery wears many uniforms and is not confined solely to the daring and sometimes heroic escapades of guerrilla fighters of the Irish War of Independence, whom we have always honoured.

For the last two years a growing number of local people have given public expression to their respect and reverence for the men of Athy who died in World War I. On Remembrance Sundays in 1991 and ’92 ceremonies of commemoration were held in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Athy over the graves of those World War I soldiers who are buried there.

On Sunday, November 14th at noon, there will again be an opportunity for us all to remember in prayer and poetry those men. St. Michael’s cemetery will be the venue. Your attendance would be a fitting way of paying your respects. Elsewhere, you will read of the lectures and other events forming part of the remembrance weekend in Athy on November 13th and 14th. If you can attend any or all of these, please do so.

Brother Joseph Brett

Late on Monday afternoon with two old school friends I set out for Thurles to attend the funeral of Brother Brett, Superior of the Christian Brothers in Athy from 1955 to 1961. His time in Athy coincided with our entry into and subsequent departure from the Secondary School then housed in the upper floors of the old school premises in St. John's Lane. As we travelled along the road we reminisced about our schooldays and the part Brother Brett had played in our lives.

He was a giant of a man. A gentle giant whom we never remember raising his voice in anger or his hand to hurt. His fresh face complexion was a clear indication of his relative youth but to young 16 or 17 year olds he seemed well entrenched in the grey eminence of adulthood which to us then seemed so far distant. Now as we look back from the quickening years of middle age we are astonished to find that Brother Brett arrived in Athy as a young 39 year old.

He died last weekend aged 78 years after several years of illness which had seen his fine strong features change beyond recognition. As the funeral prayers were said for Brother Joseph we realised for the very first time that we had not previously known his christian name. To us he was Brother Brett or simply "The Boss", a name which was his alone, long before Bruce Springsteen arrived on the scene.

Hurrying through the Tipperary countryside, 33 years after we had taken our leave of the Christian Brothers, we recalled the generosity of spirit which was the hallmark of Brother Brett and his colleagues. As Christian Brothers they dedicated their lives to others. They had forsaken the joys and comfort of family life to live in communities of men bound by vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The personal sacrifices made by men such as Brother Brett are not always appreciated. As we stood around his coffin it seemed to us so sad that a once young man from Balla in County Mayo should die almost forgotten and unacknowledged in a strange town mourned only by his own immediate family and the members of the Christian Brothers. His Brothers in congregation were all old men whose faces bore testimony to lives dedicated to prayer and service. They had come to mourn one of their own and in his passing they recognised the drawing of the curtain which could shortly signal the end of the Irish Christian Brothers.

For over 160 years the Order founded by Ignatius Rice has provided the bedrock upon which the future of young Irishmen has been secured. Their work commenced in times of poverty and ultimately famine but throughout good times and bad the Christian Brothers gave of themselves and their resources to help Irish men to achieve their full potential.

Nowadays it is fashionable to belittle the part played by religious orders in Irish education and even to focus solely on the unacceptable behaviour of the few misguided individuals who were found wanting. We can so easily overlook the good work which was done by the Christian Brothers. We must resist the temptation to do so. After all we owe so much to those men who helped to shape our young lives and gave us the confidence to face into the future.

Our old school in St. John's Lane is now closed. The new school in Rathstewart no longer has a Christian Brother on its staff. The Monastery on the Carlow Road is home to two retired Brothers whose presence helps to continue Athy's link with the past. Many Christian Brothers have come and gone since the Orders arrival in Athy in August 1862. Their work is not yet done but it is to other men and women unburdened by clerical vows that the responsibility must now pass.

The memory of the Christian Brothers will I hope always find a response in the hearts and minds of the people of Athy. We owe them so much. The passing of Brother Brett last weekend marked the end of an era for one group of middle aged men who as 13 year old youngsters bounded up the metal stairway of the old Christian Brothers School under the watchful eye of the newly arrived Superior. "The Boss" is now dead. His memory remains. Thank you for making that memory one to be cherished.

