<span class="postTitle">Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks in the Parish of Lorrha & Dorrha at the end the 19th Century</span> 2018

Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks in the Parish of Lorrha & Dorrha at the end the 19th Century

2018

There’s a fascinating book called Devia Hibernia: The Road and Route Guide for Ireland of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Written by George Dagg, who was a member of the RIC, it was published in 1893 and when I went looking for it in the Tipperary County Library, they didn’t have a copy and I discovered there were copies in only four libraries in the country. One of these was the Dublin City Library, Pearse Street Branch. I consulted it there.

So, why my interest in this rare tome? I have been trying to establish the number of RIC barracks there were in the parish before we got our independence. I thought there was a study in existence of RIC barracks, giving the date of the foundation of each one, how long it was in use and how many RIC personnel were in occupation.

No such study existed but I was directed to Devia Hibernia as a source of the information I was looking for. It was partly satisfactory and included information on the other facilities that existed in the place it the time..

The Guide included all the RIC barracks in Ireland at the time, including those in the Parish of Lorrha and Dorrha in 1893, but it doesn’t include information on barracks that may have existed in the parish before that date.


The RIC Barracks

The Guide tells us that the population of Lorrha was 122, which must be just the immediate village. There was a telegraph office which functioned from 8 am to 8 pm. The Post arrived at 9 am and was despatched t 3-30. There was a Port Office in the village and one post car available. The sergeant’s name was Thomas O’Rorke but there’s no information on the number of constables he had under him. The Petty Sessions were held there every four weeks.

There was another RIC barracks at the Pike. The Sergeant’s name was James Murphy. The nearest Post Office was in Rathcabbin. No other information is given.

I include Riverstown, even though it was outside the parish. It also had an RIC barracks and the sergeant’s name was John Watson. The population of the village was 102 and it included a Post Office.

There was no RIC barracks in Rathcabbin but there was one in Annagh, close to the R438. The sergeant’s name was T. Malynn. The nearest Post Office was in Derrinsallow, which appears to have been a place on importance at the time. There was a mill these beside the River Brosna.

Another RIC Barracks existed in Portland. I’m not quite sure where the location was. The sergeant’s name was David Lavelle. There was also a Post Office in the place.


Not Included

I was interested in three other places where there’s supposed to have been RIC barracks in the parish. One of these was in Joe Corcoran’s in Grange. When the land was divided in the area the Corcoran family was given as residence a building which had once been a barracks.

Another place is McCormack’s pub in Abbeyville. There is a strong belief that the building was once a barracks and it includes features that seem to confirm that, including a central room that looks like a cell. Close by near Ashpark House is where a barracks existed at the time the Ordnance Survey Map was made. Opinion has it is that when it closed down a new barracks was built where McCormack’s pub now stands.

There is also a strong belief that a barracks existed on the hill behind Carrigahorig village. Rumour has it there was a barracks there as late as the 1920s, when Sean Treacy and Dan Breen were hiding out in the area.


Strength of RIC in County

However, none of these latter places are mentioned by George Dagg in his Guide. The book also gives information on the strength of the Royal Irish Constabulary in County Tipperary in September 1891. In the North Riding there were 1 County Inspector, 6 District Inspectors, 6 Head Constables and 257 Sergeants and Constables. In the South Riding there were 1 County Inspector, 7 District Inspectors, 10 Head Constables and 454 Sergeants and Constables.

The total cost of running the force in the country that year was £1,425,530 of which Horses and Forage cost £19,056.

<span class="postTitle">Centenary of Gaelic Sunday</span> The Nationalist, August 4, 2018

Centenary of Gaelic Sunday

The Nationalist, August 4, 2018

Gaelic Sunday was the response of the G.A.A. to a proclamation by the British authorities early in July 1918 prohibiting all ‘meetings, assemblies, or processions in public places’ without written authorisation from the police’.

The G.A.A. responded in two ways. It forbade any club or part of the G.A.A. body to apply for a permit to play a game, ‘breaches of which were to be punishable by automatic and indefinite suspension’.

More dramatically the G.A.A.’s resistance went beyond non-compliance to actual defiance of the proclamation. County Boards were instructed to hold a meeting of their club delegates with a view to organising a program of club matches to be held on August 4th. All these games were to start simultaneously at 3 pm and nowhere was a permit to be sought.

The press reported at the time that about 1,500 hurling, football and camogie matches were scheduled, that over 50,000 players were expected to participate and that many thousands more would turn out to watch.

The numbers that participated may not have been as great as the weather turned out to be atrocious. The football match planned for Castlegrace against Cahir was abandoned owing to the inclemency of the weather.

Newspaper reports

The Nationalist of August 7, 1918 reported that the match between Boherlahan and Cashel did go ahead. The local correspondent reported that ‘notwithstanding the inclement nature of the afternoon a goodly muster foregathered in the sports field to witness the contest, which turned out as expected in an easy win for the All-Ireland champions’.

Neither team was at full strength, owing to the prevalence of ‘flu’ amongst them, but both fifteens gave a good exhibition of the national game. The result was: Boherlahan 5 goals Cashel 1 goal 2 points. Mr J. Cahill, U.C, P.L.G., Cashel refereed.

‘The Cashel Brass Band played to the grounds, where an excellent musical selection was discoursed. The band returned playing an inspiriting national air. Throughout the entire proceedings there was nothing but perfect good order, and not an unseemly incident was associated with the festival. The local police were passive onlookers, and they did not in the least interfere with the match.’

