6 NEWS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 THE CONNACHT TRIBUNE www.galwaynews.ie Compo for victim of New book reveals extraordinary story of Galway attack outside disco woman’s pioneering adventures in Czarist Russia THE victim of a serious through his defending solici- assault was awarded €15,000 tor, Mark Shields and had in compensation at Athenry offered to pay compensationn BY JUDY MURPHY District Court after evidence of €15,000 as well as the med- was heard how he had been ical bills. SOME things in life have the set upon outside a nightclub Mr Keady told the Court he hand of fate stamped on in Monivea. had recovered well and had them. A new book about the Phillip Lally of Glenaveal, shook hands before the Court extraordinary life of Kathleen Ballyglunin, Tuam pleaded hearing on Tuesday but that it ffrench definitely comes guilty to assaulting Niall Keady had affected him for a while. under that category, as causing him injury outside a Asked by Judge Joseph Man- though it were destined to be nightclub in Monivea on gan if he had any inkling as to written – specifically by Jean December 27, 2008. what caused the incident, Mr Lombard. Mr Keady told the Court Keady said “drink, the two of An Irish Woman in Czarist that he had never met Lally us had been drinking”. Russia was launched on Sun- before that night and had no Lally, said Mr Shields, had- day last in Monivea, the ances- issues with him but that he was n’t realised the injuries he had tral home of the ffrench family knocked to the ground with inflicted were so serious and and the final resting place of one punch and then further the only explanation he could Kathleen whose extraordinary assaulted while he was down. offer was that his client had life took her all over the world, Garda Michael McDermott mixed alcohol with medica- from Belgium to Russia, from confirmed that apparently tion, prescribed for depression, Galway to Outer Mongolia there had been no problem which he had suffered follow- and, eventually to Manchuria between the two young men ing an accident, in which he in China, where she died in before that night and nothing broke his back. This had led to 1938. had provoked the assault. his unemployment but he had Yet, her biographer never A medical report produced now recently secured a new knew of Kathleen’s existence in Court showed that Mr job and he was borrowing the until 22 years ago and that’s Keady had suffered a fractured money from his parents to pay where fate intervened. Dublin cheek bone and bruising to an for the compensation. born Jean and her husband eye and that he had to go for The Court was told that John were on their way to regular neck massages to an €10,000 was being paid to the Moscow to set up Australia’s Occupational Therapist to alle- injured party immediately and ABC’s news bureau in the then viate headaches and his Post that the balance would be paid USSR; John was to be the net- Traumatic Stress. That treat- within weeks. The medical work’s journalist, Jean the ment had cost €1,280 and costs would also be met by administrator. there were also medical bills Lally. Before leaving they visited from Beaumont Hospital in Judge Mangan said he John’s mother, Rosamund Dublin. would reserve judgement in Blake in Tipperary and that Lally, who has no previous the matter until April 13 to see was where she first learned of convictions, had since apolo- if full compensation and med- Kathleen, ‘the Russian cousin’, gised to him, the Court heard ical costs had been paid. whose live spanned some of the most tumultuous events in history, including World War I Author Jean Lombard, pictured at the ffrench Mausoleum in Monivea Wood, where the remains of Robert Percy ffrench and his daughter Kathleen are housed. and the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Jean’s husband’s great-grand- Man admits stealing mother was Kathleen ffrench’s great aunt. Their common ancestor was Adelaide ffrench ex-wife’s bank card who had married a Blake. “My mother-in-law had been A MAN who visited his Angela Dempsey said that tidying shelves and had found estranged wife couldn’t Headley had nothing to do letters Kathleen had written to resist taking her bank card with the theft and had been my husband’s grandfather and because he was facing asked by her partner to use her [other] cousins, the de eviction and needed the card to withdraw Stacpooles, telling about her money to pay the rent, money. Full compensation experiences in prison during Athenry District Court had been paid since. the Russian Revolution.” heard on Tuesday. Francis had previous con- “It was a chance on my part Michael Francis of Park, victions for assault and that we were going to Russia Athenry pleaded guilty to theft, the Court heard. Ms and that my mother-in-law was handling a stolen bank card Dempsey said that her tidying. We never even knew and to handling stolen prop- client was in poor circum- there was a Russian cousin.” erty, €700 cash at Joyces stances and had been in ill That was the beginning of an Supermarket in Athenry on health which meant he adventure that led Jean in the January 16 of last