Bert House

Bert House, largest mansion in South Kildare, has been advertised for sale. Described as an outstanding Georgian residence on 165 acres the Auctioneers blurb refers to the building’s classical style and generous accommodation.

Bert House was built between 1720 and 1730 for Captain William Burgh who was Comptroller and Accountant General for Ireland. His brother Thomas Burgh of Oldtown was the Architect. Thomas had been appointed Barrack Overseer in Ireland in 1701 and was responsible for the building of Trinity College Library, Dr. Steeven’s Hospital, Dublin and Collins Barracks in Dublin. The original Bert House consisted of the central block of seven bays, three storey high over a basement. The overlapping side wings were added early in the 19th century. It’s a house steeped in history and the people who lived there helped shape the course of Irish history during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Captain William Burgh, the first owner of the house, was born in 1667, son of Ulysses Burgh of Dromkeen, Co. Leitrim. He was succeeded by his only son Thomas Burgh whose sister Elizabeth was married in 1734 to Chief Baron Anthony Foster. Their son, John Foster was to be the last Speaker in the Irish House of Commons. Thomas Burgh was born in 1696 and while he sat in Parliament as Member for Lanesboro in Co. Longford he never represented Athy in that capacity. He was however a freeman of Athy Borough and served as Sovereign of Athy in 1755. He married Ann Downes, daughter of the Bishop of Cork and Ross whose wife Catherine was a sister of Robert, 19th Earl of Kildare. His wife’s brother Robert Downes was later to sit as M.P. for Kildare and was appointed Sovereign of Athy in 1749. Thomas Burgh of Bert House, was the owner of extensive tracts of land in South Kildare. The present house has but 165 acres of land remaining.

When Thomas Burgh died in 1758 he was succeeded by his eldest son, William, who was born in 1741. William was the first Burgh of Bert House to represent Athy in Parliament which he did between 1768 and 1776. Removing himself to England when the Parliament ended he died in York in 1808. A monument to his memory by the famous sculptor Sir Richard Westmacott is to be found in York Minster.

When William left Bert House his younger brother Thomas succeeded him as M.P. for Athy and he continued to do so until 1790. Thomas, who had previously resided in Chapelizod, Co. Dublin succeeded to the Bert House estate in 1808 but died two years later.

The Parliamentary connection was maintained by Thomas’ sister Anne who in 1767 married Walter Hussey. Born in Donore, Co. Kildare, Hussey who was regarded as the finest Orator of his day represented Athy Borough Council in the Irish House of Commons between 1769 and 1776.

On the death of Thomas Burgh in 1810 Bert House passed to his only son, Ulysses. Born in 1788, Ulysses married Maria Bagenal of Bagnelstown in 1815. He was a member of the Borough Council of Athy until it’s disbandment in 1840 and served as Sovereign of Athy in 1834 and again in 1840. Incidentally he was not the last Town Sovereign, a distinction held by Rev. F.S. Trench of Kilmorony House.

Ulysses Burgh succeeded to the title of Lord Downes in 1826 on the death of his cousin William Downes who was appointed Lord Chief Justice in 1803 following the assassination of Lord Kilwarden during the Robert Emmet Rebellion. William Downes, son of the former Sovereign of Athy Robert Downes, was created Lord Downes in 1822 on his retirement as Chief Justice. Dying without male issue the title passed to his cousin Ulysses Burgh of Bert. It was the former Ulysses Burgh, by then Lord Downes, who presented the Town Hall clock to the people of Athy in 1846.

When Lord Downes of Bert died in 1863 he was succeeded by his eldest daughter, Charlotte who had married Lt. General James Colborne in 1851. Colborne was the son of John Colborne who led the decisive movement of the 52nd Light Infantry which secured the victory of Waterloo. He was later Commander in charge of the British Army in Ireland and was raised to the title of Lord Seaton in 1839. Charlotte’s husband, James Colborne, succeeded to his father’s title in 1863 and it was as Lord and Lady Seaton that James and Charlotte came to live in Bert House following the death of Lord Downes. The house remained in their ownership until 1909 when it was sold to the Misses Geoghegan.

