The Erin's Hope saga at Helvick Head & Dungarvan

The story of the Erins Hope, can be found elswhere in the Blog, What I offer here are newspaper cutting from the period, which I hope you enjoy. I have added some illustrations to give the piece a little colour.

Enjoy.

Eddie

The correspondent, of the Irish Times, writing from Dungarvan on the 2nd says:— While the magistrates were occupied at the petty sessions here to-day, a coastguard from Helvick arrived m great haste and had a conversation immediately with Mr Redmond, the resident magistrate. Upon the request of the latter all the other magistrates retired to their room without delay for the purpose of consultation, and the court was adjourned. The extraordinary circumstance which led to this sudden proceeding was that, the coastguard brought an account that a strange vessel had been seen off the coast by some of his men. Her movements were watched for some time, and she was observed to press a hooker from this port into her service, and which landed between forty and fifty men on the Cunnigar, a tongue of land stretching a considerable distance across the bay. But even the hooker could not get near enough the land to save those on board her getting a wetting, and the men had to wade up to their necks in order to reach the shore. Communication of this intelligence was at once made to the police, and without delay all that were available were despatched to Helvick on cars. Four men were there arrested, and the saturated state of their clothing bore out a portion of the coastguard man's statement. 

When searched,some documents, the nature of which has not transpired, were found with them, and one had in his possession a revolver. The entire party of suspicious characters, after landing, dispersed in various directions, and at the time I write the police are busily engaged in the pursuit. An order, I am informed, has been ordered to the police from the country stations. There is a guard; of fully equipped soldiers are ready for immediate march on the ramparts. I am sorry to say that, though Dungarvan preserved itself from Fenianism throughout, and that there was not a single case of disloyalty in it, on this occasion there appeared to be a marked tendency in favour of the Fenians amongst the roughs, who hissed the police, and endeavoured in every way to obstruct them. In contrast with this serious matter there was an amusing episode in connection with the hurried withdrawal of the magistrates from court. A prisoner in the dock accused a crime prevalent in the country — namely, sheep plucking, taking advantage of the slight confusion which followed, and the absence of mind of those around him, made his escape.

 

 

FINIAN RIOT AT WATERFORD. (From a Correspondent of the Freeman's journal Thursday 15 August 1867  "It appears that four of the constabulary from Cork arrived here on Thursday evening, in charge of prisoners who were arrested at Helvick Head, near Dungarvan, and who were tolled off for temporary imprisonment at Waterford Gaol. Amongst them were two men who were identified by Corrydon as' General' Nagle, of the United States army, and Captain Warren, of the New York Volunteers. The appearance of this party in the dusk of the evening attracted a crowd, and the police feared without reason, I understand-that sympathisers would attempt a rescue. The strongest feature in the case is that the police in Waterford had no intimation of the transfer of the prisoners, and made no arrangements either to assist their brethren in arms or to conduct them through strange and winding streets to the gaol. 

The Cunnigar, I took this photo  from Ballymarket

The Cork police, marched to the police-station here for assistance, and while the constabulary, were being gathered in from various places, and very large crowds of men, women, and boys collected, forty policemen armed with rifles and bayonets, and six mounted men armed with sabres, were told off to escort the prisoners to gaol, a distance of about a quarter of a mile. This march was performed under certainly trying circumstances, A crowd, variously estimated at from a thousand to two thousand salters, fishermen, and idlers of all classes, cheered the prisoners, hissed their custodians, and indulged in the favourite Irish pastime of stone throwing. Some say the stones were abundant, and it would appear from various accounts that some of the police were hurt. The gaol was safely reached, and the prisoners having been given into the custody of the governor, the escort returned towards the barracks.

