Newgrange. Aligned with the rising sun whose light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. Image Wikimedia Commons

‘One of these days’ is a phrase that trips off many an Irish tongue and whose meaning is clearly understood as being ‘sometime in the near future’. I was not so sure if this is the case across all the English speaking world, so a quick Google came up with the following:”One of these days” is an idiom that behaves as an adverb. It’s basically a drop-in replacement for “someday,” meaning something like “at some unspecified point in the future”. So there we have it!

‘One of these days’ goes around in my head at this time of year for two reasons, both of which are ingrained in my DNA.

Growing up in North Donegal with its dark star-filled skies meant that we were reasonably familiar with celestial goings-on, especially in winter. We…

Donemark:

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Dunnamark,+Co.+Cork/@51.696677,-9.4515379,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x48450ba682129f09:0x162ef04913bed5e9

Gorteenroe:

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Gurteenroe,+Co.+Cork/@51.703532,-9.4498013,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x48450ba2cf976c59:0x2600c7a819c738b2

Ballylickey:

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Ballylickey,+Co.+Cork/@51.7215344,-9.4377739,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x48450c0de21b654b:0x1800c7a937dfb3e0

Some Rent receipts, Kenmare Estate 1741-46, Bantry Beara Area, William Sullivan, Florence Sullivan, Rev. Thomas Miller, Mort Sullivan, Gilbert Mellifont Donemark, Michael Murphy Newtown and Mills, Beversham Harman Laheran, Patrick Galwey Gurteenroe, Daniel Cronin Gortdarrug Cooloum, Thomas Hutchins Ballylickey, John Riordan Ballylickey, Patrick Minihane Donemark, Richard Tobin Mills Donemark, Ards Coomleigh, Denis Leary, John Harman.

This is a selection of the rentals mentioned in the Casey Collection. In the main they are substantial tenants who would have worked some of the land themselves and in many cases sub let.

The Kenmare Estate was the Brownes/Herberts and was one of the few to remain in Catholic hands during the Penal Laws. It was probably O’Sullivan before the Confiscations.

Some records of the Kenmare Estate for Bantry District

1752, Daniel Harrington, Gortaweer, Beara, formerly under tenant of Puxley (he a poor payer of rent) now a direct…

Schools 1835, Abbeymahon, Ballinadee, Ballymodan, Brinny, Caheragh, Carrigaline,, West Cork, Commissioners of Public Instruction.

Schools 1835, Desertserges, Desertmore, Drinagh, Drimoleague, Dunderrow, West Cork, Commissioners of Public Instruction.

Schools 1835, Innishannon, Kilbrogan, Bantry, Kilmoe (Ballydehob), West Cork, Commissioners of Public Instruction.

Schools 1835, Kinsale, Leighmore, Lislean, Morragh, Moviddy, Rathclaran, West Cork, Commissioners of Public Instruction.