A South Wicklow Miscellany (1)
Cover Photo: Betty Whelan
Full title: The Liars’ Bench: history, heritage and lockdown lore from South Wicklow
Creator / Author: Kevin Lee
Item Type / Page count: Book / 328pp
When Published: 2021
Publisher / Place of Publication: Coollattin Canadian Connection / Co. Wicklow
About: In March 2020, when COVID-19 pushed the country into lockdown, local historian, Kevin Lee, had the idea of starting a series of postings on the Facebook platform. These postings would cover aspects of the history of places like Carnew, Shillelagh, Aughrim, Tinahely and their hinterlands. There was a tremendous response to this initiative which has garnered over 3,000 followers. This book is a compendium of the 99 postings (and responses) which appeared between 14/03/2020 and 20/06/2020. It is the first of two collections now published in book form. A glance at the contents listing below gives an idea of the range of topics covered.
ID number(s): 9781399901055
Contents: Dedication — Acknowledgements — Photo Credits — Introduction — Foreword — 1. Snowfalls, Gales and COVID-19 — 2. The Way We (They!) Were — 3. Can You Identify This Young Man? — 4. A St. Patrick’s Day Greeting — 5. Old Photos–New Images — 6. Carnew Emmets, Kingpins of Underage Hurling — 7. Carnew Emmets, Under-14 Champions, 1976 — 8. Senior Football Final 1951 — 9. A Title Won on the Pitch but Lost in the Boardroom — 10. Who was the ‘Gunner’ Behan? — 11. Junior Hurling Champions, 1959 — 12. The Glory Years — 13. The Foundations of a Great Team — 14. A Real Piece of Nostalgia — 15. The 52-year History of Quinn’s Livestock Mart — 16. ‘Old Paddy’ Austin — 17. Is this Unique? — 18. The Water Pump on the Woolgreen — 19. The Fitzwilliam School in Carnew — 20. All Saints School — 21. All Saints Church — 22. The Relics of a Bitter Dispute — 23. Perforated Tombstones in the Churchyard — 24. Going, Going, Gone — 25. Carnew Castle-a False Dawn for Carnew — 26. Carnew Castle-the Woodhouse Era — 27. A Courthouse, a Bank, a Drapery Shop, a Restaurant — 28. McGirr’s Pharmacy-a Tailors, a Coopers, a Saddlery and finally a Pharmacy — 29. The Liars’ Bench — 30. The Liar Lives on — 31. The Last of the Benchmen — 32. Golden Jubilee Celebration 1888 — 33. Bank of Ireland — 34. Carnew Castle-the Spicer Era — 35. Carnew Castle-Doctor Zbrigniev Dabszewski — 36. A Divided Society — 37. The PTAA Hall (Pioner Total Abstinence Association) — 38. Macra na Feirme — 39. The Power of Social Media — 40. Tom Fleming, Shillelagh’s Proudest Son — 41. Carnew Stud — 42. A Methodist Meeting Room, a Tailor’s and the Workshop of a Master Craftsman — 43. Wesleyan Methodist Church (now Altura Credit Union) — 44. Appeal to Cocooning Ladies — 45. History of the ‘Tech’, aka Carnew Vocational School, aka Coláiste Bhríde-the Early Years — 46. Carnew ‘Tech’-the 1986 Extension — 47. Carnew ‘Tech’-a Tribute to a Great Servant — 48. Carnew ‘Tech’-the 1950’s — 49. Carnew ‘Tech’-the Schools Founding Father, J.J. McCrea — 50. Carnew ‘Tech’-the Advent of Free Education — 51. Carnew ‘Tech’-First Ministerial Visit — 52. Snapshots in Time — 53. An End to Cocooning — 54. Kilcavan Slate Quarry — 55. Coollattin-Heaven on our Doorstep — 56. A Memorable Day in Croke Park — 57. The Coach Building Factory of David Beddy at the Corner House — 58. The Church of the Most Holy Rosary — 59. Fundraising for The Church of the Most Holy Rosary — 60. Darlington’s, a Great Superstore — 61. Murphys of Ballingate — 62. Corrells-150 Years of Service to the Community — 63. The Liars’ Hole at the Brook — 64. School Height aka Brunswick Row aka Pavey’s Height — 65. Commemorating the Manchester Martyrs — 66. Tour of Coollattin Estate-The Story of Coollattin House — 67. The Story of Coollattin-The Pursuit of Reynard — 68. The Story of Coollattin-the Pecking Order — 69. The Woodenbridge-Shillelagh Railway Line — 70. The Playing of Cricket at Coollattin — 71. Shillelagh Courthouse-Appearing ‘Under the Fox’ — 72. Shillelagh Workhouse — 73. Lords and Ladies-Coollattin Style — 74. The Famous Chauffeur-Driven Simplex Car at Coollattin — 75. Marriage of Lord Peter to Olive Plunket, April 1933 — 76. Fatal Attraction-the Story of Peter Fitzwilliam and Kathleen Kennedy — 77. Somerset Struben de Chair-Lady Juliet’s Second Husband — 78. A Fitzwilliam Bids Farewell to Coollattin — 79. Carnew Community Care-an Appeal — 80. Bradshaws of Shillelagh — 81. Shillelagh’s Hydro-Electric Station — 82. The Building Yard at Coollattin — 83. Pat Darcy-the Village Blacksmith — 84. The Last Cook at Coollattin — 85. The Workforce in the Building Yard — 86. The Bradshaw Family Remembered — 87. A Shillelagh Miscellany — 88. ‘Patcho’ the Poet — 89. The King and I — 90. The Model Farm — 91. The Forestry Industry — 92. Ardeen Cheshire Home, 1960-2020 — 93. John Wilkinson-a Truly Remarkable Man — 94. St. Aidan’s Hall — 95. St. Aidan’s Hall-More from the Memories of John Wilkinson — 96. Ormonde Cinema…aka Arus Naomh Brigid…aka St. Brigid’s Hall, 1946-2020 — 97. Umrigar Races — 98. Carnew Sports and Cricket Ground — 99. The Liars’ Hole-Revisited.
Extra #1: Each of the 99 postings includes at least one photo or illustration.
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 https://www.coollattincanadianconnection.com/
West Wicklow Bookshelf 