It is surrounded by a wall along the Bothar Ard, continuing by the back road past the farm towards the village and by the road from the village connecting Bothar Ard on ,( substantial fortune during his stay in this the way to Ringmoylan through Bally?' seven years later I came on the teaching outpost of the empire. The sum paid for doole. The house, as we see it today, was staff there. It is a special place, in a his new estate was £51,592 and 3 shillings. built. Trees and shrubs were planted and beautiful setting with a wonderful history. The estate was 2,000 acres of Bury Lands. the main entrance laid out to the point This article aims to present my readers He looked on this as a good investment, where the road from the village meets the with the 'Copsewood Story'. knowing he was assured a substantial road leading to the - road income on rents. He looked forward to a and the back road by the farmyard. The life of luxury, but first he had to build a entrance was, and is still today, known as residence and plan a suitable setting. the "Grand Gates". In the twelfth century the church in Kenry James Caulfeild carried out a survey of Life continues to change and then as was re-organised and divided into six his newly acquired property and chose a now history asserted itself. The Land parishes. The one I'm concerned with is spot for his house and grounds in the League agitation forced the reforms Chapel Russel, consisting of the townland of Pallas. Here he erected a embodied in the Land Acts and the townlands of Ballydoole, Shanpallas and Georgian mansion. Reading the records of Caulfeild's tenants became owners of their Pallas, a total of 633 acres. Copsewood is the time it is interesting to note that the holdings. The former landlord's property situated in the last mentioned. On the main road to Ringmoylan through Bally- was reduced to the area within the walls as townland of Shanpallas there stands the doole ran on the same line as the present mentioned above. ruins of an old castle with a long history. avenue from the main gate of Salesian Here many centuries ago Gaelic rulers, College to the wicker gate onto the Bothar the O'Donovans, built a dun. The Ard. Where the main and older portion of Normans took possession and built a the College complex now stands was sited castle associated with the Fitzgeralds of Copsewood Cottage and a number of The Caulfeilds were very strict Protes- Desmond. A chaplain to the ruler, his other dwelling houses scattered around. tants. They came from Cavan and Dublin. family and his servants, was appointed. The thatched cottage belonged to Fr. James Caulfeild joined the British army Income from the townlands of Ballydoole, Michael Copps, the Parish Priest who had and saw service in India. While there, he Shanpallas and Pallas was assigned to the died in 1817. married a rich lady named Muirson. When chaplain. The tenants of this area were "the he retired he came to looking for a Nearby the castle in Shanpallas stood representative of Wainright", Mark suitable place to live. In Dublin one day he the church, just beyond O'Dwyer's today. Skeiton alias Benny, William Christle, met a man named Westropp from Co. Adjacent to the farmyard in the college is Christopher Crowley and William Waller. Limerick, who informed him that a large an old burial ground and ruined building. estate lying along the and The area is called Killurach, a short form bordering the village of Pallaskenry, Co. for Killashura. This former monastic site Limerick, was being sold. The two of them in Gaelic days became the chapel for the In those days the landlord was the law. He set out for the estate agents office and new Norman baron. Later it passed into decided to divert the main road to the line examined maps of the estate. The place Protestant possession. The ruins are no it has today. An area of 170 acres, 3 roods had not been surveyed for many years and longer evident. There is small reference to and 14 perches was selected and the the maps described the lands immediately this Parish in the calendar of Papal tenants living within it were ordered to adjoining the Shannon as floody and registers for the 15th century, where it is leave. This area is easily discernible today. marshy, while the lands around Pallas- described as "A free chapel without cure." The chaplain at this time was Gerald de Sancto Jacoba, who had studied Canon and Civil Law at Oxford for more than seven years. In the post-reformation period, the Catholic authorities re-organised the parish structure in this area. Ardcanny and Chapel Russel were merged with in the parish now known as 'Kildimo and Pallaskenry'.

