COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY BALLYMOTE HERITAGE GROUP CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE CORRAN HERALD, 1985 - 2015 ISSUE NO.48 2015/2016 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 48 2015/2016 ––––––––––––––– 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 • 2015/2016 Contents Page Elizabeth Gilhawley - An Appreciation (Elizabeth Gilhawley) 4 Heritage Weekend 2014 5 30 years on: The front page of the first issue of The Corran Herald in 1985 7 Community Appreciation of Fiona Rogers of Ballymote (Michael and Carmel Rogers Nee Davey) 8 In memory of the most revered Thomas Flynn patrons of Ballymote Heritage Group and retired Bishop of Achonry 8 Memories of 95 years: Kathleen Coleman nee Benson (John Coleman) 9 Remembering Ted Nealon TD 10 London ‘Shoemaker’ tops the poll in Sligo (John C Mc Ternan) 11 Kaveney Family Famine Trail commemoration walk (Adrian Regan) 13 Bartholomew Teeling (Padraig Mc Dermott) 14 Willie Coleman’s Jig (Fiona Doherty) 16 Breaffy National School in the 50’s and 60’s (Bernie Doyle) 17 Remembering PJ Duffy 19 A Smuggler’s Song (Lynda Hart) 20 Arrow through time (Martin A Timoney) 23 Voluntary Transport (Mary Kelly-White) 24 Early Maps of Bunninadden (Bridget King) 25 Bed and Breakfast in Limerick (Mary Kelly-White) 26 The Inspired Life of Fr. Patrick O’Grady (Ethna O’Grady) 27 The Cake that Nama Baked (John Mc Donagh) 28 The Village Blacksmith (Micheal Murphy) 29 Strongman and Spy (Sam Moore) 31 Seeking Irish Roots: An Introduction to Family History (Kate Denison Bell) 36 The Life of Arthur Taylor (1829 - 1896) (John Taylor) 40 Headline: Virgil and the book of Ballymote - How Irish Scholars brought the Aeneid to Life (Neal Farry) 41 Book of Ballymote Conference at the Royal Irish Academy, February 2015 (John Coleman) 46 Last Times (Bernie Gilbride) 47 Redeployed (Mary Kelly-White) 47 War Poems in Sligo Newspaper 1915 (Michael Farry) 48 Sligo town as a child in the 1930’s (Bernie Gilbride) 54 A walk in Union Wood (Michael Bell) 56 Hare - Rising Traditions (Submitted by Alfie Banks) 58 The ‘Buck Ruane’ (John Mc Donagh) 59 Sligo men of the 1798 Rebellion (Cian Harte) 60 Mirrors (Joan Gleeson) 61 The Trellis (Bernie Gilbride) 61 Sligo and Catholic Emancipation (Padraig Deignan) 62 A night at the Opera (Bernie Gilbride) 67 The Passing of old Mullaghmore (Joe Mc Gowan) 68 Photographs of Artistic arrangement of Turf on a bog near Ballymote (Submitted by Pam Benson) 69 From Carrigans to the World (Jim Higgins) 70 OCebreiro - A tiny spanish village of World fame(Frank Tivnan) 72 A history of Handball (submitted by Gerry Cassidy) 73 Contemporary accounts of the cholera out break of 1832 (John C Mc Ternan) 74 Remembering the Irish in the American Civil War Speech from John Perry TD 76 Vanished shop Fronts - 3 (Photographs collected for the gathering photography exhibition) 77 A Sligo genius in Boston (John C Ternan) 80 Eight years of changes (Bernie Doyle) 81 A teenage Crush (Mary Kelly-White) 82 From the Collection of omT Wynne, Lisanney 83 The GAA in Co.Sligo 1884 -1888 (Tommy Kilcoyne) 84 In Print (Mary Kelly-White) 85 The cailleach of Sligo (Michael Roberts) 86 The Crab and Towser (Bernie Gilbride) 87 Ballymote’s Linen industry in the 18th Century: 1795 - 1770 (John Coleman) 88 The mystery of James O’Connor (Joe Mc Gowan) 90 First Holy Communions 2015 92 3 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2015/2016 Elizabeth Gilhawley – An Appreciation By Ursula Gilhawley The death occurred on 21 May 2015 of Elizabeth Gilhawley at her residence in Wolfe Tone St Ballymote, Co Sligo. She was a long time supporter and patron of the Ballymote Heritage Group and one of the oldest residents in the town of Ballymote. Elizabeth (nee White) was born in 1918 in Kingsbrook near Riverstown and married Eugene Gilhawley in 1939. Eugene, a native of Skreen, had been appointed Principal of Knockalassa National School, Riverstown in 1936. They lived in the residence attached to the school and six of their seven children were born here. Eugene entered local politics in 1955, winning a county council seat in the Ballymote electoral area. He was appointed Principal of Keash National School in 1958 and it was at this point that the family moved to Ballymote, initially to Laburnum Lodge and then Eugene and Elizabeth on their Wedding Day 27th December 1939 to Wolfe Tone St. Eugene was elected to Dail Eireann in 1961 for the first and friends were also town residents, of her children, 16 grandchildren time. namely Mary O Dwyer, Maureen and then 16 great-grandchildren with Elizabeth