The last sentence sums up the success of the G.A.A. defiance. There was no showdown between the British authorities and the G.A.A. as had been expected. The authorities realised the impossibility of policing so many events and relented beforehand ‘a circular being sent out to the police to the effect that Gaelic games were no longer to be considered to fall under the terms of the July 4th proclamation.’

Participation in County Tipperary

The Nationalist reported on August 7 that 12 games were played between the South division clubs, about 14 in the Mid division and 16 in the North. (There was no West division at the time.)

The report continued: ‘At Ballyfowloo, Clonmel hurlers defeated Ballyfowloo after a well-fought contest by 3 goals to 1 point..

‘At Kilcash, Clonmel footballers went down before the home team after 25 minutes play by 2 points to 1 point. The heavy rain greatly interfered with the game, which was abandoned after 25 minutes.’

Another match was played at Ballydine. The contestants were Golden and Ballydine. The newspaper report described the match as ‘a noteworthy exhibition of good feeling.’ Few spectators were present and the match ended in a draw. The referee on the occasion was P. Hayes, Ballydine

The paper reported that the matches went off without difficulty ‘in no case was there any interference with the players though youths of 9 and 10 years of age were arrested for doing the same thing about a week before.’

The Midland Tribune gave an extensive report of G.A.A. activity on the day in North Tipperary. Written by ‘The Whip’, the writer screams Victory! at the beginning of his column and writes euphorically on how the Gaels of the division defied the Government directive on playing games. He continued: ‘The Gaels of North Tipp, I am glad to say, acted as one man, and their display on Sunday last was one to be proud of. Fourteen matches was no small task, and the fact that they were all carried out shows the loyalty and patriotism of the Gaels of this sporting district.’

He goes on to give a list of the games played: Killadangan v Ardcroney at Ardcroney; Finnoe v Kilbarron at Finnoe; Abbeyville v Eglish and Lorrha v Glenahilty at Abbeyville; Roscrea v Coolderry at Roscrea; Toomevara v Moneygall at Park; Toomevara v Gurtagarry at Gurtagarry; Ballymackey v Nenagh at Kilruane; Ballina v Ballywilliam; Newport v Birdhill; Portroe v Garrykennedy; Shalee v Foilnamuck; Templederry v Curreeney; Newport Shamrocks v Ballinahinch.

No Interference

‘The Whip’ continued his report: ‘In only one case, as far as I can learn, was there anything like interference, and that was in Kilruane, where the local police sergeant demanded admission, but did not consider it worth fourpence of his money. He took the name and address of the young man, who refused him admission without the payment of fourpence, and then he viewed the proceedings over the ditch.’

‘The Whip’ attended the match between Nenagh and Ballymackey at Kilruane. The posters had stated Nenagh as the venue and this inconvenienced the writer, who walked the railway line to get there, but was late arriving. He added that five policemen were also inconvenienced and took up positions at the Show Grounds before the time advertised for the match. The game at Kilruane turned out not to be up ‘to All-Ireland standard, or even championship standard, but nonetheless, the game was a good one, and well worth fourpence of anybody’s money, even Sergeant O’Donnell’s’ The result was a draw, Nenagh 3-3 Ballymackey 2-5.

I couldn’t find a detailed report of what teams played in the 14 matches in the Mid division. The Tipperary Star report for August 10 is unsatisfactory, lacking in detail. All it carries is a generic report of what happened in the county without any specific information relating to the Mid division. Perhaps, someone reading this may be able to fill in the details.

<span class="postTitle">128th Munster Hurling Final</span> Munster Senior Hurling Final program, July 1, 2018, Thurles

128th Munster Hurling Final

Munster Senior Hurling Final program, July 1, 2018, Thurles

Today’s final is the 128th to take place but the first two were a bad advertisement for the provincial series.

Championship draws were made on a provincial basis for the first time in 1888, although provincial councils as we know them today weren’t formed until 1900. The 1887 championship was the first and only one to be played on an open draw system.

Five counties entered for the Munster series in 1888 and were drawn as follows: Limerick v Clare, Cork v Tipperary, Waterford a bye. Clare champions, Ogonelloe, got a walkover from South Liberties of Limerick, who failed to put in an appearance at Birdhill. Clonoulty, the Tipperary champions, defeated Tower Hill, the Cork champions, by 2-1 to nil at Buttevant, but because they had included outsiders, Tower Hill were awarded the game. The latter then travelled to Dungarvan, where they defeated Carrickbeg of Waterford by 2-8 to no score.


Final Abandoned

The Munster final between Ogonelloe and Tower Street was fixed for Croom Castle.

The game didn’t take place as South Liberties took the field and stated that they hadn’t been notified about the game at Birdhill and demanded that Ogonelloe play them for the right to contest the final. Ogonelloe declined and when South Liberties refused to vacate the field, the final could not take place. It was re-fixed for the following Sunday, but didn’t take place. Shortly afterwards the American ‘Invasion’ took place and the championship was abandoned.

There were also problems in 1889. Again, five counties entered, but Kerry were in and Waterford didn’t take part. Clare defeated Limerick in the first round. Kerry (Kenmare) defeated Cork (Inniscarra) in the first semi-final and Tipperary (Moycarkey) defeated Clare (Tulla) in the second. The latter objected on the grounds that one of the Moycarkey goals was scored after the ball had first gone wide.

A replay was fixed for October 28th with the decider arranged for two days later, as the All-Ireland final was arranged for November 3. Moycarkey didn’t travel for the replay, nor did Kenmare for the final proper, so Tulla represented Munster in the All-Ireland final. Kenmare had already travelled to Charleville to pay Moycarkey, being unaware of the Tulla objection. They could not afford to travel to Rathkeale for the re-arranged final.


