Tenth Collection of Articles on West Wicklow History

© WWHS

Full title: Journal of the West Wicklow Historical Society: Number 10, 2019

Creator / Author: West Wicklow Historical Society & contributors, joint editors Chris Lawlor, Donal McDonnell

Item Type / Page count: Journal (Complete issue) / 312p

When Published: 2019

Publisher / Place of Publication: West Wicklow Historical Society / Baltinglass (?), Co. Wicklow.

About: This tenth publication of a set of articles on aspects of West Wicklow history is a bumper edition running to a highest-ever total of 312 pages. A diverse range of articles stretch from the Neolithic period to modern times. The areas covered include Baltinglass, Baltyboys, Blessington, Burgage and Glen of Imaal. East Wicklow also gets a look-in as does neighbouring parts of Carlow and Kildare. The most extensive article in this issue is by Kevin Lee which looks at nineteenth-century emigration from the Coolattin district to Canada.

ID number(s): 0790-1739

Contents: Foreword from the Chairman / John A. O’Toole — Ramblings of the Secretary / Donal McDonnell — Editor’s Preface / Chris Lawlor — Archaeological excavations on Baltinglass Hill: an update / Alan Hawkes — Guests of the Crown: Wicklow men in the Curragh internment camps, 1921 / James Durney — Silk manufacturing in Rathmore, County Kildare (1784-1786) / James Robinson — Preaching the suffrage gospel in County Wicklow: a local perspective on the women’s suffrage campaign, 1908-1918 / Rosemary Raughter —Ballymore Eustace woollen mills / Jim Corley — Cecil Frances Alexander and her connection to County Wicklow / Sarah Gillespie — County Kildare during the War of Independence, 1919-1921 / Michael Murphy — Language matters: the importance of Irish in local place-name lore / Ita Roddy — Shops around the Blessington Lake / Séamus Balfe — Flax growing and linen weaving in Imaal in the 1820s / John Hussey — Book Review: John Hussey’s The Quakers of Baltyboys, County Wicklow – 1678 to 1800s / Jim Corley – The land for the people / Joe McArdle — The Boyestowne Lordship: Baltyboys, Tulfarris & Humphreystown 1650-1850 [Part Two] / Brendan Corrigan — William Dargan and the Dublin and Wicklow railway / Andrew Keating — Aspects of life in County Wicklow during the Emergency / James Scannell — Collapse at Burgage / Brian McCabe — ‘He regarded their interests and his own as interwoven’: the impact of the 1903 Wyndham Land Act on the Mansfields of Morristown Lattin, 1903-1929 / Evan Comerford — A listing of some people living on the Baltinglass Estate of the Earl of Aldborough, 1767-1794 / Richard B. Lennon — Macra na Feirme and the origin of secondary education in West Wicklow / P.J. Hanlon — Nineteenth-century emigration from South Wicklow: from Coollattin to Canada / Kevin Lee — Did you ever dance to these bands in Blessington or Manor Kilbride 1971-1973? / Declan O’Connor — Goodbye to Fortgranite, a much-loved family home / Mark Shirley-Beavan — Mullaghmast – early monuments and mythologies / Cora Crampton — Rathvilly Church of Ireland memorial inscriptions from the church and churchyard / Paul Gorry — Baltinglass Bridewell and Courthouse [Part One] / Chris Lawlor — Book Review: Chris Lawlor’s ‘With Much Quiet Fervour’: a brief history of Dunlavin Roman Catholic parish and St. Nicholas of Myra church / Cróna Cassidy.

Extra #1: Illustrated throughout with black & white photographs, maps, drawings and graphs.

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide

Extra #4: Visit the West Wicklow Historical Society website.

Ninth Collection of Articles on West Wicklow History

© WWHS

Full title: Journal of the West Wicklow Historical Society: Number 9, 2017

Creator / Author: West Wicklow Historical Society & contributors, joint editors Chris Lawlor, Donal McDonnell

Item Type / Page count: Journal (Complete issue) / 170p

When Published: 2017

Publisher / Place of Publication: West Wicklow Historical Society / Baltinglass (?), Co. Wicklow.

About: This ninth publication of a set of articles on aspects of West Wicklow history is the most substantial yet with articles of the highest quality. A diverse range of topics is covered from medieval stone lamps and sheep wash-holes to the Plymouth Brethren and railway accidents. The most extensive article in this issue is by Chris Lawlor which looks at the impact of the Civil War on ordinary citizens as reflected in compensation claim records. Overall this publication makes a most appealing Christmas stocking-filler for anyone interested in West Wicklow history.

