Ruins in the village of Carihaken, County of Galway, ILN 1849 Cumann Staire agus Seandálaíochta Oirdheisceart na Gaillimhe

Newsletter No. 28 Winter 2017 Events and Lectures, Autumn/Winter 2017 Contents CONFERENCE The & Mercy Sisters by Declan Kelly 2 On Saturday October 7th, the Workhouse will host a Upcoming Events: Autumn/Winter 2017 4 major conference on ‘The Workhouse, Famine, and Images of the Past: The Irish Schoolmaster 5 Emigration’. Speakers include Professor Christine Tales from the Workhouse 6 Kinealy, Dr Gerry Moran, and Gerard Madden. The Dolphin Family by Adrian Martyn 7 The event is free, lunch will be provided, and in lieu of 1883 United States Pensions Roll by Clare Lowery 9 a fee attendees will be requested to donate towards the Poems of Old 10 development of a museum at the centre. Those inter- Postcards: Society Street, 10 ested should book a place ASAP, See pages 4 and 19. Recommended Sources in Local History 11 The RIC in Athenry by Ronan Killeen 12 SEGAHS Lectures, 8.30pm in Galwaymen at War by Marie Bennett 14 The Irish Workhouse Centre, . Heritage Week Highlights 15 Tuesday, October 10th (Lecture) What it says in the Papers 15 Lecture by John Joe Conwell on ‘The Rise & Fall of Freemasons in Co Galway by Steve Dolan 16 Lord Dunkellin’. The eldest son of Lord Clanricarde, Treasures of Lisreagan House by Aron Donnelly 18 Lord Dunkellin (1827-1867) served as MP for both GAA Heroes of Old - Derrydonnell 19 Galway borough and county. In May 1922, a statue in Larkin Matters: Killimor 20 his memory by renowned sculptor John Henry Foley Kilteskill gravestones by Christy Cunniffe 20 was pulled from its pedestal in Eyre Square and ______dumped into the River Corrib. We discover why! Chairperson’s Update

Tuesday, November 21st (Lecture) This year we have covered as wide a variety of subjects In her first lecture to the society, we welcome former as possible through our lectures and events right around Minister for Justice Nora Owen on ‘Michael Collins—a the county. And we’re looking forward to 2018 already, with loads of lectures and other events to come. man of diversity’ covering some of the main events in the years in the run up to independence. Ann O’Riordan, Chairperson, October 2017. The Irish Workhouse Centre and SEGAHS The seasonal SEGAHS newsletters are published in part- nership with the Irish Workhouse Centre - Portumna, home of the society. The Workhouse is open from for guided tours 7 days a week from 09.30 to 17.00. For more information, please visit us on facebook or at http://irishworkhousecentre.ie/.

The Irish Workhouse Centre, Saint Brigids Road, Portumna, Co Galway. 0909-759200 A centre for the Arts, Community, Education, History, and Tourism The Bishop who brought the Mercy Sisters to Loughrea Declan Kelly

Two weeks before the first group of Mercy Sisters arrived in Loughrea in October 1851 there was an unusual phenomenon in Limerick. A tornado (referred to as a ‘whirlwind’ in contemporary reports) roared through the city leaving a trail of dev- astation behind it.1 If Bishop was aware of this meteorological anomaly in Munster, he may well have consid- ered the impending arrival of the Sisters of Mercy in Loughrea an ironic blessing as the town had witnessed similar de- struction from the elements only twelve years before during the Night of the Big Wind. The Big Wind, which seemed to have ‘blown from the face of Heaven’,2 had ravaged the western suburbs of Loughrea and left 400 souls destitute. The charitable disposition of local merchant Laurence Fahy ensured that space was made available in his brewery on Barrack Street for 89 homeless families4 but there were precious few mechanisms to care for the destitute.3 Loughrea had just be- gun to recover when the Famine struck and carried off huge numbers from the district including Bishop Derry`s immediate predecessor, Dr , and two successive parish administrators. Recognising that these events impacted most on the poorest of his flock, Dr Derry knew that such incidents highlighted the urgency for a dedicated and organised human resource to care for the destitute and he had already seen the effectiveness of the Sisters in their mission at Ballinasloe.

While Bishop Derry left behind little correspondence by which we might seek to interpret his character, there is sufficient evidence to deduce that he was highly intelligent, progressive, and also eminently practical. As a person, he was regarded by contemporaries as having an old-world courtesy and the requisite social-skills for any company. This probably came of his rearing in a public house, an environment open to all classes of personality and requiring a ready response to topical conversation points. He was certainly a single-minded individual. We can only imagine the sense of trepidation among the older members of the diocesan clergy as they stepped tentatively from Dillon`s residence5 on Main Street in Ballinasloe on 13th April 1852 in order to process towards Market Square to lay the foundation stone of St Michael`s Church. The older clergy had been trained while were still on the statute books and in 1822 one of their late contemporaries Fr John O`Connor, PP Aughrim and Kilconnell, had been tried, albeit unsuccessfully, for officiating at the wedding of a Catholic and a Protestant. For Catholic townspeople in Ballinasloe, the sight of almost thirty of their own fully robed clergy outside of the restricted space of a Catholic chapel and winding their way solemnly along one of the thoroughfares created by the second Earl of Clancarty would have been nothing less than thrillingly shocking. Dr Derry had been reared on what is now known as Dunlo Street, where his father kept a public house and grocery directly opposite what was then an area of open space known as Brutin`s Yard and which is now host to St Michael`s Presbytery. He proba- bly served at Mass for Bishop and would also have known Archdeacon Dillon. He would have known some of the mostly vocally loyalist merchant families from his earliest age and he would have been able to predict pre- cisely how they would have reacted to the sight of a Roman Catholic episcopal mitre bobbing about in open local view for the first time since the Reformation.

The Government knew exactly what the streetwise Dr Derry`s endgame was; fearful of fomenting unrest among the Catholic populace, however, its officials responded with token finger-wagging and a slightly sniffy letter to Derry ex- pressing the hope that ‘this violation of the law has been committed inadver- tently’.6 We do not know how Dr Derry reacted to this letter, but one would be surprised if he did not howl with laugh- ter.