Venues

Accessibility by rail was often a governing factor in the choice of venue for the finals, while other venues were chosen because they were border towns between the competing counties. Many of the grounds were developed in places where enthusiasts were prepared to work hard. Dungarvan was such a place and Dan Fraher was the driving force.

The 1898 final between Tipperary (Tubberadora) and Cork (Blackrock) was played there on October 15. 1899 and had to be abandoned before the finish because darkness had set in . The score at the time was Tipperary 3-0 Cork 2-3. The game was late starting because the train bringing the Tipperary party was unable to pull all the carriages beyond Kilmeadon, so it had to disconnect some and make two journeys from there to Dungarvan. As a consequence the starting time for the game was delayed and hence the reason for the game being unfinished.

The replay took place at Kilmallock on November 20 and on this occasion Tubberadora took control from the start and finished impressive winners by 1-13 to 1-2. They went on to win the All-Ireland, their third in four years and then bowed out of the championship, leaving the task of upholding the county’s honour on the hurling field to their close rivals, Horse and Jockey and Two Mile Borris.

<span class="postTitle">The Fate of Sporting Trophies</span> Munster Senior Hurling Championship program, Clare v Tipperary, Thurles, May 10, 2018

The Fate of Sporting Trophies

Munster Senior Hurling Championship program, Clare v Tipperary, Thurles, May 10, 2018

Recently Lár na Páirce got possession of the de-commissioned Dwan Cup, which was presented to the Tipperary county champions since the inauguration of the under-21 hurling competition. It was sponsored by the Dwan Mineral Company, Thurles in 1963.

It’s a large cup about twenty inches high and about nine in diameter. It needs some polishing up but the biggest part of the refurbishment will be the restoration of one of the handles. The problem is that it is missing, obviously becoming detached at the high point of some captain’s speech as he shot the cup into the air to give emphasis to his epic words!

Where the missing handle is at the moment is anybody’s guess, most likely lost, or it may be tucked away in some drawer and forgotten.

While the Dwan Cup could be described as damaged goods, at least its existence is verifiable and its location guaranteed for years to come. Such isn’t the fate of some sporting trophies.

One such is the Railway Football Shield first presented by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company for an interprovincial competition in 1903. (There was a second shield presented for a hurling competition and, according to Humphrey Kelleher, in his book on G.A.A. cups and trophies, G.A.A. Family Silver, it is on display in the Lory Meagher Museum in Tullaroan.}


Gone Missing

The whereabouts of the football shield is unknown, but there is good reason to believe it’s somewhere in Kerry. The football competition for the Shield started in 1905 and was won by Leinster. Munster, represented by Kerry, won it in 1906 and 1907 and were awarded the trophy outright because the terms of the competition stated that if the shield were won twice in succession or three times in all, it could be kept by the successful county.

According to T. F. O’Sullivan’s The Story of the G.A.A. ‘The football final for the Railway Shield was played at Tipperary on the 22nd September, 1907, between Munster (Kerry, with selections from Limerick and Tipperary), and Leinster (with selections from Dublin, Kildare and Kilkenny). Munster secured victory by 1-7 to 1-6, and having won twice in succession, the Shield became their absolute property.’

So, the evidence would suggest the Shield is somewhere in Kerry. One theory was that it was held in Muckross House, Killarney but that drew a blank. The most likely location would be the captain’s family. In the early days of the Association, the captain retained the trophy and, in many cases, it became a family heirloom.


In the Captain’s Possession

For example, a successor to the Railway Shield was the Railway Cup, which was presented by the GSWR to the G.A.A. Central Council in 1913 for the All-Ireland football championship.

The terms were the same as for the Shield: the county that won it twice in succession, kept it. Kerry won in 1913 and 1914 and so were allowed to keep it. A new cup was presented in 1915 and won in that year and in 1916 by Wexford, and they held on to it. The Wexford county board presented it to Sean Kennedy, who was captain of the team from 1915 to 1917 and it is still in the possession of his family.

So, maybe all we need to do to discover the Railway Shield is to find out who was captain of the Kerry team in 1907. I don’t have the answer.

Much closer to our own time are the Centenary Cups, presented for special, open draw, intercounty competitions in hurling and football in 1984 and sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. The hurling cup was won by Cork in 1984 and by Tipperary in 1985. It wasn’t continued and Tipperary kept the cup, which can now be seen in Lár na Páirce. The football cup was won by Meath in 1984 and Kerry in 1985. I was recently looking for its current location, but drew a blank in Kerry. Any information on its fate?

<span class="postTitle">De La Salle Teacher Training College</span> Munster Hurling Championship Program, Cork v Portláirge, Thurles, May 17, 2018

De La Salle Teacher Training College

Munster Hurling Championship Program, Cork v Portláirge, Thurles, May 17, 2018

There’s a fine picture on the internet of a hurling team from De la Salle Training College, Waterford in 1927 called the Invincibles. The names of the players aren’t given but their counties are, written in Irish on the bás of their hurleys help aloft. The players come from Kilkenny, Laois, Galway, Cork, Carlow, Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick.

In that year the college was at the height of its power, one of two training colleges for male primary school teachers in the country, the other being St. Patrick’s, Drumcondra. It was under the care of the Society of De La Salle, who had come to Waterford in 1887 and started the teacher training college in 1891.

The college was located in a very impressive building in Bilberry stone, 2i5 feet long, 60 feet wide and 80 feet high. It included an impressive chapel, the altar of which weighed 4 tons and was the work of James Pearse & Sons, Dublin.

