David Ross is living in the house that McCarthy had the pub in at the Top of the Tock. His wife was Genevieve Kingston . They all went to Rochester, New York after

After the death of Lieutenant General Donovan of Bawnlahan, Leap the Chieftainship passed to the Montpelier (Douglas) Cork branch. They too were Protestant very wealthy by way of prudent marriages in the 18th and 19th century into the Cork Mercantiler Community.

When the General died his estate passed to his wife’s nephew Colonel Powell who was from Wales.  By all accounts a reasonable landlord but no feeling for him locally as he was not of ancient stock.

The subsequent O’Donovan were in fact very popular and very engaged locally and even after~`independence when they decamped to England were active in promoting agricultural development locally.

In the John O’Donovan papers and also in O’Donona Rossa’s recollections there were superior genealogical claims to be Chieftain of the O’Donovan including the gateman in Skibbereen Workhouse who wanted no mention of this lest he lose his job. Others mentioned were a ploughman in Myross and a cobbler in Waterford.

In John O’Donovn reference to a young gentleman on the Inner Temple London he may be from the Wexford O’Donovans on his mother’s side, later a senior figure in Dublin Castle .  John O’Donovan said the Wexford O’Donovan originated in Carbery but wer ‘Rabid Orangemen”

Re John Collins, The Silver Tongue of Carbery a wonderful poet but many doubted the facts in his genealogical tracts.

O’Donovan from Cois Life

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i81sLnwDt9WZjFM4-3eRYbKjmlOTarVyedlSHM6P2bM/edit

The O’Donovan’s son:

Colonel Morgan William ‘The O’Donovan’ Oxon (1861-1940), CB, D.L., MA, 1888, ‘The O’Donovan’, Clann Cathal, Lis Árd, Skibbereen, son of Henry Wintrop ‘The O’Donovan’ MA, DL. and  Amelia d ‘The O’Grady’, Courcy O’Grady, Kilballyowen, Co. Limerick. Ed. Haileybury and Oxford, Lieutenant-Colonel Munster Fusiliers, Colonel South Cork Militia Boer War, Succeeded Colonel Aylmer C. Somerville 1899 as President Carbery Agricultural Society.  Presented organ to Creagh Church to commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria. 1892 High Sheriff, Co.Cork ill, spent the summer on the Continent recovering.  1893 Member Cork Historical and Archaeological Society.  Member Royal Society of Antiquaries 1889.   Sent a carriage to the funeral of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Somerville D.L. (1824-1898), Clontaff, Drishane.  Signed Requisition   1905. Cork Junction Railway Bill.  Requisition to the Right Honourable The Earl of Bandon K.P., to Call a meeting for the purpose of Approving the Cork Junctions Railway Bill.  Addressing a recruitment meeting in Drimoleague In July 1915 he referred  to this ancient stronghold (Castle Donovan) of his family.  After they displaced the O’Driscolls they became the Chief People of the Carberies. Listed  family members as giving a present to 1907 Spaight wedding Union Hall.  Considered the preservation of ancient documents a matter of importance. M Mary Eleanor, (Madame) odo Rev. J Yarker Barton, Chaplain to British Forces, she chaired the Women’s Emergency Recruiting Committee WW1, Skibbereen, listed 1921.   Attending 10 Grand Jury presentments.  1933 writing to Carbery Agricultural Society suggesting horticultural potential in West Cork.

Overview of John O’Donovan from Kilkenny:

Click to access OKR1962-05-T-J-Clohosey-John-O-Donovan.pdf

1841-. Dr. John O’Donovan correspondence with Timothy O’Donovan, Landlord and Magistrate, Durrus, James O’Donovan, Gravesend, Kent

Tracing members of the extended O’Donovan family:

Originals in the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson St., Dublinm Graves Collection.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16VJptRac8CKsG_ylR0Zm78DLE-rPwWHJ_q2n4HKpW5s/edit

Patrick James Leahy (1850-1925), Businessman and, Minister for Mines, Member of Legislature

Daniel Vincent Leahy, Barrister

John Leahy (1854-1909 Originator of Land Classification System in Queensland. In Parliament he spoke with a Strong Brogue.

