• About
  • Customs Report 1821-2 (and Miscellaneous Petitions to Government 1820-5) and some Earlier Customs Data, including staffing, salaries, duties including, Cork, Kinsale, Youghal, Baltimore, with mention of Bantry, Crookhaven, Glandore, Berehaven, Castletownsend, Enniskeane, Passage, Crosshaven, Cove, Clonakilty, Cortmacsherry.
  • Eoghan O’Keeffe 1656-1723, Glenville, Co. Cork later Parish Priest, Doneralie 1723 Lament in old Irish
  • Historic maps from Cork City and County from 1600
  • Horsehair, animal blood an early 18th century Stone House in West Cork and Castles.
  • Interesting Links
  • Jack Dukelow, 1866-1953 Wit and Historian, Rossmore, Durrus, West Cork. Charlie Dennis, Batt The Fiddler.
  • Kilcoe Church, West Cork, built by Father Jimmy O’Sullivan, 1905 with glass by Sarah Purser, A. E. Childs (An Túr Gloine) and Harry Clarke Stained Glass Limited
  • Late 18th/Early 19th century house, Ahagouna (Áth Gamhna: Crossing Place of the Calves/Spriplings) Clashadoo, Durrus, West Cork, Ireland
  • Letter from Lord Carbery, 1826 re Destitution and Emigration in West Cork and Eddy Letters, Tradesmen going to the USA and Labourers to New Brunswick
  • Marriage early 1700s of Cormac McCarthy son of Florence McCarthy Mór, to Dela Welply (family originally from Wales) where he took the name Welply from whom many West Cork Welplys descend.
  • Online Archive New Brunswick, Canada, many Cork connections
  • Origin Dukelow family, including Coughlan, Baker, Kingston and Williamson ancestors
  • Return of Yeomanry, Co. Cork, 1817
  • Richard Townsend, Durrus, 1829-1912, Ireland’s oldest Magistrate and Timothy O’Donovan, Catholic Magistrate from 1818 as were his two brothers Dr. Daniel and Richard, Rev Arminger Sealy, Bandon, Magistrate died Bandon aged 95, 1855
  • School Folklore Project 1937-8, Durrus, Co. Cork, Schools Church of Ireland, Catholic.
  • Sean Nós Tradition re emerges in Lidl and Aldi
  • Some Cork and Kerry families such as Galwey, Roches, Atkins, O’Connells, McCarthys, St. Ledgers, Orpen, Skiddy, in John Burkes 1833 Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland:
  • Statement of Ted (Ríoch) O’Sullivan (1899-1971), Barytes Miner at Derriganocht, Lough Bofinne with Ned Cotter, later Fianna Fáil T.D. Later Fianna Fáil TD and Senator, Gortycloona, Bantry, Co. Cork, to Bureau of Military History, Alleged Torture by Hammer and Rifle at Castletownbere by Free State Forces, Denied by William T Cosgrave who Alleged ‘He Tried to Escape’.
  • The Rabbit trade in the 1950s before Myxomatosis in the 1950s snaring, ferrets.

West Cork History

~ History of Durrus/Muintervara

West Cork History

Tag Archives: durrus

Bandon Estate Rentals 1854-8, 1874-7, part Durrus, Caheragh, Mizen, West Cork and the Evanson, Dukelow and Jeremy (Jeremiah) Coghlan/Coughlan (Ó Cochláin) family of Carrigmanus Mizen

08 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Bandon, castle bernard, co.cork, cork, County Cork, Dublin, durrus, Earl of Bandon, ireland


https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Durrus,+Co.+Cork/@51.6217107,-9.521993,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x48459fe7ccd270df:0x231e3744ac95441a

The predecessor of the Cork Archives acquired the papers of the former firm of Wheeler Doherty, Bandon, Solicitors and Land Agents to the estate of the Earl of Bandon in 1971.  It is an enormous collection and part was recently archived the inventory runs to over 70 pages.

The Bandon Estate was somewhat unusual insofar as it was not acquired by conquest but on the earnings of Francis Bernard as a barrister in Dublin in the early 18th century and added to later by judicious marriages and purchase.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bernard_(lawyer)

Reading the inventory it is possible to look at the estate as a commercial concern, the rents paid by the tenants supported a large organization employing many in Bandon in Castle Bernard.  At its height the estate ran to over 40,000 acres mainly in Co. Cork but  in Dublin and other parts of the country.  It was managed professionally from the late 18th century and was audited by Dublin accountants.  Apart from the Bandon/Bernard family it supported pensioners and endowed various worthy causes.

