Skibbereen & District Historical Society

“Skibbereen & District Historical Society will host a Talk on Thursday, 5th December , in the West Cork Hotel @ 8.30 pm. entitled “The O’Connell Monster Meeting, Skibbereen, 1843″.

In June 1843, Skibbereen hosted one in a series of Monster Meetings held by Daniel O’Connell throughout Ireland to force the issue of Repeal of the Act of Union.

Gerald O’Brien of the Skibbereen and District Historical Society has unique and unparalleled knowledge of the Skibbereen meeting, which was probably the largest gathering of people ever in West Cork. Join him in a conversation about this unique event, where he explores his knowledge of
this time and tells us why Skibbereen was picked, how the meeting was organised and what happened afterwards.

Everyone is welcome.

A small donation will be required from non-members.”

Thursday, Oct. 31st, in the West Cork Hotel @ 8.30 pm.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the death of novelist Edith Somerville the presentation will be given by Tom Somerville, the current incumbent of
Drishane House, Castletownshend, once the home of the famous author.

Anyone wishing to learn more of our local history should find it both entertaining
& informative.

Everyone is welcome.
A small donation will be required from non-members.”

The launch of the Skibbereen & District Historical Society Journal 2019 took place at the Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre on Wednesday 29 May.

Dr Mervyn O’Driscoll BA, MA, PhD, Head, School of History, University College Cork, a native of Dunmanway, was the special guest and formally launched the journal.

Vol. 15 of the Skibbereen Journal has seventeen articles of wide-ranging interest covering such diverse topics as ‘The sketching trips of Jack Yeats to Skibbereen and Schull, 1915 and 1919’, ‘The History of Skibbereen Fire Brigade,’ to ‘Irish Constitutional Nationalism in west Cork, 1916-1918’ and ‘Ballyrisode Fulacht Fia: A New Bronze Age Site on The Mizen’.

Speaking to a large gathering at the Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, Dr O’Driscoll said that Skibbereen had a rich and more varied history than many observers might at first suspect. ‘Probably it is often linked with the worst excesses of the Great Famine and Black ’47, and that is a factor perhaps in its emergence as the so-called “Cradle of Fenianism.” However, as the Skibbereen & District Historical Society Journal makes abundantly clear, at least to me, this tragic history and narrative obscures the very rich and varied histories and personal histories of the district.’

Dr O’Driscoll said he was ‘deeply impressed by the professionalism and high standard of this historical journal. It is a good model for many other local journals to aspire to as it combines an effort to communicate clearly and effectively to a wide audience regardless of educational attainment, but simultaneously it has a strong emphasis on endnotes and citation from good quality secondary sources and original documents. That is enormously valuable, and you can be assured that in fifty, nay one hundred years, historians will be reading this work for insight. The editorial and authorial team have done a brilliant job in excavating the hidden past and unexplored sources and questions. They need to be congratulated for their services to the wider community and history.’

Dr O’Driscoll gave a brief review of each of the seventeen articles and complimented all the authors in turn. He said that ‘Peter Murray’s original essay on Jack Butler Yeats sheds new light on his life and influences. This breaking open of a neglected West Cork dimension of one of the most celebrated painters of early twentieth Ireland is completely original. Moreover, it is odd that Yeats’ biographers fail to mention his visits to West Cork for extended periods.’

Frank Fahy was a member of Skibbereen Fire Brigade for forty-six years and served twenty-five years of those as Station Officer, so he was uniquely suited to writing ‘The History of Skibbereen Fire Brigade’ which Dr O’Driscoll said: ‘was clearly the result of careful detective work.’

‘They drilled by the light of the moon in lonesome places’: The Fenians in Rural Folk Memory, by Patrick Mahoney, ‘is a remarkable and original work’, said Dr O’Driscoll, ‘which delves into the Fenians of folk memory, to reveal the complex social memory relationship and perceptions that ordinary people had with the IRB.’

Vincent O’Neill’s story of ‘The World War I Medals of Thomas Collins, Lisheenroe, Castlehaven, Skibbereen’, is the story of a local man who served in the Royal Navy in World War I and survived it. Unfortunately, stories like this are underrepresented in our historiography and Vincent, and also Guy Warner’s article on ‘Four Cork Airmen in World War I’ are important contributions to help redress this balance.

Kieran Doyle’s ‘Unionism and the Orange Order in Bandon,’ according to Dr O’Driscoll, ‘is a fascinating assessment of Unionism and the Orange Order in Bandon during the nineteenth century.’

John O’Donovan, a tutor and PhD candidate in the UCC School of History, presents an in-depth study on Irish Constitutional Nationalism in west Cork, 1916-1918 in his essay.