Patrick James Leahy (1850-1925), Businessman and, Minister for Mines, Member of Legislature

Daniel Vincent Leahy, Barrister

https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/leahy-john-7133

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Bauravilla:

https://www.townlands.ie/cork/west-carbery-west-division/caheragh/woodfort/bauravilla/

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1835-1920. Irish Speakers in West Cork Litigation, 1835 Election Petition Cork County Election. Notice Never Explained in Irish. Irish in Election. Interpeters in Some Booths

Irish Speakers, Interpreters and the Courts 1751 – 1921. Mary Phelan 286PP Four Courts Press Dublin in Association with the Irish Legal History Society. Price €55 

The Administration of Justice (Language) Act (Ireland) 1737, (herein after referred to as the 1737 Act), stipulated that all legal proceedings in Ireland should take place in English, thus placing Irish speakers at a huge disadvantage, obliging them to communicate through others, and treating them as foreigners in their own country. Gradually, over time, legislation was passed to allow the grand juries, forerunners of county councils, to employ salaried interpreters. Drawing on extensive research on grand jury records held at national and local level, supplemented by records of correspondence with the Chief Secretary’s Office in Dublin Castle, this book provides definitive answers on where, when, and until when, Irish language court interpreters were employed. Contemporaneous newspaper court reports are used to illustrate how exactly the system worked in practice and to explore official, primarily negative, attitudes towards Irish speakers

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1642 West Cork Men Indicted in Youghal for ‘Rebellion’

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fh89WiU9uQf-h1hqm1Agm66d_nRLVzIrk9zM3VC5jxg/edit#

J J Callanan

Death in Lisbon, p.1

Teacher, p.1

Background, p.3

Gougan Barra, p.6

Songs Of the Munster Poets, p. 7

Dr. Thomas Burke, Bantry, p.16

Extended Callanan Medical Family, 17

Appraisal, p. 20

Denis Florence Mccarthy, p. 22

National LIbrary Catalogue, p. 24

The Irish Poems of JJ Callanan, p. 25

Dictionary of Irish Biography, p 26

J J Callanan

Callanan, J. J. [Cork] city

At Lisbon, on the evening of the 19th of September, 1829, Mr. J. J. Callanan. He was a

native of this City, and had distinguished himself by his poetical compositions, which

were of the first order of merit.‘ Cork Constitution (05/11/1829)

Teacher for a brief Period in Cork:

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JJ James (Jeremiah) Joseph Callanan, 1786 died Lisbon 1829, Cork Poet bridging Gaelic Ireland with Irish Literature in English, Aonghus Ó Dalaigh, poems.

The Trinity Alumni records record him as Pensioner admitted 6th July 1801, aged 15, Roman Catholic, son of John Physician educated Mr. Lee Vernon 1805 see Allibone.

Presumably a brother slightly different spelling ‘Callinan’ Thomas educated Mr. Barrington admitted 5th July 1802.

Walker’s magazine records a marriage in November 1779 between John Callanan MD and Miss Cooper, Barry’s Court, daughter of William. It is possible that Cooper is a version of Coppinger and might account for his schooling in Cobh.

From Dr. Casey collection.

It is forgotten but a section of the Catholic population survived and some thrived during the Penal Laws. The Callanans appear as apothecaries in Cork, Doctors, and are close to McCarthys, Nagles and O’Learys (of the ‘outlaw’ family Raleigh Macroom) and form a close network. It is from this background that JJ Callinan came. Later his friend Crofton Croker would comment that he spent years living with various friends who were Doctors, Schoolteachers and surprisingly Policemen. One such Doctor was Doctor Burke who practised in the Square in Bantry and was from A Caheragh Landowning family probably associated with the McCarthys according to the late Cork Historian John T Collins. It was in Bantry he wrote Gougán Barra.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqhnQGE3ANjzdDA2VHduY1pNUHllbFFHbzJKRUhzU3c#gid=0

In the online edition of the Kings Inns Admission papers (Irish Manuscript Commission) p 92 online p 72 text the admission records of James Joseph Callanan gives his date of birth as the 17th January 1786, 3rd son of father John Medical Doctor mother Catherine Coppinger. TCD 1805, MT M 1806 E (Admitted King’s Inns) 1809. The mother’s name is interesting, as the Coppingers are of Danish descent and his friend Crofton Croker describes him as ‘fair’.

