The Story of the Liffey Scheme

© The Publisher

Full title: 50 Years on the Liffey: a history of hydro-electric power on the River Liffey

Creator / Author: Liam Kenny (editor)

Item Type / Page count: Book / 87p

When Published: October, 1994

Publisher / Place of Publication: ESB ’50 Years on the Liffey’, Commitee, / ESB Turlough Hill, Co. Wicklow

About: Commemorating half a century of power generation from the waters of the Liffey, this book details the history and operation of the dams, reservoirs and power stations that make up the Liffey Scheme. The editor draws on the memories of several former ESB employees who were directly involved in what one of the major infrastructure projects of 1930’s-1940’s Ireland.

ID number(s): 0952456206

Contents: Foreword — Preface — Editor’s Note / Liam Kenny – Of Electricity, Water and Boats ‘with coloured sails and dipping oars’ – Pollaphuca Long Favoured but Loses Out to Ardnacrusha – ESB and Dublin Corporation Join Forces – Liffey Scheme Electrifies Dáil Eireann – Compensation Controversy : Dublin’s Gain but Wicklow’s Loss – Stirring the ‘Puca’ from his Lair: Construction 1937-1947 – Strikes and Accidents: the Men who Poured the Concrete and Bent the Metal – Swastikas Over Ballymore: Michael Murphy’s Memories – Born and Reared on the Riverside Jim Graham Could not Escape From the Liffey – Wicklow Water Refreshes a Thirsty City – Nature Could Hardly Have Done Better: Environment, Recreation and Amenity – The Pollaphuca Lakes: a Second Coming – Slide Rules. Linen and India Ink – Dam Engineering: Winning the Battle of Underground Physics – Pollaphuca: the Future – Notes on Sources – Appendix: Turlough Hill Staff 1994 (including Liffey Stations) – Appendix: ’50 Years on the Liffey’ Commitee – From Then Till Now [poem] / Anon.

WW Connection #1: Apart from the content, the cover design is by Eamon Sinnott, a Hollywood native. Eamon also contributed to the layout, photographic editing, and design of the book.

Extra #1: Includes thirty-four black and white photographs, plus map and plan.

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

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

125 Years of Education in Blessington

© St. Mary’s

Full title: A History of St. Mary’s National School Blessington: 125th anniversary 1882 – 2007.

Creator / Author: St. Mary’s National School

Item Type / Page count: Book / 159p

When Published: 2007

Publisher / Place of Publication: St. Mary’s National School/ Blessington, Co. Wicklow.

About: A book that is a commemoration of 125 years of teaching at the local primary school. It celebrates the history of the community as told through a compendium of short pieces brought to life by past and present pupils.

