Alfred Loughwed  Gillespie, Co Roscommon, founded 1909, Dunmanway, First Electricity Power Station, Co. Cork and the Bandon Mills and electric Lighting Company, Coolfadda Mills.

The Bandon operation was controlled by the Brennan family. Joe Brennan first Governor of the Irish Central bank was of this family. The operation was taken over by the ESB when thy commenced nationwide electrification.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Brennan_(civil_servant)

Since the 1950s Dunmanway has been the West Cork, Headquarters of the ESB.

There were local power stations in Bantry and Bandon prior to rural electrification.

EMIGRANTS to SPAIN. MS 601, p. 235 1602

These documents are held at Lambeth Palace Library

Former reference: MS 601, p. 235

4 Pages.

Supplementary information: Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. IV, document 205.

Related information: Pacata Hibernia, p. 424.

Contents:
“Anno 1601. A List of the Names of so many of the Irish as have shipped themselves for Spain forth of Munster, since December 1601, besides divers depending upon these, and many others whose names I know not.”
From Castlehaven in December 1601 with the Adelantado, O’Donnel, Redmond Bourke, Hugh Mostian, and their train, the number whereof I know not.
O’Sulyvan Beare’s son, and with him one Traunt of the Dingle from Beare-haven, in February 1601[-2].
Donnel, son to Sir Fynnen O’Driscoyle, from Castlehaven with the Veedor Pedro Lopes de Soto.

The UNDERTAKERS in MUNSTER. MS 617, p. 164 1591

These documents are held at Lambeth Palace Library

Former reference: MS 617, p. 164

4 Pages.

Supplementary information: Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. III, document 128.

Contents:
“Munster.–An Abstract or brief particular of all the Names of the Undertakers, the several counties, the quantity of their lands, and their yearly rents.”
Waterford.–Sir Chr. Hatton, late Lord Chancellor of England, hath in demesne and rentable lands (at the rate of 428½ acres, English measure, to a plowland) 10,910 acres; yearly rent from Mich. 1591 for three years, 30l. 3s. 9d. ster., and from Mich. 1594 in perpetuity, 60l. 7s. 9d. ster. Sir Walter Rawleighe, rentable lands, number unknown; yearly rent from Mich. 1591 for three years, 50 marks ster., and afterwards 100 marks. [Sir…

When St Brendan of Clonfert set out to discover America in 512 he and his fellow monks had to face the enormity of the Atlantic Ocean in tiny boats built out of wood and oxhides, sealed with animal fat. Up here in Nead an Iolair our view out to the islands of Roaringwater Bay and beyond is dominated by that same ocean and – sometimes – we feel just as small. This year the winter gales have started early, and spates of fierce westerlies have been throwing the Atlantic straight at our windows. The tiles rattle alarmingly while we are tucked up in bed at night. At these times I think of the Saint and what he had to face. But, like Brendan, we always survive the storms, and often wake up in the morning to a calm, clear day – except that you can hear the constant ‘roaring’ of the open…

I reread a book recently I had bought in the Strand Bookshop in New York (supposed to be the world’s largest second hand store atmospheric by the bucket).  It is ‘Outwitting History’ the story by Aaron Lansky of the rescue of books in Yiddish.

He was born 1955 and had done a program in Yiddish studies and found it very difficult to get books in the language.  He was then offered volumes in the language and proceeded to gather books in the language.  At the time it was estimated that there were around 70,000 books in existance.  The truth as set out in the book was that there were in excess of 1.5 million and the story of rescuing the volumes from tumbling house and skips is fascinating.  He now heads the National Yiddish Book centre one of the fastest growing Jewish cultural groups i the world.

In one episode…