A possible cousin also appears on the list for 1800 James Callanan born 1783 2nd son of Michael Apothecary and Elizabeth McCarthy.

The Callinan’s were the hereditary physicians of the McCarthys:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/callanan-apothecaries-cork-18th-century-and-hereditary-physicians-to-mccarthys/

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/callnan-family-hereditary-physicians-to-the-mccarthy-riabhachs-1798-in-west-cork-dr-john-richard-elmore-owner-of-largest-linen-mill-in-munster-in-clonakilty-1820s-and-dr-william-and-albert-callnan/

To continue the McCarthy connection JJ Callanan at one time tutored from a well to do McCarthy family in Millstre

Re Peadar Ó hAnnracháin, (11873-1985). Peadar was a wonderful Conradh na Gaeilge organiser throughout a number of counties including Cork and he wrote several books as Gaeilge. He also wrote on the Southern Star as ‘Cois Life’ in the 1940s and 1950s. In that period he worked in the Pigs and Bacon Commission in Dublin.  The column often wandered over long lost history, family relationships and there was a touch of the ‘Seanachaí’ about them.  The daughter of the Gaelic Scholar, landowner and businessman in Ballydehob Thomas Swanton, Crianlarich, gave him her father’s papers.

One of 13 children, 10 of whom survived and the majority emigrated.

In Colaiste Chairbhe/The Convent  (owned by Judge Devoy, New York, Peadar Ó hAnnracháin. Peadar the Southern Star as ‘Cois Life’

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Patrick Francis Cronin, (1865-1953),  Bantry Born Canadian Journalist and Political Activist.  Burned Eviction Papers for Glenbeigh Evictions, Dedication of Celtic Cross at Grosse Île Quarantine Station, Quebec,  To Honour Those Irish Who Perished from Famine Fever.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-4JRf0go3P94hAfdjRqefJ0gfp2CHjxT8zzWt53M090/edit#

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Immigrants at Grosse Île Quarantine Station, 1832-1937

The Records

In the 19th century, an increasing stream of people was leaving Europe to rebuild their lives in North America. Around 1830, an average of 30,000 immigrants arrived annually in the City of Québec, the main port of entry to Canada. Approximately two-thirds of these newcomers were from Ireland. This unprecedented immigration on the St. Lawrence River took place at a time when major cholera and smallpox epidemics were sweeping through Europe. In order to help control the spread of the diseases, the quarantine station at Grosse Île, located in the St. Lawrence River downstream from the City of Québec, was established in 1832 and operated until its closure in 1937.

In 1974, the old quarantine station became a national historic site under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada. More information on Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site of Canada is available on the Parks Canada Web site.

Data on immigrants was compiled by Parks Canada from a number of different records held in various archives. Under an agreement between the Québec Service Centre of Parks Canada and Library and Archives Canada, this database regarding immigrants who passed through Grosse Île is now available on this website.

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Canadian Collections:

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And then there was light: Electrification in rural Ireland

The case for Rural electrification

Work did not start on rural electrification until the end of the Second World War or as it was called in Ireland the ‘Emergency’.

It was not until the Rural Electrification Scheme (1946) and the Electricity Supply Amendment Act (1955) were passed that the electricity network started to reach the most rural and isolated communities in the country.

Dr Thomas McLaughlin,  the driving force behind the Shannon project and now the Managing Director of the ESB believed that rural electrification represented:

‘the application of modern science and engineering to raise the standard of rural living and to get to the root of the social evil of the “flight from the land”.‘ (5)

It was hoped that electrification would ‘raise the standard of rural living and get to the root of the social evil of the “flight from the land”.‘

The task that faced the ESB was herculean, a suitable modern-day comparison would be the challenge the state has in installing rural broadband. Thankfully in the ESB the state had an organisation with men and women up to the task.

The State was divided into 792 areas – roughly along parish boundaries. This was a clever strategy as the ESB recruited at least one local influencer in each area who could encourage their friends and neighbours to sign up to get connected to the new network.

Rural electrification began in earnest when the first pole in phase one was raised on November 5th, 1946, at Kilsallaghan, in north Co Dublin. The first lights of the scheme were switched on at Oldtown, Co Dublin, in January 1947. (6)

Promoting Electricity to Rural Ireland

One of the most potent propaganda tools in rural Ireland at the time was the parish priest in the pulpit. Throughout rural Ireland the ESB worked with the local clergy, who were then used to extoll the virtues of the new technology and the benefits of electrification.