In the western estate it recovered the lands in Durrus from the Evansons (it seems it have bought the estate off them in the 1720s and leased it back) it demolished the village of Durrus then a collection of miserable mud cabins.  The Archive has rent receipts for the 1730 from the Bernards to Nathaniel Evanson and Jeremy (or Jeremiah) Coughlan, who married his sister around 1700. The Coughlans of Carrigmanus were a little unusual insofar as an old Gaelic family they had become Church of Ireland by 1600 and a long line of clergymen came from the family. It is probable that Jeremy was the grandfather of Frances Coghlan, Upper Clashadoo who married Thomas Dukelow from Cruttees in 1818 and he married in. Thus many of the Durrus Dukelow have a Coghlan descent line and have ancestors who would have ben on the Mizen and Muinter Mhaire Peninsula for perhaps 3,000 years. Jeremy Coughlan was an attorney, the Senescal of Dungarvan and was the Agent of the Devonshire Estates in Wesr Waterford with Andrew ??

The village was lid out with court house, shops, pubs, a hotel dispensary and housing and its present structure dates from this period.  The rental shows rent commencing for the houses from 1858.

The ledgers are sometimes difficult to read and names and townlands are not always clear.  This is a work in progress.

It might be noted that the estate moved tenants around within townlands or for example from Dromnera to Crottees, from Ballyourane in Caheragh to Clashadoo, from Carrigboy to the Mizen Townlands.  There is some evidence that families were moved from the Durrus area to vacant farms in the Bandon part of the estate.

In the 1890s and early 1900s Lord Bandon used Durrus Court as a summer house and enjoyed yachting in the Bay.   In the history of St James Church 200th anniversary edited by Francis Humphries there is a reference to Mrs. Roberts of Bandon recalling Lord Bandon in Durrus when she was a child.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqhnQGE3ANjzdDJPRHFMTEZmbjczbUF1b2IxcC1nNlE#gid=0

In the Cork Archives 1854-8, ledger, U137/RL/A/026

1874-1, ledger, U137?Rl?B/005

http://www.corkarchives.ie

1830 Tithe Aplottments from Skib Girl’s site

http://www.corkgen.org/publicgenealogy/cork/titheapplot/durrus/tithe.html

Griffith’s Valuation 1852

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doPlaceSearch&Submit.x=44&Submit.y=11&Submit=Submit&freetext=durrus&countyname=CORK&baronyname=&unionname=&parishname=

Lord Bandon

The Bernards of Bandon became the Earls of Bandon in 1800.  The first of the line originated in Westmoreland in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and his son was Lord of the Manor in Castle-Mahon, Bandon on the outbreak of the rebellion in 1641.  After 1702 Francis Bernard invested heavily in land forfeit during the Jacobite years which came onto the market.  On 1742 the Durrus lands were purchased from Charles Moore of Tipperary by Stephen Bernard in trust for Frances Bernard.  The lands included a fish palace at the Island/Brahalish. and included here are the Durrus lands.

Sometime in the 1850s they came into possession of estates in Durrus, on the expiration of the Evanson’s lease (this was rented at £540 a year), comprising townlands around the village and west to Ahakista referred to in various deeds as ‘six ploughlands of Coolnalong alias Four Mile Water with the sub-denominations of Dromenea and Brahalish. The current village was laid out replacing a collection of mud cabins and a weavers colony during their tenure and they built a hotel naming it the ‘Bandon Arms’, this later became the property of the Philips family. Lord Bandon is reputed to have built the folly at Droumnea, Kilcrohane as relief work in 1847.  Their efforts were praised in the local paper in November 1867 where it was said that every inducement is given to tenants to improve their holdings and the good results of liberal landlordism as in the case of the Bandons was to be seen in their estates in the west.

Captain Thomas the mining engineer produced a pamphlet in 1865 and said that a few years ago a few mud thatched cabins were the only habitations to be seen in Carrigbui.  In their place neat labourer’s cottages, good shops, police barracks, dispensary, post office and an ornamental and well built hotel under the patronage of the Earl of Bandon can be seen.  The exports weekly are some 40,000 eggs with quantities of butter and cattle

Mary Catherine Henrietta Bernard of Castle Bernard daughter of Lord Bandon married Colonel Aldworth on the 30th July 1863 and an address and copy of ‘God’s Holy Word’ was sent by Rev Freke and the tenantry of Durrus to which she returned thanks.  At Dreenlomane Mine (operating until c1920) owned by Lord Bandon, Captain Thomas set tar barrels alight on Mount Corrin which illuminated the sky all night and the 150 miners and their wives were treated to refreshments and similar celebrations were held in Carrigbui.