2 Education was of the utmost importance to Derry and he quite clearly regarded the Sisters of Mercy as partners in advancing its cause. He was the first bishop of to establish a successful educational academy, St `s (Minor) Seminary, which was overseen by priests of Clonfert diocese. St Brendan`s had only come into existence after a few other similar types of educational institutions had come and gone. The Irish Catholic Directory of 1843 reported that Dr Coen had established an academy in Loughrea ‘for the education of ecclesiastical students preparatory to their entrance into college’ and which was funded by contributions from Coen and his clergy. This was a rather slender base for financial support, however, and Dr Coen had left it late to attempt such a grand design. His own death in 1847 and the decline of Loughrea`s population from 7,152 in 1841 to 4,459 in 1851 ended the project. Dr Derry was prepared to make another attempt and on 12th May 1852, the Galway Vindicator reported that ‘hitherto the important town of Loughrea has been woefully defi- cient in facilities for giving a sound scientific and mercantile education to the youth of the middle class…we are glad, however, to perceive that Right Rev Dr Derry is taking active steps to supply the want which has so long existed’. One of the steps taken by Dr Derry was to accept the gift of a house for educational purposes from Lord Clanrickarde whose mother had been the Catholic daughter of Sir Thomas Burke of Marblehill.

The property mentioned in the notice describes Rus-In-Urbe on the eastern approach to Loughrea and adjacent to Garrybreeda Cemetery. Thus was begun what would become St Brendan`s Seminary and while it was initially run by lay professors (one of whom was a former clerical student), from 1863 until 1880 its Presidents were also the local parish administrators. The grounding it gave in the Classics and its success as a springboard for prospective clergy is clear from the fact that from the latter half of the nineteenth century, clerical students for Clonfert diocese were ma- triculating straight into philosophy and theology, rather than the lower houses of humanity and rhetoric. Its death knell was sounded by the opening of a new diocesan college at Cartron in 1892, but it would trundle on for another decade until closed by Bishop O`Dea who then established his residence at the old college until Coorheen came up for purchase. The cordial relations between Clonfert clergy and the Sisters of Mercy must have been aided by the familial links between the clergy and the Sisters. There is a lengthy list of relatives of Clonfert clergy joining the Or- der, among them Archdeacon Dillon`s niece Sarah and Fr Thomas Pelly`s sister.7 All the newspaper reports of the reception of postulants at either Ballinasloe or Loughrea Convents note the presence of Dr Derry and the leading clerical lights of Clonfert diocese. These were highly symbolic ceremonies involving a solemn procession by the clergy and the celebration of High Mass. At the reception of Ms Louisa Smyth8 in 1854, she laid ‘aside the brilliant secular dress in which she was attired, (and) declared that, after mature deliberation, and of her own free will, she was desirous of embracing the religious state, and hoped, with the divine assistance, to observe its rules and persevere in the observances until death’.9 The ceremonies were invariably followed by a breakfast for the bishop and clergy with the cutting of the religious version of a wedding cake.

In December 1869, Bishop Derry made the arduous journey to Rome to attend the First Vatican Council,10 one of 700 Council Fathers. He had previously travelled to Rome in 1854 for the definition of the Immaculate Conception, but that was while he was still in his 40s and presumably a fit man. Undertaking to travel almost 2,000 miles by land and sea while in poor health was foolish in the extreme, but a measure of his commitment to his calling. While he took an active role during the First Council on the sub-committee for religious Orders and was an outspoken proponent of Infallibility, his health had undergone a noticeable decline and during the Third Session of the Council he begged leave, along with seven other prelates, on the grounds of chronic ill-health. The bishop returned to and spent a short time in the care of Sir Dominic Corrigan, the eminent authority on heart disease.11 Corrigan obviously told him there was little that could be done for his condition as he made a short retreat at Milltown Park in .12 He at- tempted to return to Loughrea, but the journey back from Rome had sapped his remaining energy and while visiting his sister, Mrs Burke of Cams, Co Roscommon, his health sank rapidly. He died aged 59 on 28th June, 1870. He was only 40 miles from his destination, but there had at least been time to summon a few of his most loyal clergy who encircled his death-bed in prayer before he breathed his last.13 Following a funeral attended by thousands and a final benediction by Dr William Lanigan, the Bishop of Goulburn (now Canberra and Goulburn) and First Council Father, he was laid to rest in the precincts of St Raphael`s Convent amid the mortal remains of the sisters he had invited to the diocese.

3 It is interesting to note that no two of Clonfert have been laid to rest in the same precincts since Bishop An- drew Donnellan was interred with his predecessor (and brother) Peter in Kilconnell Abbey in 1786. The fact that there is such a disparity in burial location since almost the mid-nineteenth century (outside of the context of bishops moving to other dioceses) seems to indicate a personal preference on the part of each prelate as to where they might await the resurrection. Andrew Donnellan`s successor Thomas Costello was obliged to reside in Ballinasloe because the Countess of Clanrickard had used an ancient prerogative to block his appointment as PP Loughrea in 1786 in fa- vour of Rev Miles Nugent Burke. As Nugent Burke had predeceased him by 15 years and Costello could have been returned to Loughrea for burial, he was interred instead in Ballinasloe where he had resided and ministered for almost 50 years. Costello`s successor, Dr Thomas Coen, was buried in the Carmelite Abbey rather than in his Pro-Cathedral off Bride Street.14 Despite initially frosty relations between Coen and the Abbey, over the years he had come to value highly the contribution the Carmelite Fathers made to Loughrea. There was ample space for Dr Derry to be interred in the Pro-Cathedral, but his burial in the precincts of St Raphael`s Convent (and with members of the community) seems to indicate not only his regard for the work of the Sisters of Mercy, but perhaps that he regarded their presence in Clonfert diocese to be his foremost legacy. That the sisters reciprocated the regard he had for their mission is shown in the wording at the bottom of Dr Derry`s memorial: ‘Ecce Sacerdos Magnus’ or ‘Behold a Great Priest’.

Declan Kelly MA was archivist to Clonfert diocese for ten years

References 1. Belfast Newsletter, 8 October 1851. 2. Freeman`s Journal, 8 January 1839. 3. Irish Independent, 7 January 1967. 4. Connacht Tribune 26 January 1968. 5. This is the building now occupied by Cahalan`s Jewellers. 6. Irish Examiner, 21 June 1852. 7. Fr Pelly was PP Kiltullagh from 1861-1883. Catherine Pelly was one of the first two postulants received in Loughrea, the other be- ing Mrs Callanan, a widow and the sister of Fr Anthony Fahy OP. Freeman`s Journal 28 November 1851. 8. Sr Mary Gonzaga. Died aged 67 on 27/4/1900. 9. Freeman`s Journal, 28 October 1854. 10. Anglo-Celt, 2 July 1870. 11. The Nation, 2 July 1870. 12. Anglo-Celt, 2 July 1870. 13. The Nation, 2 July 1870. 14. The Pro-Cathedral, now Kilboy`s Funeral Home, was the location of seven clerical burials, the last being that of Fr John Sellars in 1877. When it was deconsecrated, the remains of the clergy were exhumed and reinterred in Garrybreeda Cemetery. ______