Dungarvan Castle

They proceeded down a narrow street, on one side of which is a grave yard, surrounded by walls ten feet high. Here they were assailed by unseen stone throwers, and the shops opposite this masked battery bear evidence of the affray in respect of a few broken windows. The police would not stand this treatment any longer, and without orders-nay, in defiance of Head-Constable Barry, who was in command-they turned, and with fixed bayonets, made an indiscriminate attack, not upon the stone throwers or alleged stone throwers, but upon the men, women, and children who crushed after them to see the sport. Denis Walsh received two thrusts of a sword or sword bayonet in the side and breast and died on the spot. He ran away from the police and attempted to get into the house of a publican named O'Neill, but a girl shut the door as he was within a step of being safe, and he instantly received the wounds which left him dead on the flagway opposite the inhospitable door. Jeremiah O'Sullivan was wounded in the hip. He is a very old man. Keenan, a blacksmith, was wounded in the back. He is in hospital and is doing well. A little boy was severely trampled upon by the horses; and a woman received a sword thrust through the arm. It is said that a great many people received wounds who are afraid to seek medical aid lest they should be arrested. The doors in the houses in Patrick Street are cut with bayonet trusts; and I saw a shutter composed of half-inch wood which was completely perforated with a sharp broad instrument. This thrust extended to the sash of the window."

This is a photo illustrating the sleeping quarters at Dungarvan castle during the period.

Thisis a further reeport

The affray at Waterford- A serious riot occurred at Waterford on the night of Thursday, June 13, which proved to be the most violent demonstration that has yet occurred in connection with the movements of Fenian prisoners. But in Waterford there were special causes of irritation predisposing the mob to violence. Much soreness of feeling remains as result of the encounters with the military at the late election, and there was great public excitement caused by the landing of so many Fenian leaders near Dungarvan. The sufferings they had endured from being tossed about so many weeks at sea, and then driven by starvation to fling themselves ashore at all hazards, created the liveliest interest in their fortunes, presenting them to the popular imagination as so many heroes of romance. 

The old market houseDungarvan,  where the fenian Edmond Power was hanged from out of the window!

The rumour that some of them were men of high social position in the United States and above all two of them were distinguished officers in the Irish brigade commanded by General Meagher raised the excitement to the highest pitch. Meagher is a native of Waterford, where his family are very influential, so that the feeling of clanship was added to all the other elements of combustion. Another inflammatory matter was the appearance of Corrydon, the informer, at Waterfowl, on Monday, Juno 10. For the purpose of identifying some of the American fugitives in the county gaol. It is said that his defiant bearing and cool assurance caused general indignation among the populace. It was under these circumstances that four of the men who had landed near Dungarvan were brought in by the train from Cork which arrived at quarter to 9, Thursday evening, conducted to the lock-up at Lady-lane, where they were detained for some .....,(difficult to read the writing, so have omitted some words).....  

Fenian Log

  Being mounted commanded by Head-constable Barry. During the time which elapsed between the arrival of the prisoners at Lady-lane and their removal the intelligence of their presence had been spread throughout the city, and large numbers of people had assembled in the Mayor's-walk and on the hill of Ballybricken, immediately outside the gaol, when the escort made its appearance. It was with difficulty that a way was made through the angry crowd. Stones were thrown at the police, and there seemed to be a determination to rescue the prisoners, some of whom were hit by the stones intended for the police. They were safely lodged in gaol; but the mob vented their fury on the police when they were returning. Brickbats, paving stones, &c, were thrown, cutting and wounding the men dreadfully; several of their firearms were broken. 

The boys in action

They were compelled to turn and charge the mob to save their lives. One man named Walsh, a salter, was stabbed in the breast and was killed; another named Keenan was severely stabbed, and his life is despaired of; about 20 others were wounded. A desperate fight lasting for some minutes ensued. The horse police eventually cleared the streets. The mob occupied an elevated ground, having beside them a magazine of large stones, which they threw at the constabulary. While this was going on a constable named Mercer happened to get separated from his party, and was seized upon by the mob and beaten. Efforts were made by the police to get him out of their hands peaceably, but without effect. One or two constables were severely injured in this attempt.

Fenian grave  monument at Glasnevin

Head constable Barry, who had charge of the party, ordered his men to rescue Mercer. Bayonets were fixed, and the men charged the mob. Those only who have witnessed popular commotions can form an idea of the scene which ensued, The police pressed on an infuriated crowd, struggling with them step by step, wounding some with their bayonets, and being wounded in return by stones thrown at them. The cavalry police, in endeavouring to rescue their comrade, also charged, and in doing severely injured several persons in the crowd, the police, however, acted with calmness and calibration, and appeared actuated throughout with a desire simply to perform their duty. 