Lord Bandon was an enthuastic exponent of flax growing in the 1860s.  On the 22nd February 1864 he addressed a meeting at Carrigbui Courthouse attended by Rev James Freke, Richard Tonson Evanson, and a large assemblage of ‘the yeoman farmers’ of the neighbourhood. He addressed a similar meeting in Bantry a few days before. He mentioned the Munster Flax Society, the imminent coming of the railway, and the establishment of scutching mills to rebut charges of previous failure.  He suggested a reduction in the area devoted to potatoes and a little flax to be added.  Persons were appointed to do an assessment of what would be planted in each townland next season and bring this to a meeting to be held the following week.  Later the Royal Dublin Society appointed a Mr Wilson from the North to provide technical assistance and a flax market was functioning in Ballineen in 1865.  A full flax mill was established outside Bandon by James H Swanton in 1865.  it might be remembered that the American Civil war was raging at the time making cotton scarce, the growing of flax in West Cork had always thrived during was but declines after.  While there are numerous flax ponds in the area the crop never took off like it did in Northern Ireland.

James Francis Bernard (1850-1924) was the 4th earl of Bandon and Lord Lieutenant of County Cork.  May Roberts, Brahalish remembers Lord Bandon arriving in the area with a four wheeled car and the Coachman Timmy Burke on top a going to his hunting lodge at the present Durrus Court.  Lord Bandon was in Durrus in 22nd February 1864 to promote flax growing.  The large farm at Gearamin, Cummer now owned by a German was part of the hunting area.   There was some association between the Philips family and Lord Bandon.  They managed the estate and their home farm was extensive from Ahagouna to Rusheeniska taking in some of Clashadoo and Gearamin.

Much of the land in Durrus was owned by the Bandon Estate and was managed by the Wheeler Doherty Family (their estate papers are in the Cork Archive Institute but some are still  uncatalogued).  The previous managers of the estate Edward Appelby and Colonel Henry Boyle Bernard had left it heavily in debt and R.W. Doherty was appointed in 1877.  Colonel Bernard (of the Cork Light Infantry Militia) acquired an interest by way of family settlement of 1848 and mortgaged lands including those in Durrus in 1878. In July 1882 Richard Wheeler Doherty Jnr. complained that tenants ‘but principally those of Durrus near Bantry had paid no rent since 1880, his father had said in September 1881 ‘The Land Leagues are destroying the country and a lot of Protestants have joined them … the Protestants at Durrus would pay no rent unless allowed 25% off.  More like savages then human beings’.

In 1895 the West of England Insurance Company applied to have the Bandon estate sold to satisfy borrowings of 1814 and further advances in the 1870s.  Presumably this was settled as the Bandon Estate had title to sell to the various Durrus tenants under the Land Acts.

In the 19th Century the great land owning families of Co Cork such as the Bandons controlled the administration of the County with the Grand Jury which met as the time of the legal Assizes and decided on matters of policy.  When the County Council was established under the Local Government Act of 1898 power passed to the elected councillors and public officials.  A family which in 1870 has over 40,000 acres in Co Cork sold the vast bulk of it under the Land Acts to the tenants and now their successors have only a modest bungalow on the once extensive Castle Bernard Estate in Bandon.

Legal tenure of Ballydehob, Dromreagh, Murreagh and Adroguinna, from 1626, West Cork.

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cork, durrus, Earl of Burlington, ireland, Mines west Cork, Napoleonic Wars, schull, Sir William Hull. Earl of Cork, west cork


https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Ardogeena,+Co.+Cork/@51.6122167,-9.532978,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x48459fb8f9c0f5c7:0x7554b4a819007bca?hl=en

From the Encumbered estates Court 1854 where the title to land before the court is recited.  This court was an attempt to ‘dry clean’ in a legal sense property which was so heavily encumbered that in effect in was unsaleable.  Apart from bank mortgages much of this property, the insolvent estates of Irish landlords, was heavily affected by family settlements to provided for annuities for family members, marriage portions and so on. The famine was only the last straw which broke the camel’s back, the financial distress had been piling up since the collapse in agricultural prices with the ending of the Napoleonic Wars in 1817.