Captain George Weldon

I recently attended in the Town Hall, Athy, an exhibition of elements of the forgotten heritage of County Kildare. The display sought through the use of photographs, text and line drawings to illustrate the less obvious but no less important aspects of the County’s heritage. Of particular interest to Athy was the display relating to Kilmoroney House. Included in the Kilmoroney material was a copy of an old photograph of a young man dressed in an Officer’s uniform of the British Army. He was Captain George Anthony Weldon who was killed in 1899 at the age of 33. His position in history is assured as the first Army officer killed in the Boer War.

Weldon, the son of Col. Thomas Weldon of the Indian Army, was grandson of Sir Anthony Weldon of Kilmoroney, Athy. He followed the family tradition of service in the British Army as did his two brothers, Francis Weldon and Waller Weldon who served in the Sherwood Foresters and Manchester Regiment respectively. Commissioned in 1886 into the Royal Dublin Fusiliers he served during the Burmese expedition of 1887 - 1889. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1896. As an Officer Weldon involved himself in all the gentlemanly pursuits which were the preserve of landed gentry and officers in those Victorian days. General Sir Alexander Godley in his Reminiscences published in 1939 recalled playing polo on the Dublin Fusiliers Regimental Team with George Weldon in tournaments held in the Curragh Camp.

Just before the outbreak of the Boer War the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers were despatched to the northern Natal town of Dundee in anticipation of the Boer invasion. The Boer forces occupied the crest of a hill called Talana which rose some 600 ft. to the north of the town giving it a commanding view of the British position. On the morning of 20th October, 1899 the 2nd Battalion Dublin Fusiliers with the 60th Rifles and the Royal Irish Fusiliers were all ordered to take the hill.

The Irish men attempted to advance up the hill under sustained fire from the mauser rifles of the Boers. Weldon led a Company of the 2nd Battalion. Their advance being checked by the heavy rifle fire Weldon followed by men from his Company climbed over a wall and sheltered behind it. One of his soldiers, Private Gorman climbing the same wall was shot and fell backwards in full view of the Boer Marksmen commanding the hill. Captain Weldon rushed forward, seized Gorman by the arm and was dragging him to safety when he himself was shot. Weldon died instantly. The battle continued and later that evening when attempts were made to retrieve his body Weldon’s pet terrier was found waiting patiently by his master’s lifeless body. Weldon was buried that same afternoon in a small cemetery facing the hill on which he met his death.

Captain George Weldon has the unique distinction of being the first Army Officer to die in the Boer War. Memorials to Weldon can be found in St. Michael’s Church, Athy and in the former depot barracks of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in Naas. There are also memorials in St. James’ Church, Dundee, Natal, South Africa and at St. George’s Church, Pietermaritzburg. On a memorial to Weldon in St. Mary’s Church, Blyth, are inscribed the words “He hath done well and so made good his name”.

I understand that the original of the photograph which was on display in the Town Hall is in the possession of a lady in Naas whose father was batman to Captain George Weldon. After almost 100 years the story of the man captured in the photograph is almost forgotten. The FAS trainees who were responsible for putting on the exhibition in the Town Hall have done an excellent job of work in highlighting this and other aspects of County Kildare’s almost forgotten heritage. I hope that they will continue to delve into our history and help us all to have a better understanding of our past.

John MacKenna

In my articles I have always written of the past. In a sense these are like acts of atonement for lives and experiences spent without recognition. Forgotten and unacknowledged the events and people, the subject of my articles, tend to have slipped from our memory.

How nice then to remember and to pay tribute to someone who has embarked on a literary career which will undoubtedly bring him and his native Castledermot, and by association the town of Athy, fame, and for him, I hope, fortune. For today I write of a man whose literary talents are emerging into the glare of national and international recognition. In years to come as someone else writes of Athy's past no doubt John MacKenna will figure prominently as a writer famous for many works as yet unwritten.

