Michael Foley first saw the light at Garrynageragh West, Dungarvan, during the darkest period of Ireland’s history. He was baptised on the 28th October 1845. He was the son of Thomas Foley and Mary Kelly-Wall. His God parents were Patrick & Alice Foley. I believe Alice’s maiden name was probably Veale.Michael was born on the doorstep of ‘An Gorta Mór’. In September of that year the first signs of potato rot were discovered. The following years saw over one million Irish people die of starvation and disease, this, during the first eight years of his life. A further one million Irish were forced to flee what was becoming the biggest graveyard in the world. This then was the cradle of the child that became better known as Micheál Ó Foghlú – The Ring schoolmaster- Michael Foley had five brothers; Patrick 1829, John 1835, James 1840, Thomas,1843, & Laurence 1849. He had one sister Catherine 1837. They were all born in a three roomed thatched cottage with two front facing windows at Garrynageragh West. Michael’s brother, Laurence who married Mary Sliney was the last line of the family to live at Garrynageragh and seven children were born to the couple; Mary 1868, Thomas1884 , Patrick 1887, John 1881, James 1891, Michael 1895, & Catherine 1879. All those Foley's are interred at Kilminino graveyard.
Kilminion graveyard
I frequently discussed this family with the Late Mary Landers, wife of Johnny Landers who farmed at Kilminion South, Dungarvan.
Mary was a wonderful lady with a wonderful memory but alas, had no information on the Legendary Micheál who was the uncle of her neighbours, Kate, Jimmy, Paddy & Mike Foley, these were the remaining children of Laurence & Mary Sliney, who resided at Garrynageragh.
Mary Landers is pictured here in front of her home at Kilminion South, note the half-door and the unusual wall which fronts the house.
All four survived to be good old ages and they lived their final days in the cottage where the ‘Ring schoolmaster’ was born. Mary was kind to them in their remaining years. For those of you who may not be familiar with the location of the Foley house it was situated to the front of Larry & Carmel Cummins’s residence at Garrynageragh West and across the road from the Landers farm house which stands in the townland of Kilminion South.
This very recent photo which I took shows a traditional white-washed barn which leads intothe landers farmhouse. if you cast your eye along the footpath on the right, it comes to a stop where the Foley Cottage stood.
Micheál is believed to have come from Ballinroad, this is a natural mistake to make, and indeed everybody living within a radius of three miles of that townland is referenced as to be living in Ballinroad, so to set that record straight, Micheál was born in Garrynageragh West. Indeed there is no evidence to suggest that there was ever a Foley family living at Ballinroad at least up until the present time. It’s quite possible that the surname may be found there now with the expanding population.
As a youngster I remember the brilliant white - washed picturesque cottage which stood as a backdrop to a front garden which was always awash with a mixture of colourful flowers, the garden was allowed to deteriorate after the passing of Kate. We don’t know what influences set the young Micheál on the course that he took. He first attended school at Garrynageragh. And then went on to further education. Perhaps his love for his native Language was rooted in the home or indeed nurtured at Garrynageragh School. What we do know is;
Micheál Ó Foghlú was the principle of Ring national school. He arrived in the area when he was 23 years old in 1868. He first lived in the priest’s house there and started teaching for a period in the townland of Mhealhorna before moving to An Mota in 1883. This little townland of 24 acres is located opposite the ruin of the old church and graveyard (An Sean Reilg). As you approach the acute bend which leads on to Mooney’s pub. A lane leads off to Poll a’ Phúca on the left and the entrance to his house was located here. Two pillars that mark the old entrance to An Mota can still be seen today and partial ruin of the old house still exists there. Interesting, it is also the site of an early church, and of course the earlier Moat.
The Master's house at Ring
Micheál purchased around 21 acres here in 1901
Micheál married a lady from Old Parish named Eibhlín Brun. She was also a teacher and taught at the girl’s school at Ring. The marriage suffered a number of tragedies in the years ahead for the couple. Five of their children died young, one having reached the age of seventeen:
Maryanne died at Moat 20 march 1877 aged one
Hanora Magdeline died at moat 3 March 1882 aged two.