The building wasn’t completed until 1894, and cost £35,000. The first batch of forty students commenced their training in 1891 and stayed in the Adelphi Hotel in the city until such time as the building was completed. The new college was licensed to enrol 120 students, later increased to 200.

The students who enrolled came from all over the south of Ireland as the 1927 picture indicates. The games of hurling and football were strongly promoted and many graduates of the college went back to their counties and promoted the games in their schools and featured on intercounty teams.

The Tipperary Connection

Many Tipperary teachers were trained there. One such graduate was Mick Cronin of Lorrha, who received a gold medal in recognition of his position as De La Salle hurling team captain, 1922. In the same year he graduated and became principal in Lorrha school on the first day of his appointment as a teacher, even though a principal was supposed to have five years teaching experience before he could became principal. The manager is reputed to have told the Department that Mick was the best man for the job. The result was that when Mick Cronin retired in 1969, he must have been the longest serving National School principal in the country. Mick played for Tipperary from 1927-1934, winning an All-Ireland senior title in 1930.

Another such graduate was Rody Nealon, who graduated in 1918, having also won the gold medal for captaining the hurling team. Rody started his teaching career in Banbridge and eventually succeeded his father as principal of Youghalarra N.S. He played for Tipperary during the nineteen-twenties and was on the famous U.S. trip with the team in 1926.

A third Tipperary man of note was Seamus Ó Riain, later Uachtaran Cumann Luthchleas Gael, who featured on both the hurling and football teams in 1936, the year he graduated, winning a Waterford senior football championship the same year.

End of Training College

In 1939 a Government decision was taken to discontinue the training of teachers in De La Salle College, owing to the decrease in the numbers of pupils attending National Schools and the consequent rise in the number of unemployed teachers.

At the annual convention of the Munster Council of the G.A.A. on February 23, 1940, the chairman, Seam McCarthy, noticed with deep regret the fact that De La Salle College in Waterford was closing down. A request was made to the Minister for Education to review the decision which is a ‘grave injustice inflicted on an institution, which has served the nation so well for half a century’.

Nothing came of the request. Young Brothers of the De La Salle Order were allowed to continue training there but this was discontinued in 1949, when De La Salle College ceased to be a teacher training institution, and the building became the home of the secondary school.

<span class="postTitle">GAA Presidents Award</span> Croke Park, Feb 9th 2018

GAA Presidents Award

Croke Park, Feb 9th 2018

On February 9th, 2018 in Croke Park, Seamus King was a recipient of one of the prestigious annual GAA President's Awards.  The award was in honor of Seamus's  ‘outstanding voluntary contribution to the GAA over a prolonged period’ and was presented by Uachtarán Aogán Ó Fearghail.

Seamus J. King receives a GAA President's Award from Uachtaran Aogán Ó Fearghail

Seamus J. King receives a GAA President's Award from Uachtaran Aogán Ó Fearghail

From left to right; Pádhraic Ó Ciardha, Leascheannasaí TG4, Patrick Farrell, Head AIB Area South, Seamus J.King, Uachtaran Aogán Ó Fearghail.

From left to right; Pádhraic Ó Ciardha, Leascheannasaí TG4, Patrick Farrell, Head AIB Area South, Seamus J.King, Uachtaran Aogán Ó Fearghail.

A happy gathering of friends of Seamus J. King, Cashel King Cormacs, at Croke Park on Friday night, February 9, 2018.Back row, left to right: Michael Perdue, Mick Mackey, Paul Hogan, Sharon Perdue, Shirley Hogan, Ruadhan King, Teresa Connolly, T. J.…

A happy gathering of friends of Seamus J. King, Cashel King Cormacs, at Croke Park on Friday night, February 9, 2018.

Back row, left to right: Michael Perdue, Mick Mackey, Paul Hogan, Sharon Perdue, Shirley Hogan, Ruadhan King, Teresa Connolly, T. J. Connolly, Paddy Moloney, Pat Dunne, Tim Floyd, Liz Dunne, Liam King, Ger Slattery, Aodán Wrenn, Joe Regan;

Front row, left to right: Martin Cummins, Kathleen King, Uachtarán Aogán Ó Fearghail, Seamus J. King, Margaret King, Mattie Finnerty.

 

A video highlight of the event can be seen below.

 

 

 

 

<span class="postTitle">Marjorie Hamill (1941-2018)</span> Eulogy at the Funeral Mass, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Creagh, Feb 7th 2018

Marjorie Hamill (1941-2018)

Eulogy at the Funeral Mass, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Creagh, Feb 7th 2018

 

Rev. Fathers, Andrew and Jane, members of the extended family.

I don't think it would be proper to allow Marjorie to disappear into the dark night of death without a few words in her honour.

I want to sympathise deeply with Andrew and Jane, who have lost a devoted mother, who was always there for them when they returned from their travels. She was the anchor of their lives.

Marjorie was the third in our family of two boys and two girls and she is the first to go and it will put a big gap in our lives because, even though we all lived apart we did keep in contact and we were always united on New Year's Eve with a meal and on New Year's day with a sumptuous repast  at Kathleen  and Liam's.

Marjorie was absent this year, having become ill on December 3, but we drank a few glasses in her absence and hoped that she would be well soon.

But, she wasn't. She gave us hope a few times during the past weeks but, more often than not it was only a short respite and, as the weeks wore on and she fought with the many failures in her system, our hopes for her recovery became fewer and we were all gathered on Sunday to watch her heading towards her end.

During this period we had the opportunity to have conversations with Andrew and Jane who, because of  their work continents away, had almost disappeared off our radar. Marjorie's illness brought us all closer together. 

