Flax and Linen Development Dunmanway, Bantry, Flax Ponds Durrus District.

 

A glimpse of the 18th and early 19th century Linen/Flax Industry in Durrus and Schull, West Cork, from the Lost Census of 1766, 1821, 1841, 1851, with names Cole, Croston, Webb, Whitley, Johnson. 1836 Evidence of Father John Kelleher (Early Statistician) and Reverend Edward John Alcock both Durrus to Poor Laws (Ireland) relating to Spinning in Area.

 

Munster Flax Society Visit to Bantry Farms 1860: Prizes James Philips, James Vickery, Ballycomane, Charles Dukelow, Best Dairy, Coomkeen, Improvements on Bandon Estate, Durrus 1869, praise from Charles Dukelow, Coomkeen, Slate Quarry, Barytes Mines,Considerable employment. Local Agent Colonel Bernard aided by Charles Skuse, Clashadoo. Bantry Agricultural Society, Annual Exhibition November 1861, at The Square, Attending: John Warren Payne (Land Agent), John Young, William Young, Robert White, J.P. Glengariff, George Bird (Land Agent), Bantry, John E. Barrett, Carriganass Castle (Land Agent, Kenmare Estate), Dr. McCarthy, Bantry, Rev. George Shean P.P., Bantry, Rev. Mr. Delat. C. C., Bantry, Christopher Gallway, J.P. Killarney, (Agent Kenmare Estate), William Jagoe, Richard T.Evanson (Ardgoena, Durrus, Landlord), Thomas T Curtain, Bantry, Cornelius O’Leary, Newtown, William Jagoe, Michael Hungerford Morris (Friendly Cove, Durrus, Landlord), J Cullinane, Bantry, George Robinson, J. P. Coronea Landlord.

Flax Pond Brahalish

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Durrus,+Co.+Cork/@51.6247782,-9.5872759,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48459fe7ccd270df:0x231e3744ac95441a!8m2!3d51.6217112!4d-9.521993

Development of Dunmanway

1822, Application for Spinning School, Bantry

 

Bantry Pigot’s Directory 1824

The linen trade, though in its infancy, is rapidly increasing, and cannot fail of having a most beneficial tendency, in ameliorating the condition of the poor

O’Connell John, linen draper, North St. Bantry

Vickery John linen draper, Main-st

Young Richard. inspector  of linens, Main St.

Bantry, Lewis 1837

Previously to the withdrawing of the protecting duties, the manufacture of coarse linen and cotton began to thrive here and afforded employment to several hundred persons; these linens, here called “Vitries,” were striped pieces chiefly used for bagging; and the sales frequently exceeded £4000 per annum.Flax Ponds:

Ballycomane:  abutting Durrus River on Sam Attridge farm.  Western end on O’Neill farm known as …

Probably at least on on Vickery (Now O’Sullivan) farm.

Brahalish: One almost on road on Joe Shannon’s farm. One almost gone in bushes on David Shannon (Eastern) farm.

Gearhameen, now gone of Attridge farm relatively recent probably 1940s.

KIlcrohane:  in lake (Which one?)

World War 2

There was a flax mill in Ballineen where Shorten’s Garage is now.  In the Durrus District Denis John L. O’Sullivan and his brother-in law Gerald McCarthy grew flax in Crottees on land rented from Mrs ‘Patie’ O’Sullivan in Crottees she lived in Bantry.  It is still known as ‘The Pit Field’. Benny Dukelow now owns the farm. There was a flax pond there abutting the Coomkeen river.

Jehr ‘Pad’ Moynihan, Coomkeen, grew flax and had a pond south just before the turn to Jeffa Bates bridge.

Gerard McCarthy and Jack Crowley Ahagouna, grew flax at Ahagouna and in Coolculaghta on Gerard’s farm.  This holding is now owned by Fintan Lupton.

Crowley farm Ahagouna by river

Brahalish on Joe Shannon’s land

Brahalish on David Shannon (Eastern)

Ballycomane at river on Sam Attridges farm

Ballycomane, on Gerry O’Neill’s farm to the north of grid entrance now forested

Ballycomae, south of O’Neill farm between main road

Ballycomane:  abutting Durrus River on Sam Attridge farm.  Western end on O’Neill farm known as …  

Probably at least on on Vickery (Now O’Sullivan) farm.

Clonee

Gearhameen, now gone of Attridge farm relatively recent probably 1940s.