was first and foremost a Egan, Ann Harrison and Mai O great interest until the last months wife, mother and homemaker. She Donnell, all sadly now deceased, and of her life. Elizabeth’s home was was totally dedicated to the wellbeing Maree O Dowd. She was a daily mass very dear to her and it was fitting and support of her immediate and goer for most of her life until her early therefore that she should die at home extended family, neighbours and 90s. She loved to walk through the in the loving care of her family friends. However, being the wife of a town park, stopping for a little rest and supported by community and politician she was also a secretary – on one of the benches on the way. palliative care services, relatives and unpaid in those days. She was an astute Mass, bridge, her garden, keeping her good neighbours on Wolfe Tone St. observer of the local political scene. house ship shape, reading the daily People from many facets of Elizabeth’s Being a quiet, somewhat reserved paper, following current affairs and life attended her funeral service to person, Elizabeth would never put walking and spending time with her acknowledge the 96 years of her life herself to the fore in the political dear friend Maisie McGovern, were – people from her early days in the arena, but her intelligence and strong all a great comfort to Elizabeth when Riverstown and Knockalassa areas, practical and savvy approach to life’s Eugene died in 1987. Her chats and people from Eugene’s homeland of problems meant that she was a great ‘little tipple’ with Mrs Rita Kielty Skreen and Dromard, the Ballymote asset to Eugene in his political life. from Wolfe Tone St in more recent community, as well as representatives Away from the political world, years were also an important part of of the political scene and a very wide Elizabeth liked nothing better than a her life. circle of extended family and friends. game of 25 with relatives and friends. Despite a serious illness in 1989 She is survived by her sons, Des, Later in life she took up bridge, which she fought her way back to full health Cyril, Shane and Tony and daughters she enjoyed playing right up until her with great determination and courage, Mary, Anna and Ursula, final years. Her playing companions and lived a happy, contented and full Ar dheis de go raibh a h-anam dilis. life thereafter. She followed the lives 4 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2015/2016 Heritage Weekend 2014 Author Mary Kenny, who performed the official opening, with Fr Hannan An appreciative audience Afternoon tea at Temple House. Music was provided by Rod Alston and members of Sligo Baroque Orchestra Group on visit to Derek Hill House and Gallery, Churchill, Co Donegal 5 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2015/2016 Heritage Weekend 2014 A well-earned rest during the outing to Westport Group on the visit to Westport House John Coleman, Chairman of Ballymote Heritage Group with President Higgins at Russborough. Also including is John’s cousin and fellow Ballymote man, Colonel Brendan McAndrew, ADC to the President. 6 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2015/2016 30 years on: The front page of the first issue of The Corran Herald in 1985 Thanks to Phil Currid for providing a copy of the original issue 7 THE CORRAN HERALD • 2015/2016 Community Appreciation of Fiona Rogers of Ballymote By Michael and Carmel Rogers (nee Davey) It was with great sadness that we Fiona was an active member of the recently lost our dear beloved Fiona, Irish Wheelchair Association, and whose death took place on March 9th until her health started to fail sharply last after a long illness. She was our last year she was often to be seen on only daughter and only sister of our outings with the local Sligo branch. A sons Gearoid, Micheal and Padraic. few years ago she even organised for She is also survived by her five nieces a bus-load of her friends to visit with and two nephews. the then President Mary McAleese in Although the last three months of Áras an Uachtaráin. They had a most her life were spent on a ventilator memorable day and it was something in the Intensive Care Ward of Sligo Fiona was very proud of. General Hospital, she had almost It’s hardly surprising, given Fiona’s 20 years of bad health. Much of her generous and caring nature, that she life story was written by journalist held a deep commitment to improving Alison Healy, who was a classmate of the lot of other people with disabilities. Fiona’s, and printed in the Irish Times She campaigned for two safe crossing Health Supplement back in May 2010.