In his short literary career to date, which commenced with the South Leinster Literary Group based in Clancys Pub, MacKenna has produced a book of poetry, short stories and a number of plays in which he has continuously sharpened and honed his literary imagery. Not everything he produced was of the finest quality but within his early work there was a clear indication of an improving style which would soon bring him into the first ranks of emerging Irish writers.
Winner of a Hennessy Award in 1983 he won Cecil Day Lewis Awards for works of fiction in literary competitions run by Athy Urban Council's Cultural Sub-Committee in 1989 and 1990. During that time he was and still remains a radio producer in RTE.

His love for and involvement in theatre gave rise to his founding The Mend and Makedo Theatre Company in 1988. Using the Company as a vehicle for his plays, he wrote, produced and acted in six original works over the last three years.

His substantial literary output during that period owed as much to his astute reworking of material for play and short story as to his quite prodigious energy. "The Fallen" a voice play first produced in November 1989 was later broadcast on Radio Eireann as play of the week before subsequently emerging under MacKenna's skilful hands as a novella. As the title story in his first book of short stories "The Fallen" was published in 1992 by Blackstaff Press to great critical acclaim. Those of you who visit the local Library in the Town Hall will no doubt have seen the review his first book received in the London Times which is pinned to one of the bookstands. The Glasgow Herald reviewing the same book of short stories placed the author "in the forefront of Irish fiction". Strong praise indeed for a writer with his first book of short stories.

John MacKenna has now won the 1993 Irish Times Literary Award, the most prestigious prize in Irish Literature, for his first book "The Fallen". Last week he gave a reading of his work in the Royal Festival Hall, London, sharing a platform with the famous Authoress, Beryl Bainbridge. He has been featured on BBC Radio and no doubt you will have seen his recent appearance on the Pat Kenny -j.'V Show.

How nice then to pay a tribute to one of our own and to acknowledge a man who in time can be one of Ireland's literary greats. This week in the Community Library, Town Hall, Athy, John MacKenna's first novel "Clare" will be launched. Already critically acclaimed in England and Ireland his new work is an extraordinarily intimate and lyrical exploration of John Clare, the English Poet who died in 1864.

The launch will take place on Thursday October 14th at 8.00 p.m. and gives all of us in Athy and surrounding district an opportunity to acknowledge the success of a local man and to pay tribute to a talent which developed in Athy and which now reaches out beyond our borders to touch the lives of people we can never expect to know.

Well done John MacKenna. It is nice to look back on the past while at the same time looking to the future for a new and exceptional talent.

Harvest Thanksgiving

In St. Michael's Parish Church on the Carlow Road on Friday 8th of October the annual Harvest Thanksgiving Service will take place. The successful gathering in of the harvest has always been followed by festivities. Farmers down the centuries have traditionally celebrated the last of the harvest work with the harvest supper or in some areas with a harvest party. On these occasions the farm workers, whether hired hands or voluntary workers from the neighbourhood would eat and drink at the farmer's table or sometimes in the barn specially decorated for that purpose. Merry making and dancing was an important part of the harvest celebration and signalled the end of the farmer's year.
The countryman's celebration of the harvest is as old as man's cultivation of the soil. The bountiful harvest secured the farmer and his family over the hard winter months and in joyful celebration the harvest feast came into existence. The tradition continued in good and bad times and many variations of the harvest festivities were to be noted throughout different parts of Ireland.
In parts of County Carlow and South Kildare during the last century the cutting of the last sheaf of corn was attended with great ceremony and superstition. This last piece of standing corn, normally in the centre of the field, was believed to hold the destiny of whoever cut it down. The task was usually entrusted to the females of the area, each of whom were required to have a stroke at it with a reaping hook. The girl who succeeded in felling the remaining corn with one blow was traditionally believed to be destined for marriage within a year.

