Today is Oiche Fhéile Bhríde – St Brigid’s Eve. The Saint’s festival – tomorrow – marks the beginning of Spring: we will feel the lengthening of the days, and we have to be alert for so many portents.
Firstly – Hedgehogs. Watch out for your Hedgehogs: to see one is a good weather sign, for on Brigid’s Eve the Hedgehog comes out of the hole in which he has spent the winter, eyes up the weather and, if he likes the look of it, starts his foraging. If he goes straight back in again, then you’ll know that the storms will continue! This is according to Kevin Danaher, a frequent contributor on our seasonal folklore. The wind direction on the eve of the festival ‘…betokens the prevailing wind during the coming year; the festival day should show signs of improving weather, although an exceptionally fine day is regarded as an omen of poor weather to…
Henry Wintrop ‘The O’Donovan’ (1812-1896), TCD, MA, DL. Pre 1910, Clann Cathal, Lis Ard, Skibbereen, son Rev. Morgan, Corl ed Dr. Coughlan, m Amelia d ‘The O’Grady’, Courcy O’Grady, Kilbollyowne, Co.Limerick. Son Colonel Morgan William MA, JP, ‘The O’Donovan’ and Alicia Jones.
Colonel Morgan William O’Donovan or ‘The O’Donovan’ -1870), MA, ‘The O’Donovan’, Mountpelier, Douglas, Cork, m Alicia Jones, 1863 patron Masonic concert Skibbereen, subscriber 1861 to Smith’s History of Cork. Probate to son Henry Winthrop O’Donovan, Lissard, Skibbereen, £35,000. Land record, 1870, 3,620 acres.
Colonel Morgan William ‘The O’Donovan’ (1861-1940), CB, D.L., MA, 1888, ‘The O’Donovan’, Clann Cathal, Lis Ard, Skibbereen, son of Henry Wintrop ‘The O’Donovan’ MA, DL. and Amelia d ‘The O’Grady’, Courcy O’Grady, Kilbollyowne, Co.Limerick. Ed. Haileybury and Oxford, Lieutenant-Colonel Munster Fusiliers, Boer War, Chairman Carbery Agricultural Society.. M Mary Eleanor, odo Rev. J Yarker Barton, Chaplain to British Forces, listed 1921.
Scholar Dr. John O’Donovan on O’Donovan Genealogy 1840s:
Sir John Jocelyn Coghill, 4th Baronet, and typically known as Sir Jocelyn Coghill, came from a long-established and wealthy Yorkshire family. He was born in Co.KIlkenny. His second marriage brought him ties to Ireland. When or how he became interested in photography is not known, but Coghill began taking paper negatives by the early 1850s or even before. His photographs reflect the interests of a wealthy amateur and include family portraits, idyllic country scenes, and architectural studies. Coghill became briefly active in photographic circles in 1857, contributing a view to The Photographic Album for the Year 1857; showing nine landscapes in the “Manchester Art Treasures” exhibition; and presenting a paper to the Dublin Photographic Society that detailed his second major photographic tour, a trip through Switzerland in the summer of 1856. He had by then established a strong preference for wet-collodion negatives, perhaps having been cautioned by a colleague who had lost several weeks worth of work when his waxed-paper photographs failed to develop properly. As far as we know Coghill exhibited only one other time, twelve Irish views in the Dublin International Exhibition in 1865.
This biography is courtesy and copyright of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is included here with permission.
Date last updated: 4 Nov 2012.
Sir Egerton Bushe Coghill Bart., DL, (1853-, 1889, Glenbarrahane, Castletownshend, Son Sir John Jocelynn (possibly one of Ireland’s first photographers from 1854) and Frances 3rd daughter Lord Plunkett, m Elizabeth Hildegarde Augusta d Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Henry Somerville, Drishane, Skibbereen, listed 1922.
.
Colonel Kendal Josiah William Coghill CB (1832-, 18??, Cosheen, Castletownshend, Son Sir Josiah Coghill Coghill , 3rd Baronet, Dublin, ed Cheltenham, Service Burma, Indian Mutiny, Egypt, m Anna Marin d Right Honourable Charles Kendal Bushe, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
Old Caheragh Church and Caheragh Poets in Irish, Na Baróidigh, (Seán, Seámus, Riocárd) Lissane, Donnacha, Muiris and Paul Ó h-Anngáin, Donnacha Ó Briain, Diarmuid Ó Crualaoich, Mícheál Óg Ó Longáin (lived later Glanmire), Church Bell Provided by Patrick Rocky Mountain O’Brien of Dromore.
Thanks to Peter O’Driscoll, Aughaville now San Francisco.
It is difficult as you drive from Drimoleague to Skibbereen over the improved farmland now used for intensive dairying that pre Famine, Caheragh was one of the most densely populated, non urban areas in the world. The parish had a population of more than 10,000. It was along with Drinagh and Castlehaven in the 18th century a centre of Gaelic Poetry. Eugene Daly in the Skibbereen Journal has recently published an article giving more details:
In the records of mid 18th century the Catholic Church in Caheragh was a small shed and cabin:
The old church was built by Fr. Dore, one of a number of Tipperary Priests seconded to the Dioceses of Cork. Father Dore appears as an elector for O’Connell/Roche in the 1841 election. It is believed that the church was built with stones from Ballyourane Castle formerly a McCarthy castle.
