Mrs Burton, 1960s and 1970s Preserver of ‘Comhlachts’ and old Houses, Durrus, West Cork.

The area of Muintervara and Mizen is replete with traditional farmhouses.  Typically these are two storey, slated, and three windows on the first floor and a window on each side of the front door.

In fact most of these houses date from the 1870s, estate records such as the Bandon Estate contain references to tenants being allowed abatement for new building.  The valuation Office records fro the period often refer to new houses being built. They replaced the typical one storey thatched house.  The new houses were a reflection of increasing prosperity from the 1860s onwards often probably subvented by some form of grant.

By the 1950 massive emigration and a tradition of celibacy meant that many of farmhouse fell into disuse.  Locally they were know as ‘comhlachts’.  In other parts of the country they were simple bulldozed and often little is left of them.  People also abandoned old houses for the comfort of bungalows.

Around the late 1950 Mrs. Burton settled in the area with her family.  Her children went to St. James school.  She began to buy the old ruins and assembled a crew to restore them using the sale proceeds to buy the next one.  She was a common feature with her Morris Minor Station Wagon loaded with building material.  Over a period such houses now with mature gardens were purchased by people coming in from outside who over time became part of the local community.

A number of other came in her wake repeating the same process and preserving vernacular architecture.

Some of the houses she restored are Ahagouna by the bridge, Coomkeen.

She appears in the Methoist records as purchased of part of their property outside Durrus Viilage

Durrus (Four-mile-water)

Bantry

Cork

1828

Built as school and used for Sunday worship. When school closed continued as church until closed in 1971 and sold in 1974 to Mrs Burton (She rehabilitated many comhlachts and  old dwellings which otherwise would not have survived) for £1,600 to be used as dwelling house.

Mins 1950 p.76 – Sale of teacher’s residence for £150; Mins 1971 p.69; 1972 p.37; 1974 p.45

Listing of West Cork Methodist Churches.

 

 

Courtesy Methodist Historical Society.

 

 

Index of Irish Methodist Churches, Chapels and Preaching Houses

 

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yKYZAjLIzY2EjHCuP3fdTEDzwDbQ4uda8Cf_-1Nn3fg/edit

The Bishop of Cork , John Murphy, wrote on the 9th June 1817, to the parish priest of Inchigleela, Macroom,  the  Reverend. Jeremiah Holland.  He  imposed  the penalty of  excommunication on those who attended the Pattern at Gougán.

The papers in relation to this are in the Cork Archive, small collections, item U051.

http://www.corkarchives.ie/

 

Devotions to Father Bernane, Moulivard, Durrus, 28th June, Holy Well Visitation at Kil-na-Comoge, Kealkil, Lady’s Day 15th August, Pilgrimage to St. Finbarr, Gougán Barra, West Cork, 25th September.

 

Thomas Crofton Croker FSA Esq., (1789-1854), at Gougan Barra (Guagán Barra: Barry’s Rock), 23rd June 1813, Lighting Fires on the Eve of St. John, Cudgels, Prayers, Rebellious Songs, from his Researches in the South of Ireland

 

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

From Evanson (Durrus) family history:

The first Mrs Evanson had sisters, one married the O’Shaughnessy (whose daughter married the O’Donovan, ancestor of the late General O’Donovan); and another married Mr Butler (the family of the Duke of Ormond); and another married Mr J Warren.

The Clann Cathaill Line, Death of Captain Miles Henry O’Donovan, aged 20, Royal Munster Fusileers, World War 1 in 1916, son of The O’Donovan, Liss Ard, Skibbereen, West Cork.

There is a stained glass window to him and marble plaque in St. Finbarrs  Cathedral in Cork.

Another of the O’Donovans, Clann Loughlin, the Catholic line of O’Donovan’s Cove descends from Richard o’Donovan.  he was a famous swordsman at the University of Toulouse in France in the 1740s.

The O’Donovan, Clann Cathal line of Magistrates:

Daniel O’Donovan, 1686

Dr. Daniel O’Donovan 1818, Norton Cottage, Skibbereen, listed 1838 , son Richard Esq. O’Donovan Cove, and Jane d Alexander O’Donovan, Squince.  Fond of dogs.  Father of Dr. O’Donovan author History of Carbery.  Brother of Timothy and Richard O’Donovan JP and uncle of Richard O’Donovan JP. Daniel O’Donovan MD has land in Knockeens, Glanroon in Griffiths.  He was married to a sister of Rickard Deasy of the Clonakilty brewing family, MP. and Attorney General for Ireland and later Judge.