ID number(s):None

Contents: Chairman’s address – Principal’s address — Introduction – Forewords – Hedge schools / Larry McCorristine – The National School System / Larry McCorristine – Towards a new school: Blessington 1882 – Blessington Catholic Schools – A Lament for Allen View National School [ballad] / Pat ‘Phildy’ McGowan – An Interview with Mr. Frank Murphy – probably the oldest surviving pupil of St. Mary’s – “I learned nothing” / Frank Murphy – Pat Hanlon (aged 93 years), The Rundle, Knockieran – Bridie and Jane Tyrrell – “Worse than Purgatory” / Evelyn Hudson – “Never missed a day” / Tom Tyrell – The Blessington Tram [ballad] / Peter C. Grattan – Sheila Walsh, née Boylan, aged 82 years – Billy Crowley – an interview – The Teaching of Religion in the National School – Parish Priests of Blessington Parish – The Church of Our Mother of Mercy / Beth Halligan — The Church of Our Lady of the Most Holy Sacrament / Beth Halligan – Seamus Dowling: the man from Mill House – School in the 1940’s – From Blessington to Baghdad / Joe Halligan – Hampden Bomber Crash Site Blackhill 1941 – Annie Byrne née Geoghegan, Burgage – “The Good Old Days” / Pete Nolan – The Primary Certificate – My Memories of St. Mary’s N.S. 1948-1949 / Ron Charles née Veronica Bohan — Knitting and Sewing – She Taught Them All / Vincent Byrne – Mrs. Elizabeth O’Donnell / Manus O’Donnell – Sean Davin, Principal of St. Mary’s N.S. from 1968-1996 – Memories of St. Mary’s National School, Blessington / Theresa Torsney née Creighton — Memoirs of St. Mary’s / Rena Hennessy – Willie Sargent Remembers – Blessington National School Parents Association – Darren McHugh – Schooldays in the 1980’s / Larissa Nolan – Gemma Ashe (R.I.P.) – Comórtas / Ciaran Duffy – Christy Casey – New Principal – Christy Casey (R.I.P.) – an appreciation – Lisa Frederick-Dunne (R.I.P) – Gerry Brown, Principal of St. Mary’s N.S., Blessington 1999-2007 – German in St. Mary’s 1995-2003 / Iris Rouse – Remembering St. Mary’s National School, Blessington 1995 to 2003 / Ellen Bytyqi, Naseem Nolan & Macha O’Donnell – Sport in St. Mary’s National School, Blessington / Lisa Smith – Turning the Sod / Gerry Brown – 125^th Anniversary Mass and Unveiling of Commemorative Stone — St. Mary’s National School, Blessington, Co. Wicklow – List of teachers – Epilogue.

Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #2: Contains dozens of black and white photographs, mainly of local people.

One Part Land and One Part Lake

© The Publisher

Full title: Lacken, county Wicklow

Creator / Author: Séamas Ó Maitiú

Item Type / Page count: Book Chapter / 17p

When Published: 1998

Publisher / Place of Publication: Four Courts Press / Fumbally Court, Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8

Parent Publication [book]: Irish townlands: studies in local history / edited by Paul Connell, Denis A. Cronin & Brian Ó Dalaigh / 235pp

About: One of nine essays collected in this book which celebrates the basic administrative unit of settlement in Ireland. This particular chapter details the history of Lacken ‘towneland’, in the civil parish of Baltyboys, barony of Talbotstown Lower, county of Wicklow. The townland, once over 1500 acres in extent, lost almost half of this beneath the waters of the Poulaphuca Reservoir. The sense of loss is still palpable.

ID number(s): 1851823190

Extra #1: includes map and several graphs.

Extra #2: View the entry for ‘Lacken’ in the Placenames Database of Ireland.

Extra #3: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #4: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #5: Link to a portrait of the author via https://portraidi.ie/ga/seamas-o-maitiu/

Mapping Our Mountains (1)

© EastWest Mapping

Full title: Wicklow Mountains West: 1:30,000 Detailed Map

Creator / Author: EastWest Mapping & Barry & Clive Dalby (Survey Team).

Item Type / Page count: Map / 1 page folded down to 12 x 23cm

When Published: 2010

Publisher / Place of Publication: EastWest Mapping / Clonegal, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

About: This map takes in a major portion of the mountains located in the western half of the county. It has been compiled using satellite imagery combined with foot slogging, cycling and driving through the area. It includes many old placenames and historical sites and provides an excellent panorama both for the rambler and armchair historian. Lugnaquilla is not covered by this particular map, but is available as a separate publication.

ID number(s): 9781899815285

Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #2: Link to the Publisher’s website

A Second Valleymount Compendium

© The Publisher

Full title: Valleymount – Facets of our Local History Part Two

Creator / Author: Fr. Richard Cantwell (editor) & contributors.

Item Type / Page count: Magazine (Complete issue) / 38p

When Published: Christmas 1990

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

About: This is the second of four collections of local history material which was first published separately in various issues of the Valleymount Parish News.  It covers areas such as Lacken, Baltyboys, Blessington, Poulaphuca and Valleymount. The major article in this collection is on the history of Valleymount G.A.A. club. It is a photocopied rather than printed publication and the quality of reproduction reflects this.