The last sheaf, when cut, was borne with some ceremony into the farmer's house where it was presented to the woman of the house in return for a promise of a harvest feast for all the workers. In some areas the sheaf of corn was handed over in return for money which was used by the workers to celebrate the end of the harvest in the local public house.
Another tradition associated with County Kildare was "Gleaning" Sunday held on the first Sunday after the middle of August. On that day the farm workers and their families would walk through the fields "gleaning" corn which was made into sheaves to be added to the corn already gathered. The farmer's wife would meanwhile prepare a meal to be eaten by everyone taking part in picnic style in the corn field. Again it was an opportunity for festivities and merriment with the added bonus of ensuring the farmer had every salvageable ear of corn saved.
The church celebration of Harvest Thanksgiving is quite a modern custom but one which has links with the earlier harvest feasts and traditions. It began in 1843 when Rev. R. S. Hawker, Vicar of Morwenstow in Cornwall revived the ancient thanksgiving and service of Lammas. This word is derived from an anglo saxon word-meaning "loaf mass" and referred to the first day of the harvest, traditionally the l st of August which the Medieval Church in prereformation days celebrated by bringing newly ripened corn into the Parish Church for the making of the bread of the sacrament. The custom revived by Hawker soon spread to other parish churches and today Harvest Thanksgiving ceremonies form a common and accepted part of the liturgy of the Church of Ireland.

It is customary to decorate the Church with fruit, flowers, vegetables and corn, all of which are subsequently donated to local charities and institutions. Hymns of praise with special reference to the harvest now finished for another year are sung in thanksgiving. The children in the congregation generally bring up to the altar gifts symbolising the fruits of the soil and the labour of man.

It is interesting to note that some of the hymns of Rev. Thomas Kelly are generally included in the Harvest Festival service in our local Church in which he no doubt preached during his time
in Athy. "We sing the praise of Him who died" and "The Heart that once was crowned with thorns" while not harvest hymns are songs of praise which fit easily into the liturgy at harvest time.

For farmers the harvest yields this year may not be as good as expected but for what they have reaped voices will be raised in praise and thanksgiving in St. Michael's on the 8th of October.

Daniel O'Connell and Mullaghmast meeting

On the morning of October 1st, 1843, the 68-year-old barrister and Member of Parliament, Daniel O’Connell, stepped outside the main door of the Leinster Arms Hotel, Athy. His appearance was immediately met with a loud and continuous cheer from the men and women who had waited patiently from early morning to see the Liberator. Raising his hat above his head, O’Connell acknowledged the cheers as he stepped into his waiting carriage. Accompanied by members of the Repeal Association travelling in several carriages drawn up behind O’Connells, they made slow progress through Leinster Street, heading in the Dublin direction.

When the leading carriage reached Gallowshill the procession turned right onto the Castledermot road. Now, clear of the crowded streets, the horses increased their pace as they cantered easily over the mud road leading to Mullaghmast. O’Connell and the Repeal Association had held meetings in places as far apart as Baltinglass, Monaghan, Loughrea and Lismore and the monster meeting planned for that day in Mullaghmast was to be followed by a final rally in Clontarf.

The members of the Repeal Association in Co. Kildare had put a considerable amount of planning and work into arranging the Mullaghmast meeting. Up to one million people were expected and a pavilion was erected on the site for the formal dinner which would follow the public meeting. Local men from Athy, Ballytore and the surrounding areas were recruited to act as stewards and each man was given a hat badge which bore the inscription “O’Connell’s Police.” Not that Daniel O’Connell was in any danger or needed protection, but stewards were needed to marshall the huge influx of visitors expected that morning.

Approaching Mullaghmast at 2.00 p.m. in the afternoon O’Connell could see from his carriage the flags and banners carried by his exuberant followers “Ireland for the Irish”, “Remember Mullaghmast” and “Ireland must be a Nation” caught his eye as he slowly made his way to the rear of the platform. Standing nearby, taking pride in his handiwork, was Athy builder, Thomas Fagan of Market Square whose men had brought from Athy the timber required for the platform and who had shaped that same timber into a platform from which the great man would deliver his speech.

