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.

The various practices of rounds, visitation of holy wells, pilgrimages probably predate even the coming of the Celts to Ireland. These practices were customised to particular localities and often a Christian saint replaced the olden deity.

Father Bernane:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/devotions-to-father-barnane-28th-june-moulivard-church-durrus/

Gougán Barra:

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/rounds-of-gougan-barra-west-cork-burial-place-of-st-finbarr-died-623-ad-founder-cork-city-with-hermitage-and-stations-of-the-cross-in-old-irish-place-of-pilgrimage-25th-september-and-memorial/

Kealkil:

Observations of Breton traveller Jacques Louise de Bougrenet (De Latocnaye) in West Cork, Bandon, Macroom, Dunmanway ‘The Priest’s Leap’ and Bantry 1796, keening at funerals, Raths and Lises, Hedge Schools, Flax and Mr Cox’s improvements in Dunmanway, 200 French Officers captured in Bantry on parole in Dumnmanway.

He was a Royalist who fled France after the Revolution.

Robert Gibbins, survivor Gallipoli, Grandson Robert Day Cork Antiquarian, author ‘Lovely is the Lee’ 1945, on Inchigeela, Gougán Barra, Gold at Snave Bridge and Comhoola with Engravings.

 

He was the grandson of Robert Day , Cork businessman and antiquarian.

Robert Day, (1836-1914), 1889 City,  Myrtle Hill House, Cork, son of Robert, merchant, ed Hamblins and Dr Porters, Cork, m Rebecca eldest daughter of Robert Scott, JP, Sydney Ville, Managing Director Robert Scott and Co, Hardware, Day and Co Saddlers, Corks leading antiquary, 11 children.  Probate to John Day, Merchant, 1914, £46,271.  Member The Cork Cuvierian Society, writing in 1904 (11) enables the reader to visualize the scenario during the Society’s meetings in a pen picture which reads:

Its monthly meetings for a period of sixty years were held on the first Wednesday of the Autumn and Winter months in the Library of the Royal Cork Institution where the chairs on each side of the long central table were occupied by members many of whose names will be associated with the most highly cultured and learned life of Cork during the nineteenth century.

Freemason Lodge No.  1871.  After his death his enormous collection of antiquities was auctioned and acquired among other by William Randolph Hearst and the British Museum. Son John married Susannah d Edwin Pim, JP, son Richard Welstead m Kathleen d James Ledlie, JP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gibbings

1st Muskerry Cavalry 1796, Co. Cork from Robert Day F.S.A. Cork Antiquarian from papers lent pre 1895 by George and Morgan Gallwey, Esqs. and Silver Medal of Inchigeela Volunteers, 1784.

Membership lists of Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 1893 and 1945, snapshot of Cork Diaspora in Colonial Legal and Medical Service, and 1945 Gaelicisation of Irish Public Service, 1893 names include Francis Joseph Bigger, Belfast, Robert Day, Cork Antiquarian, Herbert Gillman Cork Historian, Rev. Graves Bishop of Limerick, Historian and Archaeologist, William Baylor Hartland Cork Horticulturist, P W Joyce Dublin Historian, Denny Lane, Cork Businessman writer and Historian, Lieutenant Francis O’Neill, Later Chief O’Neill, Chicago Police, Irish Music Collector, Canon Goodman, Skibbereen, Professor Of Irish TCD and Irish Music Collector, 1945 Historians Paddy O’Keeffe, Bantry, Bernard O’Regan, Aughadown, John T. Collins, Cork, Father TJ Walsh, Cork, Genealogists, Edward McLysaght, Herald’s Office, Dublin, William Henry Welply, Greenisland Co. Antrim, Count Eoin O’Mahony BL Cork, Sculptor Seamus Murphy, Cork, Playwright Lennox Robinson, Dublin, Oscar Prince of Prussia, Potsdam, Germany.

Lawn Tennis Lining Machine by Robert Day and Sons Cork in Gortnagrough Folk Museum, Ballydehob, Co. Cork.

Unfortunately some of the images reverted to original format.

Cursing stones at the Pass of Keimaneaigh, Co. Cork.

Peter Harbison in his book on Irish Pilgrimges records the tradition of the cursing stones where the stones are turned by someone wishing to curse another if his reasons for doing so were justified, the curse would have its effects, if not, the curse would rebound on the person who turned the stones,

At Keimineigh there are five basins filled each filed with a rounded stone in the centre of which is a large stone which has no basin.

‘Portable vessell of wicker, ordinarily used by the wild Irish’ by Thomas Phillips c 1685 and Gold boat from First Century BC.

From Peter Harbison’s book, Pilgrimage in Ireland

Dicul, Irish Monk and teacher at Court of Charlemagne, geographer and author of De Astronomium 814 AD taught by Brother Fidelmus of Fermanagh who went to Egypt to measure Pyramids and Astronomy in Ireland AD 442-1133.

The first settlers on the Faroe islands could have been Christian hermit monks called ‘anchorites’ from Ireland or Scotland.

The theory is supported Irish monk Dicul, who wrote in the year 825 that hermit monks from Ireland were livng on islands far north of Britain before the Vikings, although he did not explicitly name the Faroe Islands.

There is another Dicul mentioned in III, 19. Stevenson suggests the identification of this Dicul with the Irish monk who wrote a geographical work, the ” De Mensura Orbis Terrae, but he lived in the ninth century. ” in Bosham, near Chichester.