The Priests were dynamic school and church builders, introduced Parish Registers and were highly active politically. Included were Father Quin in Durrus, Father Ryan Drimoleague and Father Doheney in Dunmanway.
Old Caheragh Parish Church, the church was built by Rev. David Dore about 1823, There are are four or five priest buried in the grounds Rev, Dore, Rev Palmer, Rev Wall, Rev Stack & Rev Hayes. Two outside on the grounds and three inside under the church floor.
The arch over the front gate with the bell tower was donated by a Patrick O’Brien who was related by marriage to the O’Driscoll of Coolbawn. He is better known as Patrick Rocky MountainO’Brien. He did write a book still available, Title Birth and Adoption: A book of Prose and Poetry.
Patrick Rock Mountain O’Brien was involved in the Fenian Movement in New York where he died about 1925. He was born in the townland of Dromore and one of the few people to board a ship bound for America at Bantry Bay. He would be a relative of the O’Brien family in Dromore.
The grounds where the church was built was part of Nick Keohan (Keohane) farm also the new graveyard.
In the 1960s after the new parish church was built the parish then purchased land for the new graveyard attached to the east side of the old church grounds. During the purchase they had the area mapped. nearby was part of a Goggin family farm and the old Murphy home. The original Murphy home was on no-mans land a rocky place by the side of the road. (Better known as a home built by a family that had been evicted by a landlord a family that found shelter by the side of the road) .
When you entered the gate to the church grounds on your right stood the old parish hall and attached to the hall was Danny & Nell O’Neil’s home. Just a few feet away was Jerry & Mary Murphys home where they raised 12 children on Jer Murphys wages as a shoe (cobblers).
On the stage in that Parish Hall in the winter of 1959 a play called the Damsel from Dublin was performed involving the match maker stage name was Brian Cleary that trick-ster.
1920s, Dorothea Browne, 2nd Woman to Qualify as a Solicitor in Ireland.
Her mother was Mrs. Brown, nee O’Mahony, Ahagouna. her grandmother was Mercy Peer that family probably originally from around Crookhaven of Huguenot extraction. She went on to found the firm of PF O’Reilly with her husband which is still operational. He husband was a Fine Gael Senator and later Taxing Master of the High Court. Her sister qualified as a doctor and was the first female Area Health officer in East London.
“This Classic report of 1948 score” this is a report on a famous (road bowling contest between Jimmy Crowley and Dan Dempsey, Glandore, it was reported in The Kerryman a newspaper on Saturday, April 3rd 1948.
The contest took place on the Skibbereen Castle Townshend Road on Sunday, March 21st, 1948.
The two reasons this contest became famous are:
One the score was never finished.
Two it took place when bowl playing was making a transition from been played on a rough surfaces road to played on tar surfaced road.
Jimmy Crowley and two brothers: his older brother John and younger brother Joe are better know as the Crowley family of Colomane that owned and operated a Ransom Thrashing Machine. They were one of the first to bring this modern type Thrashing Machine to West Cork. They traveled from farm yard to farm yard to thrash the local farmers grain crops of oats, barely & wheat.
This Crowley family were first or second cousins to Jeremiah Wholey that is listed in the new post on West Cork History (of May 2015) Bringing the Iron Wheeled Threshing Machine from Kealkil, West Cork from 12th October to West Waterford in the 1940s and other areas. These Crowley also followed in the foot steps of Jeremiah Wholey to some area of County Waterford.
Rent Roll of Tenants 1748, Drimoleague, West Cork. Estate of Robert Sandford, Agent James Harris, Boulteen, Bandon.
Morgan Donovan is one of the O’Donovans, Mountpelier (Douglas, Cork) acquired through Ronayne marriage who converted to the Church of Ireland some of whose descendants became ‘The O’Donovan’ though disputed among other branches. This branch of the O’Donovans originated in Union Hall. On the death without issue of Lieutenant General O’Donovan of Bawnlahan (Myross) early 19th century the Chieftainship passed to this branch i.e. the tithe ‘The O’Donovan’. In the 19th century there was a marriage between the Ronaynes and Evans of Caheragh, both are buried in old Caheragh graveyard. Possibly the magistrate:
Morgan Donovan, 1733, possibly Ronayne’s Grove, Great Island, Cobh, widow Mary died 1770.
He holds Lisangle in Caheragh. One of the families there were the Evans one of whom Rachel married 1805 James Crowley, probably from Ballyourane, an Apothecary in North St., Skibbereen and a brother of ‘Dr’ Jerry Crowley also an Apothecary of North St.
The Tonsons are descendants of Sir Richard Hull of Leamcon Manor, Schull. later they lived outside Fermoy.
Tim Donovan is the ancestor of Timothy O’Donovan, Richard O’Donovan and Dr. Daniel O’Donovan, all Magistrates, of O’Donovan’s Cove, Durrus Timothy is buried in the old Caheragh churchyard. According to tradition the rents for Caheragh were received by the the O’Donovans at The Cove in gold sovereigns al all washed in boiling water.
The Kingstons became one of the most numerous families in the area with Church of Ireland, Methodist and Catholic branches.
Harris/Daniel connection, The Harris family are also in Durrus 18th century possibly linked to the Evansons: