offalyhistoryblog

36 Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Cappyroe, Clonmore No 36 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 591, 23rd March 2024

Cappyroe

The Civil Parish of Geashill is the largest Parish in Offaly, and contains 74 townlands. As well as fine fields and bog land – dark, shale and lime mudstone, are just some of the materials you will find in its bedrocks.

The Parish is part of the ancient territory of “Ui Failghe of the O’Connor chiefs”. It contains some of the oldest remains of castles and is rich in history. From ancient sites such as Enclosures and Ringforts. Sadly many of them have been lost due to nature elements and neglect. It contains the town land of Cappyroe which borders the Grand Canal line, it is the 293^rd largest townland in Co. Offaly and in Irish is Ceapach Aodha Rua, translation meaning Plot of Land[2].

Map of the townlands from Ballycommon to Tullamore. There are over 1,000 townlands in Offaly. See townlands.ie for more. Your walk along the canal from Ballycommon will see you visit Cappyroe, Clonmore and Cappancur

Townland	Area	Pop. in 1841	Pop.in 1851	No. of Houses in 1841	No. of Houses in 1851	Pop. in 1871	Pop. in 1911	No. of Houses in 1871	No. of Houses in 1911
Cappyroe	548	106	109	19	16	33	21	7	6

(06. Cappyroe census Ireland 1911, Image Source www.census.nationalarchives)

In 1911 Cappyroe had one of the lowest concentration of houses in the area, during this period the household returns and ancillary, shows us that the population decreased from 106 in 1841 to 21 in 1911. There were 6 houses on record, all of all of Private Dwelling, with all inhabited, with classes of houses between 1^st and 2^nd . Age of occupiers ranging from 1-80. Here are the families that occupied these buildings during this time:

Class of House	Surname	Religion	Occupation in House	Family members
3^rd	Buckley/Carroll	RC	Farmer/ Agricultural Labourer	2
2^rd	Gallagher/Whitla	RC	Farmer	5
3^rd	Gorry/Behan/Stackpool	RC	Farmer/ Dressmaker	6
3^nd	Brien/Malone	RC	Farmer / Farmer Servant	5
3^nd	Dunne/O’Deill	RC	Farmer /Farm Labourer	6
	Moran	RC	Lock Keeper	6

(07. Cappyroe Lock Keeper. Census Ireland 1911, Image Source www.census.nationalarchives)

As we make our way along the line, we come to lock 22^nd, which was previously mentioned in the last series of “East to West”. The 23^rd Lock is followed close behind. A smooth and clear pathway can be found, making it easy to walk or cycle along the way. Coming up we see the 24^th Lock. This lock is located near the former Celtic Canal Cruisers. We are preparing an article on this canal attraction, 1974-2004.

(08. Celtic Canal Cruisers / Image Source/ Offaly History). We are preparing a blog on this important cruise line. Can you help with material?

(09. Cappyroe Townland / Image Source/ Offaly History)

10. Cappyroe Historical Records. Image Source: Logainm.ie

Clonmore/Colehill (Cappancur)

Clonmore

Clonmore (Cappancur), in the Civil Parish of Geashill, in the Barony of Geashill, in the County of Offaly. The Irish name for Clonmore is Cluain Mór meaning Great Field.

Clonmore is the site of a few known churches the Balleenlawn Church that stood until the early 19^th century. Its Foundation, was discovered in 1942. It also contained an old graveyard that is still intact today[3].

(11. Clonmore ,Source: Townlands.ie)

12. Clonmore historical references. Image Source: Logainm.ie

Townland	Area	Pop.in 1841	Pop. in 1851	No. of Houses in 1841	No. of Houses in 1851	Pop. in 1871	Pop. in 1911	No. of Houses in 1871	No. of Houses in 1911
Clonmore	708	220	173	40	34	110	101	24	26

(13. Clonmore census Ireland 1911, Image Source www.census.nationalarchives)

In 1911 Clonmore had 26 houses in the area, during this period the household returns and ancillary, shows us that the population decreased from 220 in 1841 to 101 in 1911. There was 26 houses show on record all of all of Private Dwelling, with all inhabited, with classes of houses between 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd. Age ranging from 1-80. Here are some of the families that occupied these buildings during this time:

Class of House	Surname	Religion	Occupation in House	Family members
2^nd	McNamara	RC	Farmer	5
2^rd	Quinn	RC	Tailor	10
3^rd	Walsh	RC	Farmer	6
2^nd	Mc Namee	RC	Labourer	8
3^nd	Heavey	RC	Herd	3
2^nd	Wyer	RC	Farmer	8

(14. Clonmore Census Record 1911, Image Source www.census.nationalarchives)

(15.Coachman, source Travel and Transport in Ireland, Edited by Kevin B.Nowlan)

With the construction of the Grand Canal it provided a better connection to reach different townlands around the country. With many place still not connected by waterway, the coach services provided that connect for passengers to reach their final destinations.

As we make our way out of the Geashill Civil Parish, we reach the 25^th Lock and Just at Digby Bridge, here we can see just the spire of Tullamore’s Catholic church. Close by is the 26th lock, the barony bridge with its passage under the canal and on to Tullamore. More on Wednesday.

*Flyboats on the canal in the 1830s, similar to the later design of the Celtic Cruisers fleet of the 1970s*

[1] See “Safe Harbour, The Grand Canal at Edenderry” Mairead Evans & Therese Abbott” Topic Newsppapers Ltd, P22-23

[2] Offaly thought Time & Its Townlands. Thomas Lee. Pub: Ottait Publishing p173

[3] Offaly thought Time & Its Townlands. Thomas Lee. Pub: Ottait Publishing p173

March 23, 2024

Launch of new book ‘The River Brosna – An Environmental History’ by John Feehan, Friday 22 March 8 p.m. Blog No 590, 21st March 2024

There is an open invitation to all those interested in the River Brosna to come to the book launch on Friday 22 March at 7.30pm in The Star (GAA hall) River Street, Clara hosted by Clara Heritage Society.

John Feehan has dedicated much of his life to studying and communicating the evolution of the landscape and how we have lived in and changed it – his previous Offaly publications have included books on the Slieve Blooms, Croghan Hill, the Landscape of Clonmacnoise, An Atlas of Birr and more recently Killaun Bog and the Camcor River. This new publication focuses on the River Brosna and its catchment.

The River Brosna is one of Ireland’s hidden rivers, glimpsed over bridges and for short stretches as it travels through Mullingar, Ballinagore, Kilbeggan, Clara, Ballycumber and Ferbane on its journey from Lough Owel to ShannonHarbour. Until now very little has been written about it yet few rivers have a more fascinating and varied story to tell. In this beautifully illustrated book John Feehan brings his long experience as an environmental scientist and historian to bear on all aspects of the natural, cultural and industrial heritage of the river and its catchment. Successive chapters review geological origins, the biodiversity of the river and its tributaries as well as the great area of bogland it drains. The history of the mills along the course of the river, and of the two great arterial schemes that so altered the river are reviewed and particular attention is devoted to the extraordinary stories of Mesolithic Lough Boora and the Bronze Age Dowris hoard.
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March 21, 2024
34-35 Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Daingean Townparks, Ballymullen, Knockballyboy to Ballycommon, County Offaly. Numbers 34-35 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 589, 20th March 2024

As we make our way along we start to make the journey to Ballycommon, we come to Townparks townland, in the Electoral Division of Daingean, in Civil Parish of Killaderry, in the Barony of Lower Philipstown, in the County of Offaly. The Irish name for Townparks is Páirceanna an Bhaile. Townparks townland in Daingean has the site of Fort Governor which was built in 1547 on the site of an O’Connor Castle stronghold.

01 Townparks townland. Image Source Townlands.ie

02. Townparks, Historical References. Image Source. Logainm.ie

along this line we come to one of the gems along this way, the Bord Na Mona lifting Bridge, It’s an interesting spot and a great location to get the camera out. From the late 18^th century, the canal was used as a way to transport turf from different cutting points along the line. As trading long the canal was increasing rapidly and was even more encouraged when charges were abandoned, the one that was always a difficult trade to control was the “Turf”[1].

03. The half-inch of c. 1910 from Philipstown to Ballycommon and Cappancur Offaly History Centre. Showing also the Kilbeggan Line of the 1830s.

A few incidents along the line was reported, before the construction of the Circular line, including situations where turf traders, held up and demanded change to the dispatching and the price of turf. After a standoff with an angry crowd, that were armed with swords and guns. The canal company, compromised with the people and ordered that all boats display a clear sign with the price of their turf.

During this time quays were used along the canal to unload turf and an inspector was appointed to see the overall control of the Turf trade. By the early 19^th century, a steady flow of boats travelled up and down the line, with up to 33,000 tons every year arriving for dispatch. G- Boats were the main boat used when transporting product and with a fixed toll now applied to all traders, this encouraged the use of greater loads.
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March 20, 2024
Captain Michael Hoy from Daingean. American Civil War Hero & Pioneer lawman. By Danny Leavy. Blog No 588, 18th March 2024

Michael Hoy was born in Daingean county Offaly in the year 1834 to William Hoy and Rosanna Concasey. His father died when he was a young boy. In 1853 he emigrated with his mother, brother William, and two sisters Rosanna and Elizabeth, settling in Brooklyn. His older brothers Joseph and John, along with another sister Mary had gone to America a few years before. Michael Hoy learned the stone cutters trade in Brooklyn. In 1854 the family moved to Cooperstown, New York, which is two hundred miles north of the city. Young Hoy worked in his trade for one more year before returning to Brooklyn. In 1857 he went to Minnesota, settling in the town of Saint Anthony. At this time Saint Anthony had a few scattered houses on the east bank of the Mississippi river. He followed his trade and the same year of his arrival he cut stone for the building of the State University.
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March 18, 2024
33 The Grand Canal reached Philipstown (Daingean) in 1797 and contributed to economic development. No. 33 in the Grand Canal Offaly series. Michael Byrne. Blog No 587, 16th March 2024

The Grand Canal was constructed as far as Philipstown/ Daingean in 1797 providing the town with an opportunity to import goods at lower transport costs and to export turf and agricultural products to the city of Dublin.

Some immediate benefits came with the canal such as the large house (formerly Scully’s) on the western side of the Molesworth bridge and later the canal warehouse on the eastern side. This was described on the Killaly 1806-7 map as the collector’s house. The trade and stores business moved on to Tullamore exclusively for the six years pending the completion of the access to Shannon Harbour in 1804. The need for a canal hotel was eliminated with the building of the Tullamore hotel in 1801-2 and that at Shannon Harbour in 1806.

The line of the canal ran from Toberdaly to Killaderry parish, the townland of Castlebarnagh Big and into the town of Daingean. From there is passed on to Ballymullen and Ballycommon. As with Tullamore the canal came in on the north side of the town cutting through cabins in its way to the south of the military barracks and gallows hill. In the estate landscape that it was in the 1700s to the 1900s the big houses of Mount Briscoe, Clonearl and Kilduff were to the north and Springfield, Mount Lucas and the lost demesne of River Lyons to the south. The latter was almost devoid of trees unlike the well planted Clonearl and the planted avenue to the house at Mount Briscoe. On the southwest was the old crossing point of Ballinagar heading on to Tullamore.

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March 16, 2024
Tullamore and the Irish National Foresters 1899-2024. By Aidan Doyle, Part 2, concluded. [We are marking the 100th anniversary of the re-opening the new hall, cinema and club rooms on the eve of St Patrick’s Day 1924 and the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Tullamore branch in April 1899.] Blog No 586, 15th March 2024

In March 1914 the Foresters Hall played host to meeting called organise the Irish Volunteers in the district. Following the outbreak of the Great War and the resulting divisions within nationalism, the Tullamore Corps of the National Volunteers gathered at the Foresters Hall to reaffirm their support for John Redmond. The Foresters branch secretary James Hayes joined the 5^th Lancers in early 1916.