During those weeks she was extremely well cared for by the front line staff in both the Portiuncula and Galway University Hospital. I have nothing but the highest praise for their caring professionalism and we are all extremely grateful to them for the way they looked after Marjorie during her last days.

Marjorie was a bit prone to accidents. We expected perhaps not the worst but something to go wrong when she was doing something. I remember going a play in the school in Oranmore when she was a boarder there. She was in charge of the curtain and she slipped off the stage and brought the curtain down with her.

Her driving skills were problematic and she had many an argument with piers and bollards.

She broke her leg on one occasion by falling over a trough for feeding the hens.

And, I heard last night that Marjorie went through a door in the Bundestag, Berlin for a smoke during a visit to that city, and almost created an international incident, when she tried to get back into the building!

I suppose because of these mishaps, we had a protective nature towards her, even though she learned to look after herself well.

I suppose another memory of her was to have been on the slow side. On one occasion we climbed Croagh Patrick and Liam and I left her behind on the way down, she was so slow. Also, at one stage she had to prepare the dinner at home for a period and she could never get it ready in time for Daddy who was a stickler for the 12 o'clock meal. Instead of improving her ways, she used to turn back the clock and convince him he had come in early.

But Marjorie managed and got on with her life and was in charge of medicines in St, Brigid's hospital at a time when the hospital was a very large going concern and in the days before computers were available to record and control what took place in her department.

And she did all this in a laid-back manner always having the time for a chat with a patient or a member of the staff. I suppose this is the quality I admired most about her, her time for people, her capacity to listen and to bond with others.

Her friends say she hadn't a bad bone in her body. They have nothing only good memories of her. She hadn't a bad word for people and was great to keep a secret. She didn't carry stories and was a thrusted friend

What I only learned recently was her love of poker, not high stakes stuff I might add but small stuff where a tenner pot would be big money. Marg and the cards revealed a different person.  She was a member of two schools and, as far as I can make out, she bossed both of them. She kept a great eye on the table and on the cards that were played and was very sharp on payments to the pool. In fact she wouldn't deal until everyone had the money paid in. Everything had to be in order before the cards could be dealt.

I suppose most of us associate Marjorie  with a love of smoking.. She was so happy when she had one and following the smoking ban, a regular sight during a gathering was to see her disappearing outside for the drag. We encouraged her often to give them up but she was never going to do so and it wasn't only the cigarette that gave her satisfaction but the conversations that occurred when she went out for her fix.

Marjorie had a good sense of fun and enjoyed the good story. I recall her remarking on how  all the old psychiatric hospitals were located between rivers and railways, as if the planners had a nefarious intent. She told me numerous stories from St. Brigid's and one she told with humour was of the patient running away and racing madly for the river and the nurses tearing after him with their white coats flying in the wind and he arrives at the water's edge before them and turns around to face his pursuers and says: I fooled you! I fooled you! The story tickled her humour.

And, so with these few thoughts and memories, we come to say a last farewell to Marjorie, the daughter of Joe King and Annie Slevin, the wife of the late David, the mother of Andrew and Jane, the sister of Maura, Seamus and Liam, the relation of an extended family, the friend of many of you and, as we do so we say goodbye to one who didn't do any extraordinary things during her seventy-seven years but who was a person with a generous heart,  a lively spirit, a person capable of strong friendships, and we wish eternal rest to her soul and that her memory will remain fresh in the lives of all who knew her.

 

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<span class="postTitle">New York GAA Senior Hurling Final</span> Tipperary GAA Year Book 2019 Pg 45

New York GAA Senior Hurling Final

Tipperary Yearbook 2019 pg 45


The 2018 New York GAA senior hurling final was played in Gaelic Park on August 12. The teams taking part were Tipperary New York Hurling Club and Hoboken Guards. Tipperary led by 1-10 to 1-9 at half-time. The sides were level at 1-20 each at full time. Extra time was played at the end of which Hoboken Guards were in front by 2-29 to 2-24.


Hoboken Guards: Cillian McNamara (Tulla, Clare), Shane Kearney (Dungarvan, Waterford), Diarmuid Hehir (Erin’s Own, Clare), Páraic Morrissey (Knockavilla, Tipperary), Eamonn Glynn (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare), Cathal Barrett (Holycross, Tipperary), Paul Loughnane (capt.), (Cappataggle, Galway), David Varley (Oran, Roscommon), Cathal O’Connor (Sixmilebridge, Clare), Paul Gordan (Tynagh-Abbey Duniry, Galway), Brian Glynn (Ardrahan, Galway), Ross King (Rathdowney, Laois), Sean Costelloe (Ballindereen Galway), Jack Guiney (Rathnure, Wexford), Kieran Bergin (Dunamaggin, Kilkenny) Subs: Darren O’Connor, Darren Coffey, Ger Flood, Stephen Power, Steven Moroney, William Slattery, Dave Lewis, Aaron McCormack, James Egan, Stephen Burke, Pat Fogarty.


Tipperary New York: Padraig Gill (Burgess, Tipperary), Jack Bohill (St. John’s, Belfast, Antrim), John Gardiner (Na Piarsaigh, Cork), Bryan Power (Ballyduff, Waterford), Henry Keyes (Colt, Laois), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary), Martin O’Neill (Mount Sion, Waterford), Michael Sheehy (capt.), (Portroe, Tipperary), Johnny Power (Kilmacthomas, Waterford), Ger McPartland (Doon, Limerick), Patrick Maher (Lorrha, Tipperary), Tom Phelan (Conaghy Shamrocks, Kilkenny), Tommy Kavanagh (Borris-Ileigh, Tipperary), Paddy Moriarty (Templenore, Kerry), David Pond (Monaleen, Limerick). Subs: Dylan Grace, Shane Slattery, Ciaran Keane, Paddy Layde, Kevin Hannigan, Cian Williams, Eddie Hogan, Conor Higgins, David Loughnane, Gearóid Kennedy.