ID number(s): 0790-1739

Contents: Foreword from the Chairman / John A. O’Toole — Ramblings of the Secretary / Donal McDonnell — Editor’s Preface / Chris Lawlor — Archaeological excavation on Baltinglass Hill – Lathaleere – the evolution of a place-name / Paul Gorry — Death in the Glen of Imaal – 16^th September 1941 / James Scannell — The Plymouth Brethren and the Baltinglass connection / Cora Crampton – The Boyestowne Lordship: Baltyboys, Tulfarris & Humphreystown 1650-1850 [Part One] / Brendan Corrigan — County Wicklow Grand Jury 1793 – William Hanbidge’s recollections of wool-weaving in the 1820’s / John Hussey — A light into medieval Ireland: some thoughts on cresset-stones and a previously undocumented example from Newry townland, southwest Wicklow / Lorcan Harney — Denis Gavin and Ellen Murphy: early Queensland pioneers / Pauleen Cass — Odd fish in West Wicklow / Christopher Moriarty — Sheep wash-holes in West Wicklow / Seamus Balfe and John Hussey — A fatal accident on the Dublin & Blessington tram line in 1912 / James Scannell — Ernest Molyneux of The Decoy / Tom Molyneux – Tuckmills in West Wicklow / John Hussey — Trouble with the points / James Scannell – Three men and a (little) mountain / Brian McCabe – Raids, requisitions and recompense: the Civil War’s impact on West Wicklow, 1922-3 / Chris Lawlor – Review: Brendan Corrigan’s The History of Hollywood Co Wicklow / John Glennon.

Extra #1: Illustrated throughout with black & white photographs, maps, drawings and graphs.

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide

Extra #4: Visit the West Wicklow Historical Society website.

Households in Boystown Parish in middle of 19th century (2)

Full title: Parish of Boystown

Creator / Author: Richard Griffith

Item Type / Page count: Book Chapter / 10p

When Published: 1854

Publisher / Place of Publication: Alexander Thom and Sons for Her Majesty’s Stationary Office / 87 Abbey Street, Dublin.

Parent Publication [book]: County of Wicklow: valuation of the several tenements comprising that portion of the Union of Naas situate in the county above named / Richard Griffith, General Valuation Office / 27pp

About: The property tax system of 1850’s Ireland, otherwise known as Griffiths Valuation. It was the first major attempt at valuing property. This section lists householders in that part of the Parish of Boystown which is covered by the Poor Law Union of Naas. The remainder of the Parish of Boystown was within the area covered by the Poor Law Union of Baltinglass.

ID number(s): None

Contents: Ballinagee — Ballinahown — Ballyknockan — Ballynastockan — Ballynultagh — Boystown or Baltyboys Lower — Boystown or Baltyboys Upper — Carrig — Garryknock – Glenbride – Humphreystown – Kilbeg – Lackan – Lugnagroagh – Rathballylong – Sroughan — Tulfarris

Extra #1: Read the entries for Griffiths Valuation Boystown Parish within Naas Union (pdf file).

Extra #2: Search Griffiths Valuation and link to contemporary maps at AskAboutIreland.ie

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide

Extra #4: Link to the blog post for that part of Boystown Parish within Baltinglass Union

Memories Flooding Back

© The Publisher

Full title: Stories of the Flooded Valley

Creator / Author: St. Joseph Parish, Valleymount,

Item Type / Page count: Book / 80p

When Published: 2015

Publisher / Place of Publication: St. Joseph Parish, / Valleymount, Co. Wicklow

About: In March, 1940, the valley of the River Liffey began to be flooded as a result of the construction of the Poulaphuca Dam. This book marks the 75^th anniversary of the event by collecting together the living memories of some of the people who lived through the traumatic transition from land to lake. All proceeds from the sale of this book go towards the St. Joseph’s Church, Valleymount Renovation Fund.

ID number(s): None

Contents: 75^th anniversary of the flooding of the valley — The flooding / Billy Craul — The building of the dam at Poulaphuca / Davy Doyle (aged 94 years, Harristown,Hollywood) – Flooding of the lake 1940 remembered / Dick and Annie Byrne (now living at Burgage, Blessington) – I remember the valley before the water came / Earnest Zeller (Lacken) – I remember the flooding of the valley / Pat Cullen (The Rock of Carrigacurra) — John Joe Cullen’s memories / John Joe Cullen – Looking back on the flooding / Kathleen Phibbs – Mary Ann Flanagan aged 94 years old – My story of the flooding of the lake / Maisie Miley (Baltyboys) – Memories of the flooding of the lake / Michael Freeman (Ballyknockan) – Flooding of the valley / Ned Fitzsimons – My story / Teresa Byrne (Humphreystown) – Remembering the flooding of the lake / Tom Tyrell (92 year old, Blessington) – Song of Ballinahown (as sung by Ted Balfe, Kylebeg) – [Advertisers’ Section].