On the Trail of Seven Coptic Monks in Ireland

King mentions an Ogham inscription on a stone near St. Olan’s Well in the parish of Aghabulloge, County Cork, which scholars interpret as reading: ‘Pray for Olan the Egyptian.’ Professor Stokes tells us5 about the Irish monk Dicuil, who around 825 wrote his Liber de Mensure orbis terre describing the pyramids as well as an ancient precursor of the Suez Canal. It would seem that Egypt was often visited by pilgrims to the Holy Land. Stokes instances the Saltair Na Rann, an anthology of biblical poems attributed to Oengus the Culdee, but containing the sixth or seventh century Book of Adam and Eve, composed in Egypt and known in no other European country except Ireland.

 

From Google Books unfortunately no longer available.

 

 

 

The Reverend John Richardson, Rector of Belturbet, Co. Cavan, author of ‘The Great Folly, Superstition and idolatry of Pilgrimages in Ireland, Especially of that to St. Patrick’s Purgatory, together With an Account of the Loss that the public Sustaineth thereby, truly and impartially Represented his account at Ballyvourney, Co. Cork, 1727 of 13th century wooden statue of St. Gobnait (Patroness of Bee Keepers) as an antidote to small pox being kept by the O’Herlihys.

Courtesy Pilgrimages in Ireland. Peter Harbison Barrie and Jenkins 1991

Lay out of kitchen garden at Irish Monastery 9th century from St Gallen in Switzerland in Tower House of Barryscourt Castle, East Cork.

Daphne Pochin Mould (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Pochin_Mould) an article in the ‘Irish Gardener in July 2005 wrote about the conversion of the Bawn of Barrycourt Castle in East Cork. Using records from St. Gallen it was deduced that the contents of a Monastic garden would include onions, leeks, garlic, shallots celery and coriander, parsnips with cabbage, lettuce, chervil, chard, radish, dill and poppy.

Mort O’Donovan, c 1895-, Blacksmith Kilcrohane, West Cork and the craft of the Blacksmith.

Around the Muintervara Peninsula re still be be seen fine examples of iron work attributive to Murt O’Donovan. In areas of intensive farming gates have been widened to allow for access of large machinery, however around Ahakista, Kilcrohane and Durrus there are still many examples of gates made of band iron sometimes with decoration. He also would have done a lot of cranes and other interior iron work.

The forge was a place of resort especially in bad weather when men would use the opportunity to have horses shod. Sometimes a mini gathering a type of scoraíocht would take place in the smokey interior and those present would be volunteered into helping bang out band iron.

Heavy use of cart wheels meant that the iron rims around the wheels wore out quickly. The making of iron wheel bands would usually take place when ten or twelve would be done at the one time as tis was an expensive process. A full cart of dry black turf would be secured Bits of old iron would be gathered and melted down and poured into a mould. The preferred firing was turf rather then the generally used coal as this was though to give a better cooling.

Before 20 foot strips of iron became commercially available the process for making horse shoes was to use band iron which typically was between 2 and a quarter and a half inches. The iron would be reddened and a wedge used to split it into two bands of around one inch this would then be used to make shoes. Paddy Murt O’Donovan on his later ears would do this by request and the availability of 20 foot lenghts would generally be used.

Bits of iron such as the axles of carts would be re cycles as the back end of gates rear the pillar for areas such as orchards and haggards, ordinary field would usually have a few bushes to plug the gap.

Other bits of iron were used to make cranes over fires and when concrete came in as lintels over doors.

Rivets were generally bought in

Three of his sons became blacksmiths. Paddy had a forge in Durrus at Carrickarnon (The High Road), made by Dan Brien of Kealties of massed concrete which still stands and later the forge attached to his shop property almost opposite the Good Times Cafe. Jack continued in Kilcrohane and Paddy in Kealties.

Briseann an dúchas trí shúile an chait, Cork families of Danish Origin.

A genetic map of Ireland published some time ago mixing DNA testing with other sources highlighted two hot spots of Danish origin.

One was East Cork home to the Cotter family. The West Cork Cotters originate from some families forcibly expelled from East Cork c 1650 and who settled in Inchigeela. Even still the old church there is used as their burial place.

The other is around Courtmacsherry home to the Coppingers. One of the family Sir Walter Coppinger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Walter_) in the late 16th and early 17th century amassed a huge estate through the provision of mortgages. Many of the clients defaulted including the McCarthys thereby forfeiting lands at Ballycomane in Durrus and around Caheragh. He backed the wrong horse in the wars of the 17th century and was attained for treason and his lands eventually passed in the Carbery Estate (Freke-Evans).

Some features such as blond hair still recur. The poet J. J. Callanan whose mother was a Coppinger was blond until his early death in 1829.

Recent DNA evidence of Cork people is showing up Norwegian matches with a variation of the Coppinger name.

Like most who came to Ireland in the last 10,000 descendants have changed language and religion. Some of the Coppinger and Cotter families became prominent as Magistrates:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZvT84JCKTIhMqqZjJsF_AUJLH8S820ksObykwOty3wg/edit

Henry Coppinger, 1687

Luke Coppinger, 1688

Maurice Coppinger, 1762, Spring Ville

Robert Coppinger, 1665, Possibly Lord Mayor Cork, 1644

Robert Coppinger, 1754

Thomas Coppinger, 1687

Thomas Henry Coppinger, 1783, Grange

Sir James Cotter, Bart., 1764

Sir James Cotter, 1771, Rockforest

https://durrushistory.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/jj-james-jeremiah-joseph-callanan-1786-died-lisbon-1829-cork-poet-bridging-gaelic-irelad-with-irish-literature-in-english-aonghus-o-dalaigh-poems/