Ascending the platform, O’Connell’s arrival was met with a loud roar. It was fully ten minutes before the noise had subsided and then John Hogan, Ireland’s most famous sculptor, accompanied by Henry McManus, the painter, and John O’Callaghan, author of The Irish Brigade in the Service of France placed on O’Connell’s head a cap of green velvet with gold in the form of an Irish crown. Raising his two hands as a signal for silence, O’Connell stood at the front of the platform and spoke with a voice which carried far out into the crowd but which was still unable to reach many of the men and women who had come to hear him speak. “Mullaghmast was selected for this meeting”, he said, “as it was the spot on which English treachery and false Irish treachery consummated the massacre of the Irish people.” The crowd pushed forward as he spoke and his every pause was greeted with a loud sustained cheer.

Dressed in the scarlet robes of Dublin City Council, O’Connell’s speech continued as a document headed “A full and true account of the dreadful slaughter and murder at Mullaghmast on the bodies of 400 Roman Catholics” was handed out amongst the crowd. It was later to be produced as evidence of the treasonable nature of the meeting when O’Connell and his associates were tried for unlawfully and seditiously conspiring to raise and create discontent amongst the Queen’s subjects in January 1844.

At the conclusion of the public meeting and as the crowds of men and women started on their homeward journey O’Connell and members of the Repeal Association adjourned to the pavilion erected for the formal dinner. More speeches were to follow and the resolution “that a petition be prepared and presented to Parliament for a repeal of the Union” was passed. It was in the course of his speech after the dinner that O’Connell made the now famous reference to the Duke of Wellington. “The poor Duke, what shall I say of him. To be sure he was born in Ireland but being born in a stable does not make a man a horse”.

The Mullaghmast meeting was to be the last monster meeting of the Repeal Association as O’Connell, in the face of possible military intervention, cancelled the Clontarf meeting.

On October 3rd, the 150th anniversary of O’Connell’s visit to Mullaghmast will be marked by a ceremony at the Rath commencing at 2.30 p.m. Go along and swell the crowd as our ancestors did so many years ago when Daniel O’Connell, the Liberator, spoke of his hopes and aspirations for the repeal of the Act of Union.

Ned Wynne and Shoemaking

One hundred and ten years ago Athy had no less than eight shoemakers. Ballylinan had one. His name was Edward Wynne. Today his grandson, also named Edward Wynne, is the only shoemaker in South Kildare.

Apprenticed at an early age to his father John Wynne, Edward or "Ned" as he is generally known has worked at his craft in Athy since 1938. The Wynne family tradition of shoemaking started even before Ned's grandfather's time for it is known that his great grandfather was a master craftsman working in Carlow.

On the 4th of January, 1938 Ned Wynne left his father's workshop in Ballylinan and set up business in his own account in a front room of Bridget Howard's house in Leinster Street. Today, fifty five years later, Ned is still working from the same front room being part of No. 63 Leinster Street which he bought some years ago.

Sitting in the makeshift shoemakers seat which traditionally holds all the tools required for the job, Ned wears as he has done every day for almost sixty years the hard leather apron of the shoemaker. Specially reinforced at chest level to give maximum protection from the paring and cutting knives used in his craft, the gum stained leather apron tells of years of use by the local shoemaker.

Nowadays the work of the shoemaker is confined to repairing shoes. Years ago the task most enjoyed by skilled craftsmen such as Ned was the making of welted shoes or pegged boots. The wooden lasts designed to suit most shoe sizes now lie undisturbed on the shelves. The iron last is now in every day use as Ned heels and soles the factory mass produced shoes of today.

Ned last made a pair of shoes in 1971 and regrets the changes which have been brought about in the footwear industry. He recalls the various stages which had to be gone through in making a pair of boots or shoes to order.