Deed 12th April and 13th 1738, Earl of Burlington and Cork (descendants of Boyle), Sir William Heathcote to Richard Tonson (one of the Tonsons was the illegitimate son of Hull, who ran a fishery in Schull and was a major landowner).  All manorial rights to the Lord of the Manor of Ballydehob and lands of Dromreagh, Murreagh and Ardoginna (these three townlands are in Durrus on the Schull side of the Mizen peninsula), acquires Dromrigh, alias Drumreagh, Dromlowe, and Ardogennae, three ploughlands in tenure and occupation of Edward Boyle and Mary his wife lease of 21st May 1626 for 5,000 years, sold to Richard Tonson for £1,700, Evanson 24th September 1765, Richard Tonson to Richard Tonson Evanson received by William Tonson Lord Baron Riversdale to Nathaniel Evanson 12th March 1811, Parliamentary conveyance his Grace to have right to protect claim, minerals to be excepted, (in fact the area is rich in minerals there were a number of mines in the region in the 19ht century).

Incident Land War, Durrus, West Cork, 7th January 1886

07 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

co.cork, durrus, land war, petty session clerk


On the 8th  January 1886 it was reported in the Shields Daily Gazette and Shipping Telegraph that ‘moonlighters’ savagely beat Mr. David Burley (Burleigh), the Petty Session Clerk, in search of arms the previous day and no arrests were made.

At that time the Petty Sessions were held in Carrigboy (Durrus), the courthouse is still extant next to Ó Suilleabhaín’s pub.  Mr Burley (or Burleigh) lived in Beech House, the large house between the West Lodge Hotel and the cemetery in Bantry.

Daughter to Kildare Place Training College he may have originated from around Innishannon, possibly lived at Beach House, Bantry at one stage.

Adm to widow Elizabeth Durrus effects £193 3s 5d

Tithe Applotments, Durrus Parish, Co. Cork, 1830.

05 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

co.cork, durrus, tithe aplotments


Tithe Aplottments 1830 Durrus District-1The tithes were assessed on arable land used for corn production where the acreage is given it is assumed that it does not include land not used for this purpose.  The tithes were used for the maintenance of the Church of Ireland clergy.  They at the time of the applotments  1820s were the religion endowed by the state and the clergy discharged some civic functions apart from religious.  The ones for Durrus were done in 1830.

