Baile an nGall, An Rinn in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s

As chronicled by Peig (Terry) Uí Réagáin sometime in the early 1980’s.

My thanks to to Seán O' Réagáin in the US, who is the son of Peig, author of this article. I have pestered him for quite a while to contribute to the Ring Blog. and, what a piece that he has delivered and transalated for me. I would also like to thank his wife Barbara who typed the original text for me,  ('behind every good man!')  There are many stories that can be told about Peig, I have heard some of them, she was one of those women that enspired and helped people in troubled times. She was a member of Cumann na mBan, a great actress, and a wonderful reciter of poetry. Peig was also very well know for praying the rosary at wakes. I hope that you all enjoy this as much as I have. I have added photos in an effort to add body to the piece, some are (c) of Séan, other are my own, and  I ask you to please respect the copyright of all content. It is an account of Seán's mother, Peig's childhood in Baile na nGall where she was born in 1905. Seán has the hand written account which is cherished by his family.Note, you can click on the images for a better picture.
 enjoy.
Eddie

 

Peig (Terry) Uí Réagáin

Baile Na nGall is an area of approximately 180 acres which is divided into two sections. Baile na nGall Mór, the Landlord of which was Ian Villiers Stuart of Dromana and Baile na nGall Beag, the Landlord of which was Edward O’Dell, Esquire.

 

The Heart of the Village itself was referred to as Gleann Baile na nGall. The stream that flowed on the left hand side on the way down to the Pier was the boundary between Baile na nGall Beag and Baile na nGall Mór. 

A high wall on the river side was for  protection in case of accidents as there was a substantial drop on the other side of the wall. All the houses in Baile na nGall Beag had strápas (stiles) as entrances to them.  There was one small right of way across the road from Pats Thomás Cháits and that only went as far as Seán Terry’s.  There was a bridge, a beautiful structure, as an entrance to Muris Lean’s, known as Dridhead Muiris Lean and people used that to get to strápa Mary Ann Augie’s, and from there on a foot path that people used as a Mass path to reach the church in Shanakill.  It had two more strápas, one at Domnailín’s and the other at Mhichlín Phaití Mholly’s. 

 

 

 

 

They went across an leasa  before emerging out at Pol a’Phuca near the church and St. Nicholas’ Well.  The next strápa was at  Seán Ó Corrain’s and then another strápa called strápa Mairead De Rosta.  To give an idea of the depth from the road to the river this strápa  had six steps and you then crossed the river by stepping stones. 

This unusual photo features Seán's grandmother, Mary (Kenneally) Terry at her house with two un-named women.

Now the owners the houses that had a strápa as an entrance to their homes had to untackle their donkeys and leave the carts by the roadside, the chaff up against the wall and the  sailín on the ground.  The children used the carts as seats, a comfortable arm chair as the bottom of the cart served as a back rest.  The next opening was Droichead Sandfort, an entrance to Tobar Sandfort. The farmers were able to water their horses by bringing their horses and drays right up beside the well, it had a big long trough to hold the overflow. 

Peig & Mamie Terry c1914

The overflow from that trough flowed into the river (stream) and down to the sea.  The road was rising at this point and further up from the well there was a droidheaidín going into Micilín Mhaire Breathnach’s, and another  droidheaidín into Sean Bán’s so they were able to bring their vehicles (carts and drays) into their yards.

 

Baile na nGall Beg has a lot to be proud of for it was there the first Irish Language Class sa Rinn was held.  The building was at one time owned by Deuglán French and Mrs. Wyse Power.  Padraig Kiely erected a black board on the wall and crossed the road to get a chalk tobacco  pipe from Deuglán Ó Muireasa to use as blackboard  chalk.  The building was a bakery when owned by Deuglán French.  At the end of the century Maurice Lean Ryan bought the building from French and Muiris Lean was the owner when the open air class started.

 

 In the beginning of the century the R.I.C. were occupants of the same building.  They moved from the old barrack in Helvick as there was a danger of it sliding down the cliff but it is still in the same position and no danger of it taking off.  The R.I.C. were in occupation until the building was burned during the trouble in 1920, it was never rebuilt.  A young volunteer Mike Walsh was shot by one of the R.I.C. in April 1919, he lived until May .  When he died the R.I.C.  Sergeant took the tunic off Constable Dan McCarthy and a big cheer went up from the crowd.  Alas, all that is left of this historic place now are public lavatories, what a shame.

Many of the placenames that Peg mentions can be found on this map.

 

Now, the pier is in  Baile na nGall Mór  and the houses on that side were numerous, some were a bit in from the road and had their own lane ways.  Each had its own right of way.  The first lane way went in between Deuglán Ó Muireasa and Maimie Dhonnchada, (bearna Mhaimie) . The next lane went up to Meáigí Nóra and the Geansaí’s and this was called Lána Meáigí Paidí Pheigí, this was a right of way and it continued as a foot path from the houses up the muachán on to the Helvick Road.  The Helvick people used it as a short cut to Muiris Lean’s where they did there local shopping.  He sold beer and spirits, groceries and coal.