Upcoming Events the Autumn / Winter 2017 October 7th: The Irish Workhouse centre host a major conference on the ‘Workhouse, Famine, and Emigration’. Speakers include Professor Christine Kinealy, Dr Gerry Moran, Gerard Madden, Dolores O’Shea and Steve Dolan. October 8th: Polski Dzień - Polish Cultre Day. Come to the Irish Workhouse Centre in Portumna on October 8th for a celebration of all things Polish October 21st: Our friends in Mountbellew host a special conference. The provisional topics are ‘Contrasting land- lords’, ‘Mountbellew town, ‘Government Response: Institutional & Personal’, and ‘Individual stories of refugees’. October 31st: A ‘Fancy Dress’ Party and ‘Traditional Spooky Storytelling’ will take place at the Work- house on Tuesday October 31st from 4:30pm. Cost is €3, please book in advance at 090 9759200. Other Events: For updates on events in all of south and east Galway, follow SEGAHS on facebook at www.facebook.com/SEGAHS.

4 Images of the Past...’The Irish Schoolmaster’ from the Illustrated London News, 24 January 1857.

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As part of the Workhouse conservation programme, and with the guidance of Dr Christy Cunniffe, the centre is developing a Workhouse Museum. Works towards same are already ‘in train’ with the following the first update.

Workhouse Museum Update On Saturday August 5th a crowd of close to one hundred led by Galway Community Archaeologist Dr Christy Cunniffe toured the great churches at Clonfert and Meelick. All funds raised from the tour are going to the development of a Workhouse Museum.

Pictured right, at discussing the Hiberno- Romanesque doorway, are Dr Christy Cunniffe and friends. More than €750 was raised on the day, with additional sums pledged and awaited.

In addition, all contributions from the October 7th conference on ‘Famine, Emigration, and the Workhouse’ will be put towards the development of the museum. The cataloguing of artefacts and work toward attaining ‘museum status’ are now underway.

As a not-for-profit institution itself, the centre already fulfils many of the criteria for museum status but acknowledges that there is a ‘road to go’. The whole team at the centre are committed to collecting, safeguarding, holding in trust, research- ing, developing and interpreting our collections of objects (and those being offered to us).

Participation in the museum programme involves a commitment to museum governance and may take up to five years to complete. Over the coming years the centre will appoint a project-manager before the IWC’s application for eligibility will be reviewed by the MSPI (Museum Standards Programme for Ireland) Advisory Group.

5 Tales of the Workhouse... Analysis of 1911 Census of Ireland returns for Portumna Union Workhouse

Ten years after the 1901 census (see our Summer newsletter), the situation in the workhouse in the 1911 census had not changed dramatically. The number of residents listed on the Return of Paupers in Workhouses ‘Form E’ had reduced to 92 (41 male, 51 female) , with a further 4 listed on ‘Form I’- Return of Lunatics and Idiots in public Institutions and Private Lunatic Asylums (3 women and 1 man) suffering from dementia and idiocy.

The age range was from a newly born infant girl up to an 87 year old widow. In total, 37 of the inmates were in the hospital section suffering from a variety of diseases. In total, 19 different diseases are listed, with bronchitis, ulcers, pleurisy and primarily ‘debility’ the prevalent ailments.

Occupations Of the 66 Adults in the workhouse during the 1911 census, only 13 were ‘able bod- ied’ - being 4 males (aged 16 to 45) and 9 females (aged 28 to 64).

There were 9 vagrants listed, comprising 4 adults (2 men and 2 women) and 5 chil- dren. There were 20 different occupations/ professions listed for the inmates, with 7 people having no occupation.

The pie chart (right) shows the distribution of occupations, with notable change from 1901 census. Now, most women are listed as a ‘charwoman’ (house cleaners) as op- posed to ‘domestic servant’. The principle occupation for men remains ‘general la- bourer’ but the percentage has dropped from 29% to 18% of all occupations.

Children in the Workhouse The number of children in the Portumna Union Workhouse had risen slightly in 1911 to 26 (12 male and 14 fe- male, 4 of whom were born in the workhouse). Seven of the children were in the hospital section.

Religion All of the inmates of the Workhouse ‘Lunatic Ward’, and indeed tall of the staff are returned as Roman Catholic.

Staff of the Portumna Union Workhouse in 1911 Even though there were fewer residents in both the workhouse and its associated hospital than in 1901, the num- ber of staff had increased to 13 residing in the workhouse (on the night of Sunday 2nd April 1911). There are a few familiar names as the Matron, the Porter and one of the nurses/nuns were on the staff list in 1901 also.

The specifics are as follows; Workhouse Master: Martin Donohue (48 years), Teacher (wife of the master): Brigid F Donohue (51), Teacher: Kate Keary (35), Matron: Kate Shaughnessy (50), Porter: John Williams ( 6 9 ) , Nurses/Nuns: Mary A Philips (38), Agnes Lynam (51), Mary B Lalor (40), Mary A Hayes (23), Nora Conroy (22), Paid Wardsman: Thomas Monahan (24), Paid Wardsmaid: Mary Bohan (19), Anne Derry (35).

For those of you wishing to research this topic further, note that details from the census (the focus of this article) can be greatly supplemented by the wealth of detail available in the Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ire- land—previously referenced in this journal.

6 The Dolphin Family Adrian Martyn

Firstly, it goes without saying that this surname has nothing at all to do with dolphins. Tom Shippey* informs the Author that it derives from the Norse ‘dolg -innr, 'wound-sorcerer’, and that the first recorded Dolfin, son of Arnfinnr, “was a Hiberno-Norseman living in Allerdale” (Cumbria's ‘Lake District’) during the 11th century. As the Cumbrians were Bri- tions, not English or Norse, Dolfin may have hailed from Jorvick ('York) or Dyflin ('Dublin').

Annála Ulaid notes his death in 1054 in battle against King of Alba, MacBeathadh mac Fionnlaoch ('MacBeth'): “A battle between the men of Scotland and the English in which fell 3000 of the Scots and 1500 of the English, including Doilfinn son of Finntor.” Ulf, son of Dolfin, was murdered in 1063 by Earl of Northumbria Tostig Godwinson within his hall at Jorvik, while Ulf's unnamed sister married a familiar of the House of Bamburgh, Gospatric son of Arnketil (Fletcher, 2002, pp. 158-159).

It would be going too far to state the Dolphins of Co. Galway are this lineage. Yet, following the Harrowing of the North in the terrible winter of 1069-70, Northumbrians fleeing the Normans may have settled in, and introduced the name, to Dyflin. Within modern Dublin is yet found Dolphin's Barn.

