The Corran Herald COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY BALLYMOTE HERITAGE GROUP ISSUE NO.46 2013/2014 PRICE €8.00 The Corran Herald Annual Publication of Ballymote Heritage Group Compiled and Published by Ballymote Heritage Group Editor: Stephen Flanagan Design, Typesetting and Printing: Orbicon Print, Collooney Cover Design and Artwork: Brenda Friel Issue No 46 2013/2014 ––––––––––––––– The Corran Herald wishes to sincerely thank all those who have written articles or contributed photographs or other material for this issue 2 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2013/2014 Contents Page Tillie Casey - An Appreciation (David Casey) 4 Brigid O’Hara (Malcolm Billings) 5 Remembering Clare Walsh 7 John Doddy, A ‘Rebel’ Cleric (John Mc Ternan) 8 Members of Ballymote Tennis Club (Provided by Pearse Brady) 9 A strange thing happened on the way to the dance (Michael Farry) 10 The place where I was born (Bernie Gilbride) 14 An Irish Emigrant of the Fifties (Joan Gleeson) 14 Faster, Higher, Stronger: My experience of the Olympics (Conor McDonagh) 15 Synge’s Chair on Irishmaan (Bernie Doyle) 17 Inishmaan (Bernie Doyle) 17 Three stones and a well-dressed man: The story behind the story (Martin A Timoney) 18 Two giants of Irish life (PJ Duffy) 23 Further light on the linen Industry in 18th Century Ballymote (John Coleman) 24 History and Tranquillity at Tobernalt (Bernie Gilbride) 30 Classiebawn and the Assassination of Lord Mountbatten at Mullaghmore: A Retrospective (Joe Mc Gowan) 32 A season in the Carrowmore Meadow (Lynda Hart) 36 The Ballad of Corran Park (Neal Farry) 37 Chapel Hill (Mary Kelly-White) 38 Wedding Bells in 1914 (Submitted by Padraig Doddy) 39 The Ballymote ICA choir in the 1970s 40 Sligo in Ulysses (Neal Farry) 41 Ballymote 1915-1921 (Mary Gaffney) 46 A Mother’s Death (Submitted by Alfie Banks) 48 Underground Streams and Canals without water (Bernie Doyle) 49 The Sligo Port Strike of 1913 (Padraig Deignan) 50 Cillin Monastic Site (John Higgins) 57 Down on the Farm in the 20th Century (Kathleen Fairbanks) 58 A manly Sport (Padraig Feehily) 60 Opening night of the Art Deco (Adapted from remarks by John Perry TD) 61 The Village Station (Kathleen Fitzmaurice) 62 World War 1 Casualties from the Barony of Coran (Neal Farry) 63 Inquisition in Ballymote 1593 and 1617 (Jim Higgins) 64 Count Charles O’Gara 1699 - 1777 (Maura O’Gara-O’Riordan) 66 Photograph of the pupils of Emlanaughton National School in the 1940’s 69 ‘Vanished Shop Fronts’ (Photographs collected for the Gathering photography exhibition) 70 Mining in the Connaught Mineral Field (Pat Hughes) 71 The Irish Revolution 1912-23 (Neal Farry) 75 James Daly and the Land League - The Sligo Connection (Neil Mongey) 76 Heritage Weekend 2012 (Paddy Conboy) 77 Mayo Churches, Stained Glass and More (Micheal Murphy) 78 Headed paper of Hannan’s of Market Street from a receipt of July 1903 81 Dedicated to Sligo : Thirty - Four Essays on Sligo’s Past (Martin A. Timoney) 82 Photography of the Corran Park Committee in 1949 84 The Origins of Strandhill as a seaside resort (John Mc Ternan) 85 Views on the Past (John Coleman) 86 The Ballymote Gathering Photographic exhibition (Submitted by Mary Cawley) 87 Ballymote Boys National School Class group 1959 90 Photo of Achonry Co-op staff taken in 1968 90 Knockminna First Holy Communion 2013 91 First Holy Communion class 2013, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Ballymote 91 Ballymote Heritage Group 92 Sponsors 92 3 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2013/2014 Tillie Casey – An Appreciation David Casey The death occurred on 25 May 2013 of Matilda (Tillie) Casey nee Walshe at her residence. She will be sadly missed. Tillie was a devoted patron of Ballymote Heritage Group and along with her late husband Stan was a long-serving and loyal committee member of the group. Tillie and Stan were enthusiastic and loyal promoters of all the heritage group activities. Tillie enjoyed attending all these activities and was a wonderful ambassador for the annual Heritage weekend held in August in Ballymote each year for the past 25 years. She had a deep knowledge and appreciation of Irish heritage and embraced the culture and heritage of pharmacy and helped them as they culture in all its manifestations. Ballymote and its environs. performed their duties, and she was She was born in Swinford, Co As well as her friendly and always ready with an encouraging Mayo in 1917 at a momentous time affable nature, Tillie was active in word. Tillie worked in the pharmacy in Irish history. Her parents Dominic her support of many community up to three weeks before her death and Mattie Walshe, from the south activities and events. Her enthusiasm