Kilcrohane:  in lake (Which one?)
The flax would be pulled by hand and retted in the pond for 9 days, on the 10th day it was taken up, a dirty job involving the operative taking off his trousers and going into the mud.  There was a sever stench.

Prices were good when the flax was received at Ballineen, Jacky Cronin’s lorry would transport it for inspection by the buyer which was for the Northern Ireland market.

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The Lost Orchards of Blair’s Cove, Friendly Cove, Mulroe, Pineapples and Melons of Timothy O’Donovan, Landlord, O’Donovan’s Cove, Durrus early 19th Century, Durrus West Cork.

There had been relentless destruction of old orchard over the last two hundred years throughout the country.  Not only on estates but also on farms due to reclamation  and improvements and a general ignorance of the value of locally grown fruit.  Many of the varieties are probably gone forever. Happily one local firm Future Forests in Kealkil stock the old heritage varieties of Irish fruit trees and bushes.

http://www.futureforests.net/

Many of those who migrated from the West Country of England to Bandon and further west brought an apple culture of orchards, cider making with them.  In surviving rent books for the Bantry and Kenmare Estate there are frequent references to house and orchard’.  Orchards will often mark out  the largest farms.  Apple trees do not thrive on poor soils in in high up windy conditions.

In Dr. Éamon Lankford’s place name survey

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/formidable-place-names-archive-unveiled-93841.html

There are quite a number of references to orchards and apple trees in Brahalish, Carrigbui/Durrus Village,  (orchard abutting courtyard of Philip’s Bandon Arms Hotel), Gearhameen,  Molloch, Rossmore, Rooska, Tedagh among others

Present by Daniel Sullivan, Berehaven, West Cork, to Richard Boyle, The Great Earl of Cork, c 1636 of Harvey Apples, Bon Chretien and Bergamotte pears, Arbutus for his new garden at Stalbridge Park, Dorset and Irelands first horticultural export The Strawberry Tree’ (Arbutus unedo) from 1580s.

Inventory of plants grown by Gaelic Irish 1620 prepared by Philip O’Sullivan Bere, and early 19th century cultivation of grapes and pineapples by Timothy O’Donovan Magistrate of O’Donovan’s Cove, Durrus, West Cork.

https://wordpress.com/post/durrushistory.com/28684

Orchards from Bandon Estate Records:

Rossmore

Thomas Baker, 1855 farm by marriage Shannons still old trees in orchard

These trees are growing on George Hegarty’s land overlooking Dunmanus Bay, dual cooker and eater.  This farm with orchard appear in the Brandon Estate records as that of Arthur Attridge 1856.

Arthur Attridge 1903, probably now Jenny Attridge’s farm.

Gearhameen

John Attridge, Gearhameen,1874.

Ahagouna, (Clashadoo)

Jeremiah Crowley, 1892.

No date Danny O’Mahony

Durrus Village

1868 Dispensary later property of late Rita McCarthy nee Shannon.

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Durrus Men’s Shed currently (2019) have project to recover scions from very old apple trees and graft them onto new root stocks.  Already one new variety has been discovered in the Rossmore townland and named ‘George Hegarty’

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Bandon, Jan. 1833. On Sunday sen’night a number of ruffians went to the house of Mr. James Bride, of Rushfield, and tore up fifty Apple trees of about five or six years standing, and a number of Forest trees planted at the same time. The villains then threw stones at the windows, several of which they nearly demolished. They also broke an iron gate at the entrance to Mr. Bride’s house.

Ontario,

Skuce family of Coosane, emigrated to Canada in 1850, and settled in Mount Horeb, near Omemee, Ontario, Canada, they took apple seeds with them, so they could plant them when they settled. They had a special way of storing the apples through the cold winters in special straw lined pits and apparently they were delicious.  This was all mentioned in a family write up. When we visited another  area where another branch of the  Skuce’s settled,  near Bark Lake, in a more remote part of Ontario, we saw some the old farmsteads that have been left derelict, at one of these we discovered someone had gone out with a quad bike to collect fruit from the very old apple trees, that are were abandoned close to these homesteads, the crop looked amazing, and I do wonder if these were grown from seeds that were brought out by the new settlers, including the Skuce’s, when they first emigrated back in the mid-1830s or so. Bark Lake is where some of the Skuce family who had left Clashadoo/Bantry settled.