Thomas F. Meagher

The constable Mercer was eventually rescued, but was found in a sad plight. His rifle was broken, his hat stolen, and himself wounded and bleeding. The constables retired to their barracks with the wounded man, and left the cavalry to clear and preserve order in the streets. Keenan, a resident in John’s-lane, expired on June 14. Twenty four persons had their wounds dressed besides 32 policemen. A great number of the civilians suffered from wounds inflicted by stones aimed at the police. Many of the police are seriously injured, and will not be able to resume duty for a considerable period. At 11 all was quite.

Airgead Póca (2)

                                                               Airgead Póca (2)

 Story by' Padraig 'Paud'  O Cuirrin, photos (c) Eddie Cantwell .

 My thanks to Paud, for this follow up

As previously mentioned there was a significant gap in time between the sugar-beet thinning season and the harvesting of the crop, so other ways had to be found to earn some pocket-money to cover the school holiday period when it was most needed. Central to these fund-raising efforts would be the saving of the hay and the harvesting of cereal crops.

In Tipperary long ago they used to say “The hay is saved – and Cork is bet!” which aptly described the importance of hay in the farming cycle. There was - and still is - a huge dependency on the hay crop among farmers, small and large, to see the farm livestock through a long and often harsh winter.

When it came to hay–making the first obligation was to the home place and afterwards one might fit in some paid work with a neighbour such as Garrett Quinn, who had an extensive farm close by Before the widespread use of the baler, the process of saving the hay went through a number of labour-intensive stages – all meant to ensure that the hay ended up fully dry in a rick in the haggard or in a barn. The changeable nature of the Irish summer meant that the description of the hay being “saved” was indeed very appropriate!

Whether working at home or on hire to another farmer there was something pleasant about hay-making. It did not involve the hardship associated with the beet crop and the work was, out of necessity, carried on in fine summer weather. Also saving the hay had an element of the meitheal about it, as people often helped each other – and never did a cup of tea and a slice of currant cake taste better than when enjoyed lying against a cock of hay!

Most small farmers would have an acre of oats or barley – whether for animal feeding or selling on to a local grain merchant – and again some opportunities for earning pocket-money opened up in late summer, when the harvesting took place. By the time I was old enough to do serious farm work the combine harvester had largely taken over from the reaper and binder and the threshing machine, and the job had become more about lifting bags of grain and gathering up straw. That one piece of modern machinery fundamentally changed the face of rural Ireland as the concept of the meitheal or people working together for a common purpose, such as at a threshing, largely came to an end.

A source of some scarce spare cash for some of us in An Rinn was winkle picking. Periwinkles were to be found in abundance to the east and west of Cē Bhaile na nGall and in a few other places such as Poll a' Phūca. The demand for winkles seemed to have come from the Continent as it is only very rarely that I saw them being eaten locally. Winkle picking was not easy work as it involved being stooped over for as long as the tide allowed you to be on the rocks, and weather conditions were often harsh. The problem for us “suppliers” is that there were very few buyers and more often than not you were faced with a monopoly situation. The going rate was around a half-crown a bucket but sometimes the bucket produced by the buyer was well in excess of the standard measure – and the winkles would be piled so high that they were falling off the sides! Even if you protested and held back from selling you ran the risk of the winkles dying off before another buyer appeared. On the whole, picking winkles was neither attractive nor very profitable and it was something that we did when there was little else available.

The most lucrative part-time job I had was for a summer in the early 1960s. The Land Commission decided to bring some order to bear on the many bits and pieces of land, broadly around Baile na nGall  ; where the boundaries of such small holdings were largely undefined and where ownership was sometimes disputed. The job entailed a lot of fencing and I was employed as part of a work-gang of about six men tasked with erecting concrete fence-posts and wire. As material had to be moved around the various sites our farm horse and cart was needed and there was extra payment given for this service. Mickey Dalton, who is still to the good as a well-known traditional musician, was the site foreman and the late Eddie Curran (Glenbeg) was responsible for paying us on behalf of the Land Commission. An engineer from Dungarvan occasionally inspected the work. Some of the fencing that was erected is still in place fifty years later and was probably helpful to people over the years, especially during our recent building frenzy when sites in An Rinn were hugely valued? In any event, I was well paid by the standards of the time (when the premium for the horse and cart was tallied) – even if most of what I got had to be surrendered at home!  