Another recent photo which I took looking down on Helvick

Muiris Lean held the license for his nephew Mairtin Draper until he became of age.  That house today is known as Tig an Ceol but it was always Tig an Ceol more so then than now as Mairtin Draper won 1^st prize for violin in Dublin and a dance was held there every Sunday and holiday nights.

 

The next entrance was to Ellen Tomás Cháits and Toibín’s where Seán Nioclás Toibín was born. There were three houses, Mauig Fhadá, Maura Dubh and the Baidior’s.  The next lane way was known as Lána na gCait. There were four house in this lane way. At Jaimsi Thom’s, the last house,  there was another strápa where you climbed onto a foot path and it took you out at strápa Smog on the Helvick road. 

A strápas mentioned by Peg, this one I photographed at St. Bridget's graveyard  Killrossanty.

All the strápas in Baile na nGall Mór you ascended further up the road. 

Eight houses further up you could get onto the Helvick road again by going through the scoilteán and out at Slata Mhéime, a foot path.  Foot paths only had to used to gain access to the fields being tilled, as the older people would not allow any animal into a field of potatoes in case they should break the potato stalks.  All the work had to be done by spade and shovel. 


The women usually dug the clay in the clashes and the men came after them and put the clay gently around the potato stalks.  They also carried seaweed in a Ciseán Droma as the foot paths were the only way into most fields.  Every house had from two to three acres of land and potatoes were grown for market as well as for their own use.  They depended on the potatoes when the fishing was slack.  They took butts of potatoes into Dungarvan Square and sold them. The few shillings received brought home provisions for the week.

Mná (Women) Baile na nGall Mór 1924. Woman on the left is Johanna Drummy

All the boats took off for the sea from the pier at Baile na nGall as the Helvick pier was not built then.  It was hard on the fishermen as Baile na nGall was a tidal pier and sometimes they could not make it in for days especially when herring fishing.  They often had to anchor in the eatár  and wait for the tide to take them in, it was a lovely sight to see.

  


Only a few boat owners now remain at Ring, with the fishing industry killed off. Click on the image if it is difficult to read.

 

 

 I remember the fishermen gathering around the well filling kegs of water.  Two men from each boat would carry the keg between on a rope that was wrapped around its top, that was placed on another rope and the two men carried it between them.  The water was from a beautiful spring well. They never brought milk to sea, all they had was black tea and dry bread. 


 

 

To watch all the sailing boats leave the pier and sail out the harbor into the deep was something unforgettable.  They had to go to Dungarvan to sell their fish, that too was a tidal pier and it was often they had to dump the fish, not being able to dock at the pier. 

It was a different story when the First World War broke out, all the foreign trawlers were called away to the war, the fishermen got a break. Instead of going to Dungarvan to sell their fish, where there was only two buyers who  treated the Ring fishermen very badly, those buyers now they had to come to Baile na nGall pier and fight to get fish for the simple reason that a buyer , Corless, came from Carrick-on-Suir and Horace Stuart of Dromana started to export fish so the Dungarvan buyers had to follow suit. The fish mongers from Dungarvan had to come with their pony and carts or spring drays and try to buy some fish. Those were the good old days, listening to the buyers outbidding each other. 

 

Forgotton scene, a row boat which I photographed at Helvick.

 

When the war ended that finished the fishing for the Ring fishermen.  All the foreign boats were back again with modern gear and they swept all before them, even the spawn was robbed from the sea bed so the local boats had to stop fishing and all the young fishermen left Baile na nGall.  They went to the States where some of them took to fishing. Others became Longshore Men or took any job that they could get.  The 1920’s saw people leaving every week for America, very few returned. 

 

Again, a Helvick scene.

Today’s fishing is a pleasure and a gentleman’s life in comparison to what their ancestors suffered, now they have every convenience. The old fishermen had welts on their hands and salt water blisters on their wrists from rowing when the wind failed and had to do all the hauling of ropes and nets by hand.

 

Away back in the old days the local Priest lived in Baile na nGall where Tig an Ceol is today and there was an orchard that reached back all the way to the Binn.   
 

 There was only thatched houses in Baile na nGall.

Thatching at Ring

There was always a barrel of salted herrings kept in each house to provide for the days that they could not fish. On the days when fresh fish was not available the salted Herrings were placed on top of the potatoes in the pot on the open fire and when they started to boil the potatoes drew the salt out. What a lovely flavor they had.

The same applied to all dried salted fish.  The salt Herrings were often sold at one penny each.