and her presence in the pharmacy of Ireland, had moved to Swinford and love of life and her gentle way will be sadly missed especially where her father was a pharmacist with people has been remarked upon by her daughter Mattie and all her and opened one of the first Medical by many. She went out of her way wonderful staff and customers. Halls in the west of Ireland in 1912. to help others without any fuss and Tillie was a woman of strong Tillie was always very proud of her nothing was any trouble to her. Her faith and devoted to her church. She south of Ireland heritage. encouraging words have often been was predeceased by her elder son, Tillie’s father died when she was mentioned and people have spoken Martin, in 1996, and by her husband just sixteen years old. The family about leaving her company feeling Stan in 2004. business was run by a manager and much better. Her lovely welcoming smile and later on Tillie trained and qualified Tillie’s love of and interest in her very positive approach to life as a pharmacist in Dublin before pharmacy has also been spoken will be greatly missed by her family, returning to manage the pharmacy of by many. During her 71 years staff, many friends, and all who in Swinford. working as a pharmacist, she always knew her. In 1952 Tillie married Stan Casey welcomed new developments and She is survived by her daughters, who practiced as a dental surgeon technology as they were introduced Mary and Mattie; by her son, David; in Ballymote and Tobercurry. Stan into pharmacy over the years. Tillie and her brother, Matt; her sister in then concentrated on his dental attended IPU meetings both in Sligo law Rose; her sons-in-law, practice in Ballymote. Tragically and Donegal and liked to meet and by her grandchildren and Stan developed eye problems with her colleagues. She was very great-grandchildren, nieces and which prevented him practicing as a encouraging of and loved all her nephews and extended family. dentist. Tillie then opened her own staff. She also loved to see students Ar dheis de go raibh a h-anam pharmacy in Ballymote in 1961, and coming to do work experience in her dilis. 4 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2013/2014 Brigid O’Hara Malcolm Billings “What do you want to be called when we are married?” I asked. “Brigid O’Hara of course, what else!” Brigid had no intention of subsuming her Irish heritage in an ordinary English name such as Billings. I would just have to get used to confusion at the school gate, and being known by the milkman as Mr O’Hara. Brigid’s Irishness never waned. It was a strong feature of her personality throughout her life, and, along with her calm integrity, her Irish persona won many hearts. Brigid and I met on her first day at Bush House – the headquarters of the World Service of the BBC – and neither of us forgot that first encounter. She had followed her older sister Jillian who had worked for a few years in the Education Department at Broadcasting Brigid at the bow of the USS Costitution in Boston Harbour House. Both these O’Hara daughters were interested in the arts and music with a family she knew well. In her Henrietta and Sebastian were growing when they were growing up at Munnar early 20s she sailed with them on the up they would be ushered into the in the tea-growing hills of south India. Queen Elizabeth to New York, and on to broadcast box, along with Brigid’s step- Frank O’Hara managed a tea estate and Norfolk Virginia where the family was children Alexia and Warwick, to hear had married the daughter of another tea posted. Whenever the opportunity arose some of the world’s great orchestras and planter. The family, however, returned to Brigid took off by herself to discover soloists. Sligo in the early 1950s after Frank had the United States on Greyhound buses Brigid was generous with her time, inherited Coopershill at Riverstown. that criss-crossed North America. It very proud of the World Service, and In Sligo, Brigid’s flair for dancing and was invaluable experience for a young welcomed many visitors from Sligo. acting was encouraged by the gifted woman who would later choose the She recalled through a gale of giggles Sligo teacher Sybil Higgins. Sybil BBC World Service for a career. As how Anthony Kitchin, one of many believed Brigid had the makings of a with everything else in life Brigid threw members of Brigid’s family and friends, ballerina and arranged for an audition herself wholeheartedly into the BBC. was shown around the offices and with the formidable Dame Ninette de She joined the Drama Society and took studios at Bush House. Brigid took Valois, head of the Royal Ballet School advantage of the stables in Hyde Park Anthony into the ‘live’ continuity studio in London.