Journal of the Old Carlow Society 1
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\ I ~ 1 J '""I <u•••J ..________, Journal of the Old Carlow Society ..______, 1995/1996 lrisleabhar Chumann Seanda Cheatharlocha £2 Parnell's Final Defeat Mother Agatha O'Brien Education in Carlow The German Smyths of Carlow County Good law's Hole Coonogue Evictions Place Michael Printing Names Molloy in Carlow SPONSORS ROYAL HOTEL- 9-13 DUBLIN STREET A Personal Hotel of Quality O'NEILL & CO. ACCOUNTANTS 30 Bedrooms En 5;uitc, choice of three Conference Room,\. fVedding.s. Functions. Dinner Dances, Private Parties. fRA YNOR HOUSE. COLLEGE STREET CARLOW Food Served All Day. Phone 0503/31621. Phone0503 4T26() ED. HAUGHNEY & SON, LTD. Jewellers. 'f).4 Fashion Boutique. Fuel Merchant, Authorised Ergas Stockist 'L/cf 62-63 DUBLIN ST., CARLOW POLLERTON ROAD, CARLOW. Phone 0503/31367 OF CARLOW Phone:0503/31346 'THE SYCAMORES' TULLY'S TRAVEL AGENCY T. Nolan - Furniture made to order SLIGUFF, MUINEBHEAG, CO. CARLOW TULLOW STREET, CARLOW Tel. 0503/21221 Phone: 0503/31257 Bring your friends to a musical evening in Carlow's unique GACH RATH AR CARLOVIANA Music Lounge each Saturday and Sunday. Phone: 0503/27159. ST. MARY'S ACADEMY. SMYTHS of NEWTOWN CARLOW SINCE 1815 DEERPARK SERVICE STATION MICHAEL DOYLE Builders Providers, General Hardware Tyre Service and Accessories · THE SHAMROCK", 71 TULLOW STREET. CARLOW DUBLIN ROAD, CARLOW. Phone 0503/31414 Phone:0503/31847 THOMAS F. KEHOE SEVEN OAKS HOTEL Specialist Livestock Auctioneer and Valuer, Farm Sales and Lettings. Dinner Dances * Wedding Receptions * Prrvate Part,es Property and Estate Agent. Agent for the Irish Civil Service Building Society. Conferences * Luxury Lounge 57 DUBLIN STREET. CARLOW. Telephone 0503/31678. 31963. A THY ROAD, CARLOW EILIS AVONMORE CREAMERIES LTD. Irish Made Souvenirs, Fancy Goods, Soft Toys. Greeting Cards, GRAIGUECULLEN. CARLOW. Whipped Ice Cream, Chocolates, Sweets 138 TULLOW STREET Phone:0503/31639 THE CARLOW BOOKSHOP MICHAEL WHITE, M.P.S.I. 143 TULLOW STREET, CARLOW Veterinary and Dispensing ChemtS1 Phone:0503/31674 Photographic and Toilet Goods Prop: Mrs. E. McHugh 39 TULLOW STREET, CARLOW. Phone: 0503, 31229 CARLOW SCHOOL OF MOTORING ST AFFORDS (VAL SLATER) * Expert Tuition KENNEDY STREET, CARLOW Phone. 0503131"'9C 40 COLLEGE GARDENS. Tel: 0503/31991 Electrical Repairs and Spares A. E. COLEMAN ST. LEO'S SECONDARY SCHOOL Motor and Cycle Dealers 19 DUBLIN STREET, CARLOW. Phone 0503/31273 CONVENT OF MERCY. CARLOW CARPENTER BROS. CARLOW DISTRICT CREDIT UNION LTD. Luxury Lounge, Bar, Funeral Undertakers, "It's where you belong" BARRACK STREET, CARLOW. BURRIN STREET, CARLOW. Phone: 0503131994 DARRERS STORES ''FINEGAN$" Better Value in Drapery and Grocery. Today and Everyday Lounge Bar 142 TULLOW STREET, CARLOW. Phone: 0503/31387 Daily Deliveries TULLOW STREET AND POTATO MARKET. CARLOW UNITED BEVERAGES SALES LTD. L & N SUPERSTORE Mineral Water Manufacturers for 160 Years Easy Parking * Easy Shopping * Fantastic Prices CARLOW TULLOW STREET, CARLOW Phone: 0503/31263 PRESENTATION COLLEGE, CARLOW KENNEDY'S LOUNGE BAR CO-EDUCATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOL Eat and Drink in our comfortable lounges and bar. Home Baking. Very special take-away rates for your Chnstmas drinks. .. Widest range of subjects offered. Secretarial and V.P. T.P. Courses also. Room available for parties and meetings. Phone:0503/43927 54, TULLOW STREET, CARLOW. Phone: 0.503/31518 SWAN'S ELECTRICAL, T.V. & VIDEO HOSEYS 1' KENNEDY STREET, CARJ._OW Retail Stores and Wholesale Fruit Merchant Carlow's largest Electrical Dealer Established 1947 STAPLESTOWN ROAD, CARLOW JOHN J. TRAYNOR & CO. HEGARTY'$ SUPERMARKET M.I.A.V.I., M.I.R.E.F. Auctioneers, Valuers and Estate Agents. Insurance Brokers. TULLOW ROAD, CARLOW District Office First National Building Society. Director: W E. Byrne. COLLEGE STREET, CARLOW Phone: 0503/31712. Newsagent, Grocery, Meat, Gas CARLOVIANA 1995/96 NO. 43 I.S.S.N. 0790.0813 CONTENTS v...... c .. ,.. 71 PRINTED BY NEWARK, CARLOW ~ TRUTH Mother Agatha O'Brien ______ 2 "Quid est veritas?" asked Pilate and ''would not stay for an The 'German Smyths answer'', according to Bacon and, indeed, it is difficult to blame him of County Carlow ________ 10 as the answer seems to vary. It seems, in general, to depend on power - "all power is a trust - that we are accountable for its exercise, - that, from the people and for the people, all springs and all must Place Names --------- 13 exist" so saith Disraeli. This would indicate that the wielders of power - Kings, Presidents, Ministers and Bishops - should be aware of, and Coonogue Evictions _______ 14 bow to the wishes of the populace. We are at present awaiting the arrival of President Bill Clinton in Ireland: the hope is that his presence will add to the Peace Michael Molloy T.D. _______ 17 Process. If it does not engender some movement in it and