Few Teams

The two teams were the only two in the championship with the first round being also the final. It’s a big falling off from times past. Johnny Murphy from Cashel, who won All-Ireland minor medals with Tipperary in the first half of the fifties, and who emigrated to New York in 1959, remembers when ten or more teams took part in the championship. Public support for games is also at a low ebb. Less than five hundred people were in attendance on August 12.

Management Information, Tipperary New York: Manager – Mark Langton (Nenagh), Selectors – Joe Grace (Silvermines), Mickey Maher (Roscrea), Coach, Toby Kavanagh (Borris-Ileigh), Captain – Michael Sheedy (Portroe)

Management information, Hoboken Guards: Manager/Coach – Ger Morris (Loughmore-Castleiney), Selectors – Pat Egan (J. K. Brackens, Tipperary), Charlie Thompson (Tramore, Waterford), Captain – Paul Loughnane (Cappataggle, Galway), Vice-Captain – Eamonn Glynn (Inagh-Kilnamona, Co. Clare).

The New York senior hurling championships Roll of Honour is as follows:

Tipperary NY – 27, Offaly NY – 19, Galway NY – 17, Cork NY – 11, Clare NY – 10, Limerick NY – 4, Westmeath NY – 4, Kilkenny NY – 3, New Jersey – 2, Connecticut – 1, Ulster NY – 1, Hoboken Guards - 1.



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<span class="postTitle">Hurling: Part of the intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity</span> County Tipperary G.A.A. Annual Convention 2018 Handbook, Dec 18th 2018, page 143

Hurling: Part of the intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

County Tipperary G.A.A. Annual Convention 2018 Handbook, Dec 18th 2018, page 143

The news that hurling has been recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, has to be received with great satisfaction by all followers of the game in Ireland, but particularly in Tipperary, which has long prided itself as the ‘home of hurling’.

The decision was announced at the time of year when the game goes into hibernation for a couple of months as the darkness of December days and the sodden state of playing areas make the winter months least suitable for the playing of hurling.

The body responsible for conferring this status on one of the oldest stick games in the world is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). One of its bodies, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held its meeting in Port Louis, Republic of Mauritius, from Monday 26 November to Saturday 1 December 2018. Over the six days, the twenty-four State Members of the Committee, elected by the General Assembly of the 2003 Convention, discussed a number of issues that are important for the safeguarding of living heritage around the world.


Representative List

One of its tasks was to add to the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Irish Government, as was the case with numerous other Governments, made an application for the inclusion of hurling. The listing of such elements of a country’s culture ‘seeks to enhance visibility for the traditions and know-how of communities without recognising standards of excellence or exclusivity.’

Minister for Culture, Joseph Madigan, welcomed the announcement and thanked the G.A.A. and the Camogie Association for their work with her department in preparing the application.

She said the list was intended ‘to promote visibility, awareness and diversity in cultural heritage internationally. The inscription of hurling is a wonderful opportunity to share a cherished aspect of Irish culture with others.’

G.A.A. president, John Horan, said the decision reaffirmed the fact that hurling ‘was more than just a sport. It is a national treasure, an ancient tradition that connects us to our Celtic past and a part of our DNA.

‘At a time of unprecedented popularity for the game here, we owe a debt of gratitude to the generations of people who preserved, protected and promoted the game at school, club and county levels so that it would survive and thrive for our benefit.

‘All of us involved in the association are charged with ensuring the promotional work we undertake preserves hurling for future generations.’


What is an Intangible Cultural Heritage?

An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill, as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces that are considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage.

Ireland ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2015. The country’s first nomination, uilleann piping, was officially inscribed last year.

Hurling joins some interesting elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage on the representative list. Granted cultural status at the same time as hurling were Jamaican reggae music and Chidaoba, a form of wrestling practised in Georgia.

Already on the list is Horse and Camel Ardhah, a racing and riding skills festival in Oman, Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders in Kazakhstan. Picking of iva grass on Ozren mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina, As-Samer ritualistic singing and dancing typically at marriage ceremonies in Jordan, Avalanche risk management in Switzerland and Austria, to mention a few. I am firmly of the opinion that the addition of hurling to the list will increase its excitement an hundred fold!


How UNESCO Described Hurling

‘Hurling, or Camogie (a form of Hurling played by women), is a field game played by two teams which dates back 2,000 years and features strongly in Irish mythology, most notably in the epic saga of Cú Chulainn. It is played throughout the island of Ireland, particularly in more fertile agricultural areas, as well as overseas. Traditionally, the number of players in the game was unregulated and games were played across open fields. Nowadays, there are fifteen players on adult teams and the game is played on a clearly marked pitch. Players use a wooden stick (hurley), similar to a hockey stick but with a flat end, and a small ball (sliotar), with the aim being to use the hurley to strike the sliotar and hit it between the opposing team’s goalposts. The primary bearers and practitioners are the players, known as ‘hurlers’ (male) and ‘camógs’ (female). Hurling is considered as an intrinsic part of Irish culture and plays a central role in promoting health and wellbeing, inclusiveness and team spirit. Today, the skills are promoted and transmitted through coaching and games in schools and clubs. As the custodians of Hurling, the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Camogie Association, both volunteer-led organizations, play a central role in transmitting the skills and values associated with Hurling.’