Dr O’Driscoll waxed lyrical about Brendan McCarthy’s nostalgic article on the changing times and his recording of some of the crimes and misdemeanours people were charged with in the halcyon days of the 1960s. The times certainly are a changin’.

‘Eugene Daly’s close analysis of The Book of the Takings of Ireland from the twelfth century exports us back to the High Kings of Ireland and Corca Laidhe, from Kinsale to Kenmare, and the tribes that ruled here from the first century BC, and their origin stones,’ said Dr O’Driscoll. The Book of the Takings of Ireland is a record of the oral histories of the peoples of Ireland and their myths.

‘Finola Finlay’s archaeological expertise is on display in her article on Ballyrisode Fulacht Fia,’ according to Dr O’Driscoll, ‘and in the absence of the written record we are reliant on such professionalism to peel back the mists of time.’ Finola’s description of the water-boiling that took place in the Fulacht Fia reveals how challenging life was for early inhabitants of this island.

‘Chasing Ghosts on the Irish Canals,’ by Robert Harris is a story of canal adventuring which deals mostly with the fascinating odyssey of the Rolt family in Ireland in 1946 and how the author followed in their footsteps some seventy years later, in 2017. The story of Tom and Angela Rolt – largely forgotten – has been rescued from obscurity by Robert and, with the accompanying images, this article highlights the revival of the Irish canals into what is now a significant network of canal and river navigations.

Referring to ‘Servants’ by Michael MacCarthy Morrogh, Dr O’Driscoll said that the article ‘entertains us with the tales of servants and masters in the Big House. It is a remarkable piece of social history – the etiquette, the social pecking order and the life of the country gentleman are illuminated.’

Over the past few years William Casey has produced a very important body of work on the Fenians in West Cork, and in this journal he records the story of Mortimer Downing, the American-born son of Patrick J. Downing of Skibbereen, a very prominent Fenian, and Margaret Spillane. ‘This is an outstanding investigation into the radical trade union life of Mortimer Downing. The son of a Skibbereen Fenian emigrant, Mortimer imbibed his father’s radical instincts being a key organiser and publicist for the industrial workers of the world, also known as the Wobblies,’ noted Dr O’Driscoll.

Dr Donal Corcoran is a graduate of UCC and in 2018 Four Courts Press published his book The Irish Brigade in the Pope’s Army 1860 – Faith, Fatherland and Fighting. Donal has selected some extracts from his book for publication in this journal and he tells the stories of just a few of the 1,300 Irishmen who went to fight for Pope Pius IX in 1860.

In his second contribution to the 2019 Journal, Eugene Daly recalls the story of a tragic incident in Cape Clear a century ago when on 18 November 1919 four young men were killed by a floating mine, just a half a mile outside the North Harbour.

‘The “Farms” of Tullagh Civil Parish: resources and occupiers as recorded in the 1929 Tithe Applotment Books,’ by Jim Collins is a fascinating look at the ‘Farms’ of Tullagh, their occupiers, acreages and valuations, including sub-farms, based on information taken from the Tithe Applotment Books. There’s a wealth of information in the 1823/34 Tithe Applotment Books (TABs). In that period, all land or holdings in Ireland greater than one acre had to be valued and a tithe established.

Skibbereen & District Historical Journal Vol 15, 2019 is now available in shops in Skibbereen and around West Cork. There’s sure to be something of interest there for everyone with any West Cork connection, or who has in interest in history. It would also make a very nice gift to send to someone from this area who is living abroad.

The Journal, and back issues, can also be ordered online at https://www.biblio.com/bookstore/coolim-books-skibbereen/shj/39607814.

Please see below details of forthcoming trips organised by Skibbereen & District Historical Society:

Guided Tour of Glandore.

Meet at Glandore Pier at 7.00 pm Thursday 23rd May for guided tour of Glandore with Fachtna Hickey as guide – no booking required.

Nano Nagle Centre – Fort Elizabeth – Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral.

Bus to Cork departing from Children’s Playground at 8.45 am Saturday 29th June – to include guided visits to Nano Nagle Centre at 11.00 am, Elizabeth Fort at 2.00 pm and St. Finbarr’s Cathedral at 3.15 – arriving back to Skibbereen by 6.30 pm. Cost €30 per person, booking essential, limited places. Open to members only, payable on the day. To book please give names to secretary at secretaryshs@gmail.com or text 086-8234109 after 22nd May 2019.

Tour of Ballydehob.

Meet at Community Hall Ballydehob at 7.00 pm Tuesday 23rd July for guided tour of Ballydehob with Eugene McSweeney – no booking required.

September – to be confirmed

It is hoped to launch our 2019 Journal (No. 15) later in the month, details later.