In due course, we moved on to more serious and permanent ways of earning a living. Much is made nowadays of “work experience” or the lack of it. I like to think that all of these little jobs that we did in our youth amounted to relevant “work experience” - if perhaps not for inclusion on any formal CV but, in a more general sense, as preparation for life.

Airgead Poca

 Story by' Padraig 'Paud'  O Cuirrin, photos (c) Eddie Cantwell and others.

Nioclás Ó Griofáin(left) chats with Paud.

                         Airgead Poca

 By, Padraig O Cuirrin

Few people nowadays, and more especially the younger generation, can appreciate how difficult it was to get one's hand on a bit of pocket money in the '50s and '60s. Some would argue that it was hard to acquire cash at all – pocket money or otherwise – at that time!

Growing up in a rural area like An Rinn meant that the agricultural sector offered the best prospects for earning a few bob. Farming then was largely non-mechanised and thus was extremely labour-intensive – and none more so than the cultivation of the sugar-beet crop. As it was a guaranteed cash crop many small farmers locally might have an acre of beet and for some, like Eddie Crotty, it was their main tillage crop.

Labour-intensive it certainly was and, in an Ireland stripped of manpower due to emigration, part-time work opportunities opened up for school-boys like myself at various stages of the sugar-beet cropping cycle. In early summer the newly emerged beet plants had to be thinned (and weeded), while in the late autumn the harvesting process got underway.

This wonderful photo is of Tomás MacEoin (Tom Keohan) An Rinn--1901-1983

His Grandmother was Mary Regan, --and Great Grandaunt to Seán Reagan USA, who gave me the photo. Seán tells me that he oft times carried a bucket of water on his head!  (Eddie)

tion

Perhaps we did not reflect too deeply on it at the time but thinning beet was hard and monotonous work. It meant being on one's knees from early morning, straddling the beet drills with sacking tied around the knees for protection. If the weather was too dry the hands would be torn off you trying to pull out the surplus plants and the weeds which sprung up with the beet ; when it rained the pulling and dragging was easier but then one had the discomfort of crawling through mud - with perhaps a good soaking added in for good measure! There wasn't much scope for negotiating on pay and the going rate was usually a shilling a drill. How much one earned depended on factors such as the length of the drills, and whether the farmer had “scuffled” the furrows between the drills (which reduced the amount of weed to be dealt with). Overall, the minimum expectation was around ten drills thinned for ten shillings a day, with the possibility of earning up to a pound under optimum conditions.

Early view of Ballinagoul, Ring

While the money was indeed hard-earned it did enable one to make a contribution to the hard-pressed family budget and still have some discretionary funds available to pay for a trip to the cinema or maybe even buy an item of clothing. The downside, of course, is that the thinning season was of short duration and other work had to be found.

Around October the matured sugar-beet was ready for harvesting. This involved a number of men or Ringboys each walking between two drills, pulling a beet plant with each hand and banging them together to remove the excess clay from the roots. Once the beet was all pulled the process of “crowning” began. A special machete-like cleaver was used for this. The beet had to be cleaned of all leaves and thrown in a pile for transporting. A horse and cart would be used to draw the beet from the field to the nearest road where it was heaped until a lorry arrived to take it to the train station in Dungarvan for conveying to Thurles or Mallow beet factories to be processed into sugar. Richie Walsh was usually the haulier who undertook this locally. Getting the beet off the road and into the lorry was tough work indeed. Like the cleaver used for “crowning” a special sprong with balls of metal on the tip of each prong to avoid sticking the beet was developed for this loading work. I well remember cycling over to Eddie Crotty's after school or on Saturdays to participate in this seemingly never-ending work of getting the beet on its way to the factory. Given the time of year it was inevitably undertaken in cold and wet conditions.