bring it to life, there will be grave disappointment, certainly, in both North and Wykeham House ________ 17 South: likely in Britain too, and will he bring "some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow. Dropping from the veils of the morning Education in Carlow in the to where the cricket sings" as was Yeats' wish for lnnisfree. Go gcumdheadh Dia e, Early Nineteenth Century _____ 18 Tomas MacGabhann Eagarthoir. Carlow Miscenany ________ 20 Patron: Printing in Carlow ________ 22 Dr. Laurence Ryan, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin The White Friars and the Honorary Life Members: Alec Burns, Bethany House, Carlow White Castle of Leighlin _____ 24 Miss Iona McLeod, 19 Braganza, Carlow Chairman: Martin Nevin "The Darkest Day" _______ 26 Vice Chairman: Kevin Kennedy Secretary: Miss Rose Murphy From the Chair--------- 27 Treasurer: Patrick O'Neill Journal Editor: Thomas Smyth Parnell's Last Fight ------ 28 Committee: Mrs. Margaret Byrne Minchin Thomas Byrne Goodlaw's Hole _________ 32 Thomas Clarke Dermot McKenna Brendan Nolan Michael Brennan Secretary's Report _______ Seamus Murphy Miss Anna Kearney 34 ~ Mrs. Ellen O'Neill Myles Kavanagh James Shannon Thomas McDonald The Black Mist ________ 35 Miss Mary Kearney ~ ---------------------------l Members of COVER PICTURE The Old Carlow Society ______ 38 The latest example of Rock Art in County Carlow has been dis- i---------------- covered at Dranagh, near St. Mullins by Mr. Michael Clarke of Glynn. Reproduction in whole or in part of any article This brings to ten the number of Rock Art examples which have been herein is forbidden without the written consent of identified in County Carlow. Photo: w. Ellis the author and the Society. MOTHER AGATHA O'BRIEN. ( 1 822-1854) by Sean O'Neill The Story of a Remarkable Carlow Nun. Margaret O'Brien was born Patrick's in 1829 under the special on September 22nd, 1822, to Sean O'Neill fonnerly of Tullow care of Dr. Fitzgerald (a notable John O'Brien, a cooper, and Street, Carlow is a great grand nephew cleric who spent a term in prison Elsie Costello of Marlboro St. of Mother Agatha O'Brien. rather than pay tithes). Graiguecullen. Her elder sister, Bishop Nolan had received Ellen, born March 24th, 1818, is a bequest of £3,000 from Mother Agatha O'Brien died on July mentioned in the Sligo Mercy Michael Nolan who had a delft Convent records as being the 8th, 1854, in the Mercy Hospital, shop in Carlow. Michael's fourth daughter of John Chicago; she was 32 years old. The brother, John, also donated O'Brien;Margaret, born four and 1854 cholera epidemic was particularly £3,000 and their sister gave an a half years later, could have severe in Chicago; it is recorded that the almost equal amount. This been the sixth or seventh child. death rate was about 60 a day, there generous endowment was put After Elsie's death.when the was no effective treatment or defense to use without delay. Bishop children were still young, John against contagion. Two younger nuns, Nolan told Mother Catherine, "I O'Brien married Julia Doyle and Sisters Bernard Hughes and Louisa will take the whole responsibility started a second family. O'Connor also died on July 8th; three upon myself. The house we Despite what must have been days later Sister Veronica Hickey died. have prepared is not exactly very difficult conditions (the what we would wish but we will Although funerals were in procession on earning capacity of a soon build. The interest on Graiguecullen cooper in the the streets the people lined the route as Michael Nolan's money will 1830's was very limited) the the nuns coffins, followed by the forlorn enable the Sisters to com girls received a creditable community, were carried to the cemetery. mence at once their labours upbringing and were enabled to among the poor and sick. I am acquire a sound education in College and an assembly of the not rich but I promise 'that my the Presentation Convent, clergy and townspeople. "They spiritual children will not want Tullow St. This entailed main were conducted to the College, for necessities. As a small taining the girls at home until the great hall of which was donation and a proof of my their late teens; not to be brilliantly illuminated. The · affection I will give them the expected by girls of their back students, of course, had a grounds, the convent and, while ground in the Carlow of the holiday and welcomed their I live, one hundred pounds a time. As well as being pre guests with deafening cheers year which, if they do not need sentable and intelligent it was a and clapping". They were for themselves, they can bestow matter of comment that they offered a choice of dinner at upon the poor. This little gift is to both had fine singing voices. In Braganza House, the College or be a secret though because,if 1837 the Bishop · of Kildare & the Presentation Convent. They known, it might prevent the Leighlin, Dr.