In August 1845 a deal was completed in Dublin between James Thomas, Townley Tisdell and associates on the one hand and James Caulfeild on the other. The subject of the deal was a dozen or so townlands in the Barony of Kenry, amongst them Pallas. The new owner had a London address and was a Major General in the service of the Honourable East India Company. Like many other All that remains of Fr. Copps' grave stone. English Adventurers he had built up a Photo: Fr. McCormack. a special pitch laid out in the ground at the back of the village. He picked his team from his workmen and from the men of the village, and he not only coached them in rudiments of the game, but fitted them out in "whites" from head to toe. The Pallaskenry Cricket Team became an institution, travelling all over Munster, in brake and sidecars, playing matches and giving an excellent account of themsekes,

both at home and abroad. E He was succeeded in 1897 by a &n, also George, who left Pallaskenry in 1916 and died tragically in India in 1943. His daughter Anne Marle Travis, with her mother Loma Caulfeild, visited Copse- wood and dined with our community, in that same room where her father as a youngster used to dine, during Halloween 1990. They told us that Gen. James Caulfeild's grandfather, also a James Fr. Pat Donnellan and Ann Marie and Rupert Travers on a recent visit to Caulfeild, was earl of Charlemont, with Copsewood. Ann Marie is grandaughter of George Caulfeild and lives in Norfolk. estates in Cavan and Dublin, where he had Photo: Fr. McCormack. built the Casino Marino (now a national monument) in 1762. kenry were described as first class. The experience to traverse it. But, like all General invested only in the good land, fancy things, it did not last long. The leaving the marshy lands to be acquired upkeep was too expensive and it gradually by his friend at a much cheaper price. fell into desuetude, and was abandoned al- When he came to Limerick he discovered together after the death of Mrs. Caulfeild. The story of the acquisition of Copsewood the marshy lands had been reclaimed and by the Salesians and the first arrivals is cultivated since the maps were drawn. He now best known from a long letter written was not amused and according to local by Fr. Aloysius Sutherland (granduncle of stories never spoke to his friend for the The General was a kindly landlord and Peter Sutherland, present head of GATT) rest of his life. was on excellent terms with his tenants. from Battersea to Fr. McElligott, Rector Like others around he built a mansion, One evening, however, his wife Anne and of Copsewood, in 1947. There are some but with a large glass dome, a feature of himself were sitting in the parlour when a claims that the foundation was made by Hill Houses in India, incorporated in the shot was fired into the room. Luckily no Fr. McConville. He had been doing much roof over its entrance. This was a useless one was hit, but Mrs. Caulfeild, who was a work in spreading the Salesian name in innovation, given the Irish climate. nervous woman, was very upset at the Ireland previous to 1919. occurrence. The attack was condemned by Fr. Sutherland's account, however, is the whole neighbourhood but the General first hand. He was the first Rector and was so vexed by it that he refused to give a claims to have negotiated the Foundation When the house was completed, the portion of ground adjoining the village, to and laboured at its opening. He claims to General brought over a landscape gard- the then Parish Priest, in which to build a have made approaches for a foundation, in ener from England, who was in direct new Church. But his wife made represen- Dublin, Cork and Cashel, to no avail, but descent from the famous Capability tations to him, and not only prevailed on Copsewood house was for sale ever since Browne, the landscape artist who changed him to give the site free, but also to give a the departure of the Caulfeilds. whose the face of England's demesnes. This generous subscription towards the agent, Sir Vincent Nash, was known to Fr. gardener was given a free hand, and building. When the General died soon Sutherland. Fr. Sutherland's brother, regardless of cost, he laid out the entire after, he had one of the biggest funerals John, was legal adviser to the Irish Land place, wiping out entire woods with one ever seen, and a tablet was put over his Commission in Dublin. So, with Fr. sweep of his hand, and changing the grave in Chapel Russel which bore the Sutherland becoming the first Rector, his whole aspect of the place. A great deal of following inscription: version seems unassailable. Copsewood's present day charm, and Indeed there may have been no found- many of her pleasant and sweeping vistas To the memory of ation at all in Copsewood, or elsewhere in owe their origin to this unknown