Group from Ring on a trip to Youghal (Waterford County Museum)

For all of the hard work involved with beet one would not wish to give the impression that it was unrelenting misery. The process usually involved a number of people at all stages and there was room for some fun and a sense of camaraderie developed – and even a bit of competition sometimes as to who would get the most drills thinned! I suppose our expectations were low and we were just happy to have the opportunity to earn anything at the time.

 Seán & Barbabra Regan pictured with Paud...a few weeks ago!!!

I don't think that anyone made a fortune from sugar-beet production, mainly because of all the labour and other inputs required, but it did provide a modest cheque for many small farmers in the run up to Christmas. For some more of us it put a few shillings in our pockets at a time when money was a scarce commodity indeed. 

Mike Hackett passed on these photos to me:

 Mike is dressed  in the brown!

Cork City Hall where Cliff Winsor, his sister Margaret and I, had a stand at the exibition of books and history pieces from the villages and towns of County Cork.  The Youghal stand was one of fifty and I was surprised at the small places like Kilmurray and Aubane that were represented.  Just goes to show  --  all you want is about three interested people to achieve a lot.

 three snaps of the Youghal stand and you can get the vibes from it re the fun that we had.

  Take care and best wishes from Youghal.

Harty's From Ring

Visitors from the USA. Nick Harty and I corresponded some time back. It was his intention to come to the ‘Old Country’ where his ancestor came from, where else but Ring. Nick and family arrived at the Museum yesterday. It was good to finally meet him in the flesh. This is not the entire group, who rented a mini bus. I know that twenty sat to dinner at a certain house in Ring last evening. Front, left to right, Marge Harty (Nick’s wife) Daughter s, Kristine and Jennifer. Back, Mé Féin.Sibéal & Seán Bhreatnach (An Rinn) Ken & Kyle, Nicks sons and Nick Harty. (Eddie)

the Bill Lennon Story

I didn't go to any great pains in posting this.I had to cut the pages in order to post. There are four pages in all and the columns  are read from left to right...happy reading! Don't forget to click on the image for easier reading.

people from an Rinn, Ring County Waterford

 Paddy Cuddihy,W.'Pops' Regan, Birdie Cuddihy, Mary Harty, Nelly Cuddihy,Nell Harty, Nellie Cuddihy,Richard Tobin..John Cuddihy in the Pram and Phil Cuddihy is the child standing...others not identified

 Jack Curran thatching Richie Harty's house

 I love this one...Paddy Cuddihy, Willie Cuddihy, Nellie Cuddihy, Paddy & Jimmy Tobin.

 Mary Harty, Birdie Cuddihy, Nell Harty,Tommy Lacey, Nellie Cuddihy, Richie Tobin, Phil Cuddihy standing by the pram and John in the pram.

 Men, left to Right:Willie Cuddihy, John Paul, & Liam Harty

 Johnny Walsh pictured at Ballinagoul

 Another Brilliant moment in time; Willie Cuddihy, John Paul, Liam Harty

 A Dungarvan postman pictured in Ring,Dick McAllister, man on the left is William 'Dixon' Terry

Bridget Costin & Tomás Hally

Ellen Walsh, Margaret Walsh and William 'Pops' Regan

its an Old Parish photo!; left to right front;Thomas Mahoney, Mick Corrigan, J. Hourigan, P Hourigan, Steve Hickey,(He played with old parish but was from the Brickey area...he was in Ring trapping rabbits) Richard Flaherty.

second row, starting with players; Seán Leahy,Morgan Mansfield, unknown ,Larry Nugent with arms around Dick Quin, Patsy Hourigan, Paddy Mulcahy, and unknown

Man in the middle of the picture at the back is Jim Flaherty. .

Man surround with kids and wearing cap is John Gready, from Ardmore and to his right is a man with hat and mustache, is Francis Flynn from Grange. The man to the left of the 'man in the middle back' and partially hidden William Wall from old Parish.

 I am open to corrections here, so please contact me if you can contribute. eddie.cantwell@gmail.com