Full title: Blessington now and then, here and there: a dip into some of the historical background of Blessington, its people and its surroundings
Creator / Author: Blessington Local and Family History Society (compilers)
Item Type / Page count: Book / 84pp
When Published: 2002
Publisher / Place of Publication: Blessington Local and Family History Society / [Blessington, Co. Wicklow]
About: A profusely-illustrated collection of mostly short pieces highlighting various aspects of the history of the Blessington area and its hinterlands. The old photographs reproduced here are a particular delight. The most substantial article in the book runs to 12 pages on the subject of Russborough House.
ID number(s): None
Contents: Blessington : What’s in a name / Maureen Phibbs — The Downshires and their Blessington Estate / Kathy Trant — Blessington 1824-2002: from Pigot’s and Slater’s Directories and the 1901 Census — The Blacksmith — Churches: Blessington and Manor Kilbride / Elizabeth Halligan — The Girls of Kilbride School 1933 [photograph] — Russborough House / Crena McGee — A Nursery Maid Remembers / May Tyrell — Kilbride Camp: a short history / Peter Reynolds — From Pennybog to Shankill / Elizabeth (Lizzie) Eustace — Dublin to Blessington Steam Tram / Aidan Cruise — Blessington Garda Síochána / Peter Reynolds — The Horseshoe Hall at Poulaphouca / Tom O’Rourke Snr. — Band Hall Blessington — The First Picture Shows / Billy Gobbett — Brass and Reed Band c.1950[ photograph] — Three centuries / Bridget McEvoy — Fife and drum band 1904 [photograph] — Blessington Mart / Ned Doyle — Donard School 1919 [photograph] — The Blessington Horseshow / Ned Doyle — Blessington No.1 School 1937 [photograph] — Lime kilns / Aidan Cruise — A Walk Around Blessington / Aidan Cruise — Other publications about the local area.
Extra #1: Illustrated throughout with several black & white photographs.
Full title: A Revolutionary Village:Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow c.1900-1925
Creator / Author: Chris Lawlor
Item Type / Page count: Book / 344pp
When Published: 2021
Publisher / Place of Publication: The Author / Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow
About: This book by local historian Chris Lawlor, was published with the support of Wicklow County Council’s Decade of Centenaries Programme and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. In it, the author looks at the major events that occurred in the first 25 years of the last century and how they then played out in the context of the Dunlavin and West Wicklow area. This includes momentous happenings such as World War 1, the Easter Rising, the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Civil War and the emergence of the Irish Free State.
ID number(s): 9780953294770
Contents: [List of Illustrations] [Acknowledgements] [List of abbreviations]
[Introduction] Rationale and background — Sources
[Chapter 1. Global developments 1875-1925: new wine in old wineskins] Political thought in Europe and the wider world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
[Chapter 2. Irish solutions to Irish problems] Political thought in Ireland in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
[Chapter 3. The village of Dunlavin 1900-1914] Population, economy and society — Politics and religion
[Chapter 4. The politicisation of the Dunlavin region 1900-16] Marginalised groups find a voice — Pro- and anti-Home Rule movements
[Chapter 5. The impact of World War One on the Dunlavin region] From naïve enthusiasm to muddy stalemate 1914-1916 — From bloody impasse to pyrrhic victory 1917-1918
[Chapter 6. Winds of change hit Dunlavin 1916-1918] The events of 1916: Dunlavin reacts to the Easter Rising and its aftermath — Transition: the Dunlavin region from the 1916 Rising to the 1918 General Election
[Chapter 7. The War of Independence in and around Dunlavin] January 1919 to June 1920 — July 1920 to July 1921 — The ‘Dunlavin Tragedy’: murder, suicide and the execution of William Mitchell in 1921
[Chapter 8. The Dunlavin area from the truce to the end of the Civil War, 1921-23] The Dunlavin area drifts towards Civil War, July 1921 to June 1922 — Dunlavin‘s Civil War experience, July 1922 to June 1923