A modern perspective try Gearaí Glas in Irish with English sub titles availabel on RTE Player world wide. Great sound tract unusual horticulure and uses.

Or You Tube

https://www.youtube.com/user/garraiglas

 

 

 

Moulivard Burial:

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ZJPGOWONtCouo_0bFweremkr333Pi8QIMFRe_6MhdE/edit

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https://wordpress.com/post/durrushistory.com/6048

 

 

Rounds, Holy Wells, at Rooska, Moulivard and Father Bernane from 1938 School Folklore Collection, Carrigboy National School, Durrus, West Cork.

 

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Father Bernard’s Skull, polished by penitents kissing it in adoration,  pieces removed over last 40 years:

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Coffin Resting Place at Moulivard:

 

 

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Weaving Vittory Linen Cloth in Dunmanway, West Cork, 1813 for Brazilian Slaves, William Norwood Mast… – http://wp.me/p1UlSr-1mV

1827, Lost, Beagle Bitch answers to name of ‘Lily’. Belongs to Dr. O’Donovan, O’Donovan’s Cove, Durr… – http://wp.me/p1UlSr-3qt

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Crookhaven,+Co.+Cork/@51.4684039,-9.7282294,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x48458598cbd7f471:0xa00c7a99731a1a0!8m2!3d51.4684455!4d-9.7259903

1807, Crookhaven, west Cork,  Traveller’s Tale

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https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/wp-admin/edit.php?s=crookhaven&post_status=all&post_type=post&action=-1&m=0&cat=0&paged=1&action2=-1

Rev. Fitzgerald Tisdall, Rector of Kilmoe (Goleen), West Cork, Founder and Commandant of Crookhaven Yeomanry Corps, Murdered at Priest’s Leap, 1809.

Eliza (Dizzie) Townsend (Mrs. Lionel Fleming), in Ballydevlin, Goleen, West Cork 1819, no roads, rooms lit by smokey candles made of mutton fat, a diet of cabbage, sea weed, mutton, salt ling, salted pork, pigs head and crubeens, playing Handel and Mozart with the Rev O’Grady.

Methodist Minister, Rev. Adam Averill, 1799, on possible Scottish Origin, of West Cork, Swanton family and reputed Scottish Plantation, Castlehaven/Skibbereen c 1690s, Andersons, Hamiltons.

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https://books.google.ie/books?id=EH5PAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA552&lpg=RA1-PA552&dq=crookhaven+1678&source=bl&ots=2AqLOv2jdF&sig=TN_qHDcD034J5rLHlufaxEskne8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmoM3fs-jRAhVL1hoKHXfWBQw4ChDoAQgNMAI#v=onepage&q=crookhaven%201678&f=false

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Marriage Elizabeth Tonson to Colonel Daniel O’Donovan, Bawnlahan, (Myross), West Cork, MP for Baltimore, Chieftain Ancient Sept of The O’Donovans.

 

 

 

 

https://books.google.ie/books?id=5e9DAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA914&lpg=PA914&dq=hull+leamcon+manor&source=bl&ots=ncUX5SLNLc&sig=_KkWlp17otFp6A0Ln-Ex4Wc3pVk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuhcrui-jRAhUHnRQKHQAHB-YQ6AEIEDAC

 

 

 

 

 

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Theophilus Ayas, Born 1641, Crookhaven, West Cork, Cambridge University, England 1658 died 1673

 

https://books.google.ie/books?id=-F6VCFd_VQUC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=crookhaven+1678&source=bl&ots=W32m4DyALh&sig=sVfd391mDU7H6nv3ns8pYcw84sc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmoM3fs-jRAhVL1hoKHXfWBQw4ChDoAQgXMAY#v=onepage&q=cork&f=false

 

 

 

 

1831.  Former Bantry Postmaster Robert Clarke, Sureties Young Lavers (Levis), William Trenwith.

The Levis family are Huguenot in origin.The Trenwith are in Gurteen 1650 according to Down Survey later throughout Beara.  Early 19th century family of 23 daughters among families married into Wards of Durrus.

https://books.google.es/books?id=JHJbAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA3-PA61&lpg=RA3-PA61&dq=robert+young+bantry&source=bl&ots=AmesuBH8nH&sig=8_YVcpB8BETJD0UDw9MiEmFsowo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwikuZKZ_PTRAhXGnRoKHY5rB88Q6AEIGDAF#v=onepage&q=robert%20young%20bantry&f=false