Extra #1: Includes around fifty black and white photographs of people and places.

Extra #2: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Your 19th-Century Catholic Ancestors from Blackditches Parish

Full title: Blackditches, Archdiocese of Dublin, County of Wicklow

Creator / Author: The National Library of Ireland

Item Type: Website / Publicly Accessible

Homepage URL: http://registers.nli.ie/

When Viewed: Contents described are those showing when viewed in October 2015.

Publisher / Place of Publication: National Library of Ireland / Kildare Street, Dublin 8.

About: The National Library of Ireland holds microfilm copies of over 3500 church registers from parishes in Ireland. The library has now digitised these registers as images which provide records of baptisms and marriages from the majority of Catholic parishes in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to around 1880. The available registers are not searchable by individual names. Instead, they are browseable by diocese, parish and date, searchable by parish and it is possible to zoom from a country map to parish level. This blog entry relates to the parish of Blackditches in West Wicklow.

Contents:  These registers cover baptisms and marriages from 1810 to 1881. Dates are indicative only and coverage may be incomplete. Please refer to the NLI site for specific coverage.

Extra #1: Browse the Catholic Parish Registers for Blackditches Parish

Hat-Tip: To The National Library of Ireland who have arranged for the digitisation of these records and their free accessibility online.

Booklet on Blackditches from 1906

[Virtual Cover]

Full title: Blackditches: its traditions and its pastors

Creator / Author: T. M. O’Reilly

Item Type / Page count: Booklet / 13p

When Published: 1906

Publisher / Place of Publication: The Author and/or Leinster Leader Printing Works [?] / Naas, Co. Kildare.

About:  T. M. O’Reilly from Ballyknockan was a local councillor and writer with a great appreciation of local history. According to Fr. Cantwell of Valleymount, he produced several pamphlets. This booklet mentions old churches and houses of prayer as well as sites of historical or archaeological interest. The derivations of placenames is also featured. The second part of the booklet deals with the various priests who have ministered in the area.

ID number(s): None

Extra #1: Browse the 1901 Census return for the author Thomas O’Reilly.

Burgage Church History

© CKAS

Full title: Burgage, County Wicklow

Creator / Author: Very Rev. Myles V. Ronan

Item Type / Page count: Journal Article / 13p

Journal Information: Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol. XIII, No. 4, pp. 184-192

When Published: 1953

Publisher / Place of Publication: County Kildare Archaeological Society / Co. Kildare

About:   This article is an ecclesiastical history of Burgage. Anciently known as Domhnach-Imleach and associated with Saint Molomma, its church was one of the four principal churches of the Diocese of Glendalough. The article starts with the oldest existing mention of the church in 1179 and continues up to the 1730’s. It covers the holdings of the church, sets it in the context of the history of the period and describes the remaining ruins. Interestingly, the author sees the silver lining in the cloud of Henry VII’s suppresson of religious houses. He reasons that the inquisitions into their possessions gives us much more information about them than would otherwise have survived.

ID number(s): 0332-0782

Extra #1: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #2: Visit the County Kildare Archaeology Society website.

Extra #3: Search and access the content of Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society free of charge, courtesy of the Co. Kildare Archaeological Society and Kildare Library Services.

Tithes Payable by Boystown Folk from 1834

Full title: Townlands in Boystown (Wicklow)

Creator / Author: Genealogical Society of Utah in partnership with The National Archives of Ireland

Item Type: Website / Publicly Accessible

Homepage URL: http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp

When Viewed: Contents described are those showing when viewed in June 2014.

Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.

About: Tithe Applotment Books were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in an attempt to determine how much the holders of agricultural land over 1 acre should pay in taxes or tithes to the established Church of Ireland. These books list the name of the head of each relevant household outside of urban areas. A Tithe Applotment book was compiled for each Church of Ireland parish. Some of the transcribed names of people and places are not 100% accurate, but the original entries may be viewed for clarification.

Contents: Annacarney – Ballyknockan – Ballinagee – Ballinahown – Ballynastockan – Ballynultagh — Baltyboys Lower — Baltyboys Upper – Bannaught (sic) Bawnoge (?) — Blackditches Lower — Blackditches Upper – Blackmoor — Blackmoor Hill – Carrig – Carrickbrack – Carrigacurra (including Quintagh) – Cross – Garryknock – Glenbride — Granabeg Lower — Granabeg Upper – Humphrystown – Kilbeg — Kilbeg North — Kilbeg South — Knockalt Lower — Knockalt Upper – Cransillagh – Lackan – Monamuck – Quintagh — The Breeches — The Cross – Togher – Tulfarris.