year. His couldn’t work. At the time footsteps of this amazing partner, Fionneala Headley of the theft, he was being woman, a member of the Russ- of the same address also threatened with eviction ian gentry, who had such Mary J. Murphy and Gerard Glynn, Belclare, with their sons Gerard and Mason, at the launch pleaded guilty to handling and he didn’t want to be strong links with Galway, of "An Irish Woman in Czarist Russia", a biography about the life and times of Kathleen the stolen bank card and to homeless. His work where her father owned ffrench, at the Father Sammon Hall in Monivea. the theft of €700, the prop- prospects were not good, Monivea Castle and demesne. Pádraig and Maebh Kelly, erty of Bernadette Nolan on she added as he was still on Kathleen’s parents met at a Monivea, pictured at the launch the same day. benefit. Judge Joseph Man- function in Moscow, Her of "An Irish Woman in Czarist Inspector Sean Colleran gan gave Headley the Pro- father, Robert Percy ffrench, a Russia", a biography about the said he was withdrawing bation Act and ordered that diplomat was about 32 at the life and times of Kathleen the handling of the stolen Francis carry out 80 hours time, her Russian mother some ffrench, at the Father Sammon bank card in Headley’s case. of community service work years younger. Robert was Hall in Monivea. Garda John Keating said in lieu of one month in born in Monivea and had been that the theft of the bank prison. He also fined him sent to school in England as a Left: Valerie Blake, Kilkenny, card had been spotted by €200. He also ordered that boy. His mother died when he with Mary and Carmel Nally, the owner almost immedi- a community services report was ten and after school, he Ballyglunin, at the launch of "An ately who reported it and be carried out on Francis, joined the British Foreign Serv- Irish Woman in Czarist Russia", that the couple had been whom he ordered back ice. His younger brother, Ache- a biography about the life and caught on CCTV footage. before the Court for April son stayed in Galway and times of Kathleen ffrench, at Defending solicitor, 18. looked after Monivea Castle the Father Sammon Hall in and estate. Monivea. Kathleen was born in Brus- sels when her father was a diplomat there. When her par- Author Jean Lombard signs a copy of her book, "An Irish Woman in ents separated some years later Czarist Russia", a biography about the life and times of Kathleen paper was scarce, the pages Amazingly, she wasn’t. She straight away, on a cargo boat, Man stole Garda caps she went to Russia with her ffrench, for Mary Murphy, Bushypark, at the Father Sammon Hall in would have been written on had a British passport which ending up in the Chinese mother and grandparents. The Monivea. twice,” says Jean. helped, but wouldn’t necessar- province of Manchuria. A MAN who stole a Garda sentence on condition that he family owned seven estates in In addition, “when people ily have saved her, as other She never married, but had florescent jacket, as well as was of good behaviour for two the Simbirsk area, 600km east first visited Monivea and loved youth. Like many aristocrats of are writing letters to people British citizens were executed, one great love affair when she two Garda hats and a pair of years. of Moscow. it – at one point saying that “I their time, they were asset rich they know, they use a kind of says Jean. was in her forties with a wid- Garda gloves from a patrol Solicitor Gearoid Geraghty “She spent more of her life in could quite happily spend my and cash poor. Aristocrats shorthand, because there However, she spent three owed captain from the Tsar’s car, was given a one month said it was the defendant’s first Russia than anywhere else, but whole life in Monivea”. But were in decline all over the would be familiarity between months in prison in Simbirsk, army. Their letters, sometimes suspended jail sentence at time in court and he had paid she loved Ireland and had a fate decreed otherwise. world at this time, partly them. So, it was a real detective which was grim. Ever the sur- exchanged daily, are “a treas- Ballinasloe court last week. over €200 compensation. wonderful relationship with After school in Rome Kath- because they had to start pay- chase”. vivor, she got a job cleaning ure trove” says Jean. “Because Judge Geoffrey Browne told The court heard how the her father, despite the huge dis- leen visited Ireland and then ing their servants properly, Often after pages and pages out the slops for the prison she was exposing herself per- Patrick Ward (20), 34 St. Grel- items of clothing were stolen tance between them,” says returned to Russia, where she Jean observes. And a decline of trivia she’d find one sen- cook which gave her a couple sonally in these letters, you get lan’s Terrace, that his behav- from the Garda car on Decem- Jean. “As soon as she was old lived with her mother and that had already started was tence “that was a gem and of hours fresh air every day. a sense of who she was.” iour on the night in question ber 3 as Gardaí were dealing enough he insisted that she grandparents and learned to hastened by World War