land- Lieut. Gen. James Caulfeild, Limerick, had not Dr. Hallinan, Bishop of scape gardener. E. b. and M.P., Limerick, whose permission was necess- The principal entrance was through the who died at Copsewood, ary, not been known to Don Bosco. He Eagle Gate. But this did not satisfy Mrs. 4th Nov., 1852, aged 67 years. had spent the year after his ordination Caulfeild. She thought it was too far from This tablet is erected with Don Bosco in Turin, but was then the Limerick road and did not blend with by the tenantry on his Estate told by the Saint to go back to Ireland and the new layout. So, at enormous cost, a in grateful remembrance of to be good to the Salesians when they new entrance was built which was called his many acts of kindness would come. Dr. Louis Hallinan was true the grand entrance and the gate is still towards them. to Don Bosco's request and was glad to called the "Grand Gates." The drive Deo Duce Ferro Comitante. have the Salesians open an Agricultural passed through two lakes, and a special School in his diocese. sort of fancy bridge was constructed, The latter phrase is another version of Fr. Sutherland had approached Dr. which swayed with the carriages as they "Trust in God and keep your powder dry". Hallinan seeking permission to establish a crossed the lakes. The drive was Very puritan indeed. Salesian foundation in Ireland. This decorated with flowers and shrubs, and permission was granted and some time the lakes were planted with the most later he reported back to the Bishop that exotic lilies and plants. The Grand he had found a suitable property in Mount Entrance enjoyed a notoriety all over the The General was succeeded by his son, Shannon, Co. Clare. The bishop's reply countryside and it was a wonderful George, who was keen on cricket. He had was brief and to the point "Mount Shannon is not in my diocese. There is a nice property available in . The Copsewood Estate is for sale. Please contact Canon 0' Donnell, P.P. of Kildimo, Pallaskenry. He will arrange for you to inspect Copsewood House and the Estate." The advice was followed and Copse- wood was bought for a nominal sum. On the feast day of the Immaculate Con- ception, 8th December 1919, the first Salesians took possession of Copsewood House and, on the octave of that feast, offered the first mass in what is now the Community dining room. It was only then that the little community, Frs. Sutherland, Brownrigg, Devine, Leaver and Bro. Connie Grey, dared to sleep in the house. Through the previous week they had stayed in Limerick by night and came out to work each morning, the four priests in a horse-and-trap, and Connie Grey riding The High Altar at the college in the 1920s. ahead on a bicycle. Limerick Museum. when he saw these beds filled with innocent-looking sleepers and more In the obituary column of the 'Freeman's The name Copps lives on in the locality. especially when he mentioned his vision to Journal" of 11 March 1817 we read that Fr. Joe Copps was born in Ballymartin, some of these 'Innocents', he was told to Michael Copps, P.P., Ardcanny, died on Pallaskenry and Fr. Michael Copps was keep his mouth shut; and he must have March 3rd 1817, and in the local grave- his uncle. Joseph married Mary Slattery of done just that, as he lived to tell the story yard of Killure, adjoining the college Kildimo and a son, Michael, was born to many years later. The big influx of farmyard, is a flat stone slab on the grave them. The sponsors at the christening students that September was not so much of the priest. The headstone bears this were Patrick and Mary Cahill, Kildimo. a pursuit of rural and agricultural lore, as a inscription: Joe, who lives in , is Michael's retreat from exposure to "Tan" fire; they son. The place is known as Copps's Cross. were finding on-the-run too scary, and Fr. Michael Copps, D.D., P.P., Joe claims that Fr. Michael Copps and sought the shelter of student life by day, Ardcanny, Chapel Russel and Kidimo, his sister, who was his cook, lived in a then rallied forth by night to free the Died at the Cottage, 3-3-181 7. cottage rented from the Bury's of country Aged 80 years. Shannongrove. There was a running battle between himself and the local minister over the chartered school. It seems, as Joe describes it, "there was a bit of crossfire The Agricultural school started in the The local tradition is that Copsewood gets between them over the training of school of 1920 with 12 students; after its name from this Fr. Michael Copps. The youngsters and the established church." Easter there were 35 and by September cottage in which Fr. Copps lived became Fr. Copps died and Rev. Waller lived there were over 100 students. On what part of the present buildings when the there until the Caulfeilds purchased the conditions and for what specific course property was taken