Monica died at Moat on 28th August 1882 aged four months.
Michael Brendan died March 8th 1885 aged one and a half years
Mary Josephine died at Moat 7th Jan 1895 aged 17
Surviving children were, Tomás Seosamh, Eibhlín & Áine, who became a poet of some standing.
Four of the above children were interred at Kilminion Graveyard .There does not seem to be a marker for their grave but several of the engravings on the headstones has been obliterated with the passage of time.
I did take reading from three of them some years back; (1) Thomas Follow died August 17th 1775 aged 72. (2) Mary Follow died February 13th 1780 aged 50 and, (3) William Foley formerly of Culecormac who departed this life May 24th, 1802 aged 90, also the body of Mary Foley alias Keily who died May 14th, 1799 aged 90.
Their connection to the ‘Ring Schoolmaster’ is however not proven. In the 1850s two Foleys held land and houses at Garrynageragh. Michael Foley had a house and a little over 25 acres and Patrick was the listed tenant of over two acres as well as a
house. Laurence was in possession of the latter in the 1900s.
During Micheál’s lifetime in Ring he was always known and referred to simply as ‘The Ring school master’.
He had a great love for all things Irish and fearlessly taught the native language in the light of severe opposition. It was the time when the primary education system (the 'National Schools') was introduced and the ancient language of an ancient people was prohibited. ‘English only’, should be taught in Ireland by order of the British Government! This of course was a time after the so called ‘Great famine’ which had a great effect on the Irish speaking communities because they lived in the poorer areas and were hit hard by mortality and emigration, this in turn led to a declining effect on the Irish Language. Also at that time many political leaders of the day were openly critical of the Irish language including Daniel Ó Connell. They saw it as a backward language and records show that some Irish speaking parents discouraged their children from speaking the language. Micheál certainly bucked the system by teaching Irish before and after classes. He took fifth & sixth class and taught them to read and write in Irish. This caused uproar at the time and brought the school master into direct confrontation with the local parish priest and the Department.
Ó Foghlú would not be moved and refused to give ground and one can visualise the tall solidly built bearded schoolmaster fighting his corner against the odds.
Evidentially, the majority of the children stood by their Master at that time. This must indeed have strengthened his resolve. The problem then became so serious that the then Gailege Conradh na Geadhealuinne organizer, Pádriag Ó’Cadla stepped in, and in an effort to resolve the situation he paid a visit the P.P.hoping to sway him and lend support to Micheál. Despite Ó’ Cadla’s profile and popularity the P.P. was having none of it, he refused to have Irish taught in his school and would not allow the catechism to be taught in Irish.
Micheál was also busy on other fronts, he organised the first GAA team in Ring in 1888, and purchased stockings and tassels for them. The team was made up of his ex pupils. He also had a great love of music and had music and singing classes. Those classes were also carried out after School in the evening. The area gained some popularity when he entered Pádriag Ó Neill for the traditional all Ireland singing competition in the first Oireachtas.
The Church at Ring where the Schoolmaster is laid to rest
O’Neil was awarded the coveted first prize, an award that the small community enjoyed for three years running
The Ring school master was also involved in the language movement and in 1880 won a prize in the society for the preservation of the Irish language which was founded in Dublin in 1878.He also won the coveted Rev. E.A. Cleary’s shield seven years in succession from 1887 – 1893. This was awarded to the best school in Ireland for teaching, promoting and cultivating of the Irish language.
There are more laurels that should be placed on the head of Micheál Ó Foghlú and one can only wonder at his achievements, his sorrows, trials and confrontations in the course of his 37 years among the people of Ring.
Further research needs to be carried out so that a more clearer and honest profile of him and his immediate family can be created.
The Ring Schoolmaster from Garrynageragh passed away on Passion Sunday, 1905 aged 58 years.
'Mo bhuíochas le Eibhlín Bean Uí Donnchadha agus le Nioclás Ó Gríobhtháin as ucht an chabhair a thugadar Dom agus mé Ag déanamh taighde ar an alt seo.'
(c)Eddie Cantwell