Dolphins in Galway The first Dolfins in Connacht settled at Galbouly and Turoe west of Loughrea, and at Rathgorgin and Moyode east of Athenry. These areas seem to have comprised the lineage's Oireacht (“Eraght”, 'inheritance') or core lands into the 17th century, with Turoe held by descendants till about the 1930s.

In 1270, Annála Connacht states “Seoan Doilifin and his son were … killed” at Moynishy. The Annals of provides more detail, saying “as soon as William [de Burgh] came to O'Connors house he was taken... also John Delphin and his sone were killed”. This incident precipitated the infamous battle of Ath an Chip, a massive victory for the Ui Chonchobair over the de Burghs. It also shows them in association with the de Burghs, so they probably were their vas- sals and gained their lands during the de Burgh invasion during the 1220s-30s.

In 1289, John Dolfyn held “Rathgorgyn” and “Galboly” of de Burgh, while in 1307 Tomás Dolfyn was granted the cus- toms of Galway, collecting two shillings for every imported barrel of wine (Hardiman, 1820, p. 51, 52). Thomas Dolphin and Clare, his wife, built the high house near the private rooms at the Dominican friary of Athenry, rebuilt after a fire in 1423 (Ó Clabaigh, 2012).

Sixteenth Century In 1574, “The Dolphinagh” held the castle of “Barowdy [Raruddy]” while Walter Dolphin held Moyode castle, both in Athenry barony (Nolan, 1901). “Redmund Delfyne of Eraght Delfyne” and his brother James received pardons dated 27 Octo- ber 1581, as did “Walter Ly Dolphinn of Galweyle” [Galboly] on 19 September 1582 (Nicholls, 1994). “Walter Oge Dolphin of Turoe, Edm. Dolphin of the same, … Walter More Dolphin of Kilboght, husbandman, …” were included in a General Pardon issued by King James VI and I on 12 May 1603 (IPRJI, p. 18).

Pictured above right is the Connaught section of a 1573 map by Ortelius listing various areas including Galway town, as well as noting the homes of the major Norman families. In the place of modern Kilconierin parish, under the first ‘N’ in Connati (Connacht) is ‘Dolphin’ i.e. the Dolphin family area / lands are noted.

7 Hubert Dolphin Hubert Dolphin, O.P., died in 1663; his namesake and kinsman, Hubert Dolphin of Athenry's Dominican friary was born about 1635. Following classical and philosophical studies in Ireland, he was ordained a secular priest, serving as such for twenty years. Professed a Dominican at Athenry, he studied theology at Salamanca for three years in the 1670s.

Prior of Limerick 1683-84, he moved back to Athenry, becoming chaplain to William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricard. De- spite subsequent persecution he remained with the few other Dominicans at Nutfeild, Gloves South/Esker townlands, Athenry, until 1698 when exiled with four novices. He “dyd in Namur in Flanders” on 20 September 1700.

His kinsman, John Dolphin was professed a Dominican in Athenry on 2 October 1673 (Fenning, 2000), while his name- sake, John Dolphin, was parish priest of “Kilmedeen” but listed as dead by March 1715 (Burke, 1914, p. 426).

Early-modern Dolphins Redmond Dolphin of Dublin, Redmund Dolphin, jr., of Cappasalla, George Dolphin of Lickmalash, and George Dolphin of Sprucehill, Co. Tipperary, were certified and enrolled as Protestants in 1709, 1750, 1776, and 1783 respectively, in order to preserve their lands (O'Bryne, 2005, p. 71).

“Gio: Dolphin” was among two hundred and ninty-six inhabitants of Galway town who signed a petition for full civil rights for Irish Catholics, dated 29 April 1794 (Coen, 1984, appendix). Ambrose and James Dolphin of Deerpark, Loughrea, were included on the Registry of Freeholds published in The Connaught Journal of Monday 25 May 1829.

The graves of Peter Dolphin (d. 7 July 1898), his wife Antoinette (d. 26 March 1904), their children Anne Monica (d. 30 December 1896) and Anne (d. 23 June 1914) are in Loughrea's Carmelite Abbey cemetery (Martyn, 2009, p. 121).

Bibilography: Burke, William P., The Irish Priests in the Penal Times (1660-1760), Waterford, 1914 (Irish University Press reprint, Shannon, 1969). Coen, Rev. Fr. Martin, The Wardenship of Galway, Kenny's, Galway, 1984. Fenning, Hugh, “Irish Dominicans at Lisbon before 1700: a Biographical Register”, Collectanea Hibernica, vol. 42, 2000, pp. 27 -65. Freeman, A.M., ed., Annála Connacht: The Annals of Connacht (A.D. 1224-1544), Dublin, 1944. Fletcher, Richard, Bloodfeud: Murder and Revenge in Anglo-Saxon England, Penguin Books, London, 2002. Hardiman, James, The History of the Town and County of the Town of Galway, from the earliest period to the present time, Dublin, 1820. IPRJI – Irish Patent Rolls of James I, n.d., n.a. Martyn, Adrian, ““Tombstone Inscriptions of the Carmelite Abbey, Loughrea, ”, Journal of the Irish Family His- tory Society 25, 2009, pp. 120-24. Hennessy, W.M., and B. McCarthy, eds.,, Annála Ulaidh:The Annals of Ulster Dublin, 1887-1901. Murphy, D., ed., The Annals of Clonmacnoise, Dublin, 1896. Nicholls, K.W., The Irish Fiants of the Tudor sovereigns during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Phillip & Mary, and Eliza- beth I, Dublin, 1994. Nolan, J.P. “Galway Castles and Owners in 1574”, JGAHS vol. I, pt. ii, 1900-01, pp. 109-23. O'Bryne, Eileen, The Calendar of the Convert Rolls, Dublin, 2005. Ó Clabaigh, Colmán, unpublished translation of the regestum (‘registrar’) of the Dominican Friary, Athenry, compiled about 1460?, posted to me 2012. *Professor of English, Saint Louis University, USA. Emails dated 26 & 28 July 2017.

8 The 1883 United States Official Pensions Roll – List of Pensioners on the Roll Clare Lowery

This five-volume ‘Pensions Collection’ provides a list of pensioners’ names; those who were veterans of war receiving pensions from 1882. Those who were in service during the US Civil War make up the bulk of this pensions database but those who fought in earlier wars are also included. There are many interesting aspects to this database which means that it will appeal not only to those interested in military history, but to those interested in genealogy and local history too. There is some scope to learn more about the injured and their dependants, especially in Ireland where the pension was collected at the local Post Office.