Name/Acres Townland Valuation in Pounds rounded up/down
Jehr Kelly?   21 a Gurteen 23
Widow Donovan 8a 7
Widow Hall 21 a 23
Corns Donovan Fonka? 20a 19
Widow Pattyson 48 a Lismuramag 50
James Vickery 30a Mullogh 42
Daniel Hurly 13a 2
Thomas Barry 155 a 130
Widow Shannon 40a Droumriag 40
James Ferguson 23a 20
Michael Sullivan 51a Teadagh 33
John Conely 6a 7
Jehr Sullivan 21a 20
James Sullivan 21a 20
Widow Hayes and Hayes 21a Boultinagh 17
John Hayes 5 a   6
Richard Roycroft  21a and also Curraghavadra below   18
Philip Spillane 12a 4
Widow Sullivan and – Sullivan 20a 17
Denis Carty 1 a 1
Tim Sullivan  3a 2
Denis Sullivan 3a 2
Charles Carty 3 2
Richard Roycroft  24a Curraghavadra 20
Elias Roycroft 21a 20
William Roycroft 21a 20
Richard Roycroft 11a 10
William Roycroft 11a 10
Richard Lavers 55a and 19a Rooska 50+22
Thomas Ward 3a 2
Denis Donovan 20a 10
Tim Hurly 20a 10
Francis Roycroft 5a 6
William Vickery 31a 25
John Denis 8
Tim Carty 13a and 10a 16 and 6
Richard Dwire 20a 11
Michael Monihane or Honihane 62a 8
School House 1a 1
Richard Varian 62a and 62a 4+4
George Varian 62a 4
George Baker 4a 3
Thomas Baker 4a 3
Robert Baker 4a 3
Tim Driscoll Mackintosh 7a Keelovenouge 9
Patrick Driscoll Mackintosh 13a and 44 19 and 46
Widow Hurly 5a 7
Tim Driscoll 4 and 4 7 and 3
William Miles? 2a 4
Pate Driscoll 2a 2
Batt Driscoll 2 11
Patrick Husy 10a 1
Joseph Denis 5a 5
John Sullivan 32a 4
Corns Sullivan 32 a 4
Daniel Harrington 1a 1
Jerh Murphy 12a 1
James Power 102a 20
Jerh Murphy 1 1
Jim Sullivan 12a 2
Widow Dwire 13a 10
Richard Baker 9a 6
George Baker 1a 3
John Heazle 2a 2
Daniel Sullivan 2a 2
Jim Neall 3a 5
Daniel Neall 3a 5
John Sullivan Skully 3a 4
Thomas Heazle 6a 9
Corns Houlihane 6a 9
Michael Caverly 6a 9
Thomas Melvin? 2a 4
Richard O’Donovan Esq. 21a Tullig 20
Denis Scully 1a 1
Michael Carty 5a 4
John Murphy 3a 4
Morty Sullivan 2a 1
Jim Kean 12a 1
Daniel Murphy 4a 3
Charles Carty 4a 3
John Carty 1a 1
Charles Crowley 1a 1
Michael Collins? 1 1
Michael Driscoll 2a 1
Denis Lynch .5a 1
Patrick Sullivan 6a Kealties 5
Daniel Martin 4a 3
John Cronin 5a 4
Timothy Sullivan  5a 4
John Sullivan 5a 4
Tim Sullivan 5a 4
Darby Dawly 5a 4
William Bryon 5a 4
Dan Harrington 5a 4
Corns Donovan 2a 2
Marcus? Foley 2a 2
Michael Harrington 3a 3
Pate Cronin 12a 1
Bate Shanahane 3a 3
John Harrington Cope 12a 1
Daily Sullivan 3a 2
Corns Sullivan 12a 1
Patrick Donovan 5a 4
Charles Carty Sen. 4a 4
Daniel Driscoll 4a 4
Dailey Donovan 2a 2
Tim Creed 2a 2
Tim Sullivan Snr 4a 4
John Sullivan 12a 1
Widow Sullivan 3a 2
Daniel Foley 1a 1
Daniel Sullivan 1 2
Hugh Crowley 1a 1
John Sheehane 1 1
Jerh Foley 1a 1
William Tobin 9a Esknabreena (part of Kealties) 1
Willie Tobin 9a 7
Widow Tobin 9a 7
Owen Carty 5a 4
Tim Sullivan 5a 4
Simon Carty 1a 1
Mary Mahony 1 1
Daniel Carty 3a 2
Tim Mahony 3a 2
John Carty 3a 2
John Sullivan 5a 4
Daniel Carty 2a 2
Michl? Carty 2a 2
Stephen Carty 4a 2
Jerh Foley 3a 2
Thomas Baker 2a 2
John Coughlane 2a 2
Jerh Driscoll 1a 1
Denis Drisoll 1a 1
Denis Sullivan 8aConrs Regan 20a 718
Daniel Harrington 5a 4
John Sweeny 3a 4
Charles King 10a 8
Michael Donovan 10a 8
Richard Evans 20a 23
Owen Sullivan 20a 32
Walter Evans 10a Brahalish 9
Richard Williamson 18a 16
Michael Shannon 8a 7
Edward Shannon 9a 7
Richard Shannon 26a 32
William Grady 12a 19
Richard Shannon 26a 32
William and John Shannon 29a 39
John Shannon 30a Cummer (East of Brahalish) 31
John King 18a Rossmore 21
Arthur Attridge 18a 21
John Baker 9a 11
Richard Williamson 9a 11
Jerh Mahony 8a 10
William Sullivan Barnagh 4a 5
John Mahony 5a 7
Richard Dukelow 9a 10
Corn Bryan 4a 5
Daniel Wholy 9a 10
Coolnahorna (Upper Clashadoo)
Tim Wholihane and Michael Wholihane 20a 19

Barytes Mines Derreenlomane, (Doirín na Lomán: Little Oakwood), Ballydehob, West Cork.

08 Saturday Oct 2011

Posted by durrushistory in Uncategorized

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

barytes, danno mahoney, dereenlomane, durrus, schull


https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Derreennalomane,+Co.+Cork/@51.5863811,-9.5281993,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x48459f1017e6ba6b:0x2600c7a7bb4c0372

Dereenlomane Barytes Mine

This was originally worked as a copper mine by the Rev. Traill of Schull, assisted by Captain William Thomas in 1840 and they sold 19 tons of copper.  They discovered barytes or barium sulphate, a heavy white mineral, used for paint, papermaking for which in the 1850s there was a limited market.  An early use was by Josiah Wedgewood in the making of pottery.  In 1863 Captain Thomas was chartering boats c 160 tons and shipping the barytes to Messrs Martyn Dennis Liverpool and around 150 people were employed.  That year there was a serious flood which resulted in the mine being non operational for a period.  In 1867 the mine at what was described as Cahirolickaney Mountain was inaccessible and Captain Thomas built a road from the mine to the Dunbeacon Road nearly a mile long in three weeks.  It was marked by a celebration with ‘creature comforts’ in abundance, followed by a dance.  Before the road was built the farmers had to carry sea sand and manure along the line of the rocky bed of a river and scramble up the mountain as best they could with back load on horses, men and women.  The road was called Wilson’s after one of the promoters by Father O’Regan.  There were quite a number of fatalities in the operation of the mine which were mentioned in the local press. 