 

Remaining thtched cottage which I photographed at Ring

One little thing still lives from the old days, they still assemble at Clocha Leahy where old residents always played pitch and toss. It was sometimes called Bun an Chrosaire and many a set was danced there. 

Pitch and  toss

Also on the boiler platform when it was free from coating nets in pitch.  That platform was used to pile the nets on until the pitch drained off into a special trough.   There is no traffic from Cúl an Ché now or from Gouilínn Bunn or Roidín Dan. These places used to be packed with people pulling seaweed off rocks to use as fertilizer for crops. 

 

 

Any family who grew potatoes always kept fowl, ducks and hens to use up the small and black potatoes. They also fattened three and four pigs at a time. They bought them as slips and then when finished they had to take them in a donkey and creel to the Cappoquin bacon factory.  The ducks were the less trouble for once they were let out each day they went off on their own and stayed on the strand all day. 
They were very tame and always gathered around where the women were tearing seaweed off the rocks to pick up any insects and shrimp, in the evening they made their way home where they were fed.  It was a lovely sight to watch them coming up the road from the strand, the drake with his colorful head leading them and the ducks in single file behind him, each flock made for its own home. 




From the back ,left to right; Mary Kenneally née Terry, Mamie Terry,Peig Terry, & Deuglan O'Regan

They went into their own bothán and laid their eggs during the night. Hens were more troublesome for no matter how you fed them they were never satisfied and were never happy until they got into their neighbors garden to scratch and scratch. The neighbors got onto each other and the fight began to the delight of the children of the village. 

Taken 1933 at Seán's Grandmothers new(Gaelteacht) house in Baile na nGall Beag.

 

Rear Lto R. Seán's Dad, Deuglán , his Maternal Grandmother, Mary Kenneally Terry, her Daughter, Mamie Terry, Alice Carey,  ???, John Drummy.

Front L to R. Seán's  Paternal Grandmother, Neans De Faoit Uí Réagáin, Katie Walsh, Hannah Drummy

 

 

Each house had a Macha, where all the waste was dumped and some houses had two Machas. In the winter they used to put a layer of seaweed and continue until the Macha was full.  All waste was dumped and buried in the dung heap. 

 There was no running water so it looked like a scene out of the bible, to see all the women with crocks carrying water from the well in the center of the village.  It was a common sight to see the women sitting on the wall on the overflow trough having a friendly chat.  No matter how tough their fight over the hens, it was all forgotten in a few hours. 

A recent picture that I  took of Nioclás Gríofán, who has preserved this water well at Helvick.

 

One of the most unusual thing of all about my Village is, when a mother was away on a Saturday at the market to sell her potatoes in Dungarvan Square, and left a baby at home who was breast fed. Often that child refused to take a bottle or goody, so a neighbor who was breast feeding her own child would go and put the crying child on her breast to feed it. That was not unusual, it was a weekly event. 

 

There is not a house in Baile na nGall that has not some one in America and the excitement every Christmas watching the postman for the American mail as the dollars arrived to their families.

  At that time the pound was five dollars, today you get a punt for one dollar seventeen cents.  The old age pension was only five shillings, the five shillings equaled twenty five pence in today’s rate of exchange and if you had over three quarters of an acre you were not entitled to the shilling a week ( five pence), social welfare or home relief as it was called. Yet everyone was happy and shared what they had with each other. 

 

As a result of very few strangers coming into the Parish, the people of Baile na nGall were scrupulous about avoiding blood relatives marrying each other.  

 

Here is a true story of sixty pounds that traveled around as a dowry and got so many people married.

 

Pad Grioffa borrowed sixty pounds to give his sister Nell as a dowry as he wanted to get married and believed that any kitchen was not big enough for two women. 

He gave his sister sixty pounds and made the match with Tomás Paor of Baile na nGall Beag.

 Tomás Paor gave his sister Nell Paor the sixty pounds and she married Pád Mór in Baile na nGall Mór ( he, Pád, was the man who landed the Fenians).

 

 Pád  gave the sixty pounds to his sister Mairéad and she married Deuglán Ó Muireasa in Bun an Bhaile. 

Deuglán gave the sixty pounds to his sister, Cáitlin Rua and she brought it back to an tSean Chill when she married Pad Grioffa who repaid the borrowed sixty pounds and all ended happily married.

 

Is é seo mar is cuimhin liom é fadó.

Peig.


Foot note from Séan;

When my Grandmother Mary Kenneally married Seán Terry in 1899,  he, my Grandfather was fortunate enough to own two boats and was able to scrape together the price of a Wedding Ring. Others in the village were not as fortunate, so my Grandmother loaned her ring to a number of women from the village for their Wedding Day, both relatives and non relatives. I was never told exactly how many women used the Ring or their names. That was kept a secret between both of them so as to avoid any embarrassment later on in life.

That Ring was given to me and it is now in the possession of our Granddaugther Grace O'Regan.