[Chapter 9. Dunlavin’s Civil War experience in a West Wicklow context] January to June 1922 — June to December 1922 — January to June 1923
[Chapter 10. Beyond the decade of revolution: Dunlavin takes its place in the Irish Free State] New horizons: post-war Dunlavin emerges from the conflicts — A return to peaceful village life – the Imaal Bazaar of 1926 — Dunlavin in the 1920’s – a personal memoir of the village
[Conclusion]
[List of appendices] One: Census of 1901 returns for Dunlavin village — Two: Census of 1911 returns for Dunlavin village — Three: Report on Town Tenants’ Meeting…25th Nov. 1911 — Four: Report on Irish National Foresters’ Meeting…13th July 1912 — Five: Report on United Irish League Meeting…25th July 1910 — Six: Report on Irish National Volunteers’ Meeting…18th July 1914 — Seven: John Redmond’s speech at Woodenbridge, 20th September 1914 — Eight: Death of Sergeant Philip Nolan and Letter from Chaplain…8th July 1916 — Nine: The ‘Message to the Free Nations of the World’, read by West Wicklow T.D., Robert Barton at the first meeting of Dáil Eireann on 21st January 1919 — Ten: Members of C Company (Hollywood), 2nd North Kildare Battallion, Kildare Brigade on 11th July 1921 — Eleven: Members of A Company (Dunlavin), 6th Battallion, Carlow Brigade on 11th July 1921 — Twelve: Members of E Company (Kilgowan), 6th Battallion, Carlow Brigade on 11th July 1921 — Thirteen: Anti-treatyite members of C Company (Hollywood), 2nd North Kildare Battallion, Kildare Brigade on 1st July 1922 — Fourteen: Anti-treatyite members of A Company (Dunlavin), 6th Battallion, Carlow Brigade on 1st July 1922 — Fifteen: Anti-treatyite members of E Company (Kilgowan), 6th Battallion, Carlow Brigade on 1st July 1922 — Sixteen: I.R.A. members not on I.M.A. typewritten nominal but named elsewhere, 1919-23 — Seventeen: Advertisements from Dunlavin-Donard parish in the 1926 Imaal Bazaar Souvenir Guide — Eighteen: Present-day (2021) residents of Dunlavin with links to the Irish revolution elsewhwere — Tober Barracks
[Endnotes] [Bibliography] [Index] [Maps]
Extra #1: Illustrated throughout with monochrome photographs, charts and maps
Publisher / Place of Publication: The Author / [Not stated]
About: A handsome publication that is a comprehensively-researched history of the Hollywood area in West Wicklow. Hollywood may be a small village, but this is a huge history and one that will probably be the definitive account for years to come. The author pays particular attention to placenames and people – two elements that provide the foundation for all local history – and their story will resonate with people near and far.
ID number(s): None
Contents: Preface and acknowledgements – List of abbreviations. [Part I – The story of Hollywood] Hollywood before the Normans – Sir Geoffrey de Marisco – The Butlers and the Fitzgeralds – Robert Pipho of Hollywood – 17th and 18th centuries – The 1798 Rebellion – The early 19th century – The Famine and its aftermath – The Land War – Independence and beyond – The O’Reilly Family of Rathattin – The Guirke Family of Knockroe – St. Kevin’s Church (RC) – St. Kevin’s Church (Ch of Ire) – Education in the 19th century – Soldiers of fortune. [Part II – The Placenames of Hollywood] Introduction – Lord Waterford’s Estate – Killerk, Bannagroe and Athgarvan – Blakestown and Britonstown.[Part III – The People of Hollywood] Introduction – Hollywood Upper – Hollywood Lower – Knockroe – Dragoonhill – Slievecorragh – Broughills Hill – Cheneys or Kiernans Hill – Hollywood Demesne – Newtown – Knocknastreile – Rathattin – Athgreany – Conlans Hill – Mullicagh Upper – Mullicagh Lower – Woodenboley – Drumreagh – Dunboyke – Scalp – Toor – Lugglass Upper – Lugglass Lower – Knocknaboley – Corragh – Coonmore – Walterstown – Johnstown – Harristown – Ballintober – Ballysize Upper – Ballysize Lower – Glebe – Killerk – Bannagroe – Athgarvan – Blakestown Lower – Blakestown Upper — Britonstown. [Appendices] I. Patrick Lynam – II. Grants – III. Evictions of 1830 – IV. Crops grown in Hollywood in 1851 – V. Names of residents 1780s/90s – VI. Tithe Applotment Books – VII. Rev. Rickard’s List of Evictees. List of Maps and Illustrations – Select bibliography – Index for Parts I and II – Index of Surnames in Part III.