In December 1915, the Ideal Cinema was the venue for a screening of ‘Joan of Arc’ in aid of the Red Cross. Two months later, the Urban Council arranged a reception at the hall to present an address to captain Edward Sherlock after the Rahan man was awarded a military cross for his actions on the Western Front. As late as February 1918, the hall hosted a lecture by Henry Hanna KC on ‘The Pals (7^th Dublin Fusiliers) at Suvla Bay’ in aid of the Leinster Regiments Prisoner of War fund. Nevertheless, by then the Foresters and their hall had come to be associated extreme nationalism in the mind of some within the police.

A programme for the Foresters in 1916

At a show the hall in on St Patricks Day 1917, a twelve-year-old girl Lena McGinley dressed in a ‘Green, White and Yellow’ costume performed a poem dealing with the 1916 Rising entitled ‘Vengeance’. As a result, sergeant Henry Cronin had the concert organisers James O’ Connor and Edward O’Carroll charged under the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) for ‘attempting to cause disaffection among the civilian population ‘. On their conviction O’Connor and O’Carroll refused to be bound to peace and were instead imprisoned in Mountjoy.
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March 15, 2024
‘Unity, Nationality and Benevolence’ Tullamore and the Irish National Foresters 1899-2024. By Aidan Doyle [We are marking the 100th anniversary of the re-opening the new hall, cinema and club rooms on the eve of St Patrick’s Day 1924 and the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Tullamore branch in April 1899.] Part 2 tomorrow. Blog No 585, 14th March 2024

The weather was bad when Joseph Hutchinson arrived in Tullamore. For 22 years Hutchinson had dedicated himself to the Irish National Foresters and as a result a small mutual aid society founded by 18 men in Dublin, had spread across the globe and recruited over 20,000 members in Ireland. On Sunday 9 April 1899, Hutchinson had come to the midlands to recruit some more members and establish the first INF branch in King’s County. His visit that day would have profound repercussions for Tullamore, but it had its roots in the north of England.
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March 14, 2024
31-32 Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Along the way via Down to Gorteen, Cavemount and Castlebarnagh , Co Offaly. Numbers 31-32 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 584, 13th March 2024

Killaderry civil parish, is part of the ancient territory of Clann Colgain which was made up of three tuaths. The parish lies in an area which splits Kilclonfert civil parish into two parts and has the town of Daingean at its Centre.

Down is in the Electoral Division of Mountbriscoe, in Civil Parish of Killaderry, in the Barony of Lower Philipstown, in the County of Offaly The Irish name for Down is Domhain meaning Deep.

Down townland has a possible burial mound here and there is also a platform ringfort in the townland which is 26 metres in diameter and enclosed by a slight bank. [1]
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March 13, 2024
30, Grand Canal Townlands Offaly, East to West: Toberdaly to Coole, No 30 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 583, 9th March 2024

Today with the canal being a popular walking destination, you can see along the canals places associated with the townlands . Just outside Rhode, on the way to Edenderry, are the ruins of old windmills of the eighteenth century. These once had a wind shaft mounted in the cap (one is preserved at the Guinness brewery and was used by the Roe distillery). The wind turned the millstones in the tower below and were used to help ground grains for flour.

Seven windmills are known to have been constructed during this period in Offaly. By 1830, most of the windmills had gone out of service. The last windmill to be used was dated up to 1880, called the Fahy Windmill[1]. Tullamore had two in the eighteenth century on the hill behind O’Moore Street.
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March 9, 2024
28-29, Grand Canal Townlands East to West: Rogerstown, Ballybrittan, Rathcobican. Nos 28-29 in the Grand Canal Offaly Series. By Philomena Bracken, Offaly History. Blog No 582, 6th March 2024

Along our Grand Canal Journey from Edenderry to Shannon Harbour we come to Rogerstown, a small townland, in the Electoral Division of Monasteroris, in the Civil Parish of Monasteroris, in the Barony of Coolestown, in the County of Offaly.

The Irish name for Rogerstown is Baile Risteird meaning Richard’s/land.

(01.Monasteroris civil parish from the Index map Kings’ County 1838. Image source Offaly History Centre)
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March 6, 2024