The Collection lists the name of the person receiving the pension, the Post Office (town/city), the reason he is receiving the payment (a list of wounds and injuries show the reason), a pension number, pension amount (sometimes with details of any arrears) and date of original allowance.

One of the difficulties with the Collection is that it is not arranged in alphabetical order by surname but can be searched or viewed by US State and County—and in the case of pensioners born outside the US, the Collection starts with Mexico, Brazil, the West Indies and Australia. Scrolling past these entries leads to the European and ultimately the Irish listings.

Some of those who fought in the US later returned to Ireland but if they were deceased, their pension was paid to a widow or parent named as a dependent. Some Galway examples are listed below:

Table 1: List of veterans and dependants, 1883 Pension Rolls Name of Veteran Name of Depend- Reason for Payment Amount From Date ant p.m.

Not Listed Bridget Kinney Dependent $8 July 1869 Mother, Galway

$8 - Not Listed Maria Whelan Widow, Galway

Peter Brady Himself, Paralysis right side $24 Sept 1877 Glenamaddy

Patrick Morris Himself, Head wound $8 Nov 1865 Glenamaddy

John Coyne Headford Wound right knee and $8 March 1874 disability to lungs

Joseph Dowd Himself, Tuam Wound left leg $8 Mar 1855

As indicated, pensioners and depend- ants from other counties are listed, from Antrim to Youghal (as right), as well as other countries in Europe.

The Collection can be viewed through an Ancestry.com subscription which is probably the best way to search (and easily read), and through the Ar- chive.org website where there is a free- to-view digital reproduction of the Rolls. For more, contact the author at the Irish Workhouse Centre. 9 Poems of Old… This edition’s poem is The Old Grey Lake by Seamus O’Kelly from The magazine of 8 March 1919.

Splashing the liquid gold we drifted Softly by waves of silver lifted, Out in the shimmering sheet a glowing Purple ripplets listless rowing, All in the radiant sunset’s wake On the breast of the Old Grey Lake.

In the hush of the dying day were told Those wondrous tales and deeds of old, How Time then rolled back fold on fold And into farey realms of gold— We tranquil rode in that magic wake On the breast of the Old Grey Lake.

Wafted by wandering winds along Low breaks a voice in mellow song, And hark! What magic spells flung o’er us At crash of the swelling chorus, Harmonies waking on hill and brake By the shores of the Old Grey Lake.

And, oh, how the vivid memory Longings rouse in the heart of me, And, oh, for the friends long fled once more With even song and flashing oar, All in the deep twilight’s witching wake

On the breast of the Old Grey Lake. ______

Postcards from the Edge

Ballinasloe (Society Street) is the focus of this edition’s post- card, with this one coming in from Fergal Duffy. While the town has fallen on harder times now, at the turn of the twentieth century Society Street was a thriving street in one of the largest towns in the west.

As early as 1831 the town contained 4,615 inhabitants. There were 632 houses of which 265 were built in the preceding dec- ade. Thus the population almost doubled in forty years; the re- covery from the Great Hunger was also impressive (below).

Town 1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s Ballinasloe 4,615 4,934 3,679 3,909 5,052 4,772 4,642 4,904 5,169 5,220

Society Street was critically important to the prosperity of the town in the latter nineteenth and early twentieth century. Boasting the workhouse, church, convent, orphanage, courthouse with bridewell, and school; the street was also home to the agricultural hall, the national bank, a constabulary barrack, and a Presbyterian church.

It was primarily a merchant street however and the 1870 Thom’s Directory confirms it was still home to general agents (Julius Horne), several bakers (Stephen Goggin, Jane Molony, Charles Nagle, Charles Nugent, and Mary O’Shaughnessy), shoemakers (Timothy O’Connor and Richard Walsh), butchers (Michael Conroy and John Martin), earthenware dealers (Patrick Nugent), coach builders (Thomas Cochrane), seven grocers (Catherine Browne, Elizabeth Bunton, Winifred Col- gan, Patrick Lamb, Garratt Lorcan, Mary McEvilly, and Mary O’Shaughnessy), hotels (Jane Hogan and James Piggott), drapers (John Carter, Rater & Sons), and dress-makers (Anne Goode). One of the busiest streets in Ireland.

10 Recommended Sources in Local History

One of the more neglected resources are the national school roll-books and registers and, given the handicap of the ‘lost census’, it is surprising that more focus has not been given to these records. At present, school roll-books are housed in the national archives for fewer than one hundred schools (visit http://www.nationalarchives.ie/PDF/ RollRegDeptEducation.pdf). Only four of these schools are in Co Galway, with three in the far west, and only Ganty NS in Kilconierin (1872 until closure in 1961) in east Galway. Another hundred have been received from private do- nors (see http://www.nationalarchives.ie/PDF/RollRegPrivateAccession.pdf ), though here only Tuam appears for Co Galway. This represents only 3% of the national schools in the twenty-six counties, a fraction of the of the north.

Pictured right is the ‘Roll for Cookery and Laun- dry Work’ of Saint Andrew’s National School, Kylebrack from just over a century ago (1911/12). Classes were taught each Wednesday (26 weeks) from 2pm for an hour and a half by Ms Nora Deely under the authority of Miss MacDonald.

The roll-call lists 28 pupils, all girls, their class and the dates of their attendance. The great benefit of researching records that straddle census years as here is that it is relatively easy to pinpoint the home townland, and hence details and families of those listed. In this example, additional details of Mary Fahey (Burroge townland, aged 10 in 1911) and many of the other girls can be seen on-line (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/).

Pictured below is Carrabane NS, Loughrea c.1935. Increasingly, imagines like this from the first half of the last century are becoming available and greatly compliment the school roll-books.

11 In the early nineteenth century Sir Robert Peel MP successfully introduced a Peace Preservation Force (1814-22), A permanent national constabulary had finally been established, which in turn became the Royal Irish Con- stabulary (RIC) - the ‘Royal’ element being added 150 years ago.

In the final in our series of articles on the force, Ronan Killeen examines the rules and regulations of RIC and the role these same rules and regula- tions played in its decline—focusing on Athenry (the RIC were based at Abbey Row, before moving to where the Old Barracks Restaurant is now).

The RIC in Athenry—Stifling Rules and the Decline in the Twentieth Century Ronan Killeen

Recruitment and Training From the 1840s the Constabulary in Ireland were trained in a similar manner to the military. New recruits were drilled as soldiers, for six months or more, and were even trained in the use of arms and in military movement. The ‘day room’ or ‘orderly room’ in every station differed little from a squad room in a military barracks. In the force, Constables were to be of: ‘Sound constitution; able-bodied; and under the age of 40 years; be able to read and write; and of good character for honesty, fidelity, and activity’.