In 1851, 2,500 tons were raised compared to only 800 tons in three other centres in the former United Kingdom.  The material was washed, dried, crushed and milled.  It was then produced as barytes flour; this was packed into bags and sent to an island jetty in Dunmanus Bay by an aerial ropeway 1.23 miles long.  From 1909, the boats carried coal to Dunbeacon and left with barytes.  During the War men dived there looking for remnants of coal.  Prior to that the ore went by horse and cart to Schull pier. The mine also produced a small tonnage of copper (bornite) and approx 22,000 tons of fine barytes. It was worked by a Liverpool Company controlled by the Roe Brothers; one of the assistant Managers was Mr. Barton.  The mine used to be all lit up at night and it looked like a city.  At its height up to 500 were employed, supervised by Welsh miners. The nembers employed in 1915 were 150 described as highly paid.  Among those who worked there were the father and uncles of Danno Mahony of nearby Derreenlomane the World Wrestling Champion. Bells rang to call the labourers to work in the morning.  A report in 1923 described the treatment of the ore as ‘washing, drying, in a revolving furnace, crushing, rolling between steel rollers and milling’.  In 1917 a major fire caused extensive damage, including the underground workings.  Although repairs were carried out, the mine never recovered its former level of activity. In 1922 the then Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction reviewed the recent history of the mine and commented on it being burnt down in July 1920.   Mr Lynburn of the Department expressed a hope that in time with a more relaxed regime re explosives it might re open.

A line of timber pylons ran from the mine site down the steep hillside all the way to Dunmanus Bay. The pylons, anchored to triangular concrete-and-stone foundations, supported a continuous aerial rope and a number of cable cars. The system was powered by a gas engine. The foundations are all still in situ and can be followed to the sea.  The ships which carried away the ore landed coal and during the War people dived in the area seeking lumps of coal.

Five hundred men had worked at the mine between 1917-18.  Mine water was pumped by a ‘balanced bob’ with the engine house being sited over the main shaft. The gas engine house was located adjacent to the pump house. The mining company entrusted the job of making ore-bearing cable-cars to a local carpenter cum pit-sawyer named Willie Coakley.  He seems to have played a considerable role in erecting the aerial ropeway system and in weaving wicker cable-cars to transport ore from mine to sea.

Boats landed at a pier of which a buoy still survives. The Atridge, Shannon and Hegarty families from Rossmore across the Bay jointly owned  a fishing boat. They would regularly cross to trade potatoes, vegetables and meat for tobacco and brandy. The Captain was Captain was generally Captain Bousy and afterwards the Attridges were known as the Bousys. It was the custom for the miners to play football at a field near the mine every Saturday afternoon.

On the first trial of the aerial ropeway, a number of baskets were laden with barytes and sent down the steep hill to their destination, a pier at Dunmanus Bay.  From there it was exported to Liverpool, London or Glasgow.   However, on releasing the baskets it was discovered that the braking mechanism on the aerial ropeway had failed. On reaching journey’s end, the run-away cable-cars demolished a portion of the aerial rope and caused extensive damage to the system, presumably several pylons were torn from their foundations.

A local wit composed a poem to commemorate the event – the poem was titled  Coakley’s Apparatus’ One line of the poem describes the wicker basket in euphemism as ‘a donkey who would never have a foal’.

At the Dunbeacon side there was an area of houses now derelict which in the early 20th century was a hive of activity and centre of music and dancing known as the ‘Station Heights’. Many of the families were associated with the mines.

When the mines closed many of the miners went to the coal mines of South Wales or to the USA. One of them was Denis John L O’Sullivan, his father originally from Kilcrohane ran a pub in Durrus, who went to the USA and returned. He had a pub in Durrus Village which is still run by his son Danny.

See the full text of the Official Report here. 

