Twelfth Collection of Articles on West Wicklow History

© Individual Contributors

Full title: Journal of the West Wicklow Historical Society: Number 12, 2023-24

Creator / Author: West Wicklow Historical Society & contributors, joint editors Chris Lawlor, Declan Keenan

Item Type / Page count: Journal (Complete issue) / 200p

When Published: 2023

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

About: This twelveth publication of this biennial journal was launched in the Coimín Centre, Blessington on 9/11/2023. It includes perhaps the most diverse set of topics yet to appear in this journal. Full contents are listed below. The most extensive article in this issue runs to 24 pages. In it, Peter W. Halligan provides an enlightening account of the castles at Oldcourt and Three Castles. 

ID number(s): 0790-1739

Contents: Foreword from the Chairman / Paul Gorry — Donal McDonnell (1945-2022) — Secretary’s Synopsis / Cora Crampton — Noel Lyons (1942-2022) — Editor’s Preface / Chris Lawlor — Mapping the devolved Gaelic territories and districts of the O’Tooles / Declan Keenan — Migrant railway workers and local communities: a case study of Harristown station on the Sallins-Tullow branch line 1883-1951 / John O’Brien — Some observations on the Great famine in County Wicklow, c.1845-1850 / Gerald Cullen — Gentry, Brides and Lions / Maura Murphy Gibson — The man who wore a blue shirt in 1933: the Bass War in West Wicklow and Kildare / Declan O’Connor — A little bit of Bulgaria in Ireland: Pierce O’Mahony (1850-1930): politician and philanthropist / Brian McCabe — Dame Ninette de Valois (Edris Stannus) / Paul Tyrell — A 1792 Rental of the Lordship of Belan, Co. Kildare / Richard B. Lennon —Language Matters Revisited / Ita Roddy — Death from a Flat-Nosed Bullet in Blessington / James Scannell — A farming community: Hollywood in the early twentieth century / John Glennon — Sadhbh O’Byrne – glimpses of a Gaelic woman of sixteenth-century Ireland / Cora Crampton — The Manor of Blessington, created by Michael Boyle / Jim Corley — Revisiting the 1798 Dunlavin massacre for its 225th anniversary / Chris Lawlor — Balfe the Robber / Brendan Corrigan — A sociological interpretation of the Hillfort Capital – exploring Hughstown and Tinoran hillforts (part 1 of 3) / Mairéad Kelly — Charles Maule Drury (1848-1939) – collector of folklore / Paul Gorry — The castles of Oldcourt and Three Castles / Peter W. Halligan — ‘I say it as I think it’ : The life and controversial times of Rev. T. C. O’Connor, Rector of Donoughmore and Donard / Rosemary Raughter — Query / Peter W. Halligan.

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

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

Eleventh Collection of Articles on West Wicklow History

© Individual Contributors

Full title: Journal of the West Wicklow Historical Society: Number 11, 2021-22

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

Item Type / Page count: Journal (Complete issue) / 168p

When Published: 2021

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

About: This is the eleventh publication of the now biennial journal. It includes a very broad set of topics indeed. Subjects covered include: The O’Tooles in the 16^th century, Ladies’ Day in Punchestown, A Wicklow man in India, The seasonal movement of livestock in the Wicklow mountains, A murder from 1916 and A traditional recipe for oatmeal biscuits, to name but a few. The most extensive article in this issue is by Cora Crampton. Running to 26 pages it tells of John & Jennie Wyse Power, a real-life couple who featured in Joyce’s Ulysses.  

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 — Ladies’ Day at Punchestown: 150 years of Festival Fashion / Dr. Emma Lyons — The O’Tooles of Imail in the sixteenth-century / Brendan Corrigan — ‘Home Rule is throwing many a shadow now’: Wicklow women, Unionism and the Women’s Declaration of 1912 / Rosemary Raughter — ‘A Celt, A Catholic and a Peasant’- A Wicklow man in India / Andrew Keating — John and Jennie Wyse Power – the real-life couple featured in James Joyce’s Ulysses  / Cora Crampton — The Rev. Ogle Moore of Manor Kilbride / Jim Corley — The beautiful woman in the long red cloak / Ita Roddy — Winter-transhumance routes between the Wicklow Mountains and the surrounding lowlands / John Hussey — Murder Most Foul / Maura Murphy Gibson – Some aspects of County Wicklow’s railway history / James Scannell — Back to Burgage / Niamh McCabe & Brian McCabe — The Irish language influence in West Wicklow placenames / John Glennon — Oatmeal biscuits / Sarah Gillespie — Divided loyalties in Kildare: truce, treaty and drift to Civil War / Michael Murphy —Baltinglass Bridewell and Courthouse [Part Two] / Chris Lawlor.