over by the Caulfeilds, site in 1845. Rev. Waller gave the place the these hundred or more students came is who built Copsewood House. An ordnance name 'Copsewood'. not recorded. The Department of Agri- survey map of the locality made in 1841 Joe remembers going with his father culture gave a grant of £15 per student for gives us a good idea of the Copsewood Michael and his aunt Peggy to the up to twenty students, who would success- surroundings of Fr. Copps' time. It is opening of Copsewood in 1920. He was fully complete the course and be over interesting to note that on the map Copse- 10 years of age at the time. "We went by fifteen years of age. Paddy Hogan, first wood Cottage, (where Fr. Copps died), is Killurach and stopped in to pray at Fr. Minister for Agriculture in the Free State marked as standing on the site of the Copps' grave, before going on to the Government, took a kindly interest in the present house. The older people in the opening." work and gave a grant of £715 per annum locality can still point out the place where to pay for five qualified teachers. These the cottage actually stood. were: We must remember, of course, that the Michael Kirby - General Subjects and main road from Pallaskenry ran then just The first students came with the spring of Music in front of the cottage, where the present 1920. Few, at first, writes Fr. Sutherland. Joseph Harte - Agriculture front drive now is, and the familiar The solemn opening and blessing of the John Finucane - Horticulture wickergate in the estate wall marks the college, performed by Bishop Hallinan, Patrick Neville - Irish and Maths spot which was then known as Treacy's took place on 11 July 1920. By the opening Tom Coughlan - Carpentry Cross. The little church where Fr. Copps of the school year in September, there All members of the community taught and his successors offered Holy Mass was were 100 students, 20 of them day-pupils. as well. situated about a mile from the cottage at a Reading a college publication, Ceangal, The pension to be paid by each pupil place called the White Forge. It is beside 1950 one comes across a reference by was £30 per year. This was the chief the cross where the road swings to the R.J.C. who recalls sleeping with about a source of income, though we are told that left, on the way to Dromore Lake. Samuel dozen others in a front-of-the-building some of these pensions were never paid. Lewis in his Topographical Dictionary of room and on waking up one night to the One of the students 1921-22 was Tom Ireland (1837) lists this church in the sound of voices at the front door below, he Walsh of Kilkenny who became Minister following terms: " In the Roman Catholic looked out and saw a group of men below for Agriculture in 1951. Another student of prebend of the parish (Chapel Russel) is in trench-coats. He looked around the same year was Bernie Cahill, who the neat thatched church at the White room and saw several empty beds and distinguished himself with the Aer Lingus Forge." guessed rightly the following morning reform and survival. numbers were slow to increase, awaiting, as it were, the upsurge of population in the It must be remembered that our first farm area consequent on Alcan industrial was a mere 150 acres, contained within development beyond , some the demesne walls and embracing the lake industry in Askeaton itself, the ever and eastern half of Pallaskenry village. All presence of the cement works on the way this, including the house, had been to Limerick and the possibility of further bought for £7,750, got on loan from the development in the Shannon Estuary. National Bank in Dublin. This debt was to Houses sprang up like mushrooms inkhe remain and grow into the 30's. locality, and families followed. Day-pupils The first field to be tilled was the Forge from the locality and from the ends of $e Field, so called from Hourigan's Forge catchment area, Foynes to Ferrybridge, that stood this side of the village at the and from beyond, from Ballybrown, from turn for the College front gate. Kindly and even the city itself, neighbours came with their machinery increased rapidly through the 80s and into and horses to do the tilling and sowing. the 90s so that boarding has gradually Fr.Sutherland did not forget it for them: phased out, ending in 1995 and dormitory "In these dangerous times we were like space is converted into classrooms. The one happy family. I always remember big Junior dormitory, with sixty years them in my daily Mass, for the help they tradition behind it, is now a computer- gave us when we had nothing." These room with 23 computers, and, beside it, a were the Sheehys of Shannongrove, the language laboratory. The secondary Staffs, Lynches, Enrights, Downeys, school is now a top centre in learning for Halpins, McMahons, Sullivans and the World of