DECIES JOURNAL OF THE I WATERFORDARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICALSOCIETY I No. 53 IRISLEABHARSEANDALA~OCHTA AGUS STAIREPHORT LAIRGE BAXDAS PHOXT LAIXGE WATEXFOXD COXPOXATION The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society and the editor of DECIES gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship of Waterford Corporation towards the publication costs of this journal. Decies 53,1997 ISSN 1393-3116 Published by The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society Typeset by Phototype-Set Ltd., 2 Lee Road, Dublin Industrial Estate, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. Printed by Leinster Leader Ltd., Naas, Co. Kildare PAGE Conflicting Loyalties - Two Waterford Soldiers - Fenians: PatrickMcCarthy .................................................................................................................................................... 1 The Origin and Development of the Portlaw Cotton Industry, 1825-1840: Tom Hunt ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Charles Smith, 1715-1762: Pioneer of Irish Topography: Willie Fraher ...................... 33 Protestants and the 1826 Waterford County Election: Eugene Broderick ...................................................................................................................................................... 45 Waterford Steamship Company: Bill Irish ........................................................................................ 67 Land Agitation in County Waterford, 1879-1882: Part 1: From Farmers' Club to Land League: The Politicisation of the Farmers, 1879-80: Donnchadh 0 Ceallrrchain ............................................................................... 91 Patrick Carmody, Irish Scholar: Plidraig 0 Machn'in ................................................................... 133 Monumental Inscriptions at the Abbey, Kilculliheen, Ferrybank, Waterford: Michael 0 Sullivan ....................... ........................................................................................ 145 Review: Discovery continues her voyage: Sheet 76 of the Ordnance Survey's new 1:50,000 scale maps: T. G. Fewer ..................................................................................................... 151 Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society membership .................... .. ............ 155 Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society ........................................................................... 161 All original contributions are the copyright of the contributors. Hon. Editor: Peter Powell, 10 Grange Park Avenue, Waterford. Editorid Committee: The Chairman (ex officio), Eugene Broderick, Gregory Fewer, Julian Walton. Decies 53 marks a not insignificant occasion in the history of this publication. It is the first issue under a new Editor, Mr. Peter Powell. It is only proper to acknowledge the huge contribution Julian Walton has made to Decies. During his years as Editor (1991-96), he was responsible for the production of a journal of the highest calibre in terms of content. In recent years, beginning with Decies 51, he played an important role in ensuring a more professional format, which has won for Decies a real reputation as a publication of quality. Happily, Julian remains a member of the Editorial Committee. The Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society owes him a real debt of gratitude for many years of generous service to its journal. OFFICERS Chairman: Eddie Synnott, Glenmore, Co. Kilkenny Vice-chairman: Paddy Kenneally, 16 Cork Road, Waterford Hon. Secretary: Eugene Broderick, 1 Pheasant Walk, Waterford Hon. Treasurer: Mrs Renee Lumley, Daisy Terrace, Waterford Hon. Editor: Peter Powell, 10 Grange Park Avenue, Waterford P.R.O.: Mrs. Anna Mahon - Smith, Springfield, Tramore, Co. Waterford 0 COMMITTEE Mrs. Nellie Croke George Kavanagh Eddie Fanning Seamus Reale Sonny Condon Fergus Dillon Pat Grogan Mrs. Brid McNeill List of Contributors Donnchadh 0 Ceallachdin has a degree in history and folklore from U.C.C. He was a contributor to The Fnrnine in Waterford and has contributed to Decies. Michael O'Sullivan is a Local History Attendant in Waterford Municipal Library. He has a special interest in the recording of tombstone inscriptions and in newspaper indexing. He is co-author of Ballybricken & Th~rcnbouts. Plidraig 0 Machdin, a native of Lismore, is Assistant Professor at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Thomas Gregory Fewer is a freelance archaeologist and historian with research interests in east Waterford and south Kilkenny. He graduated from University College Cork in 1989 with a BA (Hons.) in archaeology and history and in 1993 with an MA in history. Eugene Broderick has an MA in history