No Cost involved

The addition of hurling to the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage doesn’t cost anything or bring financial assistance in its wake. It doesn’t commit the G.A.A. or the State to any additional expenditure. Rather it is, in the words of President Michael D. Higgins a ‘global acknowledgement of the unique cultural significance of this part of our national culture and of the important role Gaelic games play in Irish society.’

<span class="postTitle">Towards a Bibliography of Books relating to Cashel and by Cashel People</span> Compiled for Feile Fidelma Literary Weekend in Cashel, September 2017

Towards a Bibliography of Books relating to Cashel and by Cashel People

Compiled for Feile Fidelma Literary Weekend in Cashel, September 2017

by Peter Berresford Ellis & Seamus J. King

Sanas Cormac compiled by Cormac Ua Cuilennain, King-Bishop of Cashel in the 10th Century, the first known Irish ‘dictionary’.

Vision of Tnudgal written by Brother Marcus of Cashel c. 1148-1150, which is an aisling saga about a Cashel warrior who journeys to Cork and has a vision of the Otherworld. The best English version is translated by Jean-Michel Picard and Yolande de Pontfarcy, Four Courts Press, Dublin, 1989.

Caithreim Cheallachain Chaisil (The Battle-History of Ceallachain of Cashel) which was translated into English and published by Professor Alexander Bugge, University of Christiana, Det Norske Historishe Kilderkritford, 1905. It was written about AD 1127-1138 and Cellachán Caisil mac Buadacháin (died 954) was the Eóghanacht King who drove the Vikings out of Munster long before Brian Boru did his ‘thing’ at Clontarf).

Leabhar Muimhneach (Book of Munster) ed. Tadhg Ó Donnchadha, Irish Manuscript Commission, Dublin, 1940.

An Ecclesiastical History of Ireland in 4 Volumes by Rev. John Lanigan, D.D. (Dublin 1822)

Forgotten by History: the life and times of John Lanigan, Priest, Professor and Historian by J. Feehan in Tipperary Historical Journal (2005), pp. 43-60.

Historical and Legendary Recollections of the Rock of Cashel by M. St. John Neville (Dublin 1873)

Cashel of the Kings by J. Davis White (Cashel 1876)

A Guide to the Rock of Cashel by J. Davis White (Cashel 1888)

Abstracts from the ancient records of the corporation of Cashel by T. Laffan (JRSAI, 1904)

The Storming of the Rock of Cashel by Lord Inchiquin in 1647 by Rev. St. John D. Seymour (English Historical Review, pp. 373-381, 1917)

Illustrated Guide to Rock and Ruins of Cashel by A Finn (Clonmel 1920)

Cashel of the Kings by L. M. McCraith (Clonmel 1920)

Royal and Saintly Cashel by A Finn (CTS 1929)

The Hermit on the Rock: A Tale of Cashel by Mrs. J. Sadlier (Dublin 1921)

The Archbishops of Cashel by Rev. M. Maher (Dublin 1927).

Cashel: The City of the Kings: Official Guide (Cashel 1930?)

The Singing-Men at Cashel by Austin Clarke (London 1936)

The Sack of Cashel, 1647 by John A. Murphy Cork Historical & Archaeological Society (lxx 1965, pp. 55-62)

Cashel and Its Abbeys by Ada St. L. Hunt (Dublin 1960)

Cashel of The Kings: A History of the Ancient Capital of Munster from the date of its foundation until the present day, Rev. John Gleeson 1927 (reprint De Burca, Dublin, 2001).

Irish Kings and High-Kings, Francis John Byrne, B.T. Batsford, London, 1973. (section on Cashel is still standard reading)

St. Patrick's Rock by Rev. A. O'Donnell (Cashel 1961)

The Rock of Cashel by K. McGowan (Dublin 1973)

Historical & Pictorial Cashel by Tom Wood (Cashel n.d.)

Cormac's Chapel Cashel by A. Hill (Cork 1874)

Gleanings from Irish History, W.F. Butler, Longman, Green & Co, London, 1925

A History of Medieval Ireland, Edmund Curtis, Maunsel and Roberts, Dublin 1923 (still a good standard)

Early Medieval Munster: Archaeology, History and Society, ed, Michael A. Monk and John Sheen, Cork University Press, 1988.

Armagh and the Royal Centres in Early Medieval Ireland, N.B. Aitchinson, Cruithne Press & Boydell and Brewer, Suffolk, 1994

The Golden Vale of Ivowen: Land and people in the valley of the Suir, Co. Tipperary, Col. Eoghan O’Neill, Dublin, 2001.

Royal and Saintly Cashel, Andrew Finn, Dublin 1929

Cashel and its ancient Corporation by A Finn (Dublin 1930)

A Martyred Archbishop of Cashel: Dr. Dermot O'Hurley (1519-1584) by Rev. Seósamh Ó Murthuile, S.J. (Dublin 1935)

Dermot of Cashel: Dermot O'Hurley, Archbishop of Cashel by Michael O'Halloran (Dublin 1948)

St. Patrick's Rock, Cashel, Co. Tipperary: Official Handbook by H. G. Leask (Dublin 1950?)

Vincent O'Brien: A Long Way from Tipperary by Tim Fitzgeorge-Parker (London 1974). Sporting Prints Series.