I. would lead you on and give This was followed by imprison- Her captain, who was under was “very brazen”. He with a call out at St Grellan’s was brought to see him wher- farm their extensive holdings. But that came later. By the you the incentive to keep ment in Moscow, which she threat from the Bolsheviks, imposed fines totalling €350 Terrace. All the items, bar the ever he was in Europe.” They had a lot of workers, age of 13 or 14 Kathleen was going, because there were described as worse than Sim- had an opportunity to escape on him and suspended the jail jacket, had been recovered. Kathleen was 13 when she but were always in debt in her fluent in four languages; times when I felt like giving birsk. while she was in prison, but French, which was the lan- up”. But there she heard a guard didn’t want to leave Kathleen. guage of the Russian aristocra- She stated by translating speaking English and told him However, she made him take cy, English, Italian and Russ- every letter and ordering them there was no reason for her to the train east. Years later she ian, which she would have chronologically. Then she dis- be in prison. She was released looked for him in Mongolia, used with the servants in Sim- cussed the format with various without a kopeck in her pock- but never found him 10% OFF birsk. editors, who told her that the et but met some of the Red She died in 1938 and was WEDDING PACKAGES “She was very much book needed an author’s voice Cross nurses she had known buried in China, but when her HOTEL GALWAY BOOKED ON THE DAY indulged and loved by her and couldn’t just be a series of previously, who gave her food will was read, she had stated OF THE EVENT grandparents, parents, gov- letters. and a bath. she wanted to be buried Gal- erness and friends. Really, she She chose excerpts that told She came to Ireland in 1920, way. Her body was returned to WEDDING FAIR must have been some person,” something significant about coming from one revolution to Monivea and was buried says her biographer, adding the day to day life of the people another and received a bad alongside her father in the SUNDAY 21ST FEBRUARY that proof of this came from and the social history. Kath- reception locally, which upset mausoleum in Monivea. the fact that the farms leen had trained as a medic her. However, it wasn’t entire- Jean, who describes her as FROM 2 - 6PM improved under her manage- and was involved in setting up ly a surprise, says Jean. “strong, passionate loyal . . . a ment. Jean gleaned most of her Red Cross hospitals for During the war, when Kath- bit of an enigma, a bit of a rid- information about Kathleen wounded soldiers, both during leen was working in the Red dle” took many years to write from letters and documents World War I, and before that, Cross, she didn’t have much the book as she and John were stored in local archives in Sim- when Russia was at war with contact with Monivea. So initially busy setting up the birsk. Japan. when she arrived, seeking ABC bureau in Moscow. How- As a a foreigner she was not Her heroism meant nothing refuge, her cousin Rosamund ever, she is delighted to have it allowed access to these, so a when the Russian Revolution (daughter of Acheson, who competed, feeling “Kathleen Russian friend did the needful, began. Kathleen’s lands were had managed the estate for his wanted her story to be told”. where precious moments are captured forever... armed with several reams of confiscated and her houses brother) was less than friendly. Her only regret that the paper which she used to pho- burned down. But some of her “Rossie didn’t realise the book was not published before We welcome you to join us on Sunday 21st February from 2 - 6pm for a special Wedding Fair at the Clayton Hotel Galway. tocopy more than 500 docu- possessions, including valuable extraordinary things Kathleen her own mother-in-law, ments from the archive. furniture survived and are had been doing. Communica- Rosamund, who initiated the G Meet our experienced team G Book on the day and receive 10% discount on your selected package Many of these were letters, exhibited in Simbirsk as part of tions were difficult during the project, died.But you can’t help G Complimentary Refreshments G Be in with a chance to win a voucher at one of our Partner Hotels mostly written in 19th century a collection belonging to the war and people didn’t know feeling that she would have G View our spacious Ballroom and luxurious Bridal Suite G Meet Wedding Exhibitors French, and deciphering them aristocratic families who were what she was doing. Instead approved. was no easy task. ousted during this time. they felt she was being neglect- G Wedding consultation on all aspects of your reception G Live Wedding Fashion Show “Some of them would have Given the violence of the ful,” says Jean, who feels sym- An Irish Woman in Czarist Rus- been in very fine writing and Bolshevik Revolution, Kath- pathy for both women. sia by Jean Lombard (Ashfield Ballybrit, Galway I Ph:091 721 900 I www.clayton.ie I Email: [email protected] sometimes, obviously when leen could have been killed. Kathleen left Galway almost Press) is on sale now.