Recollections of James Stanley Vickery as a grandchild in Molloch, Parish of Durrus, Bantry (1829-1907), Parents died of Cholera in Skibbeeen. House c 1740-70 and Probably Prior House in ruins Pre-1740, Teacher Healy, Bantry, probably Grandfather of Tim Healy, M.P., Barrister, Governor General of the Irish Free State, Grandfather’s 2 Day Wake with Professional Keener.

07 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by durrushistory in Personal Memoirs, tim healy ballarat australia

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

australia, ballarat, bantry, durrus, Food, Healy, history memoir, ireland, Irish Free State, james, Methodism, Moloch, skibbereen, tim healy


Recollections of James Stanley Vickery as a grandchild in Molloch, Durrus, Bantry (1829-1911), House c 1740-70 and Probably Prior House in ruins Pre-1740

Mulloch:

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Mullagh,+Co.+Cork/@51.6504792,-9.4962155,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x48450ab2f9eae951:0xa9a194383c31d874

In Australia:

Screen Shot 2015-09-09 at 14.22.18

Enclose are picture of the house, yard and well in January 2016.  Also enclosed in the probably earlier Vickery house possibly before 1740s situated just a distance from the present house which was lived in up to the 1980s by the Swanton family who are probably related by marriage to the Vickeries.

The farm comprised 170 acres large farm for the area.

In the Bantry Estate Records the Vickeries and their kinsmen the Warners and O’Sullivans were noted as yeomen farmers.  Like the Warners, the Vickeries probably originated in nearby Rooska and are most likely in the Bantry area pre 1700.   The Warners apart from farming also held various farms which were sub let as did the Tedagh Sullivans,  The Warners had a reputation for hard work, honesty and fair dealing which transferred to their Cork descendants, the Musgrave family (Supervalu) on the female line. Like the Vickeries they were Church of Ireland and late converted to Methodism.

House 1740-70, and probable pre 1740 house:

There is a debate as to whether he has all the family information correct. Entire Recollections:

https://plus.google.com/photos/100968344231272482288/albums/5884047429692369217?banner=pwa

In Frank Callanan’s biography of Tim Healy (Politician, barrister, Governor General of Irish Free State) he states that his grandfather Healy was a classical teacher in Bantry.  In the recollections James relates how he was taught by a master called Healy it may be the same man.

The above house may have been the residence of James Stanley Vickery.  It is owned by Mr Jimmy Swanton, Moloch, Durrus and was lived in until around 25 years ago.

These are an extract of the early memories of James Stanley Vickery who later went to Australia.  He founded a business in Ballarat dealing in chemicals, food products etc.  This successful business remained in the Vickery family until World War 2.

James Swanton was a notable local figure and was a Cess payer representative in 1834:

1834. NAMES and PLACES of RESIDENCE of the CESS PAYERS nominated by the County Grand Jury at the last Assizes, to be associated with the Magistrates at Special Road Sessions to be holden in and for the several Baronies within the County, preparatory to the next Assizes, pursuant to Act 3 and 4 Wm. 4, ch. 78.

Barony of BantryWilliam O’Sullivan Carriganass, KealkilMichael Sullivan, DroumlickeerueJohn O’Connell, BantryRichard Levis, Rooska
William Pearson, Droumclough, BantryDaniel O’Sullivan, ReedoneganJeremiah O’Sullivan, DroumadureenJohn Cotter, Lisheens,James Vickery, Mullagh, Bantry
Rev. Henry Sadler, The GlebeJohn Godson, BantryRichard Pattison, Cappanabowl, BantryJohn Kingston, BantrySamuel Vickery, Franchagh
William Pearson, Cahirdaniel, BantryRobert Vickery, Dunbittern, BantryDaniel Mellifont, DonemarkJohn Hamilton White, DroumbroeSamuel Daly, Droumkeal

He was born in Skibbereen and after his parent died of Asiatic cholera in 1832 he and his two sisters went to live with their grandparents at Moloch, Durrus 1832-36.  His grandfather James had formerly farmed in Rooska and held the farms by lease from Lord Bantry at a modest rent and the family was comfortably off.  There was a suggestion that the family were involved in smuggling and the Vickerys are reputed to descend from two brother shipwrecked in Bantry c 1740.  In later years his grandfather became religious and a leading light in the Methodist movement. James spent 4 years in Moloch and gives an interesting account of life at the time. In his grandfather’s time there were good prices for produce but hard to get to market.  There were no proper roads and his grandmother or aunt had to go to Bantry it was on horseback in the old fashion pillion.  When wheeled vehicles arrived on the farm but were used with a feather bed.