The customers feet were measured using the shoemakers size stick and measure strap. These give not only the traditional shoe size but also measurements of the ankle, the heel, the instep and between the little toe and the ball of the big toe. Translating those measurements to the wooden lasts was part of the shoemakers skill. The cutting of the various leathers, boxed calf for the upper, hard leather for the soles and belly leather for the insoles were skills painstakingly acquired over the years. Hand sewing of the different leathers combined with use of the Singer closing machine for stitching light uppers presented the shoemaker with some of the most difficult parts of the job.

The thread waxed by the shoemaker on his premises and called wax end provided the stitching for welted shoes or boots. Small wooden pegs were used instead of wax end to secure the uppers to the sole of farmers boots. Called pegged boots the wooden peg ensured that water would not enter the boot, a requirement so necessary in our inclement weather conditions.

Ned remembers that in the 1940's a pair of pegged boots were made for twenty five shillings, while a hand make pair of shoes cost thirty two shillings.

As he points out, shoemakers who have become rare nowadays are not to be confused with shoe repairers or cobblers. All shoemakers are capable of doing repairs, but shoe repairers are unlikely to have learned the skill of shoemaking. As he works alone in the front room of No. 63 Leinster Street, Ned Wynne can rightly claim to be the last of the old craftsmen still working in Athy in 1993. In 1883 his grandfather worked as a shoemaker in an area where saddlers, wheelwrights, blacksmiths and coopers were still working at their crafts. Today Ned Wynne, after almost 60 years at his craft, is the last of the town craftsmen and when the time comes for him to leave down his tools an era will come to an end.

Athy Placenames

In 1864 Isaac Taylor's book "Words and Places" was published and for the first time many persons realised something of the historical significance of the names of places in which they lived. At that time the study of placenames was still in it's infancy. Since then many published works have appeared but in the Irish context none have ever surpassed in excellence the three volume work of P.W. Joyce entitled "The origin and history of Irish placenames".

Joyce's first volume appeared in 1870 with a second volume in 1875 and a final volume in 1913. The greater part of his long life was spent in the study of topographical etymology, an interest which he developed from his love of Irish folksong. On his travels throughout Ireland in search of folksongs Joyce noticed that local pronunciations and spellings of local placenames often differed and that hidden within the local spelling was usually to be found the original meaning of a placename. He accumulated a vast store of information on placenames which later formed the basis of his published works.

Of Athy Joyce states that the name comes to us as the anglicised form of the Gaelic Ath I, the name given to the ford on the Barrow where the Munster chieftain Ae was killed in the 2nd century.

Another possible if highly unlikely interpretation of the placename is to be found in the May 1793 edition of the Anthologica Hibernica. There it was suggested that the name was derived from the two Monasteries established on the east and west banks of the Barrow in the 13th century. Because the Monasteries were located so close together the area was referred to as "Bally Da Dhae" pronounced "Blahai" or the town of the two houses.

Recent research in connection with the Athy family name has thrown up a possible French source for the town's name. Gerard d'Athies, a Norman from Athies in France, arrived in England in 1207. As a follower and supporter of De Burgos Athies and his family crossed to Ireland in the wake of the Anglo Normans. Several reference are to be found to members of the Athy family in documents of the 13th century and in 1302 William De Athy had tenements in South Kildare while on 27th January 1306 he succeeded in a damage suit against William Le Poer for the destruction of his apple trees at Ardree. From 1333 onwards the Athy family moved to Galway and from around 1400 the prefix 'De' was dropped from the family name, an indication that they no longer had any links with the town of Athy. In Galway they were to become one of the 14 ancient tribes of that city. It is possible that the town's name derives from the family name of those Anglo Normans who initially settled in the South Kildare area. However, the possible French source for the town's name is at present nothing more than speculation.

At the time of the Norman invasion, surnames were still uncommon in England and many of the first settlers took surnames on Irish soil from the places where they settle. So it is believed that one of the first families to settle in South Kildare took their surname from the placename of the Ford on the Barrow "Ath Ae". This is the more likely explanation for the connection between Athy town and the Athy family of Galway and possible confirmation of Joyce's claim that Athy is the anglicised form of the ancient placename "Ath Ae".