ID number(s): None

Contents: Cover drawing: The Church — Photograph of C. S. Parnell and T. M. O’Reilly —  Valleymount Church Restoration / Fr. Richard Cantwell  — St. Kevin’s Window / Fr. Richard Cantwell  – St. Joseph’s Valleymount, Re-opened / A Special Correspondent — Bishop Boden’s Well — Parish Registers of Births, Marriages and Confirmations  / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Ireland’s ‘Forgotten’ Valley / Barbara Page – To the memory of Father Rowan [poem] / Anon — Lough Cleevaun [poem] / T. M. O’Reilly – Granabeg [poem] / T. M. O’Reilly — …”When yez lave me in Baltyboys” / Matty Lennon – Sister Kevin Osborne / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Fr. Seamus McGeehan [obituary] / Mgr. Owen Sweeney — The Lord Mayor / Mattie Lennon — Diamond Jubilee of Father Dufficy / Fr. Richard Cantwell — The Dublin Blessington Steam Tram / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Valleymount GAA Club / Sean O’Sullivan – Items from ‘Leinster Leader’ – A Peek at our History / Fr. Richard Cantwell.

Extra #1: Contains illustrations and reproduction photographs throughout the text.

Extra #2: 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.

A First Valleymount Compendium

© The Publisher

Full title: Valleymount – Facets of our Local History. Part One

Creator / Author: Fr. Richard Cantwell (editor) & contributors.

Item Type / Page count: Magazine (Complete issue) / 65p

When Published: Christmas 1990

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

About: Available for the princely sum of 50p, this is the first of four miscellanies which gathers together local history material that was first published separately in various issues of the Valleymount Parish News.  It covers areas such as Lacken, Baltyboys, Poulaphuca and Valleymount and contains a roughly 50/50 mix of church history and secular history. It is a photocopied rather than printed publication and the price and quality of reproduction reflects this.

ID number(s): None

Contents: Cover drawing: The Church — Introduction / Fr. Richard Cantwell  — Church Windows [Our four stained glass windows from the Harry Clarke studios / Fr. Richard Cantwell  – Place Names [Names of townships etc in our Parish of Valleymount] — Death of Fr. Jones [Parish Priest killed in accident] — Recipes: 19^th Century [taken from old Valleymount Register 1844-59] — Building Agreement 1862 – Blackditches Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Blackditches: its history and its pastors / T. M. O’Reilly — Parish Priests of Valleymount (formerly Baltyboys or Blackditches) — Guide: to Tourists and Sportsmen visiting Blessington and its Environs / T. M. O’Reilly – Advertisements of an earlier age — Tithe Applotment List 1834 / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Stations across the King’s River 1834 / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Tombstones in Baltyboys Cemetery / Brian J. Cantwell — Ballyknockan Brass and Reed Band / Kay Byrne — Lease of former Presbytery, Valleymount / Fr. Richard Cantwell — Fr. Francis O’Loughlin — Ballyknockan Granite Quarries / Mary McEvoy and Annie McEvoy – Plane crash Blackhill, 1941 / Peter Garry [?] – Lacken Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Baptismal Font in Lacken Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Baptismal Font in Valleymount Church – Lease of Lacken Church / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Parish Visitation: Blackditches and Lacken 1840 / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Lacken / Mrs. White – Presentation to Mrs Easie Gallagher / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Dedication of Lacken Church to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1882 – The Hollywood Stone / Aiden O’Sullivan – Quaker burial ground in Baltyboys / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Rude stone monument at Lacken / Fr. Richard Cantwell – The excavation of a relig at Ballyknockan – Two ringforts submerged at Ballyknockan – Poulaphuca reservoir / Fr. Richard Cantwell – Murder at Butterhill – Presentation to Fr. Heffernan – Fr. Finney’s affairs – Items from ‘Leinster Leader’.

Extra #1: Contains illustrations and reproduction photographs throughout the text.

Extra #2: 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.