from U.C.C. and is Secretary of the Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society. He was a contributor to The Famine in Waterford; A History of Waterford and its Mayors from the 12th to the 20th Century; and has written a number of articles for Decies. Pat McCarthy is a native of Waterford. He was educated at Mount Sion and U.C.D. where he graduated with a Ph.D. in chemistry, and subsequently with an M.B.A. He is employed in the pharmaceutical industry and has a particular interest in history. He is Correspondence Secretary of the Military History Society of Ireland. Bill Irish is a lecturer in the Waterford Institute of Technology. He has been researching nineteenth century shipbuilding in Waterford and is completing a thesis on the subject. Willie Fraher is a native of Dungarvan and founder member of the Dungarvan Museum Society. He was a contributor to Thc Fnmine in Waterford; and Drspernte Haven: Tlic Poor Lazu, Fnmine O Aftermath in Dungarvan Union; and has written a number of articles for Dccies. Tom Hunt is a native of Clonea Power, County Waterford. He is a history and pography graduate of U.C.D. and is currently a student of the Maynooth University M.A. in local history. He is a teacher at Mullingar Community College, County Westmeath and was the first winner of R.T.E.'s Knozo Your Sport competition. He is carrying out research on the Malcolmsons and would welcome any relevant information. Demzot Power has worked as a master-cutter in Waterford Crystal and as a professional musician. His published works include Ballads and Songs of Waterford (Vols. 1 and 2); The Street Where You Live; and Historical Photographs and Anniversnries of Waterford City. He is also a regular contributor on local history topics to the Munster Express; Decies; and W. L. R. (Dermot Power was inadvertently omitted from the Notes on Contributors in the last edition, in which his article on the People's Park was published). DECIES 54 Articles are invited for Decies 54 which will be published in 1998. * The closing date for receipt of articles is 30 April 1998. Completed articles and inquiries to the Editor: Mr. Peter Powell, 10 Grange Park Ave., Waterford. Decies is issued free to all members of the Waterford Archaeological CL Historical Society. Back numbers of issues, when available, may be obtained from Waterford Heritage Survey, Jenkin's Lane, Waterford vii James Stephens - Founder of the Fenian Brotherhood and self styled 'Chief Organiser of the Irish Republic'. Conflicting Loyalties - Two Waterford Soldier-Fenians By Patrick McCarthy - LMOST 50 years after the event, John Devoy recalled the Fenian Rising in A Waterford as follows: There were three other fiascos which were not reported in the newspapers one in Drogheda, another in Mountmellick, and the third in Waterford, but I got the facts from men who participated in them. Colonel Ricard O'Sullivan Burke was assigned to the command of Waterford in the Rising, but less than fifty answered the call. As they were too few in numbers and short of arms to do anything effective, Burke marched them into Tipperary to effect a junction with the men there, but when he got across the border next day the 'Tips' were all scattered, so he had to send his men home without any attempt at a fight'!: The fiasco in Waterford reflects the image and folk-memory of the Fenians which is formed mostly by the ill-prepared and disastrous Rising of 1867. But to judge the Fenians solely on the events of March 1867 is to ignore the very real potential of the movement, a potential that drew upon three streams which, if properly co-ordinated, could have presented a very real threat to British rule in Ireland. These three streams - a mass movement, an experienced officer corps and a cadre of trained soldiers - each impacted upon Waterford. This essay looks at some of these impacts and, in particular, on the experience of two Waterford soldier-Fenians. The Fenian Movement was founded on St. Patrick's Day 1858 in. Peter Langan's timberyard in Dublin when James Stephens and Thomas Clarke Luby swore each other in as members. From the beginning, it was an oath-bound society and Stephens devised an elaborate structure to preserve secrecy and to foil police spies. The system took as its unit the circle, also called a regiment, commanded by a 'centre' or A, and contained about eight hundred members. Under the 'A' (or Colonel) were nine 'B's (Captains), and then came 9 'C's (Sergeants) reporting to . each 'B', each of whom in turn commanded nine Privates. In theory, no member knew anybody beyond his immediate circle of nine fellow conspirators. In practice, 1. Devoy, John. Rrcollcrtion ofm lrish Rt,bel (New York, 1929), pp. 232, 234. operating from offices in Parliament Street, Dublin, and publishing a newspaper, The lrish People, it