The new officers would take the following oath ‘I ______do swear that I will well and truly serve our sover- eign lord, in the office of (rank) without favour or affection, malice or ill will, that I will see and cause his maj- esty’s peace to be kept and preserved, and that I will prevent, to the best of my power, all offences against the same, and that whilst I shall hold said office, I will not, while I shall hold the said office, join, subscribe, or be- long to any political society, whatsoever, unless the society of Freemasonry’.

The age of new recruits ranged between 18-27 years, and candidates were ideally to be at least 5ft 9in, with a chest measure of 37 inches. After training, recruits were allocated a uniform and a modest allowance for boots and other necessaries. They were then appointed to counties, as prescribed. Constables would reach a maximum rate of £70 per annum after twenty years of service, sergeants a maximum of £86. Men in the constabulary were to have seven years service before permission to marry was granted.

Inspection & Promotion There were monthly inspections by the District Inspector, periodical other inspections, and a quarterly visit from HQ. During inspections, Constables were expected to be found proficient in drill, have a good knowledge of the police duties, and demonstrate the efficient discharge of their duty. County Inspections were responsible for the efficiency of their county; District Inspectors for their district; and Head Constables/Sergeants for their stations.

Alcohol (‘intoxicating drink’) was a source of much trouble for the men and strict rules were applied. ‘Drunkenness’ was defined as the ‘slightest departure of sobriety’; tippling, or having an appearance of recent tippling was regarded as an offence. Up to the 1880s it was an offense to enter a public house whether on or off duty for the purpose of drinking; but this rule was modified to allow for reasonable refreshments.

The entire system of promotion was the cause of sourness and resentment. Religion was evidently an issue in the background of many promotions, and Catholics felt that Protestants relied more on religion and Freemasonry then on merit. It is unclear how much matters like this within the force played in the antipathy some of the pub- lic held toward the force, and how large an element that was in its demise in the twentieth century.

Rigidity The rigidity of rules, the military-style training, and other issues in the force would contribute to its downfall. Using Athenry as a typical barrack-area, the following are some of the issues faced, and some of the failures.

12 Culture: The inevitable ‘protect our own’ culture within the force (something we have heard a great deal of lately) would play no small part in its downfall by 1922.

Morale: Fatigue, frustration and issues with regard to unreim- bursed expenses were among the regular issues that ordinary RIC members faced in Athenry.

Inflexibility: There was often little room for constables to use their discretion with regard to some minor crimes. Pictured right is a force of RIC Constables in Athenry in 1915.

Violence: The shooting of Colonel Lopdell in 1906, wherein a Constable O’Halloran was shot when protecting him, was increasingly typical. O’Halloran had been on the list for early promotion to the rank of sergeant.

Corruption: The following year, a charge of embezzlement against Sergeant Kearney was dismissed as there was insufficient evidence that he was wilfully and corrupt of perjury.

Estrangement: During this period, delegates from the GAA were said to be ‘shadowed’ and photographed by the RIC as division and suspicion grew around Athenry.

Mistrust: Increasing in popularity, in 1897 the GAA instituted ‘Rule 21’ after it became apparent that some RIC members were joining GAA clubs to spy on members' political activities.

Poor Public Relations: A grievance highlighted in the Connacht Tribune, 17 August 1912, wherein mass goers were obliged ‘to go deep in the mud while the footpath was occupied by [those] idle fellows.

Poor Management: Neglect on behalf of the government was arguably as destructive as the later IRA guerrilla campaign. The importance of central barracks like Athenry or rural policing was never appreciated.

Collapse of Intelligence Network: Long a strength of the force, over time fear of being branded an ‘informant, or worse, began to out-weight any financial reward.

Discrimination: As indicated, despite three quarters of the force being Catholic, the majority of the senior offi- cers were Protestant. In Athenry, a officer led a force of 8 ‘RC’ the night of the 1901 census.

Lockout: On 31 Aug 1913, the DMP (Dublin Metropolitan Police) and the RIC rioted in O'Connell Street, attacking what they mistakenly thought were a crowd of Larkin sup- porters. 500 people were injured, and two were killed.

Misplaced Loyalty: Unlike to their subsequent approach in Dublin, the Belfast Newsletter of 2 Aug 1907 (right) confirms the force sided with their Belfast counterparts who mutinied rather than take action against striking Protestant dock workers.

Evictions: Enforcement of eviction orders caused the force to be despised by the poor. Evictions in Athenry are evident in the EPPI (Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland), and referenced in the various newspapers during this period.

The RIC faced considerable challenges in the early twentieth century and proved incapable of adopting to the evolu- tion of those they were seeking to police. Listed were just some of the challenges that the force failed to meet, though there are many more reasons for that failure (macro and micro). It is a case however that the issues of ‘estrangement’ long before the war of independence were not capable of being managed by their existing rules or training.

13 Galwaymen at War Marie Bennett

In the latest in our series, we focus on substantial battles involving Galwaymen in Germany, Afghanistan, China, and Indo- nesia from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries.

260 Years Ago The extraordinary Battle of Rossbach took place on 5 November 1757 during the Seven Years' War (1756–63) in Saxony (modern Germany) when Prus- sian forces defeated the combined armies of France and Austria. Despite having half the 40,000 combined armies, the Prussians suffered only 10% of the more than 5,000 dead and wounded. Galway’s Francis Fahy, who suf- fered serious chest wounds, was in that number for the French. A defeated but surviving French Colonel at Rossbach was Kiltulla’s Patrick D'Arcy - a mathematician and an accomplished scientist. Interestingly, in 1749 D’Arcy was elected a member of the French Academy of Sciences and was awarded the title ‘Count’. Pictured right is the painting ‘Schlacht bei Roßbach’.

175 Years Ago On 12 October 1842, in the Battle of Kabul, British forces concluded the First Anglo-Afghan War by levelling much of that city before evacuating Afghanistan and retreating to India. To the fore in their number was Moycul- len’s Sergeant Patrick Sullivan of the 86th Regiment. The battle saw the British advance on Kabul (from Kandahar and Jalalabad) and attain revenge for previous encounters as well as recover several prisoners. British forces would lose 500 men, about half that of the Afghan forces. Many Galwaymen served alongside Sullivan including the likes of the multi-decorated John Cooney from modern Kilconierin parish, outside Loughrea. Pictured is a lithograph ‘Encampment of the Kandahar Army, under General Nott’ by Lieutenant James Rattray.