The house was a two storey one with slated roof.  There was rough comfort with turf fires.  Wood was dug out of the bog sufficient to make rafters for the outhouses, oak as black as jet.  There was a resinous wood found in great plenty out of which when dry they made good torches which was often used instead of a candle.  In 2008 there are still quantities of bog oak in the nearby Clonee bog.

Bacon hanging from the kitchen rafters, potatoes in their prime, with oatmeal porridge, wholemeal bread, milk and butter and honey in abundance.  It was the finest honey country around with the hill tops covered in native heath and the fields in red clover. There was the best kind of fish with very little of either beef or mutton or even the staple commodity bacon.  Off the wild coast grew some edible seaweeds which made a cheap pleasant and extremely wholesome food.  Carrageen moss had long formed a medical food of great value.  Shellfish of various kinds were cheap, crab of large size were very common.  Oysters very large and plentiful were not much in use.  Everything was both cheap and plentiful with the exception of that most needful of all money to purchase.  He knew of turbot sold at 2/6 which would cost 20/- in Billingsgate.  The people though living close to the sea were not strictly seagoing unlike the Cornish folk on the opposite coast of England.

Spinning wheels would be making music the large one for wool and the small one for flax.  The articles made from these materials were very coarse but strong and endurable.  Farming implements were of the primitive kind, a one furrow plough scythe, sickle and flail.  The latter consisted of two well seasoned ashen sticks about five feet long united together with strip of green hide.  With this the corn was threshed and it was a pleasant sight to watch the active young men face each other at the work.  There was not even a winnower in use and the corn had to be separated from the chaff by holding it up to the wind the corn falling on a sheet of tarpaulin spread on the ground to receive it.  Foreign matter small stones and clay was later removed prior to going to the mill by spreading it on a large kitchen table and the women of the house picked it out.

After killing the fatted cow the rough fat was melted and used in the making of candles usually by the slow process of dipping.  A good washing potash lye was made from ashes of burnt furze.  Starch was made from the farina of potatoes.  A kind of tea was made from a certain kind of mint, china tea being a luxury forming often times a valued present from well to do friends.  A sweet and mild alcoholic drink was brewed from honey called metheglin (spiced mead).  Sickness was treated with simple herbs grown in the garden.  He well remembered the abhorrent taste of tansy to kill worms and other parasites in the child’s interior.  Whiskey was not forgotten no doubt having the well known peculiar flavour of genuine ‘Potheen’.  It was very little used as a beverage by the family but as a remedy it had its place in emergencies.  He dwelt on these particulars as they gave an insight on the common life of the time now passed away.

He recalls his grandfather’s death and the wake going over two nights with a professional keener.

He went around 1837 to a small private school in Bantry run by a man called Healy who was a Catholic. The new National schools had been boycotted by the Irish Protestants.  Healy had attained a proficiency in mathematics but was extremely cruel, over one of the rafters he threw a small rope and tied it under James’s arms and hoisted him up swinging him gently and letting him feel the holly rod to the amusement of the other boys.  His wife on seeing it stopped him and gave Healy a piece of his mind.  Healy was later convicted of cruelty in front of the magistrates.  James later went to live with relatives in Bandon and went to Australia in 1853.  The house in Mulagh is  the old Swanton farmhouse last occupied by Jimmy Swanton’s mother 1980s. and in fair structural condition. Sullivan

Blog Stats

  • 690,282 hits

16th Regiment of Foot assisted female emigration australia ballyclough bantry bay caithness legion cavan regiment of militia cheshire fencibles coppinger's court inbhear na mbearc Irish words in use 1930s lord lansdowne's regiment mallow melbourne ned kelly new brunswick O'Dalys Bardic Family. o'regan Personal Memoirs rosscarbery schull sir redmond barry sir walter coppinger st. johns sydney Townlands treaty of limerick Uncategorized university of Melbourne victoria

16th Regiment of Foot assisted female emigration australia ballyclough bantry bay caithness legion cavan regiment of militia cheshire fencibles coppinger's court inbhear na mbearc Irish words in use 1930s lord lansdowne's regiment mallow melbourne ned kelly new brunswick O'Dalys Bardic Family. o'regan Personal Memoirs rosscarbery schull sir redmond barry sir walter coppinger st. johns sydney Townlands treaty of limerick Uncategorized university of Melbourne victoria
Follow West Cork History on WordPress.com
Follow West Cork History on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 469 other subscribers

Feedjit

  • durrushistory

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • West Cork History
    • Join 469 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • West Cork History
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...