Extra #1: Browse the Tithe Applotment Book(s) for Boystown Parish

Hat-Tip: To the Genealogical Society of Utah and The National Archives of Ireland who have arranged for the digitisation of these records and their free accessibility online.

The Schools Around the County

© The Publisher

Full title: Education in Wicklow: from parish schools to national schools

Creator / Author: Michael Seery

Item Type / Page count: Book / 189p

When Published: 2014

Publisher / Place of Publication: Creathach Press / Wicklow [?]

About: A meticulously researched and well-presented work which traces the history of purpose-built schoolhouses in Wicklow up to around the middle of the nineteenth-century. Written by someone who has an obvious passion both for education and for local history, it is hard to believe that a book of this size could contain so much information.

ID number(s): 9780992823306

Chapters: [Introduction] Education in Ireland – Penal Laws – The lay of the land – Sources for this study – Overview of book.
[Education in Ireland before and under the Penal Laws] Royal schools – Charter schools – Other schools.
[Landlord educators and the Wicklow Education Society] The Kildare Place Society — The Wicklow Education Society – The Fitzwilliam Estate – Arklow  Barony – Talbotstown Barony – North-east Wicklow – Conclusion.
[The emergence of a National School system] The decline of the Kildare Place Society – National Schools in County Wicklow — Conclusions.
[Appendices] Extracts from the reports of the Kildare Place Society training records for Wicklow (1814-1825) — Extracts from the records of the Kildare Place Society:  gratuities awarded to teachers to 1824 — Extracts from the Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for County Wicklow – Wicklow returns to the Second Report of the Commissioners of Irish Education Inquiry (abridged) – Brief biographical details of those with an interest in Wicklow education – Schools marked on Ordnance Survey of Ireland Map (1838-1840), with web link to OSI map, Google Map, Google image (where school building is still in existence) and notes on the location of school – Bibliography – Endnotes.

Extra #1: Includes several black & white photographs, maps, plans and tables of data.

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

STOP PRESS: The author’s website (viewed March 2015) stated: “Education in Wicklow is now sold out but is available for free on Google Books.” Click here for Google Books link.

A Fourth Valleymount Compendium

© The Publisher

Full title: Valleymount. Facets of our Local History (Part IV: the unpublished volume, added May 2013 by John Hussey)

Creator / Author: John Hussey & contributors.

Item Type / Page count: Journal (Complete issue) / eBook / 39p

When Published: [Posted online] May 2013

Publisher / Place of Publication: [Parish of Valleymount / Valleymount, Co. Wicklow].

About: This is the last of four collections (so far) of local history material which was first published separately in various issues of the Valleymount Parish News. This last issue was never made available as such. Rather, John Hussey has gathered together various pieces that were mostly not already included in the first three volumes to make up a virtual fourth volume of material. The major article here recounts an altar boy’s memories of local parish priest, Fr. John Moynihan.

ID number(s): None

Contents: Teacher’s Residence, Lacken / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Death of Fr. Heffernan P.P [taken from Leinster Leader] – Ballyknockan National Brass and Reed Band [taken from Leinster Leader] – “Dip me Flute” / Mattie Lennon – Valleymount I.C.A. / Tess Curran – The Coal Pit / Mattie Lennon – Bishop Boden’s Well Lacken, Sunday November 5^th 1978 / Fr. Richard Cantwell  – School in Lacken in the nineteen hundreds / Mattie Lennon — Parish Properties – Community Centre / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Renovation of the old Parochial House / Fr. Richard Cantwell — The Irish Journals of Elizabeth Smith, 1840-1850, edited for us by Mattie Lennon – Rerum Novarum: Memories of Fr. John Moynihan / Michael O’Brien (a Valleymount altar boy of many years ago) — A few historical notes from 150 years ago / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Matt Reid / Fr. Richard Cantwell – The Punchestown Races (in memory of Pa O’Brien) / Michael O’Brien – A few little details of Boystown gleaned from the census of 1841 / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Old names of fields in our parish / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Stone trough in Baltyboys cemetery / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Baltyboys House — Irish Folklore Commission – Local Weather Observations / Maggie Broe.

Extra #1: Link to the full text of this magazine via this page at blessington.jimdo.com.

**UPDATE** September 2022: This ebook does not appear to be currently available to read online.