Times to Cherish, Cashel and Rosegreen Parish History 1795-1995, Bernie Moloney, Cashel, 1994

Rock of Cashel, Karmac Publications, 1992

Parliamentary election results in Ireland 1801-1922, Edited by B. M. Walker (Dublin 1978)

Parliamentary election results in Ireland 1918-1992, edited by B. M. Walker (Dublin 1992)

More Irish Country Towns, Edited by A. Simms & J.H. Andrews (chapter on Cashel by T O'Keeffe, pp. 156-167), (Dublin 1995

Our People are on the Rock: Gravestone Inscriptions from St. Patrick's Rock, Cashel, St. Dominic's Abbey, St. Mary's Abbey, Hore Abbey compiled by Tom Wood and Cecile Huftier (Cashel ?)

John Davis White's Sixty Years in Cashel by D. G. Marnane in Tipperary Historical Journal (2001) pp. 57-82, (2002) pp. 199-226, (2003) pp. 121-140, (2004) pp. 169-206.

Archbishop Charles Agar: Churchmanship and Politics in Ireland, 1760-1810 by A.P.W. Malcomson (Dublin 2002).

Rock of Cashel, Conleth Manning, Heritage Service, 2008

The Rock of Cashel, Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland, Dublin 1908.

Sister Fidelma’s Cashel: The Early Kings of Munster and their capital, Peter Tremayne, International Sister Fidelma Society, 2008 …!!!!

Cashel King Cormacs 1974: Celebration of a Great Year, (Cashel 1974)

Dublin Historical Record Vol. XXIX, No. 4 (Dublin 1975) (Includes an article on a visit to the Rock of Cashel by the Old Dublin Society).

Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review (Dublin, Winter 1975) (Includes an article on the Wall Paintings in Cormac's Chapel at Cashel by Mary McGrath).

A History of Handball in Cashel by Albert Carrie, (Cashel 1982)

G.A.A. History of Cashel & Rosegreen 1884-1984 by Seamus J. King (Cashel 1985).

A Tale of Two Cathedrals by Rev. Barbara Fryday (Cashel n.d.)

Vincent O'Brien: The Master of Ballydoyle by Raymond Smith (London 1990)

A Workhouse Story: A History of St. Patrick's Hospital, Cashel 1842-1992 by Eamonn Lonergan (Clonmel 1992)

Cashel & Emly Heritage by Walter G. Skehan (Holycross 1993)

The Quatercentenary of the Death of King Donal IX MacCarthy Mór 1596-1996 (Cashel 1996)

Love and Growth: Poems by Tom Leamy (Cashel 1997)

The Hurling & Football Heroes of Cashel King Cormacs 1974 by Seamus J. King (Cashel 1999).

The Cistercian Abbeys of Tipperary by Colmcille Ó Conbhuidhe, OCSO (Dublin 1999). (This work includes a chapter on Hore Abbey, Cashel.)

Cashel Memories by Francis Phillips compiled and edited by Martin O'Dwyer (Bob), (Cashel 2000)

A Brief History of the Sisters of Mercy in St. Patrick's Hospital, Cashel by Eamonn Lonergan (Cashel 2001)

My Favourite Haunt: The Collected Poetry of Michael Luke Phillips compiled by Thomas Wood & Marjorie Noonan (Cashel 2003)

Land and Settlement: A History of West Tipperary to 1660 by Denis G. Marnane (Tipperary 2003).

My Silent Voice by Sally O'Dwyer Bob (Cashel 2004)

Sacred Breath by Sally O'Dwyer Bob (Cashel 2005)

Cashel King Cormacs, County Junior Hurling Champions 1953, Golden Jubilee Celebrations by Seamus J. King (Cashel 2004)

Cashel King Cormacs G.A.A. History 1985-2005 by Seamus J. King (Cashel 2006).

The Ballad Collection of John Davis White by Denis G. Marnane (Tipperary Historical Journal, 2005)

Ireland & Europe in the Twelfth Century: Reform and Renewal edited by Damian Bracken & Dagmar Ó Riain-Raedel (Dublin 2006)

Cashel: History & Guide by Denis G. Marnane (Dublin 2007)

Bolton Library County Tipperary: Heritage Conservation Plan by the Heritage Council 2007

Archdiocese of Cashel & Emly: Pobal Ailbhe by Christy O'Dwyer (Editions du Signe 2008)

27 Main Street by Tom Wood (Listowel 2010)

Destination Cashel: 100 Things to See & Do in County Tipperary. Compiled by Catherine Stapleton (Cashel 2011)

The Pauper Priest – The Story of Fr. John Barry (first published 1890, republished by Martin O'Dwyer Bob (Cashel 2011)

Irish Gothic Architecture: Construction, Decay and Reinvention edited by Roger Stalley (Dublin 2012) Includes a couple of important chapters on the architecture and construction of the buildings on the Rock of Cashel.

My Life & Times in Cashel by Seán Ó Duibhir (Cashel 2012)

Cashel Rugby Football Club 1919-2012 by Seamus J. King (Cashel 2013)

The First 100: Talks on Tipperary's History by Denis G. Marnane (Tipperary 2013)

Archbishop Miler Magrath: The Enigma of Cashel by Patrick J. Ryan (Roscrea 2014).

Gift of Memory: Thoughts & Reminisences by Marjorie Noonan (Cashel n.d.)

The Many Faces of Cashel Vol. 1 by Mark Fitzell (Cashel 2016)

Views to Amuse by Joanie Browne (Lettertec 2016)

Yesteryears: A Photographic Trip Down Memory Lane in Tipperary (Tipperary Star 2017)

Freeborn 100: The Freeborn Exchange Celebrating Ireland 2016 at Cashel Arts Festival (London 2017)

The Many Faces of Cashel Vol. 2 by Mark Fitzell (Cashel 2017)

Cashel, Rhymes and Bygone Times by Joanie Browne (Lettertec 2017)