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.

IN MEMORIAM Donal McDonnell (Hon. Secretary of WWHS and joint-editor of this journal) R.I.P

Instant Expertise on All Things Wicklow!

© The Publisher

Full title: The Little Book of Wicklow

Creator / Author: Chris Lawlor

Item Type / Page count: Book / 142pp

When Published: 2014

Publisher / Place of Publication: The History Press / 50 City Quay, Dublin 2

About: This recently launched book is a miscellany of short pieces on aspects of Wicklow’s history, personalities, social life and culture. It is a gentle introduction to the youngest county in Ireland and can be dipped in and out of at will.

ID number(s): 9781845888565

Contents: Introduction — Monastic Wicklow — Wicklow’s Great Houses — Wicklow Rebels — Crime and Punishment: Tales from Wicklow’s Dark Side — Wicked Wicklow Women — Poor Parnell: Wicklow’s Wronged Leader? — Trial and Retribution: The Only Black and Tan Executed in Ireland — The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921: The Wicklow Connection — Wicklow on the Silver Screen — Wicklow’s Historic Towns.

WW Connection #1: Apart from relevant subject matter, the author is a native of Dunlavin.

Extra #1: Includes several illustrations.

Extra #2 Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

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

Extra #4: Link to the author’s website at https://www.chrislawlor.ie/

More on the Murders at Borklemore

© J. W. H. Carter

Full title: “Oh, the villain that did it!”

Creator / Author: J. W. H. Carter

Item Type / Page count: Book Chapter / 13p

When Published: 2005

Publisher / Place of Publication: The Author / Co. Laois

Parent Publication [book]: Murder in the Midlands, 1862-1915 / by J. W. H. Carter / 497pp

About: Taken from a book of 59 true crime stories, this account (pp134-146) features in the section entitled ‘Land Greed’ . It tells of the double murder of two women at Borklemore in 1893, for which a 74-year old farmer, John Conran, was convicted. He was sentenced to be hanged, but this was commuted to life imprisonment.

ID number(s): 0955192900 / 9780955192906

WW Connection #1: This incident occurred at Borklemore in the neighbourhood of Kiltegan in West Wicklow.

Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

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

Murder of Marilyn

© The Publisher

Full title: The Tunnels: the shocking murder of Marilyn Rynne

Creator / Author: Stephen Rae

Item Type / Page count: Book Chapter / 16p

When Published: 1998

Publisher / Place of Publication: Blackwater Press / c/o Folens Publishers, Unit 8, Broomhill Business Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

Parent Publication [book]: Killers: murders in Ireland / by Stephen Rae / 178pp

About: An account of the investigation into the murder of Marilyn Rynn in the Blanchardstown area of Dublin during Christmas Week, 1996. David Lawler was subsequently convicted of this crime in which DNA evidence played a substantial role.

ID number(s): 0861218744 / 9780861218745

WW Connection #1: The perpetrator of this crime was born and raised in Baltinglass in West Wicklow.

Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

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

Extra #3: A new and revised edition of this book was published in 2002 under the title ‘ Guilty: violent crimes in Ireland”.

Death on the Double at Borklemore

© The Publisher

Full title: ‘Put the saddle on the right horse’: Borklemore, West Wicklow, 1893

Creator / Author: Seán O’Sullivan

Item Type / Page count: Book Chapter / 19p

When Published: 2005

Publisher / Place of Publication: Mercier Press / Douglas Village, Cork

Parent Publication [book]: Hanging Crimes: when Ireland used the gallows / edited by Frank Sweeney / 284pp

About: An account of the double murder of two women at Borklemore in 1893, for which a 74-year old farmer, John Conran, was convicted, amid some controversy.

ID number(s): 1856354628 / 9781856354622

WW Connection #1: This incident occurred at Borklemore in the neighbourhood of Kiltegan in West Wicklow.

Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

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

Extra #3: The author of this chapter is a former principal of Valleymount National School.