155 Years Ago The 30 August 1862 marked the anniversary of the second attack on Shang- hai ‘the Battle of Shanghai’, during the 1862 Taiping Rebellion. Fought be- tween June 1861 and November 1862, British and French troops had entered the fray and used modern artillery for the first time in China inflicting heavy casualties on Taiping forces. Among the British ranks quashing the rebellion was Portumna’s Patrick Bredan. Bredan had previously served in the Persian Campaign 1856-57 (winning a medal and clasp) and the Indian Mutiny 1857 -58 (again decorated with a medal) in which he was wounded by a musket- ball in the right leg. Pictured is a scene of the Taiping Rebellion.

75 Years Ago Navy Seaman George Redmond Pringle, was among the ‘Allied Prisoners of War and Internees’ detained in the Malaya PoW Camp during WWII. His ship, HMS Jupiter, had been sunk on 27 February 1842 apparently after be- ing struck by a mine during the ‘Battle of the Java Sea’. Specifics on HMS Jupiter’s complement that day are unclear, but it is understood that of 200 or so men, a third were killed, a third were rescued, and a third were taken pris- oner. The Japanese treatment of POWs was truly barbaric throughout the war with Pringle one of the fortunate ones to survive. Pictured is a depiction of the sinking of a vessel during the Battle of the Java Sea. More than half of the original 2,070 men taken to the Haroekoe Camp in April 1943 died be- fore the Japanese surrender in 1945.

14 Highlights of Heritage Week 2017

Heritage Week 2017 was a remarkable one for the centre with an extraordinary 30 events organised, comprising 27 by the Irish Workhouse Centre and others in partnership with Athenry Heritage Centre (lecture), Galway Heritage Fo- rum (exhibition), and BirdWatch Ire- land and others (Nature Camp, bottom).

The programme comprised a special event each day at the centre. Highlights included the ‘Fossils, Folklore, and the Forge’ exhibition and the ’Sounds of the Workhouse’ (presented by Eliza- beth Carter and Ian Reardon, top left). Mary Healy’s ‘Find a Fairy’ biodiver- sity day (bottom right) was also terrific.

The centre’s staff went ‘on tour’ visit- ing our neighbouring counties of Tippe- rary (Kilbarron), Clare (Scariff), Offaly (Birr), and Mayo (Cong). The Work- house exhibition in Loughrea Library by Aileen O’Dowd (near right) was another highlight.

The Workhouse also published nine booklets (pictured top right) in order that a tangible legacy remain from Heritage Week. Aron Donnolly’s publi- cation bookended a terrific week.

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What it says in the Papers

Pictured right is Burke’s Connaught Journal of 28 November 1791, with the attaching article on the evils of ‘Whiteboyism’ and their in- creasing strength in the county.

Whiteboys were perhaps an inevitable reaction to the crisis in Ireland in the early nineteenth century. In the aftermath of the 1798 Rebellion, the Irish were effectively without an educated working-class leadership and by 1819 the vacuum had been filled by secret societies. Concerted efforts were made by authorities to deal with these groups, including though newspaper articles.

Published by Martin Burke of Back Lane, Burke’s Connaught Journal was one of the main county newspaper toward the end of the eight- eenth century.

Articles from this journal may be among those appearing in a publica- tion by the Irish Workhouse Centre next year and will form part of a small exhibition on the topic.

15 The Freemasons in Co Galway Steve Dolan As regular readers will know, Freemasonry is a society with secret rules and somewhat mysterious rituals and they have existed in this country for over three hundred years. It appears that the earliest lodge in Co Galway was estab- lished in Galway City (lodge number 14) in 1733, with speedy growth throughout the county thereafter – namely in Tuam (no. 29, in 1734), Gort (no.70, 1737), and Loughrea (no. 87, 1738).

There is certainly no unanimity on the place or legacy of Freemasons in Irish history. Some Historians have sug- gested that that revival of Galway Town in the eighteenth century is partly attributable to the Freemasons though this appears to be a ‘rose-tinted’ perspective of the secretive society.

Conspiracy theories abound, nationally and internationally. Persistent and pervasive accusations of corruption, again nationally and internationally, have dogged Freemasonry; as has the belief that many members boosted their career or prospects through networking, favouritism, or worse. Not in keeping with the ‘Peace, love and harmony’ ideal.

By the same token, it should be acknowledged that Freemasons were one of the few organisations to welcome Roman Catholics as members in the eighteenth-century, before membership became forbidden by Papal Bull and marginal- ised by the national mistrust of secret societies in the 1800s.

Figure 1: Freemasons Grave-slab

One legacy is that Freemason iconography survives throughout the county. One example, above, shows a ledger (recumbent grave-slab in memory of James Lyons who died in January 1814) in Ardrahan. A number of freemason symbols are evident including a level, plumb, dividers and a square. Picture courtesy of Dr Christy Cunniffe. Notable other examples include those at Portumna (Richard Tydd, who died on 7 Nov 1788) and at Temple Jarlath in Tuam. In the mid-eighteenth century, meeting places were often public houses e.g. ‘The Fountain Tavern’ (Loughrea), The Masons Arms’ (Headford), and ‘The Eagle Tavern’ (Galway); however by the nineteenth century dedicated buildings (e.g. at the bottom of Main Street in Ballinasloe) or purpose-built lodges (e.g. at Mill Street in Galway City) housed the gatherings of Freemasons.

16 It is also the case that Freemason Lodges boasted many members who contributed to the development of the county in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. And there is the various charitable endeavours through the centuries in the county, and the country as a whole. The lodges appear to have been very supportive of each other and often lodges joined each other in processions as with lodges 14, 228, and 368 [reported by the Connaught Journal, 3 March 1823].

Figure 2: Freemasons Lodges (and numbers) in Co Galway in 1800

Tuam (no.s 29, 501) Headford (no. 331)

Ahascragh (no. 358) Ballinasloe Galway (no.s 14, (no. 326) 19, 106, 228, 274,

Eyrecourt Loughrea (no. 455) (no.s 87, 210, 248, 281, 357)

Gort

(no. 275)

While there were as many as eighteen registered lodges in Co Galway at the turn of the century, the decline would be rapid. By the 1820s that number had halved to nine, albeit a new lodge (no. 458) briefly existed at Portumna. The members at Portumna were Richd Tydd, John Dinnin, John Kelly, Robt Burnett, John Monaghan, Edw McDonagh, Cromwell Williams, Wm Betle, John Boyle, Henry Palmer, Jas Phelan, Dan Haverty, Thos Kent. The decline was partly due to emigration to the U.S. (economic ‘push’), and also a government crack-down against these societies.

The decline in membership / lodges has also been attributed to the increasing opposition of the , how- ever the overall decline also mirrors the economic and so- cial decline in the country from the start of the century.