Extra #1: Includes dozens of photographs, maps, plans and tables of data.
Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
About: The Census returns for the Donaghmore District Electoral Division arranged alphabetically by townland. The 1901 census was taken on 31st March 1901. The 1911 census was taken on 2nd April 1911.
Publisher / Place of Publication: Nonsuch Publishing Limited/ 73 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.
About: The Table of Contents of this book doesn’t even begin to offer a hint to the wealth of information contained in it. Apart from a street directory, public transport information and public administration information for each of the chosen years, most of the book is taken up with accounts of events that occurred in the intervening years and helped shape Baltinglass and its immediate hinterland. In particular, the author focuses on the people involved and there is a feeling that you could be reading a newspaper report of something that just happened yesterday. If we ever get the time, we would like to list the entire contents and make them more discoverable.
ID number(s):9781845885069
Contents:About the author – Introduction – Acknowledgements – Baltinglass in 1851 (Administration — Public Transport — Street Directory) – Baltinglass in 1901 (Administration — Public Transport — Street Directory) – Baltinglass in 1951 (Administration — Public Transport — Street Directory) – Baltinglass in 2001 (Administration — Public Transport — Street Directory) – Endnotes.
WW Connection #1: The author is a native of Baltinglass.
When Viewed: Contents correct as of December 2013.
Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
About: The Census returns for the Baltinglass District Electoral Division arranged alphabetically by townland. The 1901 census was taken on 31st March 1901. The 1911 census was taken on 2nd April 1911.
Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
About: The Census returns for the Dunlavin District Electoral Division arranged alphabetically by townland. The 1901 census was taken on 31st March 1901. The 1911 census was taken on 2nd April 1911.
When Viewed: Contents correct as of September 2013.
Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
About: The Census returns for the Eadestown District Electoral Division arranged alphabetically by townland. The 1901 census was taken on 31st March 1901. The 1911 census was taken on 2nd April 1911.
Publisher / Place of Publication: National Archives of Ireland / Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
About: The Census returns for the Humewood District Electoral Division arranged alphabetically by townland. The 1901 census was taken on 31st March 1901. The 1911 census was taken on 2nd April 1911.
Full title: The Census of Ireland for the year 1851: Part I showing the area, population, and number of houses, by townlands and electoral divisions: County of Wicklow
Creator / Author: House of Commons, Great Britain
Item Type / Page count: Book / 32p
When Published: 1852
Publisher / Place of Publication: Alexander Thom and Sons for Her Majesty’s Stationary Office / 87 Abbey Street, Dublin.
About: A statistical return of the extent of townlands and towns, their Poor Law valuation, the number of males/females and the number of houses in County Wicklow. The number of persons and houses for 1841 are included for comparison purposes. This allows for a quick check on the effect that the Great Famine had on the demographics of West Wicklow.
Hat-Tip: Thanks to the EPPI website which contains a complete set of British Parliamentary Papers relating to Ireland and Irish affairs published during the period of the Act of Union (1801-1922).
West Wicklow Bookshelf 