Although it would never be economically viable to connect some sparsely populated areas the strategy was simple, the more people who wanted a connection the sooner their area would be visited and worked upon.

The approach in every district was the same. The ESB asked householders if they wanted to sign up for electricity, then held local information meetings.

In the first long phase of electrification, which ran from 1946 to 1965, it was sometimes your hard luck if you wanted to be connected but your nearest neighbours did not.

From the 1940s to the 1960s, householders signed up voluntarily to be connected to electricity. Not all wanted, or could afford to.

This was because the ESB deemed it uneconomic to run lines to just one house. The areas with the highest take-up were first to be connected.

Although some people did not want change, and others worried about whether the wires might set their thatch roofs on fire, most people who refused connection did so for financial reasons.

That “uneconomic acceptance” was a category on the forms which showed how widespread rural poverty was. The scheme was heavily subsidised, but, depending on the size of the premises, householders had to pay a connection fee, along with future bills, and to wire their homes before they were connected.

The people who first agreed to sign up but then changed their minds were called ‘backsliders’.

In May 1954, in Ballivor, Co Meath, 290 people said they wanted electricity. Nineteen changed their minds, for reasons that are stark examples of poverty in 1950s rural Ireland such as:

“No funds. House semi-derelict.” “Refused supply due to lack of funds.” “Has large family and could not pay fixed charge.” “Both labourers out of work.” “Recently widowed. No funds.” (7)

Throughout the length and breadth of Ireland politicians of all political shades lobbied the ESB for their area to be electrified. It wasn’t just politicians who tried to exert their influence

In July 1957, the parish priest of Ballycroy county Mayo wrote to the Rural Electrification Office. He said that his parishioners were anxious and that they believed he could influence decisions at the Dublin head office. “Sometimes people get an idea that the PP isn’t taking any interest in these matters. I need not add that I have a very deep interest in the light coming to Ballycroy.” (8)

Sadly, his appeal fell on deaf ears, due to economics and it wasn’t until April 1964 before electricity at last came to the parish.

A Herculean effort

The Rural Electric Scheme was a massive project, the work would require over 1 million poles erected with 78,754km of wire used. It would eventually cost £36m equivalent to €1.5bn today.

The first phase of the scheme ended in 1965 and by then, over 300,000 homes were connected.

Post-development plans and extensions ran until 1978 when Blackvalley, Co Kerry received electricity. By 1975, 99% of Irish homes were connected to the same electricity grid.

The Rural Electrification Scheme employed up to 40 separate units of 50-100 workers, spread across 26,000 square miles. Many of these units were stationed in remote localities, and daily face-to-face communication was impossible. (9)

By 1975, 99% of Irish homes were connected to the same electricity grid.

Such a widely dispersed workforce presented the Rural Electrification Office (REO) with a challenge – how could it ensure fast and efficient communication among its staff?

The solution was suggested by the chief engineer in charge of the project William Roe who quickly recognised the vital importance of good communication across the nation to ensure the success of the scheme. He told the ESB:

“If a high standard of performance was to be achieved, the staff needed not alone to be well briefed and motivated from the start, but to be constantly refreshed with information on the progress of the scheme, advised of developments in all aspects of the work, sustained when difficulties arose and motivated to give of their best at all times” (10)

Roes’ solution was simple but innovative for the time he created a magazine for employees called REO news.

In December 1947, the first edition informed all those working on the scheme that:

“In order to keep the rural staff informed of the progress of the rural Electrification scheme it is intended to issue REO news monthly”. (11)

It covered a variety of topics, including personnel and transfers of staff; the delivery and distribution of materials; sales figures and league tables; area notes; engineer and progress reports; news items and articles of interest; as well as sports and social pages, letters to the editor, and photographs.

A focus on progress, staff league tables and sales figures all succeeded in instilling a sense of rivalry among the workers, inspiring them towards greater effort.

There were 168 issues of REO News published between December 1947 and November 1961, growing from 3 to over 20 pages. In 1953, the magazine was given a glossy cover, and included a number of black and white photographs, and by 1959, REO News was published in a fully printed format. From 1948, REO News also printed a special December issue. (11)