By the end of the century only two lodges in the county sur- vived, namely those at Galway (no.12) - the longest estab- lished in the county, and Ballinasloe (no. 137) - which sur- vived until independence when it was destroyed.

The latter lodge is referenced in a Western Star article of 26 June 1846, right. Indeed there are countless references in the newspapers of the eighteenth (see Journal 19, Autumn 2015 for an 1757 article referencing Loughrea Lodge), and particularly the nineteenth century.

For those interested in specifics, the ‘Grand Lodge of Free- masons of Ireland Membership Registers 1733-1923’ are available on the web-site www.ancestry.com, with thou- sands of pages of records including listings of members (as with Portumna, above). 17 Just outside the village of Lawrencetown there once stood an elegant mansion which, at one stage, contained so many treasures of art and sculpture that one could easily confuse it with the Louvre in Paris. This elegant house was built in the mid 18th-century by one Col. Walter Lawrence, who was responsible for filling it with its many treasures.

The Treasures of Lisreaghan (Bellevue) House Aron Donnelly

Utilising the fortune he inherited from his maternal family plantation in the West Indies, Colonel Walter Lawrence built a large mansion less than a mile from Ballymore on his lands at Lisreaghan. He travelled throughout Europe in his early years, spending time with artists, philosophers, and figures of the ‘Enlightenment’ such as Voltaire and Vernay. He spent considerable time in Italy where he befriended Canova, whom he patronised and a number of whose sculptures he pos- sessed. The mansion at Lisreaghan was erected in the mid-18th century, at some point between 1740 and 1750. It consisted of two main wings, and legend had it that this house once had a window for every day of the year, this is most unlikely.

There are 54 windows to be seen in a side-elevation photograph, which gives a reliable indication of the size of the house. The interior was lavishly decorated, and there was an Italian influence on the decoration which was probably because of Lawrence’s friendship with Canova. Walter even had Italian names assigned to various rooms such as the Aurora Hall, Constantine Hall, Italian drawing room, etc. Many of these rooms stood at an elevation of 40 ft. The library was eighty feet long and one corridor was 270 ft long. The Aurora Hall featured frescoes such as Romulus and Remus at the Feast of Weeks (Lupercalia) and colossal statues of Roman Emperors taken from Vatican originals rested on Marble tables.

Passing from the Aurora Hall one entered the ‘Constantine Hall’, so named because it contained a magnificent fresco of the Battle of Milvian Bridge – fought between the rival Roman Emperors Constantine and Maxentius in 312.

Pictured left is ‘The Battle between Constantine and Maxentius by Raph- ael ...representing a fresco on the ceiling of the hall of Constantine at Lisreahan (sic), Larwrencetown, Co Galway, 1753’ as per the sales cata- logue. And, above, the original. The hall of Constantine also contained a white marble staircase , pictured below, which was much admired.

The Italian drawing room contained the statues of Mars (Roman God of War) and Minerva (Roman Goddess of Wisdom), gifted to Lawrence by Canova in 1760. A sum of £6,000 was offered for these statues in 1800. It also contained finds form the ruins of Pompeii.

The second drawing room or ‘Gothic Room’ had a wooden panelled ceiling featuring the coats of arms of all the families with whom they intermarried.

The property, which was relatively small (2,373 acres in 1879), was latterly heavily-encumbered. There was a great sale of the art treasures in 1912. By then, most of the land had been sold to the tenants. 18 GAA Heroes of Old - Derrydonnell On 2 December 1911 the Connacht Tribune reported on the County Final which would see Derrydonnell triumph. Pictured top left is the winning side, and bottom left the runners-up (Claregalway) who won the league from the Connacht Tribune of 9 March 1912.

Claregalway had beaten Ahascragh and Mullagh to reach the final, while Derrydonnell defeated Galway City and Killimor. Back: Mar- tin Kennedy, Mick Fahy, Mike Joyce, Andy Keane, Martin Joyce, Richard Higgins, Jack Ruane, William Higgins. Mid: Martin Ruane, Tom Mullins, Pat Keane (captain), Mick Keane, Martin Costello, Mick Freeney, Peter Heneghan. Front: Pat Heneghan, Jack Costello.

Not to diminish Derrydonnell’s triumph; this was an era where two rival boards operated - the small Athenry Board in which Derry- donnell competed, and the larger Loughrea Board. For the record, on the same day Derrydonnell played Claregalway, Loughrea took on Gurteeny (Woodford) in the Loughrea Board Final.

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Our thanks to Eoin Bairéad for his generous coverage of this journal in the 'News from the Net' section in the latest Archaeology Ireland magazine. Such coverage in- spires us to work even harder on content, and share the love of heritage.

Membership: SEGAHS warmly welcomes new members. As a member of our society you will learn a great deal about your heritage in an interactive way by having access to regular lectures and gatherings. You do not need to have any qualifications or a high-level knowledge as the wonderful thing about local history is that anyone can get involved. The annual society membership fee is only €20.

Articles: If you have a heritage-related article or query that you would like to share with us, we would be happy to hear from you. You can contact us at [email protected], or by visiting our facebook page at www.facebook.com/SEGAHS, by following us on twitter @SEGAHSIreland, or by coming to one of our lectures or field trips.

19 Larkin Matters... Killimor

Kilteskill seventeenth-century gravestones Christy Cunniffe

The stone pictured right is one of a number of graveslabs in the chancel area of Kilteskill me- dieval parish church.

They are of seventeenth-century style, as tapered grave-slabs of this type can still be found into the eighteenth century in this region. Note the in- cised cross shaft. The Calvary base is harder to see due to the heavy coat of lichen.

For more on field monuments and a whole range of detail on community archaeology and other societies around the county, we would again refer all members to the excellent Galway Community Heritage website at http://galwaycommunityheritage.org/. ______Is eagras deonach é Cumann Staire agus Seandálaíochta Oirdheisceart na Gaillimhe (SEGAHS) a bunaíodh chun bua na staire, na seandálaíochta agus an bhéaloidis in Oirdheisceat na Gaillimhe a chun chun cinn. Is fédir teagmháil a dhéanamh leis an chumann ag an seoladh ríomhphoist [email protected], ar an suíomh Idirlín www.facebook.com/SEGAHS, nó trí chabaireacht linn ar twit- ter ag @SEGAHSIreland.

South East Galway Archaeological & Historical Society (SEGAHS) is a voluntary organisation highlighting the richness of the history, archaeology, and folklore of South East Galway. If you would like to make contact, you can do so by e-mailing us at se- [email protected], by visiting our webpage at www.facebook.com/SEGAHS, or by following us on twitter @SEGAHSIreland.