Henry Wintrop ‘The O’Donovan’ (1812-1896),  MA, DL. Pre 1910, Clann Cathal, Lis Ard, Skibbereen, 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, “The O’Donovan’ MA, ‘The O’Donovan’, Mountpelier, Douglas, Cork,  m  Alicia Jones, 1863 patron Masonic concert Skibbereen..

Rev. Morgan O’Donovan (1740-1802),  Ballinacalla, West Carbery, m. Melian TowgoodFrench c 1776, Daughter Mary m John Townsend Beecher with £5,000, died Blackrock.

Colonel Morgan William ‘The O’Donovan’, 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.

Richard O’Donovan 1818, Fort Lodge, Durrus listed 1838 , son Richard Esq. O’Donovan Cove, and Jane d Alexander O’Donovan, Squince.  Father of Richard O’Donovan JP History  Brother of Timothy and Dr. Daniel O’Donovan JP  He married Maria O’Sullivan on the 15th October 1833, her father was Murty Og, of Ceimatringane House, Castletownbere. She died at Fort Lodge, aged 52, voted 1850 for Denis Galwey as High Constable for Ibane and Ballyroe (Clonakilty).

Richard O’Donovan 1845, Glenlough Cottage, Durrus listed 1838 , son Richard Esq. O’Donovan Cove, and Jane d Alexander O’Donovan, Squince.  Son of Richard O’Donovan JP and Maria O’Sullivan, nephew of Timothy and Dr. Daniel O’Donovan JP , listed 1854.

Timothy O’Donovan (1790–1854), 1818, O’Donovan’s Cove, in ruins 1875, Durrus, listed 1838 , son Richard Esq. and Jane d Alexander O’Donovan, Squince.  Correspondent with Antiquarian Dr. John O’Donovan re O’Donovans of Carbery.  Brother of Dr O’Donovan and Richard O’Donovan JP and uncle of Richard O’Donovan JP.  Landlord and political organiser. Member Election Committee, Rickard Deasy, Clonakilty (later Attorney General) 1855

Timothy O’Donovan (1790–1854), 1818, O’Donovan’s Cove, Durrus, listed 1838 , son Richard Esq. and Jane d Alexander O’Donovan, Squince.  Correspondent with Antiquarian Dr. John O’Donovan re O’Donovans of Carbery.  Brother of Dr O’Donovan and Richard O’Donovan JP and uncle of Richard O’Donovan JP.

W(inthropp) O’Donovan, Skibbereen, 1861 ‘The O’Donovan’.

 

 

 

William Martin Murphy, Magistrate, 1884, The Square, Bantry, and Dartry Rathmines, Dublin, listed 1913.

Murphy appears as a Bantry Magistrate  Guy’s 19193 Directory.  His father  was a Bantry builder his grand father was from Beara.

Graveyard of St. Finbarrs Church, Bantry:

In some quarters a hate figure, probably one of the most brilliant Irish business brains of the 19th century in Ireland, Britain, Nigeria and Argentina.  General contracting, railways tramways, newspapers, retail.  MP.

..

..

William Martin Murphy, Bantry and the Noel Brown connection.

A love affair between Samuel Beckett’s father Bill and Eva Murphy frustrated by her father William Martin Murphy

Ballinakilla Churchyard, Bere Island, on the site of a Pre-Reformation Church containing Table Tomb to O’Sullivan, Mill Cove. Agent to Lord Bantry and to the parents of Denis Murphy the father of William Martin Murphy

April 1862, Proposal to form Joint Stock Company, ‘Bantry Bay Slate and Slab Company’ already operational at White Horse, Kilcrohane, under Captain O’Flaherty, used by John Moss, Durrus, in building Glenlough House 1850 and contractor William Murphy (father of William Martin Murphy) in building Lord Clintons Residence at Crookhaven, Testimonials from F Lisabe, W Thomas and E H Blake of Dublin.

Irish in ordinary speech 1930s, by  Seosamh Ó Drisceoil, (Joe O’Driscoll), (1923-2015), NT, Dunbeacon, Durrus, West Cork.

 

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dLSWVUsYRVa2ViKqOHyj5sl6Plz-tzLLVgpQgU3gvQM/edit

 

 

 

 

Concert,  April 1863 at The Mardyke, Skibbereen, West Cork, in Aid of Masonic Female Orphan Asylum with Patrons Named.

 

Concerts and lectures in the 19th century were a popular form of fund raising.

 

The Masons in Dublin ran secondary schools for the children of deceased or indigent members, the girls is now the Bewleys Hotel in Ballsbridge and the boys the UCD School of Architecture, Richview, Clonskeagh.  Both still have all the masonic detail in the tile work and decoration.