Information Technology. Fitzgeralds of Dromore. A small herd of The admission of girls as pupils was less than twenty shorthorn cows was quite a venture. It has proved very acquired. Some milk was churned to successful, and now seems the better way. supply butter for school and community, The first lady-teacher, Mrs. Nuala Frost, and this practice of churning was to Church of the Salesian College. now Vice Principal, came with the first continue almost to 1950. By then the dairy girls in 1972; the first past pupil teacher, herd had grown to sixty cows and milk Paddy O'Neill, came as Physical Educa- was supplied to local people and to tion teacher in 1981, succeeding Mrs. Limerick Dairies. In 1948 the missionary school, comprising Mary Breen, (wife of a past pupil), who 70 pupils, was recognised by the Depart- took over for a term from none other than ment of Education as a secondary school, Denis (Ogle) Moran, All-Ireland Kerry subject to Department regulations and Captain. In 1927 there were 57 students, forming examinations and teachers paid by that three categories: 20 agricultural students, Department. The school became open to 25 commercial, and 18 church. This is the day-pupils and this was significant for the first time we have a church group officially locality, and also required the permission Copsewood continues to grow and as I listed, though such a group seems to have of diocesan authorities. write we await permission from the been there from the beginning. Copse- For a time scholarships were offered, Department of Education for a new wood continued to grow and develop and this attracted pupils, especially the extension to the Secondary School. As we through the 30's. better ones. In 1956 there were 114 pupils. enter a New Millennium, Copsewood Aspirants (missionary students) were continues to adapt to the changing phased out by 1957 and in 1960 there were educational world it finds itself in. 137 boarders and 30 day pupils. The past is gone forever but there is a In September 1940 all places in the The argument used with the diocesan future which is still our own. The Copse- agricultural school, 38 in all, were filled authorities to allow the school become a wood Salesian Colleges - agricultural and and the church, or aspirant school, was in full-blown secondary school, without the secondary, will continue to walk gentle in the region of 100. In 1942 there were 83 missionary element, was the need of a the lives of the Young, taking care where applicants for the agricultural school, but feeder school for the Agricultural College. we thread, for everything that ever was is only 40 could be accepted. Further room It was argued that students coming to the essential to what is. was needed. In 1945 despite the con- Agricultural College with little or no straining scarcities of wartime, the new grounding in agricultural-related subjects, REFERENCES: building known as the White House was such as Technical Drawing, Woodwork, Copsewood 75 Blian ag Fas officially opened by the then Minister for Metalwork, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, John P. Prendergast : The Cromwellian Agriculture, Mr. James Ryan. Credit for Economics, did not derive much benefit Settlement of Ireland, Dublin, 1922 this development must go to Fr. T.P. from the Agricultural Course. These James Grene Barry: The Cromwellian O'Connor. The new building provided subjects of course were not common in Settlement of County Limerick, Limerick dorm room for 100 students, classrooms, many of the secondary schools of the time, 1900 pp.27-30. staffrooms, a science laboratory, a library hence the development of well equipped Robert C. Simington: The Civil Survey and a recreation hall. The two handball physics, chemistry and botany labora- 1654-1656, Vol. ZV, County of Limerick, alleys that we know today were built from tories in our secondary school in the late Dublin 1938, pp.342-343. the leftovers of the White House in 1946. 50's and 60's and the boost they gave to Caroline, Countess of Dunraven: that emerging school. Memorials of Manor, Oxford 1805, p.267. Salesian archives Pallaskenry, Letters of The quad was laid in concrete in 1945 as a Fr. A. Sutherland S.D.B. kind of extended apron to the White Martin McCormack S.D.B: Exploring House. It is bedded with stones and mortar The Secondary School remained through Pallaskenry's Past, November 1995 drawn by horse and cart from the ruins of the 70's very much dependent on boarding the Blue School by the road to Ring- pupils, drawn largely from the farming ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: moylan. One old man in Pallaskenry said " community throughout Limerick, Tipper- Fr. Pat Donnellan S.D.B., Copsewood. This was an exorcism of the Blue School". ary, North Cork and Kerry. The day-pupil Mr. P.J. Downey, Pallaskenry